[Quadfather]

Many variables dictate that. The entire recording, engineering and mastering have an effect as well as
which wrapper it is all stuffed in. I have Redbook that sounds awesome and some that makes mono vinyl sound hi res. Its all a crap shoot

I compared the same album in 192 and 96. 192 ALAC to 96 FLAC

 

[nanaholic]

I compared the same album in 192 and 96. 192 ALAC to 96 FLAC

That really doesn't say much. Even the same album offered by different services can be mastered different.

However if you made the the files yourself from the exact same source, then the upsampling/downsampling converter may have messed with the sound.

 

[Quadfather]

That really doesn't say much. Even the same album offered by different services can be mastered different.

However if you made the the files yourself from the exact same source, then the upsampling/downsampling converter may have messed with the sound.

Good point.

 

[nc8000]

If it can’t stream Tidal or to a lesser extent Spotify then I’m not interested. LOL

No if that is what you want/need then these players are not for you

 

[gerelmx1986]

I hope the USB DAC too

 

[rcoleman1]

Awesome DAP but I would welcome a faster boot up from OFF.

 

[mw7485]

Testing both players made me think about this today. Myself thinking if the 1z is worth the price difference..

• Which of the 1a and 1z would you pick if the price was the same? Disregarding the weight difference that for some affects portability. Curious to who still picks the 1a out of sound signature preferences.

• Which of the 1a and 1z would you pick if the 1z did cost 500$€ more, e.g. One could imagine paying only for storage and the nice color Would you make the same choice(for those of you picking the 1z in question 1)

• How much extra would you who chose the 1z pay extra for it and still pick it in comparison to the 1a

Not sure anyone can answer these questions honestly without being in a position to audition both units. The only question I could answer in this sort of regard is "did the 1Z represent value for money?" The answer to this for me is a qualified yes. Love the sound, love the internal memory size, love the battery and love the fact I have now gained a DAP that is the basis of an end game setup for me, and that that end game is only a matter of weeks away from being achieved. Why not an unqualified yes? Despite "only" paying £1882, I still have a slightly uncomfortable feeling about how much I paid, blind, and no, I wouldn't pay Amazon's normal discount price for one - let alone Sony's RRP. Having said this, music is my one and only hobby nowadays - perhaps more than that if I'm honest, so I suppose "value" is a term that is largely irrelevant! Good music is just so fulfilling that I'll get over that uncomfortable feeling relatively quickly, and I sincerely doubt I will ever truly regret buying one at the price I paid. I have longed dreamed of having all my music, in one pace, sounding pretty much as good as it can sound, and available wherever I go - and I am now almost there and for a large part, the 1Z has been the enabler for realising that dream.

 

[all999]

Awesome DAP but I would welcome a faster boot up from OFF.

Didn't switch off mine unit even once.

 

[hamhamhamsta]

Didn't switch off mine unit even once.

Wow, you're all crazy. I turn it off whenever I have the chance

 

[blazinblazin]

Even if you switch it off when you insert song or charge i think the player will be on automatically.

 

[proedros]

like zx2 , I just leave it on and the battery loses almost zero energy

 

[Imusicman]

Well said mw7485. I totally get what you’re saying.

 

[Imusicman]

Very interested in the new Alo cable/1Z pairing Jude mentions in his headfi tv update

 

[azabu]

If it can’t stream Tidal or to a lesser extent Spotify then I’m not interested. LOL

Originally my thought as well.

I'm happy to say I was wrong

 

[arftech]

If it can’t stream Tidal or to a lesser extent Spotify then I’m not interested. LOL

I understand it to be a great player. However, 99% of the time I stream Tidal but will eventually start downloading hi-res files but Tidal is huge for me. Maybe someday Sony will embrace streaming because I would love to pair a Sony DAP with my PHA-3 and Z7 with the upgraded Kimble Kable. In the interim I’ll continue to use my laptop and iDevices.