[nanaholic]

Nice paper.
 
So it was something they have in their home component equipment but now miniaturized for portable use such that it plays well enough with battery consumption, plus they have new settings in the WM1.  That's fairly noteworthy in itself as tech miniaturization is often not easy.

 

[purk]

Nice paper.

So it was something they have in their home component equipment but now miniaturized for portable use such that it plays well enough with battery consumption, plus they have new settings in the WM1.  That's fairly noteworthy in itself as tech miniaturization is often not easy.

Pretty much. Sony did this back with the X1060 Walkman and continue to refine that tech until now. I got interested in the Walkman again due to the S-master name alone. Of course, it sounds like that they are finally able to implement most if not all the technologies in the latest into the mobile version. Trust me it was a sad day when my str-da9000es died. It has a superb built quality both inside and out.

 

[nanaholic]

Pretty much. Sony did this back with the X1060 Walkman and continue to refine that tech until now. I got interested in the Walkman again due to the S-master name alone. Of course, it sounds like that they are finally able to implement most if not all the technologies in the latest into the mobile version. Trust me it was a sad day when my str-da9000es died. It has a superb built quality both inside and out.

 
Sony's always stuck with the S-master in their walkman series citing the benefits of the all digital pathway in terms of SQ as well as the battery consumption benefits of doing most of the stuff in digital first before converting into analogue only at the last mile of the signal pathway. Recently having gotten to know and talk to these people and read a lot more on why they keep this tech the engineer in me respect them for holding onto that piece of tech and refining it instead of the all the other DAP makers which just seems to pick yet another flavour of the month ESS/AKM/Burr Brown/Wolfsen/Cirrus Logic chip, slap a heavily skinned Android on it and call it a day and aren't actually really adding anything new into the pool. 

 

[proedros]

happy owner of zx2 , not using wifi/tidal/spotify etc
 
was thinking of maybe trying P1 / idsd micro , but looks like i will keep this money for a WM1A down the road

 

[purk]

   
Sony's always stuck with the S-master in their walkman series citing the benefits of the all digital pathway in terms of SQ as well as the battery consumption benefits of doing most of the stuff in digital first before converting into analogue only at the last mile of the signal pathway. Recently having gotten to know and talk to these people and read a lot more on why they keep this tech the engineer in me respect them for holding onto that piece of tech and refining it instead of the all the other DAP makers which just seems to pick yet another flavour of the month ESS/AKM/Burr Brown/Wolfsen/Cirrus Logic chip, slap a heavily skinned Android on it and call it a day and aren't actually really adding anything new into the pool. 

They are unique in that sense and I really wish them well.  Though I dislike their 3.2K price tag on the 1Z, part of me is very happy knowing that they are taking audio very serious again.  

 

[proedros]

  They are unique in that sense and I really wish them well.  Though I dislike their 3.2K price tag on the 1Z, part of me is very happy knowing that they are taking audio very serious again.  

 
 
my respect for SONY is back again at a high level

in fact, i just went ahead and bought these 2 great books about SONY , 1 is centered on its founder and the other in the company

these look to be great reading, so maybe someone else will want to check them out - and they are very cheap to buy at amazon
 
 
 
 

Made in Japan : Akio Morita and Sony

 
https://www.amazon.com/Made-Japan-Akio-Morita-Sony/dp/0006383424/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1473320677&sr=8-3&keywords=sony+morita
 
 
 
 
Sony: A Private Life 


 
Named one of the best business books of the year (by Fortune and Newsweek), SONY is the "intimate biography of one of the world's leading electronics giants" (San Francisco Chronicle) as well as one of the most fascinating and complex of all corporate stories.  "Richly detailed and revealing" (Wall Street Journal), the book examines both the outward successes and, as never before, the mysterious inner workings that have always characterized this company's top ranks. The result is "a different kind of business book, showing how personal relationships shaped one of the century's great global corporations" (Fortune).
 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618126945/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ANHFDOMMXXZUV

 

[Rob49]

So with these new balanced Daps, you're going to need a new plug & balanced cable ? Will these be readily available ? I suspect not ! ( Noticed on the Sony MDR-1 thread that Sony have a new balanced cable with the new plug. )
Then there's the added cost of all this. I wonder how different these new Daps will sound compared to ZX2 / TRRS ? ( Which i've never experienced myself. )

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

Wow, on top of the price, in China it will ship oh the 30th of November...

 
Wow, that feels late.  Later then other parts of the world?
 
edit - even the first of November seems late

 

[Mimouille]

Wow, that feels late.  Later then other parts of the world?

edit - even the first of November seems late

My patience allows me for a max wait of....1 week

 

[gerelmx1986]

Not really i had two walkmans which didnt have S MASTER Chip the E507 (2004) and the A818 (2007)

 

[gerelmx1986]

  All the Signature series equipment are going on general sale in Japan on 29th October. Sony Store in Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka will have demo units starting on the 9th, with the Ginza store getting them on the 24th.  
http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1016917.html
 
I'm interested in the new DC Phase Linearizer tech that is supposed to give you a more "analog sound" *sic* which doesn't seem to get much coverage, that looks like it would be an interesting read on how it actually works.

mY x1060 (2009) had this nice analogue sound reminded me of vinyl and or Class A/B amps (like the one used in the fiio x3 I) But less warm yes nice analogue sound

 

[nanaholic]

  mY x1060 (2009) had this nice analogue sound reminded me of vinyl and or Class A/B amps (like the one used in the fiio x3 I) But less warm yes nice analogue sound

 
I just don't like the term because to me as a engineer it doesn't describe anything meaningful as all sounds are analogue - there's no such thing as a digital sound, thus describing sound as "analogue/digital" sounding doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[gerelmx1986]

 
mY x1060 (2009) had this nice analogue sound reminded me of vinyl and or Class A/B amps (like the one used in the fiio x3 I) But less warm yes nice analogue s

I just don't like the term because to me as a engineer it doesn't describe anything meaningful as all sounds are analogue - there's no such thing as a digital sound, thus describing sound as "analogue/digital" sounding doesn't make any sense to me.

More appropriate to say cold and warm sounding then

 

[gerelmx1986]

For the dude who said the Z7 sounded like a pair of beats, these ****s ones made in Mexico sound like beats like hearing Haydn with a pillow in your head
I am using these ****ty iems just because I sold my Xba-a3 and my XBA-Z5 are due for today night Arghh i want my Z5 why fedex why????

 

[Telacap99]

So Yodobashi in Japan is listing the 1Z at abt USD2920 and the 1A abt USD1100.