[zardos]

Negative.  I know that will produce higher sound levels, but I guess my inquiry is more trying to address whether it is normal that should even be a thing that I should need to engage high gain mode with the very sensitive, easy-to-drive Andromeda?  And if so, how does that translate into usage/enjoyment of the 1A with something like the HD800S, or similarly harder-to-drive headphone?  

Don't know about the Andromeda, but HD800S, high gain, volume @120, random music: Crazy loud. Don't do that for a longer time period! Btw. there is a dsp setting to even up the loudness levels for differently mastered tracks. Works fine. I don't need it yet.

The loudness difference between IE800 and HD800S is surprisingly small. It is bigger between JH13Pro and HD800S, but also not as much as I would have expected. 1Z and 1A balanced have no problem to drive a HD800S adequately. HD800 might be a little harder to drive because of the brighter sound sig.

 

[TenderTendon]

HD800 might be a little harder to drive because of the brighter sound sig.

My HD800's have HD800S drivers installed, so we are comparing apples to apples.

 

[gerelmx1986]

How is the UI and Screen compared to AKs?

Sony ui has been always very intuitive

 

[zardos]

My HD800's have HD800S drivers installed, so we are comparing apples to apples.

If I remember right there are tools around to batch convert the volume of any number of music files. With such a tool you would be able to up the volume just before clipping would start, and make all songs about equal loud.

Could be considered a software issue only in the end. Thats what I hate about the lack of wifi. I have to take care of the quality of my music library myself.

 

[gerelmx1986]

 

My HD800's have HD800S drivers installed, so we are comparing apples to apples.

If I remember right there are tools around to batch convert the volume of any number of music files. With such a tool you would be able to up the volume just before clipping would start, and make all songs about equal loud.

Could be considered a software issue only in the end. Thats what I hate about the lack of wifi. I have to take care of the quality of my music library myself.

​what about sony's own dynamic normalizer? it seems to make music louder

 

[soundkist]

Don't know about the Andromeda, but HD800S, high gain, volume @120, random music: Crazy loud. Don't do that for a longer time period! Btw. there is a dsp setting to even up the loudness levels for differently mastered tracks. Works fine. I don't need it yet.

The loudness difference between IE800 and HD800S is surprisingly small. It is bigger between JH13Pro and HD800S, but also not as much as I would have expected. 1Z and 1A balanced have no problem to drive a HD800S adequately. HD800 might be a little harder to drive because of the brighter sound sig.

 
Thank you (and you too, @jamato8!) for the info and impressions--much appreciated.  I guess at the end of the day I was trying to discern if what I was experiencing was indicative/representative of a normally-operating player, and not one that was suffering from some unknown defect that might warrant a return.  At some point I think I'd like to add a pair of headphones to the mix, and the HD800S is on my immediate radar--glad to hear positive info with respect to pairing with the 1A/1Z! 

 

[Jalo]

@Mim, for those in the kingdom of heaven, whether they'll be poor in spirit or not, will not need to hear through 1A or 1Z or Vega or Zeus-R, they'll be listening straight from the Angels mouth.

 

[audionewbi]

So 1A is better than 1Z ?

It wouldn't be HF if there isn't at least couple of disagreements

 

[Mimouille]

So 1A is better than 1Z ?

It wouldn't be HF if there isn't at least couple of disagreements

No no no there is a consensus, haven't you been reading?

 

[phonomat]

(Either this is all silly beyond belief, or) I'm getting too old for Head-Fi.

 

[zardos]

​what about sony's own dynamic normalizer? it seems to make music louder

Yes, I already mentioned that dsp function earlier. That's the easy solution. But you may also normalize the files itself so you wouldn't need any real time dsp anymore. Much work for a big music library, but might be worth the effort for some people.
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/normalize.html

 

[ledzep]

Seems I'm in the minority just turning on plugging in and enjoying the money I've spent

 

[Gosod]

Seems I'm in the minority just turning on plugging in and enjoying the money I've spent

I somewhere wrote about it, this player is too overpriced.

 

[echineko]

[COLOR=111111]I somewhere wrote about it, this player is too overpriced.[/COLOR]

Yup, good thing the new stainless steel AK380 is so affordable, since it's using way less expensive material, off the shelf parts and all. Oh, wait...

 

[Lavakugel]

Is the 1a musical sounding or analytical?