[k3ack3r]

The delay is only with video/gaming not plain music and only with usb not in BT receiver

Yes, I'm aware. So I'm assuming there's really no way around the delay at all.(videos etc)

 

[nc8000]

Yes, I'm aware. So I'm assuming there's really no way around the delay at all.(videos etc)

Only if your player software has an option to adjust the delay

 

[J Kelley]

Taking a poll here: Direct mode - on or off?

 

[nc8000]

Taking a poll here: Direct mode - on or off?

On

 

[Vamp898]

I would say DAP market itself is dead. People in the real world don't even know what DAP means. I had to say "MP3 player" to make sense.
I doubt whether Sony sells even 500K or million units of each revision. Most of the Chinese DAPs have a production run of 10K or 25K units.

Head-fi and audiophilia(?) are a tiny, tiny,tiny segment of the real world.
Don't expect it to get better since the younger generation has moved on to Bluetooth headphones fully, and smartphones serve them without any issue that seems to affect only audiophiles

In Japan they are a big deal, that is why Sony focuses its marketing on Japan too.

Several famous artist constantly advertise the A50 and A100 series. There are lots of special editions with Disney Characters, Peanuts Characters, Hatsune Miku and so on.

Right now there exists from the A50
Disney Ultimate Princess Model
Disney Collection
Disney Twisted Wanderland Edition
Deamon Slayer Model
Winnie Puuh Model
Peanuts Friends Collection

Then there are the Following A100
Tony Stark Collection
Spider-Man Collection
Spider-Man No Way Home Collection
Avangers Collection
Disney Collection
Peanuts Music Fun Collection

The Peanuts Friends Collection and the Disney Collection are also available for the NW-S310

And there is tons of other marketing Material like this developer interview for the A50


The A50 is also covered in the Wired x Wireless Campaign from Sony and the A100 gets even more coverage

An special site
https://www.sony.jp/walkman/special/NW-A100_series/?s_pid=jp_/walkman/_products_NW-A100

Interviews with Musicians
https://www.sony.jp/headphone/lovemusic/sirup/?s_pid=jp_/walkman/special/NW-A100_series/_SIRUP

And the Walkman Catalog
https://www.sony.jp/products/catalog/WM_NW_sou.pdf

But on the other hand, Japan does have an healthy audio market overall. They have the most music releases all over the world, artists get payed the most, people are willing to pay for music and so on. But Japan is not the only country where the Walkman sells well. Most of them are sold in Japan, yes, but they are sold well in other countries.

Also the Walkman is one of the rare products that is not developed by a separate company but by the Sony Corporation itself. The Walkman Team sits directly under the CEO of Sony because Sony itself says, it is one of their most important business and one of their core values.

I am working i an IT business where no one is an audiophile (i am the only one), but 2 other people there own an A50 and another one owns an ZX500. A friend of mine is thinking about buying an A50 because he bought the XBA-N3 and he is underwhelmed by the sound of his phone. Even though the people in this forum here make fun of the A50 because it can't drive some whatever Sennheiser Headphones with 150Ω, it is a significant upgrade to most phones.

My father is saving up for an A50 and the father of my girlfriend also owns an A50. They both use them with the XBA-N1.

So calling the DAP market dead is maybe some very subjective and local issue which is, for sure, not true for the rest of the world.

e-earphone (the biggest earphone reseller in Japan) is growing every year and not a fractions, they are exploding in size because the audiophile community in Japan is exploding.

 

[rcoleman1]

Taking a poll here: Direct mode - on or off?

Definitely ON.

 

[hoofman]

But on the other hand, Japan does have an healthy audio market overall. They have the most music releases all over the world, artists get payed the most, people are willing to pay for music and so on. But Japan is not the only country where the Walkman sells well. Most of them are sold in Japan, yes, but they are sold well in other countries.
...
So calling the DAP market dead is maybe some very subjective and local issue which is, for sure, not true for the rest of the world.

The year is 2022 and walkman has been selling everywhere in Singapore for years now so I think they are doing pretty well here as well.

Even though the people in this forum here make fun of the A50 because it can't drive some whatever Sennheiser Headphones with 150Ω, it is a significant upgrade to most phones.

LOL

 

[nc8000]

In Japan they are a big deal, that is why Sony focuses its marketing on Japan too.

Several famous artist constantly advertise the A50 and A100 series. There are lots of special editions with Disney Characters, Peanuts Characters, Hatsune Miku and so on.

Right now there exists from the A50
Disney Ultimate Princess Model
Disney Collection
Disney Twisted Wanderland Edition
Deamon Slayer Model
Winnie Puuh Model
Peanuts Friends Collection

Then there are the Following A100
Tony Stark Collection
Spider-Man Collection
Spider-Man No Way Home Collection
Avangers Collection
Disney Collection
Peanuts Music Fun Collection

The Peanuts Friends Collection and the Disney Collection are also available for the NW-S310

And there is tons of other marketing Material like this developer interview for the A50


The A50 is also covered in the Wired x Wireless Campaign from Sony and the A100 gets even more coverage

An special site
https://www.sony.jp/walkman/special/NW-A100_series/?s_pid=jp_/walkman/_products_NW-A100

Interviews with Musicians
https://www.sony.jp/headphone/lovemusic/sirup/?s_pid=jp_/walkman/special/NW-A100_series/_SIRUP

And the Walkman Catalog
https://www.sony.jp/products/catalog/WM_NW_sou.pdf

But on the other hand, Japan does have an healthy audio market overall. They have the most music releases all over the world, artists get payed the most, people are willing to pay for music and so on. But Japan is not the only country where the Walkman sells well. Most of them are sold in Japan, yes, but they are sold well in other countries.

Also the Walkman is one of the rare products that is not developed by a separate company but by the Sony Corporation itself. The Walkman Team sits directly under the CEO of Sony because Sony itself says, it is one of their most important business and one of their core values.

I am working i an IT business where no one is an audiophile (i am the only one), but 2 other people there own an A50 and another one owns an ZX500. A friend of mine is thinking about buying an A50 because he bought the XBA-N3 and he is underwhelmed by the sound of his phone. Even though the people in this forum here make fun of the A50 because it can't drive some whatever Sennheiser Headphones with 150Ω, it is a significant upgrade to most phones.

My father is saving up for an A50 and the father of my girlfriend also owns an A50. They both use them with the XBA-N1.

So calling the DAP market dead is maybe some very subjective and local issue which is, for sure, not true for the rest of the world.

e-earphone (the biggest earphone reseller in Japan) is growing every year and not a fractions, they are exploding in size because the audiophile community in Japan is exploding.

Especially after the MrWalkman WalkmanOne fw the A50 to me is a really good dap, in fact so good that had I had that combo 5 1/2 years ago I probably would never have bought the 1Z, as the A50 would have been plenty good enough for my primary dap use. Yes the 1Z is clearly better but also very, very much more expensive and I enjoy the music as much from the A50 as I do from the 1Z

 

[Kamen555]

Especially after the MrWalkman WalkmanOne fw the A50 to me is a really good dap, in fact so good that had I had that combo 5 1/2 years ago I probably would never have bought the 1Z, as the A50 would have been plenty good enough for my primary dap use. Yes the 1Z is clearly better but also very, very much more expensive and I enjoy the music as much from the A50 as I do from the 1Z

100% Agree!

As someone who is permanently in the lofi-midfi budget bracket, the a50 with the Mr Walkman fw is an incredible value. I haven't thought about upgrading, and all the earphone/headphone that I own (lofi-midfi tier) sound awesome . A good source really makes a difference.

 

[fish1050]

In Japan they are a big deal, that is why Sony focuses its marketing on Japan too.

Several famous artist constantly advertise the A50 and A100 series. There are lots of special editions with Disney Characters, Peanuts Characters, Hatsune Miku and so on.

Right now there exists from the A50
Disney Ultimate Princess Model
Disney Collection
Disney Twisted Wanderland Edition
Deamon Slayer Model
Winnie Puuh Model
Peanuts Friends Collection

Then there are the Following A100
Tony Stark Collection
Spider-Man Collection
Spider-Man No Way Home Collection
Avangers Collection
Disney Collection
Peanuts Music Fun Collection

The Peanuts Friends Collection and the Disney Collection are also available for the NW-S310

And there is tons of other marketing Material like this developer interview for the A50


The A50 is also covered in the Wired x Wireless Campaign from Sony and the A100 gets even more coverage

An special site
https://www.sony.jp/walkman/special/NW-A100_series/?s_pid=jp_/walkman/_products_NW-A100

Interviews with Musicians
https://www.sony.jp/headphone/lovemusic/sirup/?s_pid=jp_/walkman/special/NW-A100_series/_SIRUP

And the Walkman Catalog
https://www.sony.jp/products/catalog/WM_NW_sou.pdf

But on the other hand, Japan does have an healthy audio market overall. They have the most music releases all over the world, artists get payed the most, people are willing to pay for music and so on. But Japan is not the only country where the Walkman sells well. Most of them are sold in Japan, yes, but they are sold well in other countries.

Also the Walkman is one of the rare products that is not developed by a separate company but by the Sony Corporation itself. The Walkman Team sits directly under the CEO of Sony because Sony itself says, it is one of their most important business and one of their core values.

I am working i an IT business where no one is an audiophile (i am the only one), but 2 other people there own an A50 and another one owns an ZX500. A friend of mine is thinking about buying an A50 because he bought the XBA-N3 and he is underwhelmed by the sound of his phone. Even though the people in this forum here make fun of the A50 because it can't drive some whatever Sennheiser Headphones with 150Ω, it is a significant upgrade to most phones.

My father is saving up for an A50 and the father of my girlfriend also owns an A50. They both use them with the XBA-N1.

So calling the DAP market dead is maybe some very subjective and local issue which is, for sure, not true for the rest of the world.

e-earphone (the biggest earphone reseller in Japan) is growing every year and not a fractions, they are exploding in size because the audiophile community in Japan is exploding.

If Sony is selling so many units why do they release new models so infrequently? It use to be Sony would sell updated models every year but it has been what 3 years+ since the A50 was released. Long delay in release of other models as well. The model release schedule contradicts your claims on number of units being sold. Personally I have moved on from Sony to Shanling that releases new and updated models more frequently than Sony and much better bang for the buck.

It takes third party firmware updates for the A50 to maximize sound quality. Why isn't Sony maximizing the sound quality on their DAP's on release? Not sure I want to buy a DAP from a company that cripples sound quality and charges a premium for their name.

 

[WilcoRoger]

If Sony is selling so many units why do they release new models so infrequently?

It takes third party firmware updates for the A50 to maximize sound quality. Why isn't Sony maximizing the sound quality on their DAP's on release?

Your questions show that you're not in business.

1/ Why release new models, if the old one is selling well?

2/ If they maximized SQ on the A55, that would cannibalize their sales of higher level (and more expensive) DAPs

 

[nc8000]

Your questions show that you're not in business.

1/ Why release new models, if the old one is selling well?

2/ If they maximized SQ on the A55, that would cannibalize their sales of higher level (and more expensive) DAPs

Indeed. Sony like many other manufacturers have a complete tiered line up where each model has a certain spot and function which does not necesarily reflect the true potential of what a given device could deliver if fully optimized. And I don't particularily see any merrit in those manufacturers who constantly release (and often as quickly abandon) new models

 

[Kalnet101]

Bought my A55 early last year and was shocked when I found out the manufacturing date was Dec, 2020.

So yeah, the A50 series and the walkman line in general is still very much alive.

 

[fish1050]

Your questions show that you're not in business.

1/ Why release new models, if the old one is selling well?

2/ If they maximized SQ on the A55, that would cannibalize their sales of higher level (and more expensive) DAPs

Actually I was in the business for 15 years selling high end audio products. The companies that are retail market leaders release new models regularly to maintain market share and actually sell more products including Sony which is actually famous for their product turnover. I sold alot of their products including walkmans and had regular contact with Sony reps. At the very least Sony should have released an update to the A50 to replace the hated WMport. I went through multiple cables cause the connector kept breaking or got shorted out on my A17 which was so underpowered I had to use an amp with it. I never bought another Sony A series DAP because of that stupid port. If your logic is true then why did Sony use to release a new A series model every 12 months A10/20/30/40? I personally dealt with customers who refused to buy a Sony DAP because of the stupid WMPort (Waste of Money Port).

In niche markets like the DAP market you count heavily on die hards upgrading their DAP's frequently to attract more sales so you can stay in business and maintain market share. If you follow any threads on this site you know this to be true. If you have a DAP model like the A55 that sells for 3 years+, once you sell one to every interested customer how do you attract more DAP sales unless you give them a reason to upgrade with a newer model. If you are like me and don't want android then these linux based DAP's are the only other DAP option? If Sony had released an A65 for example with USB-C, and upgraded hardware I would probably be listening to it right now instead of my Q1. Last time I checked their were over 40 used A55's for sale on ebay.ca. If the A55 is so great why are there so many used ones for sale? Because people want newer with more and upgraded features. You can't tell me there aren't upgrades that can be made to the A50 series when MrWalkman can release firmware to improve sound quality significantly.

Sony should throw the loyal A55 customers a bone and release an official firmware that maximizes the sound quality so you don't have to void your warranty by installing 3rd party firmware to get the best sound. At this point I am willing to bet that 90 to 95% of the people who would buy the A55 already have one. So Sony releasing an ultimate sound quality firmware update wouldn't affect sales much at all since everyone could upgrade to it and it might even get some people like me who moved to Fiio and Shanling among others because Sony became so stagnant for so many years with their DAP lineup. Sony hasn't exactly hit it out of the park with the A105 which is the closest Sony upgrade to the A55 price wise.

You know what, if Sony were to release an official firmware that does what the MrWalkman firmware updates do to improve sound quality I would go out tomorrow and buy an A55 tomorrow, regardless of how much I hate the bleeping WMPort..

 

[MrWalkman]

Actually I was in the business for 15 years selling high end audio products. The companies that are retail market leaders release new models regularly to maintain market share and actually sell more products including Sony which is actually famous for their product turnover. I sold alot of their products including walkmans and had regular contact with Sony reps. At the very least Sony should have released an update to the A50 to replace the hated WMport. I went through multiple cables cause the connector kept breaking or got shorted out on my A17 which was so underpowered I had to use an amp with it. I never bought another Sony A series DAP because of that stupid port. If your logic is true then why did Sony use to release a new A series model every 12 months A10/20/30/40? I personally dealt with customers who refused to buy a Sony DAP because of the stupid WMPort (Waste of Money Port).

In niche markets like the DAP market you count heavily on die hards upgrading their DAP's frequently to attract more sales so you can stay in business and maintain market share. If you follow any threads on this site you know this to be true. If you have a DAP model like the A55 that sells for 3 years+, once you sell one to every interested customer how do you attract more DAP sales unless you give them a reason to upgrade with a newer model. If you are like me and don't want android then these linux based DAP's are the only other DAP option? If Sony had released an A65 for example with USB-C, and upgraded hardware I would probably be listening to it right now instead of my Q1. Last time I checked their were over 40 used A55's for sale on ebay.ca. If the A55 is so great why are there so many used ones for sale? Because people want newer with more and upgraded features. You can't tell me there aren't upgrades that can be made to the A50 series when MrWalkman can release firmware to improve sound quality significantly.

Sony should throw the loyal A55 customers a bone and release an official firmware that maximizes the sound quality so you don't have to void your warranty by installing 3rd party firmware to get the best sound. At this point I am willing to bet that 90 to 95% of the people who would buy the A55 already have one. So Sony releasing an ultimate sound quality firmware update wouldn't affect sales much at all since everyone could upgrade to it and it might even get some people like me who moved to Fiio and Shanling among others because Sony became so stagnant for so many years with their DAP lineup. Sony hasn't exactly hit it out of the park with the A105 which is the closest Sony upgrade to the A55 price wise.

You know what, if Sony were to release an official firmware that does what the MrWalkman firmware updates do to improve sound quality I would go out tomorrow and buy an A55 tomorrow, regardless of how much I hate the bleeping WMPort..

Well, by reverting to the stock firmware it's like you never installed the custom firmware, so I wouldn't worry about warranty.

I think that in the end you can just get really nice sound quality, which you can choose to enjoy it or not.