SONY NW-WM1Z / WM1A | Page 2101 | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

Whitigir · Feb 7, 2020 at 1:39 AM

Let me just put it here

hamhamhamsta · Feb 7, 2020 at 1:42 AM

Whitigir said:
Let me just put it here

How does the sound quality compared to the mod 1Z you did for mine? What's the difference in hardwares and sound?

Whitigir · Feb 7, 2020

hamhamhamsta said:
How does the sound quality compared to the mod 1Z you did for mine? What's the difference in hardwares and sound?

I did a lot to the WM1A. All caps are upgraded to electrolytic TOTL with careful voicing tuned from experiences. Filters are electrolytic audiograde, all solder to high grade silver. DC ground is 20AWG Litz. Internal wires is Pure Gold 22AwG.

MeLf resistors are worthy being here, no need to replace.

Depth and soundstage are expanded in all dimensions, textures are vastly improved. Pitch are much more accurate. Strangely, WM1A is more balanced than wm-1A but a little bass emphasized and boomy with bass not deep enough. This also bring out deep sub bass. Time to burn in for more improvements

524419 · Feb 7, 2020 at 2:44 AM

Whitigir said:
I did a lot to the WM1A. All caps are upgraded to electrolytic TOTL with careful voicing tuned from experiences. Filters are electrolytic audiograde, all solder to high grade silver. DC ground is 20AWG Litz. Internal wires is Pure Gold 22AwG.

MeLf resistors are worthy being here, no need to replace.

Depth and soundstage are expanded in all dimensions, textures are vastly improved. Pitch are much more accurate. Strangely, WM1A is more balanced than wm-1A but a little bass emphasized and boomy with bass not deep enough. This also bring out deep sub bass. Time to burn in for more improvements

Pure Gold?? Or Gold Plated?

Vitaly2017 · Feb 7, 2020 at 2:50 AM

Whitigir said:
I did a lot to the WM1A. All caps are upgraded to electrolytic TOTL with careful voicing tuned from experiences. Filters are electrolytic audiograde, all solder to high grade silver. DC ground is 20AWG Litz. Internal wires is Pure Gold 22AwG.

MeLf resistors are worthy being here, no need to replace.

Depth and soundstage are expanded in all dimensions, textures are vastly improved. Pitch are much more accurate. Strangely, WM1A is more balanced than wm-1A but a little bass emphasized and boomy with bass not deep enough. This also bring out deep sub bass. Time to burn in for more improvements

Nice looks very cool.
What type of gold cable is it? Like which brand?

gerelmx1986 · Feb 7, 2020 at 4:30 AM

Whitigir said:
I did a lot to the WM1A. All caps are upgraded to electrolytic TOTL with careful voicing tuned from experiences. Filters are electrolytic audiograde, all solder to high grade silver. DC ground is 20AWG Litz. Internal wires is Pure Gold 22AwG.

MeLf resistors are worthy being here, no need to replace.

Depth and soundstage are expanded in all dimensions, textures are vastly improved. Pitch are much more accurate. Strangely, WM1A is more balanced than wm-1A but a little bass emphasized and boomy with bass not deep enough. This also bring out deep sub bass. Time to burn in for more improvements

Waiting for your impressions. If you say it sounds good as stock 1Z, the n i probably aend mine to tou form modding

Hifiaddict · Feb 7, 2020 at 5:32 AM

bflat said:
No, you cannot take an SE wired headphone and make it work with an balanced output unless you re-wire the headphone. The adapter you have is to convert 3.5mm balanced to 4.4mm balanced.

Thanks for your help think i have to buy a 4.4mm balanced cable for my sony mdrz7.
Do you know where a can buy a cheap good cable for that a link?

Redcarmoose · Feb 7, 2020

HeadphoneAddict said:
I listened to a friend's 1Z recently and was very impressed with it. He is not the type to EVER do a manual firmware update and probably has an older version on it (will have to ask). I liked the interface and sound and thought I might pick up a used one someday, but wonder what would be the best firmware to have on it?

I know firmware can change the sound of some devices, because my first experience with that was on my PS Audio Perfectwave DAC a decade ago. Sometimes they made it sound worse, and once they fixed the issue I stopped doing updates. In the case of my R2R2000 I WANT UPDATES, because the firmware for the interface is still buggy, and they haven't had much of a change in sound when they do one.

2.0 firmware update came out literally the week I purchased my 1Z. That said the 1.whatever firmware it came with seemed very low power and foggy in comparison to what I heard with 2.0 that week. Also keep in mind before the period of 200 hours none of the players sound the way they were designed to sound.....so I probably never really gave the firmware before 2.0 an honest chance.

If you read this thread you can’t help but comprehend how close many of us have become to the Walkmans. The myopic and comprehensive history many posters here have maybe is on the slightly crazy side as far as importance of firmware updates. We are way too into it.

But there is no right or wrong. It’s EQ really but with some soundstage effects and also an intangible change....maybe in imaging arraignment?

But everyone eventually figures it out. Just remember that before 3.0 (which was not as great as 3.1) there was no external DAC function. Also before that the Walkmans only broadcast Bluetooth but didn’t accept Bluetooth. There were other changes along the way but I forget.

Mostly....it’s about tone matching with your headphones and personal subjective sound signature needs. If you have read the years of posts on updates you will find that the sound changes are more important to some than others. Meaning we don’t know why, but some really notice and care about the changes and some not so much. If this is a result of IEMs used or hearing capabilities.....we are not sure.

Still owning both 1Z/1A.....I’ve come to think some updates are more desirable for the 1A and other updates better for the 1Z. It’s two players with on update being introduced at a time. For the longest time I used to use 3.02 firmware with the 1Z then switch back to 3.01 with the 1Z for the Noble Encore IEMs. Eventually I became lazy and left 3.02 on the 1Z all the time. So right there is an example of someone trying to just get used to one firmware even with first impressions saying it’s not the best combo. As maybe we get used to stuff? The whole audiophile tangent is purchasing and coming to what we feel are genuine ideas about some sonic texture or process. We try to extrapolate the aspects introduced with changes. Maybe we are too critical? Though I have to think that especially being the 1Z is so musical.........that even if the combination didn’t have this perfect quality......that we could adapt?

If you go over the thread you’ll find that almost every firmware has it’s fans. Though for me update 3.02 was such a watershed change in tone it became endearing. With the 1A 3.02 is pretty thin, and many of us have settled on 3.01 with the 1A for now. But update 3.02 made the 1Z have a detailed low end and charming midrange and soundstage/imaging expansion in the treble. And again for many 3.02 was like Sony getting us a new player. No one from 2016 would ever have thought Sony would keep developing and dialing in the player firmware? Sony could have easily come out with a different player and left us with 2.0, but they didn’t. Maybe it has taken them all this time to learn about the firmware quality? It’s a mystery really.......but a good one.

Cheers!

gerelmx1986 · Feb 7, 2020 at 7:17 AM

Hifiaddict said:
Thanks for your help think i have to buy a 4.4mm balanced cable for my sony mdrz7.
Do you know where a can buy a cheap good cable for that a link?

I bought a sony KK for my MDR-Z1R on amazon Germany for 200€, still waiting it to get shipped (was out of stock when i bought it)

Whitigir · Feb 7, 2020

Diet Kokaine said:
Pure Gold?? Or Gold Plated?

Vitaly2017 said:
Nice looks very cool.
What type of gold cable is it? Like which brand?

Pure gold

Jade Audio cables

gerelmx1986 said:
Waiting for your impressions. If you say it sounds good as stock 1Z, the n i probably aend mine to tou form modding

oh heck, it is better :wink:

. I couldn’t stand the stock WM1A...I am too spoiled by the DMP-Z1. Now it is much more enjoyable. But I wouldn’t want to perform this modification.... I still recommend people to send their unit to MusicSanctuary and Fidelizer or CreatorCables.

XP_98 · Feb 7, 2020 at 7:42 AM

Midnstorms said:
I went back and forth all of them thanks to sony in that they are remarkable! i have a chart here about each firmware sounds it changes a lot!!! specially if you are into heavy EQ like me!

Can you please link it (can't find it, I'm on my phone) - sorry if it's "again" ?

dninsan · Feb 7, 2020

XP_98 said:
Can you please link it (can't find it, I'm on my phone) - sorry if it's "again" ?

Vitaly2017 · Feb 7, 2020 at 9:25 AM

Whitigir said:
Pure gold

Jade Audio cables

oh heck, it is better . I couldn’t stand the stock WM1A...I am too spoiled by the DMP-Z1. Now it is much more enjoyable. But I wouldn’t want to perform this modification.... I still recommend people to send their unit to MusicSanctuary and Fidelizer or CreatorCables.

So how does the 1a max doing against dmp and 1z?
Or its better go 1z ultimate k mod from ms?

Whitigir · Feb 7, 2020

Vitaly2017 said:
So how does the 1a max doing against dmp and 1z?
Or its better go 1z ultimate k mod from ms?

Idk bro...I do it in my own preferences and experiences. But every bit of upgrades will contribute a lot to the WM players.

How does my WM1A do now ? I have not had wm1Z for a while. But I can tell you what it improved for me

I am gonna list out the cons or negatives of Wm1A stock

1/ Most noticeably is the emphasized on Bass and lower mid bass...but doesn’t dive deep enough into sub bass. Good extensions but blooming and hazy

2/ sound signature is more balanced than wm1Z which is a little warmer but without that bass emphasis and has great sub bass and control when compared to WM1A stock

3/ Mid is fluid but upper mid fell short on it energy, extensions and details at upper mid and lower trebles

4/ trebles is a little boosted up on upper frequencies

both #3 and #4 makes stock 1A to loose out some resolutions in mid and lower trebles. It is there but the #1 bass take over everything

Then in some bad recording, the sibilants can be harsh.

5/ soundstage: wide and expansive, Tall and vertically impressive, but cue of positioning is hazy and confusing

6/ pitch accuracy: this is the worse....the pitch accuracy is pretty much Mid-Tier level

7/ Airiness: pretty congested considering all the Negatives altogether....especially because of upper mid and lower treble fault

I wouldn’t call stock Wm1A to be in the same tier as WM1Z. That shows how much better power supply caps could improve the platform

Stock WM1A is pretty mid-tie

So, what does the modified unit sound like ?

Neutralizing the bass emphasis, bring deep sub bass and extensions, better textures.

Mids are now fully energetic and vastly improved on upper mid and lower treble details/resolutions.

trebles are now with better resolutions, extended ways better, and all together bring a great senses of airiness.

Soundstage is vastly improved into expansive and enveloping presentations with great airiness.

Fluidity and liquidity remains and improved to be a better flow between transients which brings musicality while Being “references”

I could improve the Lowpass filter, but there is no need. The WM1Z uses the same, so ATM, I enjoy it this way

Resistors could also be possible to upgrade but no need. I love MEL, and the MELF within WM1A is top on the market still

After modification: WM1A is now “Top-tier level”.

This picture will not show DC 20AWG Litz Ground connection

hamhamhamsta · Feb 7, 2020

Whitigir said:
Idk bro...I do it in my own preferences and experiences. But every bit of upgrades will contribute a lot to the WM players.

How does my WM1A do now ? I have not had wm1Z for a while. But I can tell you what it improved for me

I am gonna list out the cons or negatives of Wm1A stock

1/ Most noticeably is the emphasized on Bass and lower mid bass...but doesn’t dive deep enough into sub bass. Good extensions but blooming and hazy

2/ sound signature is more balanced than wm1Z which is a little warmer but without that bass emphasis and has great sub bass and control when compared to WM1A stock

3/ Mid is fluid but upper mid fell short on it energy, extensions and details at upper mid and lower trebles

4/ trebles is a little boosted up on upper frequencies

both #3 and #4 makes stock 1A to loose out some resolutions in mid and lower trebles. It is there but the #1 bass take over everything

Then in some bad recording, the sibilants can be harsh.

5/ soundstage: wide and expansive, Tall and vertically impressive, but cue of positioning is hazy and confusing

6/ pitch accuracy: this is the worse....the pitch accuracy is pretty much Mid-Tier level

7/ Airiness: pretty congested considering all the Negatives altogether....especially because of upper mid and lower treble fault

I wouldn’t call stock Wm1A to be in the same tier as WM1Z. That shows how much better power supply caps could improve the platform

Stock WM1A is pretty mid-tie

So, what does the modified unit sound like ?

Neutralizing the bass emphasis, bring deep sub bass and extensions, better textures.

Mids are now fully energetic and vastly improved on upper mid and lower treble details/resolutions.

trebles are now with better resolutions, extended ways better, and all together bring a great senses of airiness.

Soundstage is vastly improved into expansive and enveloping presentations with great airiness.

Fluidity and liquidity remains and improved to be a better flow between transients which brings musicality while Being “references”

I could improve the Lowpass filter, but there is no need. The WM1Z uses the same, so ATM, I enjoy it this way

Resistors could also be possible to upgrade but no need. I love MEL, and the MELF within WM1A is top on the market still

After modification: WM1A is now “Top-tier level”.

This picture will not show DC 20AWG Litz Ground connection

Does it sounds more like Hi-Fi, or more like analog?

If I remember correctly, unmodified 1A feels limited on both ends of bass and trebles. Maybe I should clarify more; I was comparing this with my current modded1Z. Unmodded 1A sounds lifeless, there is this lack of subbass, it’s unsatisfying.

Unmodified 1Z is amazing in its musicality and it’s 3D spatial positioning, although it sounds pretty thick like a 85% dark chocolate. But the trade off is its soundstage is smaller than unmodded 1A.

And I thought you used gold cable to add needed warmth and musicality? Or is there any other reasons?

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