[denis1976]

Looks like it's from the 80's though.

looks from the 80's but sounds better than almost everything from 2016's

 

[cthomas]

looks from the 80's but sounds better than almost everything from 2016's

I'm not debating the sound quality, just saying it's ugly AF.

 

[denis1976]

I'm not debating the sound quality, just saying it's ugly AF.

that's subjective

 

[Whitigir]

that's subjective

Totally agreed. I love how both of them look like , but my wallet disagree. IMO, AK look ugly

 

[fish1050]

DSD To Be Or Not To Be that is the question
 
As someone who has been around long enough to hear and see every format and every piece of audio equipment invented including reel to reel and 8 Track let me say this.
 
Everything has its place,  there is a place for DSD and that is on a home system where power and storage isn't an issue.  It hasn't been largely supported on portable devices because the files sizes are to big and it seriously affects battery life.  I noticed playing DSD files on the 1Z drops the battery life to around 11 hours.  Not great but doable on a DAP with over 30 hours of battery life.  But on most other DAP's including the A&K's that have much shorter battery life DSD takes the battery and runs it down to almost nothing.  That is why most DAP makers have not supported DSD including Sony until recently and it is their own format.  Until recently most DAP's didn't have powerful enough processing to handle DSD. Sony introduced DSD before the advent of portable audio. It was never intended to be a portable audio format.  So trying to force real world adoption of a format not intended for portable audio onto a portable audio device to me is just silly.  That is why FLAC and other lossless formats were created to provide the best high quality audio experience on a PORTABLE device with a battery.
 
So instead of lamenting the state of DSD support on a DAP create a proper home setup to listen to your DSD audio where it was intended to be heard.  Banging your head against the wall and demanding better DSD support on a device not designed to use it is a pointless exercise.  Forcing manufacturers to try and support DSD is contributing to the skyrocketing prices on DAP's among other things.  Instead of providing a reasonableee

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

I'm not debating the sound quality, just saying it's ugly AF.

 
I love the shape.  The gold ain't my style, but I'd get past that fast once I put it in a primo leather case...

 

[fish1050]

  DSD To Be Or Not To Be that is the question
 
As someone who has been around long enough to hear and see every format and every piece of audio equipment invented including reel to reel and 8 Track let me say this.
 
Everything has its place,  there is a place for DSD and that is on a home system where power and storage isn't an issue.  It hasn't been largely supported on portable devices because the files sizes are to big and it seriously affects battery life.  I noticed playing DSD files on the 1Z drops the battery life to around 11 hours.  Not great but doable on a DAP with over 30 hours of battery life.  But on most other DAP's including the A&K's that have much shorter battery life DSD takes the battery and runs it down to almost nothing.  That is why most DAP makers have not supported DSD including Sony until recently and it is their own format.  Until recently most DAP's didn't have powerful enough processing to handle DSD. Sony introduced DSD before the advent of portable audio. It was never intended to be a portable audio format.  So trying to force real world adoption of a format not intended for portable audio onto a portable audio device to me is just silly.  That is why FLAC and other lossless formats were created to provide the best high quality audio experience on a PORTABLE device with a battery.
 
So instead of lamenting the state of DSD support on a DAP create a proper home setup to listen to your DSD audio where it was intended to be heard.  Banging your head against the wall and demanding better DSD support on a device not designed to use it is a pointless exercise.  Forcing manufacturers to try and support DSD is contributing to the skyrocketing prices on DAP's among other things.  Instead of providing a reasonableee

Sorry my computer froze before I could finish my previous post but you get the general idea of what I am saying

 

[gerelmx1986]

It is not ugly the black one is sexy, most Chinese daps look ugly and have terrible UI

 

[nc8000]

how do you know ?

Both because my unit comes up with the warning every 20 hours and turns the volume down by itself and because I have tried a EU and a Japan unit side by side

 

[Whitigir]

DSD To Be Or Not To Be that is the question

As someone who has been around long enough to hear and see every format and every piece of audio equipment invented including reel to reel and 8 Track let me say this.

Everything has its place,  there is a place for DSD and that is on a home system where power and storage isn't an issue.  It hasn't been largely supported on portable devices because the files sizes are to big and it seriously affects battery life.  I noticed playing DSD files on the 1Z drops the battery life to around 11 hours.  Not great but doable on a DAP with over 30 hours of battery life.  But on most other DAP's including the A&K's that have much shorter battery life DSD takes the battery and runs it down to almost nothing.  That is why most DAP makers have not supported DSD including Sony until recently and it is their own format.  Until recently most DAP's didn't have powerful enough processing to handle DSD. Sony introduced DSD before the advent of portable audio. It was never intended to be a portable audio format.  So trying to force real world adoption of a format not intended for portable audio onto a portable audio device to me is just silly.  That is why FLAC and other lossless formats were created to provide the best high quality audio experience on a PORTABLE device with a battery.

So instead of lamenting the state of DSD support on a DAP create a proper home setup to listen to your DSD audio where it was intended to be heard.  Banging your head against the wall and demanding better DSD support on a device not designed to use it is a pointless exercise.  Forcing manufacturers to try and support DSD is contributing to the skyrocketing prices on DAP's among other things.  Instead of providing a reasonableee

I disagree to a degree , I am glad we can have DSD on portable and by Sony. You can always play DSD from your Walkman toward any desktop amp and preamp it into your home large system.

You can listen straight out DSD form Walkman and having it plugged in at the same time, or on the go for 11 hours.

Now the above is a huge success in my eyes, and if anything the new Walkman is worth it to upgrade in my opinion would be :

1/ more power output 60mW single ended and 250mW per channel in balanced
2/ Native DSD by the headphones or the Digital output

I will absolutely upgrade it in the future down the road, but for now, my priority would be the top of the line and first of it kind desktop amp

 

[proedros]

how do you know ?

 
 
i own(ed) both EU(cap)  and JPN (no cap) versions of ZX2 
 
JPN is 30-40% louder than the EU

 

 

[Rei87]

As a user in both high end IEMS and headphones, I stand behind sony's decision to deliberately keep the power output on the player low. Seriously, if you wanna play with headphones just strap a portable amp to the back. Player alone for the relatively lower impedence iems, and add an amp when you want to use your cans on the go. Trying to do both will just end up compromising sound quality on both ends, something which a player of this caliber should not be doing. 

 

[gerelmx1986]

For me is good to have plenty of power so no other equipment in the chain

 

[musicday]

I think we should have only one thread about Sony NW-WM1Z Walkman.
Having two is confusing and hard to follow for many members.
Admin can you do anything about it?
Thank you.

 

[fish1050]

I disagree to a degree

, I am glad we can have DSD on portable and by Sony. You can always play DSD from your Walkman toward any desktop amp and preamp it into your home large system.

You can listen straight out DSD form Walkman and having it plugged in at the same time, or on the go for 11 hours.

Now the above is a huge success in my eyes, and if anything the new Walkman is worth it to upgrade in my opinion would be :

1/ more power output 60mW single ended and 250mW per channel in balanced
2/ Native DSD by the headphones or the Digital output

I will absolutely upgrade it in the future down the road, but for now, my priority would be the top of the line and first of it kind desktop amp

I am not saying you can't do DSD on a portable audio player but it was not intended to be used for portable devices as it predates it.  FLAC and other lossless formats were specifically created for portable audio devices so that is what I will use to get the best out of the experience.  In terms of storage space and battery life FLAC just makes more sense to me.  I am also not referring to the WM-1's specifically but to all DAP's in general.
 
I do have to say putting DSD support on the A30 series given the limited storage options available makes no sense to me.  
 
I say to each his own and if DSD on your DAP works for you go for it.  But I don't think it will ever be supported to the extent others seem to want on their portable devices.