[hieple193]

Hi everyone. Just bought an Nw-a55 along with the CKS-NWA40 case and really loving it so far. Just wanted to let everyone know that I was able to solve a "Creating Database" boot loop (While using SD card for storage) by deleting all .log, .txt, and .m3u files from the library. When it was stuck in the loop I would remove the SD card and let it reboot. Then I would just use an SD card reader with my computer to remove the files. Thought it might be a use to anyone else with the issue.

Creating Database is not a problem for me really. It just happens about 1 second

 

[Thespecificocean]

Creating Database is not a problem for me really. It just happens about 1 second

Just saw that some others around the net were having the same issue with their 40 and 50 series so I thought I'd offer a potential solution.

 

[zuvi]

Just saw that some others around the net were having the same issue with their 40 and 50 series so I thought I'd offer a potential solution.

Thanks,I haven't received mine yet but I'll do this if I run into this issue

 

[zuvi]

I can't recommend to use a silicone case from A40 for A50. The geometry and buttons are different.
Have had the A40 and now the A50 and have orderned a new case to have a perfect fit.
If you can accept that the silicon case not perfectly match than you can go for an A40 case.

I see, I ordered mine from AliExpress for cheap just in case I don't like how it fits. Thanks for the info

 

[fish1050]

Yeah, the market is way too competitive nowadays for them to delay a product that has already been release in certain region with 5-6 months. At this rate by the time the a50 is released globally, the'll release of the new line-up will be even nearer. Personally, with this year being the walkman's 40th anniversary, I've already decided to skip the a50 and wait until the end of the summer for the new models and hopefully a coll anniversary release that will be more worth it than just a faster UI.

We will typically hear about new models for the IFA show in Germany in September. So the sonyblogspot should have some details in August. So basically Sony is taking a very conservative path with the A50 assuming a big change for the A60 for 2020. I don't really want to wait that long especially since it will be well into 2020 before Sony allows North America to buy it. So I will take a pass on the A55 and grab a Fiio M6 and see what Sony does a year from now.

But honestly what can Sony offer on a 40th anniversary device for around $200 US? My gut feeling is the big release will be with the ZX or WM series since they aren't getting an update this year. I look for mostly cosmetic changes to the A series next year, maybe wifi for DLNA and maybe a newer version of bluetooth. I don't want to wait that long and possibly be disappointed with what Sony offers for the A series. Especially since the Fiio M6 probably offers everything Sony might add next year already and it will be cheaper.

 

[Ddhead]

Here's a opinion by me.. Something I found out to be better.. Worth the try
For all Sony Walkman including those ZX or A series here.. I tried it all.. All stock Walkman with Equalizer turned off sound like the 60hz boosted, 400hz lowered, 2.5khz boosted, 6.3khz boosted

Turning off Equalizer makes music sound thin and piercing. Vocal sound very bad.

The solution I accidentally found was...
Turn off all other built in enhancements like DSEE and DC Phase Linearizer except Equalizer

TURN ON EQUALIZER BUT SET ALL VALUE TO ZERO!

Try it.. You'll notice the bass is not so bloated as before , low mid 400hz become better.. Thicker body Vocal.. The 2.5khz frequency sharpness hiss disappeared too, or else the word T or S sound like a sharpened edge knives sisss... Pain and piercing.

In the end the music sounded more natural and flat and accurate!

Is just my opinion , but you can try and see if you liked it

The gears I used to test
Walkman A45 Vol 97 + Fiio L16 cable to Fiio A3 High Gain Vol <5 + Audio Technica M40x

 

[Ddhead]

Tested the A55.. Owned A35 and then upgraded to A45, the sound of A45 sound a lot better, better mid range and dynamics. A35 sound thin vocal. A45 solved that. Now the A55. Doesn't sound thin but bass is reduced slightly and sound brighter as if the 2.5khz is boosted slightly again. Listening for long time might experience fatigue.

My opinion is A45 sounded warmer and thicker and more natural as compared to A35 and A55..
Therefore I prefer the A45 more and likely to remain. This is just my opinion.

All tested with all enhancements turned off.. Except Equalizer all set to value 0 as I found out stock Walkman with Equalizer turned off sound boosted somewhere

Tested with Walkman A45 volume 97 + Fiio L16 to Fiio A3 Vol <5 + Audio Technica M40x

 

[kova4a]

We will typically hear about new models for the IFA show in Germany in September. So the sonyblogspot should have some details in August. So basically Sony is taking a very conservative path with the A50 assuming a big change for the A60 for 2020. I don't really want to wait that long especially since it will be well into 2020 before Sony allows North America to buy it. So I will take a pass on the A55 and grab a Fiio M6 and see what Sony does a year from now.

But honestly what can Sony offer on a 40th anniversary device for around $200 US? My gut feeling is the big release will be with the ZX or WM series since they aren't getting an update this year. I look for mostly cosmetic changes to the A series next year, maybe wifi for DLNA and maybe a newer version of bluetooth. I don't want to wait that long and possibly be disappointed with what Sony offers for the A series. Especially since the Fiio M6 probably offers everything Sony might add next year already and it will be cheaper.

Yeah, I know but for me time flies by so fast that it will be September in no time and this time I won't wait for the international release. And Sony hasn't really implemented any big changes in either a40 or a50, so maybe with a60 they will do something new as the A-series is still severely underpowered even for demanding iems let alone cans, while the competition has been pushing 200mw+. To be honest though I'm not purely said on an a50 successor, as I might jump straight to the potential new flagship release as I bought so much crap last year and this year the only thing I want is a new DAP, which leaves me with quite the substantial budget. I really like the A-series though as this is the perfect size for me, if they could only add a 2.5mm balanced output as the DAP is too small for 4.4mm, or at least double the SE output power. AS far as the M^ goes, I'm not really interested in it, the new colown plenue d2 is way more interesting and I've always preferred the Cirrus Logic's DACs

 

[fish1050]

Yeah, I know but for me time flies by so fast that it will be September in no time and this time I won't wait for the international release. And Sony hasn't really implemented any big changes in either a40 or a50, so maybe with a60 they will do something new as the A-series is still severely underpowered even for demanding iems let alone cans, while the competition has been pushing 200mw+. To be honest though I'm not purely said on an a50 successor, as I might jump straight to the potential new flagship release as I bought so much crap last year and this year the only thing I want is a new DAP, which leaves me with quite the substantial budget. I really like the A-series though as this is the perfect size for me, if they could only add a 2.5mm balanced output as the DAP is too small for 4.4mm, or at least double the SE output power. AS far as the M^ goes, I'm not really interested in it, the new colown plenue d2 is way more interesting and I've always preferred the Cirrus Logic's DACs

Thing is even Sony's flagship DAP isn't a particularly powerful unit either. So I don't expect that big a bump in power on the A60. Their design has always been more about long battery life vs power and I can't see them making the A series more powerful than the ZX which is only 50 mW per channel vs 35 mW per channel for the A series. Their Class D digital amp design does not scale well to add much more power unless maybe they add a balanced output. But that leaves one less feature to make the higher end models different from the A series. Given what the Chinese DAP makers are putting into their cheaper DAP's I don't know if Sony can compete at that price point. Especially since they use all their own parts and have to spend alot more on R&D that way.

Compare the Fiio M6 to the A55 feature wise for example and Sony falls short at a higher price. Do Sony's DAP's sound that much better that they can sell the A series with important missing features for more money? I won't buy a Sony DAP simply because Sony makes it as their name doesn't inspire me the way it use to.

 

[fragzone]

Here's a opinion by me.. Something I found out to be better.. Worth the try
For all Sony Walkman including those ZX or A series here.. I tried it all.. All stock Walkman with Equalizer turned off sound like the 60hz boosted, 400hz lowered, 2.5khz boosted, 6.5khz boosted

Turning off Equalizer makes music sound thin and piercing. Vocal sound very bad.

The solution I accidentally found was...
Turn off all other built in enhancements like DSEE and DC Phase Linearizer except Equalizer

TURN ON EQUALIZER BUT SET ALL VALUE TO ZERO!

Try it.. You'll notice the bass is not so bloated as before , low mid 400hz become better.. Thicker body Vocal.. The 2.5khz frequency sharpness hiss disappeared too, or else the word T or S sound like a sharpened edge knives sisss... Pain and piercing.

In the end the music sounded more natural and flat and accurate!

Is just my opinion , but you can try and see if you liked it

The gears I used to test
Walkman A45 Vol 97 + Fiio A3 High Gain Vol <5 + Audio Technica M40x

Interesting. So there is a difference between enabling a custom profile on the equaliser with everything at 0 and the 'out of the box' sound with all enchantments and equaliser disabled? That would be an interesting quirk although we know Sony is all about their quirks so it wouldn't surprise me if the default sound is inherently coloured by Sony in terms of the frequency response. Actually pretty cool if it works the way you say, meaning I can choose between Sony's idea of what sound should be and also hear a representation of what the device thinks flat should be.

 

[Ddhead]

Interesting. So there is a difference between enabling a custom profile on the equaliser with everything at 0 and the 'out of the box' sound with all enchantments and equaliser disabled? That would be an interesting quirk although we know Sony is all about their quirks so it wouldn't surprise me if the default sound is inherently coloured by Sony in terms of the frequency response. Actually pretty cool if it works the way you say, meaning I can choose between Sony's idea of what sound should be and also hear a representation of what the device thinks flat should be.

Exactly!!
You totally understood what I was trying to convey here!!
I love how the way you replied!
Totally express my impression
Exactly this line "meaning I can choose between Sony's idea of what sound should be and also hear a representation of what the device thinks flat should be"

I do remember I read from comments here at headfi stating they felt Sony Walkman sound very real and lovely as if the singer is just singing live in front of you as compared to other company DAP and guessing probably due to their S-Master HX chip. And that give me a hint of 6.3khz is all about presence.. How near or far the singer presence sound. So I thought it is boosted ..

Another hint also because this A series Walkman are ideally paired with Sony mdr 100aap and mdr h600a which is the same thing. And looking at the mdr 100aap frequency curve you know those frequency that I said boosted and lowered from all enhancements off is tuned to compensate it and so those 2 are the ideal pair player and headphones!
All like the quirks you mentioned done by Sony like the Mdr 1a, 1am2.. Sounded good but the with the 400hz lowered 2.5khz , 6.3khz boosted highs..

Maybe this is probably done by Sony intentionally like how he want the music to sound, as if he wish to express how the sound they like people to hear..

Is not bad.. But just not my taste after listening the M40x for a long time which built to sound true, flat and accurate to real sound.. So, any boosted sound obvious to me (>_<)

So maybe now is like as you said
We can either choose to listen what Sony preferred default Tuned coloured sound or we turn on Equalizer and set everything to Zero to experience true Flat enhancements!
Which means we are given a choice to listen to their preset Eq or don't haha

 

[phower]

Their Class D digital amp design does not scale well to add much more power unless maybe they add a balanced output.

That is incorrect. Class D amps are insanely powerful. In fact, they are now used for many PA systems.
Sony has artificially reduced the power output. It has nothing to do with their S-Master digital amplifier.

 

[fish1050]

That is incorrect. Class D amps are insanely powerful. In fact, they are now used for many PA systems.
Sony has artificially reduced the power output. It has nothing to do with their S-Master digital amplifier.

Only in larger devices is that true, in something as small as a DAP to scale the Class D digital amp for more power the Sony DAP's would need to be much larger. When I says scale I am referring to the size of the device relative to the amount of power that can be produced. This information came from an article written on the original A10 series when it was first released. My Sony receiver uses the same amp technology as well but it is a heck of alot larger as is the Class D amp inside.

 

[hieple193]

Does anyone knows how much A55's sd card support?

 

[kova4a]

Does anyone knows how much A55's sd card support?

As much as you want