[Subhakar]

The new Sony Walkman:

 

[Gibraltar]

An interesting point from the engineer interviews I haven't seen noted here yet is that the lower quality capacitors in the 1A are only in the single ended circuit. The capacitors in the balanced signal path are the same audiophile ones on both models, so if you don't need single ended, the 1A had one less disadvantage.

 

[proedros]

An interesting point from the engineer interviews I haven't seen noted here yet is that the lower quality capacitors in the 1A are only in the single ended circuit. The capacitors in the balanced signal path are the same audiophile ones on both models, so if you don't need single ended, the 1A had one less disadvantage.

 
 
very nice
 
@Whitigir will be also very happy

 

[noplsestar]

An interesting point from the engineer interviews I haven't seen noted here yet is that the lower quality capacitors in the 1A are only in the single ended circuit. The capacitors in the balanced signal path are the same audiophile ones on both models, so if you don't need single ended, the 1A had one less disadvantage.

That's fantastic. So the only difference (in balanced mode) would be no kimber cables, the smaller internal storage and the aluminium shell instead of gold/copper?

 

[Leviticus]

Are you guys planning on recabling your headphones because of the 4.4mm jack?

 

[echineko]

The new Sony Walkman:

Buttons? What?

Are you guys planning on recabling your headphones because of the 4.4mm jack?

I don't actually have a balanced cable for full-sized headphones, might actually get one now. Might need to reterminate an IEM cable or two.

 

[Whitigir]

very nice

@Whitigir
 will be also very happy

Oh, I would be very happy. However, I need to confirm this before anything else ? Not sure if this is the case. I do know that the Z sounds much different than A when used in Balanced connection 4.4mm on Z1R.

Are you guys planning on recabling your headphones because of the 4.4mm jack?

If I bought 1A, I would just reterminate my cables....the thing is there is no 4.4 jacks being sold on the market....yet

 

[Subhakar]

Buttons? What?
I don't actually have a balanced cable for full-sized headphones, might actually get one now. Might need to reterminate an IEM cable or two.

Too many.

 

[Gibraltar]

Oh, I would be very happy. However, I need to confirm this before anything else ? Not sure if this is the case. I do know that the Z sounds much different than A when used in Balanced connection 4.4mm on Z1R.

 
For your reference, this was stated here by one of the engineers that worked on electrical design. The relevant text is just above the photos of the two circuit boards. He states:
"Actually the number of these (polymer) capacitors slightly differs between the WM1Z and WM1A. The circuit board's B face (balanced) has the same number, but the A face (unbalanced) on the WM1A has some OS-CON as well."
 
Of course the caps aren't the only difference, and everything I've heard so far also indicates the two players sound pretty different.

 

[echineko]

Too many.

 

Still only two referenced in this thread, last time I checked

 

[Whitigir]

For your reference, this was stated here by one of the engineers that worked on electrical design. The relevant text is just above the photos of the two circuit boards. He states:
"Actually the number of these (polymer) capacitors slightly differs between the WM1Z and WM1A. The circuit board's B face (balanced) has the same number, but the A face (unbalanced) on the WM1A has some OS-CON as well."

Of course the caps aren't the only difference, and everything I've heard so far also indicates the two players sound pretty different.

Thanks for the link, and if my google translated correctly

 

[fish1050]

Apple is simply going away from 3.5 mm connected headphones to drum up more business.  Headphone sales are stagnant because once people get a pair they like they stick with them.  Take away the 3.5 mm jack and you force people to buy new headphones.
 
Don't kid yourself into thinking Apples motives aren't purely profit driven.  Apple pulled out of the iPod market for the most part, tablet sales are flat and iphone sales are dropping along with profit.  Accessories like headphones have a higher profit margin than electronics do for the most part.  Apple is struggling to find new revenue streams and headphones are one of them.
 
As for Sony's use of copper on the 1Z it is another marketing ploy to trick buyers into thinking it makes a sonic difference.  Aluminum goes for about $0.71/pound US current price, copper about $1.75/pound US. The 1Z weighs just over one pound so basically the copper casing adds about $1.04 to the cost of the 1Z over using aluminum on the 1A.  I have no idea how much gold plating Sony is using on the 1Z but again gold plating on the outside of the DAP will have no sonic benefits at all. You can buy 24 karat gold plating solutions for as little as $100.00 for 32 OZ (4800 sq inches) to the public so even less for Sony in large quantities. So gold plating not nearly as expensive as it looks. Nickel is about $4.00/pound and you won't need much on a device this small so lets say another $0.50.
 
The marketing guys can try to spin it any way they want but it all comes down to justification for gouging Sony customers. Per 1Z unit $1.04 more for copper (over aluminum), maybe $0.50 for the layer of nickel and lets be generous and say 8 oz of gold plating per 1Z ($25.00).  I come up with $26.54 in added cost, lets round up to $30.00 to be safe over the casing for the 1A.  
 
More expensive TF capacitors about $0.64 each vs about $0.30 for OSCON capacitors on the 1A  Again maybe a few bucks difference. So lets call it $35.00 for everything so far. Adding another 128 GB memory chip into the 1Z maybe another $30.00.  So even if my estimates are a little low at $65.00 lets call it $75.00 per unit higher production cost for the 1Z over the 1A.  That is an obscene amount of profit on the 1Z over the 1A even if you double my estimates.
 
Still think the 1Z is worth the premium price?  At least be smart and wait a few months until the price comes down if you are still serious about it. 

 

[nanaholic]

  What do you listen to that you can't find via streaming services?

 
Japanese songs.
 
Either way if the songs I want to listen to is on streaming I wouldn't use it, my data allowance on mobile is too little to let me burn it to listen to music - something that a lot of people who advocate streaming don't seem to understand either. I'm not ready to upgrade a data plan just to listen to music - that's insane.  But I know for a fact that carriers often uses that as a baiting tactic to sell more expensive data plans.
 
Streaming is merely one option - it's not the definite future.  

 

[nanaholic]

  stuff

 
Bill of material doesn't include things like manufacturing cost and R&D and salary to people. It's the most misleading way to evaluate cost. 
 
Please don't fall into the same tech journalist trap of listing "BOM for this phone is 100 bucks so selling it for 200 is a ripoff!". 

 

[emrelights1973]

Japanese songs.

Either way if the songs I want to listen to is on streaming I wouldn't use it, my data allowance on mobile is too little to let me burn it to listen to music - something that a lot of people who advocate streaming don't seem to understand either. I'm not ready to upgrade a data plan just to listen to music - that's insane.  But I know for a fact that carriers often uses that as a baiting tactic to sell more expensive data plans.

Streaming is merely one option - it's not the definite future.  

Which dap using your carrier Data?
Do you know that you can download 100 album to your dap and listen them offline Right?