[nc8000]

Shouldn't I see playtime with SE and Balanced. I only see playtime together in settings....

Only one counter so no way to see how much on each output

 

[WindowsX]

DMP-Z1 sounds great but it can't be used as a portable dap so I modded 1A model instead.

 

[syke]

I only had a short time with the DMP-Z1 paired with the MDR-Z1R and they were limited to a few tracks I wasn't familiar with. But compared to the TA-ZH1ES, they resolve better and on a much bigger scale (It better well be). Did I like what I hear, yes of course. Was there the Wow factor? yes of course. Whether it is worth the price difference, I shan't comment, it was never in my sights anyway.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Shouldn't I see playtime with SE and Balanced. I only see playtime together in settings....

Yep, they sum it up in settings. So....you have to run it 200 hours balanced then 200 hours single-ended. Also if you reset the player to a factory reset you erase your time played. Most of us simply played the player and kept track of the side which fit the headphone we were using. But because of different capacitors had to start over counting if we went to the other side as one board is on the back and another on the front, and both need burn in 200 hours minimum.

 

[Redcarmoose]

DMP-Z1 sounds great but it can't be used as a portable dap so I modded 1A model instead.

That’s what I’m saying; there will be an evolution here maybe. If not from Sony; from someone like you. The TA amp is great with most of my headphones, but it is slighly different than the treble sparkle which comes from the 1Z.

What would you expect the TA and 1Z are two different amps; even though Sony pushes one signature sound, it’s simply not exactly true to a point. Yes, they both have warm and smooth sound, but they are two different amps made by two different departments of Sony Engineering.

At times some headphones sound better on the 1Z due to the treble spike, though most of the time, 90% the TA rules.

 

[Redcarmoose]

DMP-Z1 sounds great but it can't be used as a portable dap so I modded 1A model instead.

To me it’s astounding that Sony would leave the 1Z and promote a very different concept. Most of the time in construction and company marketing; there ends up a refinement of technology. Companies don’t just throw concepts away right away unless there is a good reason.

 

[nanaholic]

To me it’s astounding that Sony would leave the 1Z and promote a very different concept. Most of the time in construction and company marketing; there ends up a refinement of technology. Companies don’t just throw concepts away right away unless there is a good reason.

Firstly, the DMP-Z1 is not a Walkman, secondly the engineers admitted that the 1Z is currently the best they can do in that specific size and form factor. So it's not that surprising that they leave the box to try something else hoping to learn something new in the process. I for one hope the new H-shaped chassis can make it to the next Walkman to achieve complete EMI separation between digital block and the analogue block, that looks like something that could trickle down when they can figure out how to miniaturise its application.

 

[WindowsX]

Glad to see people liking my mod. Easier way to handle EMI from inductor to output caps is changing from standing vertical caps to smaller horizontal tantalum caps. You can greatly reduce surface area to be affected with EMI and improve caps quality at the same time without shielding required.

 

[duaned]

So who has gone from the ZX300 to the 1A and are happy with the return on investment?

 

[WindowsX]

So who has gone from the ZX300 to the 1A and are happy with the return on investment?

I heard both and I must say both are good for its price. ZX300 seems to have better price / performance ratio but some parts in 1A will let you know it's one of better DAPs to keep for a long while.

 

[Lookout57]

So who has gone from the ZX300 to the 1A and are happy with the return on investment?

I started with a WM1Z for serious listening and the ZX300 for commuting. To me the ZX300 was a huge upgrade from my OPUS#2 at half the cost. But I felt it lacking compared to the WM1Z so I bought the WM1A for commuting and gave the ZX300 to my wife.

I've found that the WM1A has a larger soundstage, more details and better bass than the ZX300. For the money the WM1A is a steal as it can compete against other DAP brands costing twice as much. But the WM1Z is to me the ultimate DAP as it sounds significantly better than the WM1A in regards to details and low end slam. Also with the WM1Z I feel the soundstage is the same width but much deeper, more 3 dimensional. But remember it's 2.5X the cost of the WM1A. So the ROI on the WM1A over the ZX300 is a no brainer to me.

 

[proedros]

thermo-nuclear LSD jazz on WM1A sounds quite good

 

[l1tchi]

Had one before, only worth it if u choose to use the 4.4(and still sounds weird)

 

[NaiveSound]

I use 4.4 on 1z, never bothered with 3. 5mm so not worth burning the battery for the 3.5mm side

 

[Mindstorms]

Guys any experience on the wm1a reboot loop? a friend here in head fi has one ATM, im asking this because im worried, any xp on this issue?