[capybara is mine]

I recently began to feel the difference in sound between DAC/AMP.

When comparing wm1a with several USB DAC/Amp Dongles, the bass expression(The punch of the kick drum is so sweet), vivid decay, dynamic sound, natural and clean tone, and analog texture stood out.

It's interesting that dongles with great measurements like Truthhear SHIO and Ibasso DC04pro don't sound good when you actually listen to them.

In addition, after completing training on the difference in DAC/AMP sound by comparing LG V60, Xperia 1V, questyle m12, etc., I visited an audio listening store yesterday.

I tried SP3000, Kann Ultra, SE300, fiio m11s, Mojo2, Diablo2, Go bar, 4.4mm output with z1r and 3.5mm output with hyla sarda. (I noticed a sound difference between the 3.5mm and 4.4mm output on the wm1a, and realized that the 4.4mm was better for the z1r and the 3.5mm for the sarda.)

1.SP3000
At 3.5mm output, the sibilance sounds more prominent compared to the wm1a. This gave me a hard time, and I immediately moved to 4.4mm output. In the 4.4mm output, the presence of the snare became stronger instead of the presence of the high range, and the expression of the kick drum was worse than that of the wm1a. The vocals lack life in their soul and the overall sound is not musical.

2. Kann Ultra
It sounded clean and good overall at the 4.4mm output, but compared to the wm1a, it had slightly artificial textures and lacked a bit of analog and naturalness. When listening through 3.5mm output, the bass expression was poor and the presence of vocals was slightly emphasized. The sibilance is not emphasized like the SP3000, and the tone is still clean. The wm1a has the advantage of bass expression and analog texture, but the Kann Ultra has the advantage of making female vocals sound clearer and less blurry.

3.SE300
This is an interesting device. It has Over Sampling (OS) mode and Non-Over Sampling mode (NOS) mode, as well as Class A AMP mode and Class AB AMP mode. A total of 4 combinations made me dizzy, but I intuitively believed that NOS Mode & Class A AMP mode and OS Mode & Class AB AMP mode had appropriate synergy.

NOS&Class A mode was not good at 3.5mm output. The midrange was too rich, the sound was flat (not dynamic), and it didn't sound appealing at all. Textures keep up with wm1a, but everything else lags. OS&Class AB mode is definitely better, and although the tone is cool, the bass expression is poor and the vocals have a slightly artificial feel. This was similar to the 3.5mm output on the Kann Ultra.

Also, I felt that the DAC/AMP here also affects the image presentation. The SE300's separation is excellent and has a hi-fi feel. This is a trade-off relationship. The greater the separation, the less harmonious the instruments may be. In terms of immersion, I think this is just personal preference.

OS&Class AB mode in 4.4mm output is no different from that in 3.5mm, and NOS&Class A mode is also similar. Both bass and high range expressions are not good. I am disappointed with the Class A amplifier.

4. Fiio m11s
I've only heard of the 4.4mm output, and its interface is very unintuitive. Anyway, z1r cannot run on LO output. Changing the gain is meaningless, the bass is too spread out and the sound is muffled and unbelievably bad. The sound is much better with the PO output, and the tone is not bad, but it is comparable to the questyle m12.

5.Mojo2
I was interested in Chord Electronics, but gave up after hearing this. In terms of dynamics, the sound sounds flat, the bass is not sweet at all and the timbre is artificial. Not to mention the texture, I was disappointed.

6. Ifi Diablo2 & Go bar
Both are bad. The balance is tilted a little downward, the sound is dull and the tone is not beautiful at all. This is a disaster.

I have come to realize that many DAC/AMP engineers design without actually hearing the sound.

Sony is not without its share of superstitious tendencies (like the SR-64HXA micro SD card...), but they at least try to find the optimal sound by listening to the music themselves. In fact, it felt very valid in wm1a.

Additionally, Sony DAP's interface is much more stylish, simple, and intuitive than many recent DAPs.

I am now interested in wm1z, wm1am2, and wm1zm2. There is a place 5 hours drive away where I can try wm1am2 and wm1zm2. If I have time someday, I will visit and leave an impression. I am really curious and looking forward to how the sound will differ between the Sony Walkman brothers.

 

[greymousetaxi]

I recently began to feel the difference in sound between DAC/AMP.

When comparing wm1a with several USB DAC/Amp Dongles, the bass expression(The punch of the kick drum is so sweet), vivid decay, dynamic sound, natural and clean tone, and analog texture stood out.

It's interesting that dongles with great measurements like Truthhear SHIO and Ibasso DC04pro don't sound good when you actually listen to them.

In addition, after completing training on the difference in DAC/AMP sound by comparing LG V60, Xperia 1V, questyle m12, etc., I visited an audio listening store yesterday.

I tried SP3000, Kann Ultra, SE300, fiio m11s, Mojo2, Diablo2, Go bar, 4.4mm output with z1r and 3.5mm output with hyla sarda. (I noticed a sound difference between the 3.5mm and 4.4mm output on the wm1a, and realized that the 4.4mm was better for the z1r and the 3.5mm for the sarda.)

1.SP3000
At 3.5mm output, the sibilance sounds more prominent compared to the wm1a. This gave me a hard time, and I immediately moved to 4.4mm output. In the 4.4mm output, the presence of the snare became stronger instead of the presence of the high range, and the expression of the kick drum was worse than that of the wm1a. The vocals lack life in their soul and the overall sound is not musical.

2. Kann Ultra
It sounded clean and good overall at the 4.4mm output, but compared to the wm1a, it had slightly artificial textures and lacked a bit of analog and naturalness. When listening through 3.5mm output, the bass expression was poor and the presence of vocals was slightly emphasized. The sibilance is not emphasized like the SP3000, and the tone is still clean. The wm1a has the advantage of bass expression and analog texture, but the Kann Ultra has the advantage of making female vocals sound clearer and less blurry.

3.SE300
This is an interesting device. It has Over Sampling (OS) mode and Non-Over Sampling mode (NOS) mode, as well as Class A AMP mode and Class AB AMP mode. A total of 4 combinations made me dizzy, but I intuitively believed that NOS Mode & Class A AMP mode and OS Mode & Class AB AMP mode had appropriate synergy.

NOS&Class A mode was not good at 3.5mm output. The midrange was too rich, the sound was flat (not dynamic), and it didn't sound appealing at all. Textures keep up with wm1a, but everything else lags. OS&Class AB mode is definitely better, and although the tone is cool, the bass expression is poor and the vocals have a slightly artificial feel. This was similar to the 3.5mm output on the Kann Ultra.

Also, I felt that the DAC/AMP here also affects the image presentation. The SE300's separation is excellent and has a hi-fi feel. This is a trade-off relationship. The greater the separation, the less harmonious the instruments may be. In terms of immersion, I think this is just personal preference.

OS&Class AB mode in 4.4mm output is no different from that in 3.5mm, and NOS&Class A mode is also similar. Both bass and high range expressions are not good. I am disappointed with the Class A amplifier.

4. Fiio m11s
I've only heard of the 4.4mm output, and its interface is very unintuitive. Anyway, z1r cannot run on LO output. Changing the gain is meaningless, the bass is too spread out and the sound is muffled and unbelievably bad. The sound is much better with the PO output, and the tone is not bad, but it is comparable to the questyle m12.

5.Mojo2
I was interested in Chord Electronics, but gave up after hearing this. In terms of dynamics, the sound sounds flat, the bass is not sweet at all and the timbre is artificial. Not to mention the texture, I was disappointed.

6. Ifi Diablo2 & Go bar
Both are bad. The balance is tilted a little downward, the sound is dull and the tone is not beautiful at all. This is a disaster.

I have come to realize that many DAC/AMP engineers design without actually hearing the sound.

Sony is not without its share of superstitious tendencies (like the SR-64HXA micro SD card...), but they at least try to find the optimal sound by listening to the music themselves. In fact, it felt very valid in wm1a.

Additionally, Sony DAP's interface is much more stylish, simple, and intuitive than many recent DAPs.

I am now interested in wm1z, wm1am2, and wm1zm2. There is a place 5 hours drive away where I can try wm1am2 and wm1zm2. If I have time someday, I will visit and leave an impression. I am really curious and looking forward to how the sound will differ between the Sony Walkman brothers.

i had the same experience, I also own wm1a. glad to know I'm not just a snobby sony fan. wm1a with mrwalkman is perfection. just hit play and enjoy the music.

 

[denis1976]

I recently began to feel the difference in sound between DAC/AMP.

When comparing wm1a with several USB DAC/Amp Dongles, the bass expression(The punch of the kick drum is so sweet), vivid decay, dynamic sound, natural and clean tone, and analog texture stood out.

It's interesting that dongles with great measurements like Truthhear SHIO and Ibasso DC04pro don't sound good when you actually listen to them.

In addition, after completing training on the difference in DAC/AMP sound by comparing LG V60, Xperia 1V, questyle m12, etc., I visited an audio listening store yesterday.

I tried SP3000, Kann Ultra, SE300, fiio m11s, Mojo2, Diablo2, Go bar, 4.4mm output with z1r and 3.5mm output with hyla sarda. (I noticed a sound difference between the 3.5mm and 4.4mm output on the wm1a, and realized that the 4.4mm was better for the z1r and the 3.5mm for the sarda.)

1.SP3000
At 3.5mm output, the sibilance sounds more prominent compared to the wm1a. This gave me a hard time, and I immediately moved to 4.4mm output. In the 4.4mm output, the presence of the snare became stronger instead of the presence of the high range, and the expression of the kick drum was worse than that of the wm1a. The vocals lack life in their soul and the overall sound is not musical.

2. Kann Ultra
It sounded clean and good overall at the 4.4mm output, but compared to the wm1a, it had slightly artificial textures and lacked a bit of analog and naturalness. When listening through 3.5mm output, the bass expression was poor and the presence of vocals was slightly emphasized. The sibilance is not emphasized like the SP3000, and the tone is still clean. The wm1a has the advantage of bass expression and analog texture, but the Kann Ultra has the advantage of making female vocals sound clearer and less blurry.

3.SE300
This is an interesting device. It has Over Sampling (OS) mode and Non-Over Sampling mode (NOS) mode, as well as Class A AMP mode and Class AB AMP mode. A total of 4 combinations made me dizzy, but I intuitively believed that NOS Mode & Class A AMP mode and OS Mode & Class AB AMP mode had appropriate synergy.

NOS&Class A mode was not good at 3.5mm output. The midrange was too rich, the sound was flat (not dynamic), and it didn't sound appealing at all. Textures keep up with wm1a, but everything else lags. OS&Class AB mode is definitely better, and although the tone is cool, the bass expression is poor and the vocals have a slightly artificial feel. This was similar to the 3.5mm output on the Kann Ultra.

Also, I felt that the DAC/AMP here also affects the image presentation. The SE300's separation is excellent and has a hi-fi feel. This is a trade-off relationship. The greater the separation, the less harmonious the instruments may be. In terms of immersion, I think this is just personal preference.

OS&Class AB mode in 4.4mm output is no different from that in 3.5mm, and NOS&Class A mode is also similar. Both bass and high range expressions are not good. I am disappointed with the Class A amplifier.

4. Fiio m11s
I've only heard of the 4.4mm output, and its interface is very unintuitive. Anyway, z1r cannot run on LO output. Changing the gain is meaningless, the bass is too spread out and the sound is muffled and unbelievably bad. The sound is much better with the PO output, and the tone is not bad, but it is comparable to the questyle m12.

5.Mojo2
I was interested in Chord Electronics, but gave up after hearing this. In terms of dynamics, the sound sounds flat, the bass is not sweet at all and the timbre is artificial. Not to mention the texture, I was disappointed.

6. Ifi Diablo2 & Go bar
Both are bad. The balance is tilted a little downward, the sound is dull and the tone is not beautiful at all. This is a disaster.

I have come to realize that many DAC/AMP engineers design without actually hearing the sound.

Sony is not without its share of superstitious tendencies (like the SR-64HXA micro SD card...), but they at least try to find the optimal sound by listening to the music themselves. In fact, it felt very valid in wm1a.

Additionally, Sony DAP's interface is much more stylish, simple, and intuitive than many recent DAPs.

I am now interested in wm1z, wm1am2, and wm1zm2. There is a place 5 hours drive away where I can try wm1am2 and wm1zm2. If I have time someday, I will visit and leave an impression. I am really curious and looking forward to how the sound will differ between the Sony Walkman brothers.

I had the wm1a ,1z, 1zm2 and now the sp3000 black, dont know what sibilance you are talking about , for me the sp3000 is the best of them all, but that dont make others bad, the 1a is very good the 1z is top, and the 1zm2 is the other that i love together with the sp3000

 

[capybara is mine]

I had the wm1a ,1z, 1zm2 and now the sp3000 black, dont know what sibilance you are talking about , for me the sp3000 is the best of them all, but that dont make others bad, the 1a is very good the 1z is top, and the 1zm2 is the other that i love together with the sp3000

Since I only felt the resulting sound, I don't think it's easy to analyze the cause.

Considering that the SP3000 is equipped with the AK4191EQ+AK4499EX chipset, and the Kann Ultra is equipped with the ES9039MPRO, this may be because I prefer ESS sound over AK sound.

I've only recently noticed the difference in DAC/AMP sound, and this is just an impression I've had over a few hours.

On the other hand, since you have them and can listen to them for a long time under ideal conditions, I think you will get a much more accurate impression than I can.

If you don't mind, I'd like to hear your comparison of the wm1a, wm1z, wm1zm2, and sp3000 black. I am particularly curious about the sound differences between the Sony Walkman brothers.

 

[denis1976]

Since I only felt the resulting sound, I don't think it's easy to analyze the cause.

Considering that the SP3000 is equipped with the AK4191EQ+AK4499EX chipset, and the Kann Ultra is equipped with the ES9039MPRO, this may be because I prefer ESS sound over AK sound.

I've only recently noticed the difference in DAC/AMP sound, and this is just an impression I've had over a few hours.

On the other hand, since you have them and can listen to them for a long time under ideal conditions, I think you will get a much more accurate impression than I can.

If you don't mind, I'd like to hear your comparison of the wm1a, wm1z, wm1zm2, and sp3000 black. I am particularly curious about the sound differences between the Sony Walkman brothers.

Is easy, in 1a and 1z sony daps i only used sony firmwares, i respect all others but i want to know what sony wanted for them to sound like, Sony 1a was very good , good stage more airy sound good detail, the 1Z was the begining of a new sound way in portable daps, the 1Z changed the way of what a totl dap should sound ,imo of course, the sound is much closer to a desktop gear, the sound is dense is cavernous is musical, is not thiner or MORE thin like the 1A that for me is the main diference 1a sound like a portable 1Z sound much more like desktop device, the 1zm2 share all the caracter of the 1z og but with a more open and detailed sound, that for me is better, retains the musicality and hads a bit more of detail and stage, for other may not be the case and perfer the 1z original, respect, both are fantastic, about the sp3000, is more detailed than the 1zm2 retains 90 % of the smootheness of the 1zm2 and hads more dynamic range and power, enormous sound stage , for the record i had the ak240 ak70 ak380 ak1000 ak2000, thats it

 

[roadrat]

Does the NW-WM1AM2 have enough power to drive fullsize headphones like Sennheiser HD800S?

 

[touzeen]

Does the NW-WM1AM2 have enough power to drive fullsize headphones like Sennheiser HD800S?

No

 

[sanakimpro]

Does the NW-WM1AM2 have enough power to drive fullsize headphones like Sennheiser HD800S?

I don’t recommend 1ZM2/1AM2 to power full sized headphones, especially on 3.5mm. My 600Ohm Beyerdynamic T1 1st Gen sounds quietly soft so I don’t even bother.

If you look at MDR-Z1R meant for these players, the impedance is 64Ohm. Anything more than, say 100 Ohm probably will not be optimally driven by the ZM2/AM2

 

[boodi]

I am close to write about Swissbit Sd card - compared to a bunch of competition ( Micron , Kioxia , Sandisk and Kootion are the one I tried )

This was not easy

 

[justanut]

Does the NW-WM1AM2 have enough power to drive fullsize headphones like Sennheiser HD800S?

Actually you can, but not at its best. You can get enough volume, but lose alot of the dynamics. It does drive the Liric beautifully though, as well as the ES-R10, which is still by far my favourite closed-back headphones.

 

[ozz007]

If you want an awesome closed-back headphone that the Sony Dap can power without any issues and sound amazing, take a look at the JM Audion XTC2.5.
Tune to your preference and amazing isolation.

XTC 2.5

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

I am close to write about Swissbit Sd card - compared to a bunch of competition ( Micron , Kioxia , Sandisk and Kootion are the one I tried )

This was not easy

The things we do in order to elevate our music enjoyment. But if you didn’t bother to explore into it, you never know what you are missing out.

 

[ShoeGame21]

Same here, has taken some time. Had to pause for a bit, wife and I found out we are halving a daughter now!

 

[kumar402]

Same here, has taken some time. Had to pause for a bit, wife and I found out we are halving a daughter now!

wow, congratulations....

 

[kumar402]

WM1ZM2 with Singularity is one of the best combo out there. Not that I have other DAPs for baseline but the dynamic punch, wide stage and timbre is just great. Some serious DD bass. Anyone looking for good musical DD IEM should consider Singularity.
My XE6 is back in mothership for conversion to custom but singularity has filled the void well.