[RobertP]

DMP-Z1 then for TOTL hard to drive headphones. Now that a high-end DAC with headphone amplifier.

 

[xenoVa]

DMP-Z1 then for TOTL hard to drive headphones. Now that a high-end DAC with headphone amplifier.

Anyone actually buys that $10k junk ?

 

[svinaik]

You do have a dislike for Sony products. I have never heard anyone describing DMP-Z1 as junk ever. If the pricing is an issue , that is a very different conversation.

Anyone actually buys that $10k junk ?

 

[RobertP]

Anyone actually buys that $10k junk ?

There are tons of headphone amplifiers you can buy. Don't have to be same brand if you can't afford it.

The trade of for 1A and 1Z are long battery life, cool operating temperature, very clean sound, unique sound signature and build quality.

 

[purk]

Anyone actually buys that $10k junk ?

I used to think the same but to a lesser degree but the DMP is a flagship product all the way and even compared favorably to many top of the class desktop system.

 

[Lookout57]

Anyone actually buys that $10k junk ?

Don't tell @Whitigir that.

 

[Quadfather]

I simply love Sony audiophile products!

 

[nanaholic]

Granted, however these are $1200/3500 devices...there is no excuse that they should be under powered and having to make excuses for poor design decisions. And one wonders why Sony is fading fast! One additional point, for this class of music device they should have taken into consideration the type of higher end headphones the target market would be using. To come close to the performance of a planar phone or similar one would have to spend an exorbitant amount on in ear or similar. More power means additional design and battery considerations but is easily accomplished, not an engineering challenge at this price point.

It is an engineering challenge. It's easy to counter your claim here because there is currently NO STANDALONE DAP that is capable of having enough power to drive a planer, is still palm-able with one hand, and can have battery life of 20+ hours with hi-res lossless files and doesn't feel like holding onto a hot potato. Really, try naming even one. Absolutely NO TOTL DAP is capable of having all three, AK doesn't offer one, Cayin doesn't offer one, Lotoo doesn't, Cowon doesn't etc. And some of those devices are MORE expensive than the WM1Z.

It's not an excuse nor is it a poor decision as the reality is there's currently a limit due to laws of physics where you make a balance between 3 factors - power, longevity, size. You can choose between two but cannot have all three. You can have power and longevity, but that means the device will not be portable. You can choose power and size, but that means the battery life will be very limited (short longevity), or you can choose longevity and size, and the trade off is less power. Most makers choose power and size (or rather, they are FORCED to choose this path, because they don't design nor make their own silicon chips and thus is stuck with the standard off the shelf DAC chip + Class A amp architecture), whereas Sony chooses the longevity and size (but they CAN do a DAC chip + Class A amp architecture too if they ever feel like it as they have the know-how, they just choose their S-Mastser Class D architecture because it is technology that is unique to them which differentiate their products from the rest of the pack). That's the key difference that you fail to see here.

 

[pond44]

It is an engineering challenge. It's easy to counter your claim here because there is currently NO STANDALONE DAP that is capable of having enough power to drive a planer, is still palm-able with one hand, and can have battery life of 20+ hours with hi-res lossless files and doesn't feel like holding onto a hot potato. Really, try naming even one. Absolutely NO TOTL DAP is capable of having all three, AK doesn't offer one, Cayin doesn't offer one, Lotoo doesn't, Cowon doesn't etc. And some of those devices are MORE expensive than the WM1Z.

What you have to remember is, Sony aren't interested in making their Signature products compatible with all the other brands, only their own, their DAPs will drive all their headphones and IEMs extremely well.

 

[nanaholic]

What you have to remember is, Sony aren't interested in making their Signature products compatible with all the other brands, only their own, their DAPs will drive all their headphones and IEMs extremely well.

Actually what people have to remember is, outside of objective numbers like whether the device have enough output power to drive headphones to a certain level of loudness without noticeable and measurable distortion, the rest is very (EXTREMELY) subjective. Heck, there's absolutely a chance that someone would actually prefer the sound of an under-driven headphone.

Case in point, go have a look at the IER-Z1R thread and see how many people say the WM1Z cannot drive the Z1R. There goes your idea that Sony gear only works with Sony gear.

 

[gerelmx1986]

Actually what people have to remember is, outside of objective numbers like whether the device have enough output power to drive headphones to a certain level of loudness without noticeable and measurable distortion, the rest is very (EXTREMELY) subjective. Heck, there's absolutely a chance that someone would actually prefer the sound of an under-driven headphone.

Case in point, go have a look at the IER-Z1R thread and see how many people say the WM1Z cannot drive the Z1R. There goes your idea that Sony gear only works with Sony gear.

You gave this folk a spoonful of his own medicine.

Before wete walkmans not so powerful (5mW per chammel with lots of hiss), now theyre done many efforts to lower the noise and climb up the power.

At least newer sony cheap offerings, like the NW-A55 can decode all popular music formats. I dont thonl many entry level DAP from other brands can decode DSD 256 (i know A60 downsamples to PCM).

And to call DMP-Z1 junk because price and not having heard it first, ist just a poor judgement.

 

[pond44]

I know for a fact that is bull, I have the WM1 driving a pair of Z1R's with no problems what so ever with an extra 20 on the volume.

 

[Damz87]

Hey guys, just wondering are you supposed to burn in both SE & Balanced ports for 200 hours each? Or is it just 200 hours in total?

 

[Ivan4you]

@Damz87.Both need a burn in of at least 200 Hours.

 

[gerelmx1986]

Hey guys, just wondering are you supposed to burn in both SE & Balanced ports for 200 hours each? Or is it just 200 hours in total?

Both ports need separate burn in. I'd recommend 500 hours per port so 1000 hours total