[buzzlulu]

Is it this cable?

https://www.amazon.com/Balanced-Headphone-Adapter-NW-WM1Z-TA-ZH1ES/dp/B071Y6Q9Q8

If so I return to previous discussions in this thread where it "appears" that the 1Z can be used as a DAC which can provide analogue out into an amplifier. I believe I recall that the volume needs to be set zero? I do not remember previous discussions in this thread if the output can be taken from the 4.4 or if it needs to come from the 3.5?

I would love to be able to have my iPhone connected to my 1Z (as I currently do with the Apple CCK), stream Tidal, and go from the 1Z out (4.4 or 3.5) into a Stax 353X amplifier.

Is this possible?

 

[nc8000]

Is it this cable?

https://www.amazon.com/Balanced-Headphone-Adapter-NW-WM1Z-TA-ZH1ES/dp/B071Y6Q9Q8

If so I return to previous discussions in this thread where it "appears" that the 1Z can be used as a DAC which can provide analogue out into an amplifier. I believe I recall that the volume needs to be set zero? I do not remember previous discussions in this thread if the output can be taken from the 4.4 or if it needs to come from the 3.5?

I would love to be able to have my iPhone connected to my 1Z (as I currently do with the Apple CCK), stream Tidal, and go from the 1Z out (4.4 or 3.5) into a Stax 353X amplifier.

Is this possible?

Yes that will be possible. The volume has to be set to whatever you feel gives the best sound. You will be double amping as these daps can’t give a pure analog line out

 

[Kitechaser]

Amazon.com_ 50CM HiFi Cable 16 Cores Hybrid 8+8 Silver Plated Cable 4.4mm Balanced to 2 RCA Male Headphone Audio Adapter for Sony NW-WM1Z 1A MDR-Z1R TA-ZH1ES PHA-2A_ Home Audio & Theater

I bought this cable and have been using it for about a 18 months on my amp. No problem,

Okay sweet!!! I am not gonna short out my player, that's great to know.
I'll put in an order for my wire.
Thank you.

 

[Quasimodosbelfry]

​

New case from FATBEAR for the WM1A/Z arrived yesterday and it looks pretty damn hardcore. Saw someone else post a pic of it here on Headfi and I went looking for it online.
Feels like a kind of TPU; it's semi rigid, not hard and brittle. Very well made, very clean lines and looks totally legit. Looks like it can take a 6ft drop to concrete with no problem. Around the connectors, the material looks like it's about 2mm thick.
Adds a bit of bulk but not much weight. Really makes the WM1A look like a hardcore piece of military equipment.

Thicker than the BENKS clear TPU case and definitely protects more. Also the buttons are still very click, unlike the Dignis leather cases which leave the buttons very mushy.

Found it on Amazon.com but got it cheaper off Aliexpress here for just over US$10:
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/Y2WwJXE
Available in black and grey.

Enjoy. It's now my daily beater case, replacing my leather Dignis that just over a year old. Despite the added bulk, it still fits in the Van Nuys carrier for the WM1A.

 

[Quasimodosbelfry]

Yes that will be possible. The volume has to be set to whatever you feel gives the best sound. You will be double amping as these daps can’t give a pure analog line out

I understand that double amping isn't a desirable thing. And I've seen quite a few posts that seem to imply the WM1A/Z is somehow inadequate because they don't provide a line out.
But I've also seen more than one reference to literature that quotes the Sony engineers who describe how they designed the A/Z to function this way.
So my conclusion is that... While double amping is bad, Sony made something that was clean enough so you could double amp without the artifacts.

That's been on my mind for a while since I ran it through the WA7 via 3.5mm to RCA with no issues for a long while. And now, I've gone and ordered an Oriolus BA300s tube amp that does away with a volume control entirely and makes you use the WM1A'S own volume control:
https://www.en.oriolus.jp/product-page/ba300s-jp-version-g4

I'll let you know what it sounds like when it arrives. First saw it mentioned here:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/oriolus-ba300s.23342/reviews

The supplied interconnect also caught my eye

The extra 3.5mm jack helps ground the signal to reduce any background hum... This is well beyond my understanding of the electronic wizardry at play so I'll just fall back on my faith that Sony knows its crap and made a kick ass player and Oriolus is making a cool portable balanced 4.3mm tube amp.

Oohhh... Pretty lights...

 

[Quasimodosbelfry]

Oh btw, does anyone have the Dignis limited edition case for the WM1A/Z and is using it on a daily basis? You know, this one:

I'd like to know how well the baby blue holds up to dirt and staining. How does yours look now? Is it still nice looking or does it look like something that got left behind after Armageddon?

I still have mine in the box. It looked awesome in the pictures so I ordered one, but when it arrived, I took one look at the leather and the shade of blue, and I was sure it wouldn't age well. The red one I've used for over a year is fantastic. I can clean it and oil it and the patina on it is just great. Not so sure the blue one will hold up as well. At this rate, I might as well sell it off.

 

[nc8000]

I understand that double amping isn't a desirable thing. And I've seen quite a few posts that seem to imply the WM1A/Z is somehow inadequate because they don't provide a line out.
But I've also seen more than one reference to literature that quotes the Sony engineers who describe how they designed the A/Z to function this way.
So my conclusion is that... While double amping is bad, Sony made something that was clean enough so you could double amp without the artifacts.

That's been on my mind for a while since I ran it through the WA7 via 3.5mm to RCA with no issues for a long while. And now, I've gone and ordered an Oriolus BA300s tube amp that does away with a volume control entirely and makes you use the WM1A'S own volume control:
https://www.en.oriolus.jp/product-page/ba300s-jp-version-g4

I'll let you know what it sounds like when it arrives. First saw it mentioned here:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/oriolus-ba300s.23342/reviews

The supplied interconnect also caught my eye

​

The extra 3.5mm jack helps ground the signal to reduce any background hum... This is well beyond my understanding of the electronic wizardry at play so I'll just fall back on my faith that Sony knows its **** and made a kick ass player and Oriolus is making a cool portable balanced 4.3mm tube amp.

Oohhh... Pretty lights...

Yes the headphone out is very clean so there is very little if any bad effect from the double amping with these players

 

[buzzlulu]

But I've also seen more than one reference to literature that quotes the Sony engineers who describe how they designed the A/Z to function this way.

I also remember somewhere in this thread, WAY back, someone referencing this quote from the Sony engineers as well. I also seem to remember someone said to set the volume to 0.

I wonder which output is better - 4.4 or 3.5 into a pair of RCA's into an amp?

Any other high quality cable options (4.4/3.5 >> RCA) other than the one linked to in Amazon?

 

[Quasimodosbelfry]

I also remember somewhere in this thread, WAY back, someone referencing this quote from the Sony engineers as well. I also seem to remember someone said to set the volume to 0.

I wonder which output is better - 4.4 or 3.5 into a pair of RCA's into an amp?

Any other high quality cable options (4.4/3.5 >> RCA) other than the one linked to in Amazon?

Volume to 0 means no signal out. The recommendation was to turn on high gain and put volume to max

 

[meomap]

Hi,
Does anyone in here use 1Z with Sony WH1000Xm3 NC BT hp yet?
Mine some how could not connect even two units are right next to one another. Did I miss anything?
Fw still 1.20

Connected to Note9 is perfect.
Used LDAC.
Sounds pretty ok.

Thank you in advance.

 

[jasonho]

Oh btw, does anyone have the Dignis limited edition case for the WM1A/Z and is using it on a daily basis?
I'd like to know how well the baby blue holds up to dirt and staining. How does yours look now? Is it still nice looking or does it look like something that got left behind after Armageddon?

you can check out mine and decide for yourself

 

[Quasimodosbelfry]

you can check out mine and decide for yourself

Ooh... It looks... A little... Green...
Care to flip her over?

 

[nc8000]

Hi,
Does anyone in here use 1Z with Sony WH1000Xm3 NC BT hp yet?
Mine some how could not connect even two units are right next to one another. Did I miss anything?
Fw still 1.20

Connected to Note9 is perfect.
Used LDAC.
Sounds pretty ok.

Thank you in advance.

Yes I’ve be using that combo no problem though for that use I bought the A45 as I can hear no difference between the 2 over LDAC. Have you enabled NFC on the 1Z ?

 

[nanaholic]

The recommendation was to turn on high gain and put volume to max

I don't know where this recommendation comes from, but it's definitely not from Sony engineers and is pretty bad advice in general.

Sony engineers usually recommends NORMAL gain unless you are connecting to a very difficult to drive headphone load - which an external amp isn't a load so it's not going to be their recommendation, and max volume on any output is usually going to distort because amps just aren't designed to work at max output. When you are connecting to an external amp the aim is to have the cleanest output, so maximum volume on the source is not a good idea just by common sense. You want the external amp to do the heavy lifting (that's why you are connecting an external amp in the first place), so why are you putting so much burden on the source?

The best recommendation is actually normal gain at about 90% maximum volume.

 

[nc8000]

I don't know where this recommendation comes from, but it's definitely not from Sony engineers and is pretty bad advice in general.

Sony engineers usually recommends NORMAL gain unless you are connecting to a very difficult to drive headphone load - which an external amp isn't a load so it's not going to be their recommendation, and max volume on any output is usually going to distort because amps just aren't designed to work at max output. When you are connecting to an external amp the aim is to have the cleanest output, so maximum volume on the source is not a good idea just by common sense. You want the external amp to do the heavy lifting (that's why you are connecting an external amp in the first place), so why are you putting so much burden on the source?

The best recommendation is actually normal gain at about 90% maximum volume.

It has over the years with almost all players I’ve encountered where you use the hadphone out as a line out been the standard recommandation to use the highest possible output on the player and then use the external amp for volume control