[Morbideath]

Edit.

 

[musicday]

Great post, thank you for that. It should be included in the Sony 1A/1Z modification thread.

 

[Morbideath]

Great post, thank you for that. It should be included in the Sony 1A/1Z modification thread.

Welcome and thank you! I posted there as well.

 

[MrLocoLuciano]

Whaouu... Thank you so much
Lots of testing to come !

 

[hamhamhamsta]

Hi all,
Last year some Chinese enthusiastic worked out the way to modify firmwares and change their sound. ATM I won't dive into disclosing the technical specifics since it may be illegal and ultra troublesome to write, but the results are something profound. I will first elaborate on some basic principles.

Firmwares do affect sound (nonsense... we all know that). The firmwares of 1A/1Z provided to download all over the world are universal and totally identical (identical MD5 value). But there are TWO SETS of tuning codes to tune 1A/1Z separately, stored WITHIN THE SAME FIRMWARE. The firmware file simply identifies whether your device is 1A or 1Z then it applies the proprietary tunings.

Secondly, firmware file contains two parts: the first part with the basic system functionalities, for example, the random / repeat buttons shown in now playing, introduced in 2.0; the usb dac / bt receiver modes introduced in 3.0, etc; The second part is the tuning codes, which are scattered in various sections of the firmware. We don't know how exactly the codes work, as they remain an encrypted black box. But we can switch the "box" between 1A and 1Z to alter each other sound. Thirdly and most importantly, the firmware of DMP-Z1 & ZX300 are of similar structure with slight differences of the functionality part, for example, Z1 doesn't even has a skip button in the UI while 1Z does of course. HOWEVER, the tuning codes of Z1 can be applied to 1A / 1Z perfectly fine.

Incorporating Z1's tuning, both 1A / 1Z enjoy a much larger soundstage, more airy treble and harder deeper bass. The mids / vocal can be somewhat hollow and pushed back, but we can tackle with that using the tuning codes of 1Z (which has fuller mids). With the new assets at hand, theoretically speaking, tuning codes can be switched and combined to approximate the sound profiles of many other DAPs. Yet the process is hideous since it's a shot in the dark for us to blindly test the wild combinations with our own ears. Thx to our Chinese pioneer, Deck24, who relentlessly keep experimenting the tunings with months of trials and errors, finally there are some results to be shared to the public.

Now u get the basics of firmware modding. Here are some of the iconic firmwares I picked from hundreds of mods to share with you:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LTZTkoQu2V-pr6XfULjq_Qa0ukttg_R8

Disclaimer:
1. I'm just introducing you some interesting findings. Im not the author of these mods.
2. Firmwares, just like IEM pairing, are all about synergy. It depends heavily on your devices and your subjective taste. I merely introduce you with some novel dishes not served by official flavors. Whether u like it or not is completely each to their own.

I host 9 firmwares within the folder, 4 are the popular offical ones downloaded from Sony's websites. About the 5 mods: DMP-Z1 1.01 is the official Z1 FW ported to 1A/1Z, with minimal tuning edits. 1.02 is also official FW ported. Many think 01 is warmer and smoother, while 02 is clearer and sharper. YMMV.

Ultimate is the wild attempt trying to combine best of the three worlds: the goodness of 1A, 1Z and Z1. This is a controversial mod since some may find it piercing due to the extreme details retrieval, others may find it bright, yet some will think it's too dark. It's all about synergy with your gears and the music you listen to.

WM2Z is a relatively modest mod without taking too many assets from DMP-Z1, so may sound more like a stock WM1Z but with different subtle tunings. Latoo Paw Gold Touch, as the name suggests, is trying to mimic the sound of LPGT. It does extremely well on some people's system.

Upgrade methods: first make sure your device is on official 3.02. The mods are all based on the official 3.02, keeping all its vested functionalities. If u upgrade from other versions the process will fail.

Run the exe file in \Package folder and you are good to go. The upgrading speed is much shorter than official upgrade since only the tuning parts are being modified. The process is perfectly safe for your device, and you can always run the other mod to substitute, or revert back to the official FWs anytime by running the exe.

If anyone fails to run any exe files please let me know. They are supposed to work on either 1A and 1Z.

PART II:
Another Chinese fella accidentally found out that Japanese model of 1Z (not sure about 1A, but should also apply) sounds smoother than the Chinese model (region CN). With some research, he found that the Japanese model and other regions' model are applicable to different tuning codes, thus resulting the difference of sound. To achieve the Japanese tuning, simply run the Rockbox tool to change your region code to J. There are explicit tutorials in this thread about how to do it. After changing to J, please run any firmwares again for your device to apply to the J FW. Having done so, u will find a new certificate item showing up at the bottom of setting's page, proving your FW is now in Japanese. At the same time, u lose the ability to change language to others, but keeping your current language (such as English). Because Japanese FW initially doesn't support multi-language selection.

My assessments of the sounds are based on the following gears: MS Ultimate K-Mod WM1Z (1960s 16wire balanced, all battery wire and grounding wire from board to chassis switched to 1960s 2wire, two more AVX F95 capacitors, various additional shieldings to S-Master and battery), balanced output through Labkable Gold Titan 10wire, feeding a Custom Just Ear MH1 specifically tunned by Bandai San for me; another complement IEM is the Custom EE Legend X SE (i believe is not sold in US/EU market?) to unleash my bass-thirsty inner monster. I only listen to classical and metal music, so i strictly focus on instruments not vocal. I currently run the DMP-Z1 1.01 FW as I feel it has a very expansive soundstage, more treble sparkles and firmer but deeper bass. The bass quantity decreases to some extent so may not fit every genres out there.

Thank you. This is fun, I get to try all the different version, I kinda like Ultimate mod, still trying to figure out how these sounds. It feels very fluid, it just flows, soundstage is definitely huge, I was using Warbler Prelude with PW 1960 4 wire. To understand a little about Warbler Prelude, it has extremely thick sound, extremely syruppy, bad resolution and clarity, because of its thickness, however excellent timber and best bass resolution I have heard, sounds way thicker than EA Phantom. Prelude soundstage usually sounds a little small on 3.02 but here its huge, it didn't feel cramped. Usually I use EQ, but using direct, clarity is good, its feels very fluid, although resolution feels a little funny, it s like it almost there, but not, grainy? Only on certain little segment of some songs, I can't put my finger on it; although I'm using 320 mp3 with good master. Still trying to learn and understand more.

Also DMP Z1 1.01 and 1.02 seems to be not working, there's error 6.002 or something like that. Please reupload.

But thanks a lot, this is extremely fun to us all.

 

[Morbideath]

Thank you. This is fun, I get to try all the different version, I kinda like Ultimate mod, still trying to figure out how these sounds. It feels very fluid, it just flows, soundstage is definitely huge, I was using Warbler Prelude with PW 1960 4 wire; soundstage usually sounds a little small on 3.02 but here its huge, it didn't feel cramped. Usually I use EQ, but using direct, clarity is good, its feels fluid, bass feels a little funny, I can't put my finger on it. Still trying to learn and understand more.

Also DMP Z1 1.01 and 1.02 seems to be not working, there's error 6.002 or something like that. Please reupload.

But thanks a lot, this is extremely fun to us all.

Thx for your feedback. Are u using 1A? In what region?

 

[hamhamhamsta]

Thx for your feedback. Are u using 1A? In what region?

I'm using mod 1Z international version; however, instead of using PW1960 wire, I think mine used silver gold cable I think. Whitigir can elaborate more. Soundwise I would describe similar to 1A but with extreme clarity, extended high, while retaining 1Z bass, speed is faster than 1Z, maybe close to 1A. Clarity and resolution probably I think its SP1K or more, its a year ago I heard it and I haven't heard SP2k. Still retains 1Z fluidity and musicality. Im usually listening to chinese pop mp3 using DSEE HX, EQ, Phase Lineazer and Vinyl Processor. But Direct seems more fluid, with EQ etc it seems my mod 1Z becomes in your face clarity, resolution monster, its obviously glaring, at least to me. i can never use Direct, but I think I maybe able to accept Direct using Ultimate Mode, retaining Sony house sound while giving me the clarity and resolution that I crave.

I think everyone will have different favorites depending on the daps, cables and iems they use; its pretty much depends on best synergy for your gears.

 

[Morbideath]

I'm using mod 1Z international version; however, instead of using PW1960 wire, I think mine used silver gold cable I think. Whitigir can elaborate more. Soundwise I would describe similar to 1A but with extreme clarity, extended high, while retaining 1Z bass, speed is faster than 1Z, maybe close to 1A. Clarity and resolution probably I think its SP1K or more, its a year ago I heard it and I haven't heard SP2k. Still retains 1Z fluidity and musicality. Im usually listening to chinese pop mp3 using DSEE HX, EQ, Phase Lineazer and Vinyl Processor. But Direct seems more fluid, with EQ etc it seems my mod 1Z becomes in your face clarity, resolution monster, its obviously glaring, at least to me. i can never use Direct, but I think I maybe able to accept Direct using Ultimate Mode

Sorry for my fat fingers. Z1 1.01 and 02 should work now. Pls download them again.

 

[hamhamhamsta]

Sorry for my fat finger mistake. 1.01 and 02 should work now. Pls download them again.

Thank you; will definitely try all of them.

My feeling, those with stock 1Z may do pretty well using LPGT & Ultimate mod; it will be interesting to see what other testimonies are.

Wow, I'm really impressed & I think I get it. Its much easier to get into the music/ groove. When I heard it over and over again, these are definitely masterpiece mods, you guys make something good even better. There 's something good for everyone.

 

[Morbideath]

Thank you; will definitely try all of them.

My feeling, those with stock 1Z may do pretty well using LPGT & Ultimate mod; it will be interesting to see what other testimonies are.

Wow, I'm really impressed & I think I get it. When I heard it again and again, these are definitely masterpiece mods, you guys make something good even better. There 's something good for everyone.

U may also try applying the Japanese tuning. It's subtle but might be more perceived with official FW.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Hi all,
Last year some Chinese enthusiastic worked out the way to modify firmwares and change their sound. ATM I won't dive into disclosing the technical specifics since it may be illegal and ultra troublesome to write, but the results are something profound. I will first elaborate on some basic principles.

Firmwares do affect sound (nonsense... we all know that). The firmwares of 1A/1Z provided to download all over the world are universal and totally identical (identical MD5 value). But there are TWO SETS of tuning codes to tune 1A/1Z separately, stored WITHIN THE SAME FIRMWARE. The firmware file simply identifies whether your device is 1A or 1Z then it applies the proprietary tunings.

Secondly, firmware file contains two parts: the first part with the basic system functionalities, for example, the random / repeat buttons shown in now playing, introduced in 2.0; the usb dac / bt receiver modes introduced in 3.0, etc; The second part is the tuning codes, which are scattered in various sections of the firmware. We don't know how exactly the codes work, as they remain an encrypted black box. But we can switch the "box" between 1A and 1Z to alter each other sound. Thirdly and most importantly, the firmware of DMP-Z1 & ZX300 are of similar structure with slight differences of the functionality part, for example, Z1 doesn't even has a skip button in the UI while 1Z does of course. HOWEVER, the tuning codes of Z1 can be applied to 1A / 1Z perfectly fine.

Incorporating Z1's tuning, both 1A / 1Z enjoy a much larger soundstage, more airy treble and harder deeper bass. The mids / vocal can be somewhat hollow and pushed back, but we can tackle with that using the tuning codes of 1Z (which has fuller mids). With the new assets at hand, theoretically speaking, tuning codes can be switched and combined to approximate the sound profiles of many other DAPs. Yet the process is hideous since it's a shot in the dark for us to blindly test the wild combinations with our own ears. Thx to our Chinese pioneer, Deck24, who relentlessly keep experimenting the tunings with months of trials and errors, finally there are some results to be shared to the public.

Now u get the basics of firmware modding. Here are some of the iconic firmwares I picked from hundreds of mods to share with you:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LTZTkoQu2V-pr6XfULjq_Qa0ukttg_R8

Disclaimer:
1. I'm just introducing you some interesting findings. Im not the author of these mods.
2. Firmwares, just like IEM pairing, are all about synergy. It depends heavily on your devices and your subjective taste. I merely introduce you with some novel dishes not served by official flavors. Whether u like it or not is completely each to their own.

I host 9 firmwares within the folder, 4 are the popular offical ones downloaded from Sony's websites. About the 5 mods: DMP-Z1 1.01 is the official Z1 FW ported to 1A/1Z, with minimal tuning edits. 1.02 is also official FW ported. Many think 01 is warmer and smoother, while 02 is clearer and sharper. YMMV.

Ultimate is the wild attempt trying to combine best of the three worlds: the goodness of 1A, 1Z and Z1. This is a controversial mod since some may find it piercing due to the extreme details retrieval, others may find it bright, yet some will think it's too dark. It's all about synergy with your gears and the music you listen to.

WM2Z is a relatively modest mod without taking too many assets from DMP-Z1, so may sound more like a stock WM1Z but with different subtle tunings. Latoo Paw Gold Touch, as the name suggests, is trying to mimic the sound of LPGT. It does extremely well on some people's system.

Upgrade methods: first make sure your device is on official 3.02. The mods are all based on the official 3.02, keeping all its vested functionalities. If u upgrade from other versions the process will fail.

Run the exe file in \Package folder and you are good to go. The upgrading speed is much faster than official upgrade since only the tuning parts are being modified. The process is perfectly safe for your device, and you can always run the other mod to substitute, or revert back to the official FWs anytime by running their exe.

If anyone fails to run any exe files please let me know. They are supposed to work on either 1A and 1Z.

PART II:
Another Chinese fella accidentally found out that Japanese model of 1Z (not sure about 1A, but should also apply) sounds smoother than the Chinese model (region CN). With some research, he found that the Japanese model and other regions' model are applicable to different tuning codes, thus resulting the difference of sound. To achieve the Japanese tuning, simply run the Rockbox tool to change your region code to J. There are explicit tutorials in this thread about how to do it. After changing to J, please run any firmwares again for your device to apply to the J FW. Restarting your device, u will find a new certificate item showing up at the bottom of setting's page, proving your FW is now in Japanese. At the same time, u lose the ability to change language to others, but keeping your current language (such as English). Because Japanese FW initially doesn't support multi-language selection.

My assessments of the sounds are based on the following gears: MS Ultimate K-Mod WM1Z (1960s 16wire balanced, all battery wire and grounding wire from board to chassis switched to 1960s 2wire, two more AVX F95 capacitors, various additional shieldings to S-Master and battery), balanced output through Labkable Gold Titan 10wire, feeding a Custom Just Ear MH1 specifically tunned by Bandai San for me; another complement IEM is the Custom EE Legend X SE (i believe is not sold in US/EU market?) to unleash my bass-thirsty inner monster. I only listen to classical and metal music, so i strictly focus on instruments not vocal. I currently run the DMP-Z1 1.01 FW as I feel it has a very expansive soundstage, more treble sparkles and firmer but deeper bass. The bass quantity decreases to some extent so may not fit every genres out there.

Great post but one correction, DAC capability came with 3.00 update not 2.00 as you posted.

Edit:
Here is the section when 2.00 came out, no mention of DAC ability.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-nw-wm1z-wm1a.815841/page-1092

 

[kenjamin0523]

Thank you very much, you make my day. I will test it later, when I come back home.

Hi all,
Last year some Chinese enthusiastic worked out the way to modify firmwares and change their sound. ATM I won't dive into disclosing the technical specifics since it may be illegal and ultra troublesome to write, but the results are something profound. I will first elaborate on some basic principles.

Firmwares do affect sound (nonsense... we all know that). The firmwares of 1A/1Z provided to download all over the world are universal and totally identical (identical MD5 value). But there are TWO SETS of tuning codes to tune 1A/1Z separately, stored WITHIN THE SAME FIRMWARE. The firmware file simply identifies whether your device is 1A or 1Z then it applies the proprietary tunings.

Secondly, firmware file contains two parts: the first part with the basic system functionalities, for example, the random / repeat buttons shown in now playing, introduced in 2.0; the usb dac / bt receiver modes introduced in 3.0, etc; The second part is the tuning codes, which are scattered in various sections of the firmware. We don't know how exactly the codes work, as they remain an encrypted black box. But we can switch the "box" between 1A and 1Z to alter each other sound. Thirdly and most importantly, the firmware of DMP-Z1 & ZX300 are of similar structure with slight differences of the functionality part, for example, Z1 doesn't even has a skip button in the UI while 1Z does of course. HOWEVER, the tuning codes of Z1 can be applied to 1A / 1Z perfectly fine.

Incorporating Z1's tuning, both 1A / 1Z enjoy a much larger soundstage, more airy treble and harder deeper bass. The mids / vocal can be somewhat hollow and pushed back, but we can tackle with that using the tuning codes of 1Z (which has fuller mids). With the new assets at hand, theoretically speaking, tuning codes can be switched and combined to approximate the sound profiles of many other DAPs. Yet the process is hideous since it's a shot in the dark for us to blindly test the wild combinations with our own ears. Thx to our Chinese pioneer, Deck24, who relentlessly keep experimenting the tunings with months of trials and errors, finally there are some results to be shared to the public.

Now u get the basics of firmware modding. Here are some of the iconic firmwares I picked from hundreds of mods to share with you:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LTZTkoQu2V-pr6XfULjq_Qa0ukttg_R8

Disclaimer:
1. I'm just introducing you some interesting findings. Im not the author of these mods.
2. Firmwares, just like IEM pairing, are all about synergy. It depends heavily on your devices and your subjective taste. I merely introduce you with some novel dishes not served by official flavors. Whether u like it or not is completely each to their own.

I host 9 firmwares within the folder, 4 are the popular offical ones downloaded from Sony's websites. About the 5 mods: DMP-Z1 1.01 is the official Z1 FW ported to 1A/1Z, with minimal tuning edits. 1.02 is also official FW ported. Many think 01 is warmer and smoother, while 02 is clearer and sharper. YMMV.

Ultimate is the wild attempt trying to combine best of the three worlds: the goodness of 1A, 1Z and Z1. This is a controversial mod since some may find it piercing due to the extreme details retrieval, others may find it bright, yet some will think it's too dark. It's all about synergy with your gears and the music you listen to.

WM2Z is a relatively modest mod without taking too many assets from DMP-Z1, so may sound more like a stock WM1Z but with different subtle tunings. Latoo Paw Gold Touch, as the name suggests, is trying to mimic the sound of LPGT. It does extremely well on some people's system.

Upgrade methods: first make sure your device is on official 3.02. The mods are all based on the official 3.02, keeping all its vested functionalities. If u upgrade from other versions the process will fail.

Run the exe file in \Package folder and you are good to go. The upgrading speed is much faster than official upgrade since only the tuning parts are being modified. The process is perfectly safe for your device, and you can always run the other mod to substitute, or revert back to the official FWs anytime by running their exe.

If anyone fails to run any exe files please let me know. They are supposed to work on either 1A and 1Z.

PART II:
Another Chinese fella accidentally found out that Japanese model of 1Z (not sure about 1A, but should also apply) sounds smoother than the Chinese model (region CN). With some research, he found that the Japanese model and other regions' model are applicable to different tuning codes, thus resulting the difference of sound. To achieve the Japanese tuning, simply run the Rockbox tool to change your region code to J. There are explicit tutorials in this thread about how to do it. After changing to J, please run any firmwares again for your device to apply to the J FW. Restarting your device, u will find a new certificate item showing up at the bottom of setting's page, proving your FW is now in Japanese. At the same time, u lose the ability to change language to others, but keeping your current language (such as English). Because Japanese FW initially doesn't support multi-language selection.

My assessments of the sounds are based on the following gears: MS Ultimate K-Mod WM1Z (1960s 16wire balanced, all battery wire and grounding wire from board to chassis switched to 1960s 2wire, two more AVX F95 capacitors, various additional shieldings to S-Master and battery), balanced output through Labkable Gold Titan 10wire, feeding a Custom Just Ear MH1 specifically tunned by Bandai San for me; another complement IEM is the Custom EE Legend X SE (i believe is not sold in US/EU market?) to unleash my bass-thirsty inner monster. I only listen to classical and metal music, so i strictly focus on instruments not vocal. I currently run the DMP-Z1 1.01 FW as I feel it has a very expansive soundstage, more treble sparkles and firmer but deeper bass. The bass quantity decreases to some extent so may not fit every genres out there.

 

[Morbideath]

Great post but one correction, DAC capability came with 3.00 update not 2.00 as you posted.

Edit:
Here is the section when 2.00 came out, no mention of DAC ability.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-nw-wm1z-wm1a.815841/page-1092

I think i did write It's introduced in 3.0. The shuffle and repeat button were from 2.0

 

[Redcarmoose]

I think i did write It's introduced in 3.0. The shuffle and repeat button were from 2.0

Your exactly right. I miss read it. Wow great job. It will be quite the storm here now with this one!

One question? Are you saying the software recognizes if it’s in a 1A or 1Z and changes the tuning accordingly? I thought the same characteristics where across both players?

 

[Whitigir]

Your exactly right. I miss read it. Wow great job. It will be quite the storm here now with this one!

One question? Are you saying the software recognizes if it’s in a 1A or 1Z and changes the tuning accordingly? I thought the same characteristics where across both players?

Exactly my question ? What makes the player to self identifying itself ?