[twd2003]

Yeah I've read that guess elsewhere but there's a big difference between 2 and 5. Sony needs to start publishing this info.

True...Sony really needs to change a lot of things about their Walkman lineup but for some reason they refuse. I guess it's 'cos they are basically the only premium brand doing Linux OS so there isn't much competition

 

[twd2003]

Every new headphone I get, I give my iPhone 7 with lightning audio adapter a chance, and every time I feel like my ears are assaulted with a wall of sound. The A45 in comparison is refined, warm, and detailed with proper placement of vocals and instruments. The iPhone audio adapter gets loud and certainly has presence, but it's tiring to listen to for extended periods. Adding an amp to the A45 helps with impactful music while keeping the clarity on higher impedance headphones.

The DAC Apple uses in their dongle is pretty rubbish...I think the best phones for audio are the new LG flagships and the Essential Phone with that USD 150 audio adapter they sell

 

[twd2003]

Also @BbOO have you considered Sony's NW-A55?

 

[BbOO]

Also @BbOO have you considered Sony's NW-A55?

Not really. I would prefer to stay on the price range of A45.
Is there any distinct advantage of A55?

 

[twd2003]

Not really. I would prefer to stay on the price range of A45.
Is there any distinct advantage of A55?

Not really...it's more of like a Samsung Galaxy S8/S9 update- incremental instead of groundbreaking. That said, build quality is supposedly significantly improved as it's all aluminium and it also has Bluetooth receiver mode.
P.S. If you are willing to wait, it should go down to A-45 prices around September or so. Also, you should try keeping an eye out on Massdrop 'cos they have some pretty good deals on DAPs from time to time

 

[nc8000]

I use my A45 exclusively for streaming flac files to the 1000XM3 headphones over LDAC and for that use it is great

 

[BadReligionPunk]

I use my A45 exclusively for streaming flac files to the 1000XM3 headphones over LDAC and for that use it is great

That's mainly what I use it for. My phone is only Android 6 and I refuse to upgrade as my phone is still good and has a nice dac in it.
Also as a child of the 80s it feels nice to have a Walkman lol

 

[BadReligionPunk]

What is the output impedance? I've never been able to find out what it is.

No idea. Sony keeps that info on lock. Probably not that good so secrets.

 

[twd2003]

That's mainly what I use it for. My phone is only Android 6 and I refuse to upgrade as my phone is still good and has a nice dac in it.
Also as a child of the 80s it feels nice to have a Walkman lol

I'm Gen Z but the whole Walkman heritage thing did contribute somewhat to me choosing it over a FiiO DAP

 

[twd2003]

PSA: if any of y'all bought your devices in the US, Europe, HK etc. you can switch the Japanese firmware (which has an English language option) and a few more features (e.g. removing the volume limiter present in some regions). This can also be used for all NW- and NWZ- series players. The tutorial is here: https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SonyNWDestTool

 

[twd2003]

Hey guys, does anyone know how to connect a Sony NW-A45 to a Schiit Modi 3, Magni 3 and Loki?

 

[QsTree]

Yes, working & nice additional features (eg record function, generation of playlists). But...
Be aware that in case of a factory reset the language get switched to Japanese. Can be changed but you need to find the correct folder (eg using the userguide).

 

[Weaves]

Hey guys, does anyone know how to connect a Sony NW-A45 to a Schiit Modi 3, Magni 3 and Loki?

I'm not sure, but I think it would go like this;

a45 wmport out using the Sony WMC-nwh10 cable.
usb A-male to micro usb from SONY cable to MODI micro usb input
MODI RCA out to LOKI RCA in
LOKI RCA out to MAGNI RCA in

i know earlier Walkmans used the wmport as a line out. I'm not sure if you are double amping with the a45 though..

Good luck

 

[twd2003]

Thanks!

 

[Andreaseb]

I got the NW-A45 player yesterday. Initial impressions:
Great UI, very fast and responsive. The player feels nice and seems to be of great quality for it's price point.
At first I thought the sound was good, but it felt a bit too clean and sterile.
Maybe I'm imagining but after I changed the region to Japan and deleted the volume cap it sounds better. The overall sound seems more mature and natural. Maybe something changed in the high frequencies making it sound more natural?

So if the battery life in this thing is as good as everything else this is a real winner!