So let me get this straight. We are getting 2 new Walkman models, the NW-WM1Z which is the gold one, which is going to cost around $3,000 USD and the NW-WM1A which is the black one which is going to be more "affordable." I really hope that these will be made available in the US and that the cost of the WM1A will be more towards the ZX100 and not the ZX2.
I am super excited, was about to buy a QP1R but i am waiting to see how this one works out, just hope they have a decent DAC that has a dynamic range that covers Hi-Res , oh and native DSD (cant believe Sony is behind on that one?)
This thread is growing fast.But sadly no extra info yet. The photos of the Walkman remind me of DX100 size and thickness
yes and zx2 forum has stalled now i also agree with purk 1500 I buy it anfd if no update to xba, then get z5 first
They were prioritizing battery life for the ZX2 so doing native DSD wasn't something they wanted to do. That and combined with the low power output was how they get the whopping 30hrs+ playback time on the ZX2 for FLACs and 60hrs for mp3s. Though I don't think they'll do it this time because obviously that was a big mistake in the eyes of audiophiles which would gladly sacrifice playback time for a bit more output juice. EDIT: The story behind the killer battery life of the ZX2 was because Kaz Hirai wanted a walkman that lasted a cross atlantic flight, bad call on his part IMO because obviously he didn't get how most audiophiles think.
Sony had been pushing for Native DSD lately just as much as LDAC and all that good stuff. You better believe the rumor that the new Walkman is Native DSD. Hell, even their new turn-table is Native DSD conversion directly, and they couldn't make enough to sell
me too I sell my ZX100 for $9000 (MXN) AND xba-a3 for 4500 MXN and i get the walkman + XBA-Z5 (or if updated xba)
DAP's have weak output, a $100 Fiio DAC/AMP will have more power then any Sony Walkman, don't get to happy
I only see one microSD slot hope memory is at least 256GB for the black version (or 128GB will be fine)
From previous info it is not possible to go native DSD or balanced form S master, so don't know if they have re-invented a new S master or use the traditional DAC + amp approch? Hope the 1A is affordable and comes with a new Z5 successor
Do a search on Sony str-da9000es if u really want to learn about the "S-Master Pro" technology. It is a worthwhile reading experience. Native DSD playback will be a huge plus. And lower output doesn't equate bad quality. The quality of those output are what make it count! 100mw per channel is plenty if they do it right. I honestly don't think Sony will release a DAP to drive 300 ohm headphones. I think they designed their DAP to work wonder with something in the 70 ohms range. Exciting news indeed!
