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Jul 28, 2020 at 11:08 PM Post #42,001 of 45,723
Ok, for this test, I used some of the best full sized cans, on the balanced out, and yes the Sony can do it without amplification:


So I compared the 1a and the 1Z, and upgraded them both to MrWalkman's (Mr. Sony?) amazing firmware, the " WM1A/Z+, but before the "1a to 1z" name change.

:)

So here are my random initial thoughts that I notated as I was testing...

With the 1a upgraded to WM1A/Z+ , and then also loaded the "1a to 1z"(chameleon) tuning, the Tonality of both players was surprisingly very, very similar(!).
Almost sounded exactly same.

1a was a bit less fluid and with less depth, but also a bit more intense in the clarity(!)..

Going back to 1z, the slight more organic and fluild, and also slight sense of ease in presentation was noted, compared to the 1a.

1a instead gave a touch more sense of energy and excitement, at the expense of slight less liquidity and dimensionally...

The energy from the 1a was amazingly very addicting... Actually extremely addicting.

It makes you want to grab it more, over the more realistic , refined, and effortless sounding 1z!

But if I had to choose , yes it actually is hard choice now, as they both perform excellent, but differently...
In the end I am still keeping my 1z...
:)

44242942-D565-4878-A69A-7369DFC68CD1.jpeg

I know, the more I use the 1A with that combo the more I discover stuff. There are still albums which sound very fresh and diffident than I remember them being? I’m just getting started. :0
 
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Jul 28, 2020 at 11:08 PM Post #42,002 of 45,723
I am of the firm believe/opinion that this 1a & 1z difference lies "mostly" in the caps.
:)
 
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Jul 28, 2020 at 11:18 PM Post #42,003 of 45,723
:nerd:
To me, it correlates to standard caps having more upfront energy, while better caps have more depth and liquidity, as sound is more of consideration, instead of only performance.

Computer grade caps are known for their more bright forward nature and performance, so I am assuming a similar situation exist here, but at an excellent level of Sony choice design.
 
Jul 28, 2020 at 11:18 PM Post #42,004 of 45,723
I am of the firm believe/opinion that this 1a & 1z difference lies in the caps.
:)
How about the F resistors and wiring materials on the headphones socket? Same can be said with copper chassis used as grounding.
 
Jul 28, 2020 at 11:19 PM Post #42,005 of 45,723
I am of the firm believe/opinion that this 1a & 1z difference lies in the caps.
:)

Yes, hopefully some absolute lunatic will put the 1A capacitors in their 1Z with this firmware and report back here. :)
 
Jul 28, 2020 at 11:55 PM Post #42,006 of 45,723
I feel that 1a and 1z are two different animals, its great to see the comparison but I find 1a to be the more natural sound while 1z to be the coloured one...

I also find 1z to hide some information behind that thick warmish like a melasse effect on top to the music. When you listen on 1a this thickness fades away and you suddently hear a whole new level of textures and details on the notes that you simply pretend hearing on 1z!

Yes 1z has a nice bass but its a slower and more wider bass vs 1a. To me 1a is all about being closer to natural sound and 1z about fun noble audiophile 😁

Yes 1a can be more energetic and slightly siblante at times but this treble openness is what makes the extra details to come out...


I think its a question of preference and what we like to hear... 1 thing for sure 1z is the only dap on the market to offer this this melasse sound flavor!
 
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Jul 28, 2020 at 11:56 PM Post #42,007 of 45,723
How about the F resistors and wiring materials on the headphones socket? Same can be said with copper chassis used as grounding.
Yes that's a good point.
I would say those parts affect a %3-5 difference in resolve, but the character of how the resolve is performed itself is different, and that type of difference actually describe & correlates to caps difference.

Yes, hopefully some absolute lunatic will put the 1A capacitors in their 1Z with this firmware and report back here. :)
Lol 😂
I doubt that!
 
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Jul 29, 2020 at 12:01 AM Post #42,008 of 45,723
find 1z to hide some information behind that thick warmish
I too have noticed a similar effect by 1Z having a bit laid back presentation

Is your observations on stock 1z also?
Doesn't the romi clear things up?

I plan to make my 1z a kaisie upgraded unit to compare in near future.
 
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Jul 29, 2020 at 12:06 AM Post #42,009 of 45,723
Is this observations on stock 1z also?
Doesn't the romi clear things up?

I plan to make my 1z a kaisie upgraded unit to compare in near future.
:)
Please do and I think you will love these Sony players even more. I modded both the 1A and 1Z with socket and battery wires upgrade and do really enjoy them. I don’t have the gut to do the capacitors mod however. I do enjoy the 1Z more than the 1A....just really dig a more analog and liquid tonality. My favorite Sony DAP is @Whitigir’s modded 1AEM.
 
Jul 29, 2020 at 12:26 AM Post #42,010 of 45,723
Please do and I think you will love these Sony players even more. I modded both the 1A and 1Z with socket and battery wires upgrade and do really enjoy them. I don’t have the gut to do the capacitors mod however. I do enjoy the 1Z more than the 1A....just really dig a more analog and liquid tonality. My favorite Sony DAP is @Whitigir’s modded 1AEM.

Remember it’s 100% better than the 1A. :)
 
Jul 29, 2020 at 12:31 AM Post #42,011 of 45,723
Jul 29, 2020 at 2:01 AM Post #42,012 of 45,723
I too have noticed a similar effect by 1Z having a bit laid back presentation

Is your observations on stock 1z also?
Doesn't the romi clear things up?

I plan to make my 1z a kaisie upgraded unit to compare in near future.


Yes that was stock 1a vs 1z stock...

Romi is as natural as 1a but with 1z sound... Romi becomes very natural sounding. That thick melasse is cleared and its pretty clean as sound then.
Romi is like a sound between 1z and 1a interesting enough to be positioned as a third sound character not same at all. I won't call romi sounding like 1a but neither as 1z hehe.

Romi is on its own level.
 
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Jul 29, 2020 at 2:46 AM Post #42,013 of 45,723
Edit**
It should be noted that the 1a needed the extra tuning of "chameleon"(1a to 1z) in order to elevate the player to the 1z level of refinement.

Without it on only "WM1A/Z+" , it sounded more coarse and raw and unrefined..

I didn't try the chamaleon, but for 2 months, all what I tried as "tuning", had strictly no earable effect on WM1A for europeen version.. The only effective mod is MrWalkman Z+ firmware, and it's a significant step, for sure.
 
Jul 29, 2020 at 2:52 AM Post #42,014 of 45,723
I didn't try the chamaleon, but for 2 months, all what I tried as "tuning", had strictly no earable effect on WM1A for europeen version.. The only effective mod is MrWalkman Z+ firmware, and it's a significant step, for sure.

To clarify, CHAMELEON is a separate modded firmware.

WM1A/Z+ has a different sound that we know, while CHAMELEON has the stock 1A/1Z sound, and it's meant to make it possible to try the 1Z stock sound on the 1A, or even the stock 1A sound on the 1Z.
 
Jul 29, 2020 at 3:02 AM Post #42,015 of 45,723
To clarify, CHAMELEON is a separate modded firmware.

WM1A/Z+ has a different sound that we know, while CHAMELEON has the stock 1A/1Z sound, and it's meant to make it possible to try the 1Z stock sound on the 1A, or even the stock 1A sound on the 1Z.

He was clearly telling that the WM1A with the Z+ firmware could get "extra tuning" with the chameleon .. and with only the Z+ it sounded more coarse and raw and unrefined..

As with my europeen firmware I never got any improvement with all modded firmware these last months, I am not sure I have a way to make the sound of my WM1A less coarse and raw and ore refined while keeping ypur Z+ firmware
 
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