[gerelmx1986]

Wonder if the android OS can be customized.. f.e. if sony can customize it and include just thier music App, play store to allow users download their players of choice and remove the rest of the apps like Google Music, google video, Hangouts, gmail, maps etc

 

[ccklone]

  What dacs and usb cables are you using? Specially with the Sony WMC-NWH10 cable.
 
Yes it is annoying that these accessories cannot be bought freely. I asked friend of mine to buy it for me from Singapore, while he is on business trip. 

Hey Now,
 
I use the WMC-NWH10 cable with a USB A male to B male cable into a HA NG USB/SPDIF converter, COAX out to a Monarchy Audio M22C DAC balanced into a Crown XLS-1500 driving a pair of Tekton M-Lores. Sounds absolutely terrific. I primarily use the ZX2 as a transport for my Tidal offline downloads. I live out in the country and have satellite internet and am limited in my download/streaming allowance, so at work I use the company wifi to download the music I want to listen to at home. I am looking to upgrade the HA NG USB/SPDIF converter and am thinking about trying out the F-1 XMOS USB/SPDIF converter, hoping it works with an Android device. 
 
--
Finest kind,
Chris

 

[warrior1975]

Wonder if the android OS can be customized.. f.e. if sony can customize it and include just thier music App, play store to allow users download their players of choice and remove the rest of the apps like Google Music, google video, Hangouts, gmail, maps etc

You can do most of that now. Gmail you need for the play store though.

 

[AudioDog]

Wishful thinking.

your a DAC tease!

 

[warrior1975]

LOL. Sorry to get your hopes up brother.

 

[malcolm.mcintyre]

With my ZX-2 I use the following DACs; Chord Hugo, Sony PHA-2, Teddy Pardo DAC, and Cambridge DacMagic.
All work with the Sony NWH10 cradle or Sony WMC-NWH10 adaptor. Connection using the cable adaptor is very slightly trickier, in that device switch on has to be in the correct order.
Only connection problem I've had is with the special Walkman to PHA cable supplied with the PHA-2. I'm guessing this is because the PHA-2 pre-dated the release of the ZX-2.


p.s. The Sony dock also charges the PHA-2 when it isn't in listening mode. Which I think is pretty cool.

 

[Vlad0]

  With my ZX-2 I use the following DACs; Chord Hugo, Sony PHA-2, Teddy Pardo DAC, and Cambridge DacMagic.
All work with the Sony NWH10 cradle or Sony WMC-NWH10 adaptor. Connection using the cable adaptor is very slightly trickier, in that device switch on has to be in the correct order.
Only connection problem I've had is with the special Walkman to PHA cable supplied with the PHA-2. I'm guessing this is because the PHA-2 pre-dated the release of the ZX-2.


p.s. The Sony dock also charges the PHA-2 when it isn't in listening mode. Which I think is pretty cool.

What do you mean with exact order? Could you share how exactly do you connect them?
 
I tried every possible order with my Cambridge Audio Dacmagic 100 with no success at all. 

 

[malcolm.mcintyre]

To be honest, I'd stop worrying about it. The DAC in the ZX-2 is so good that any improvements using even the Hugo are absolutely minimal. The Dacmagic is not as good as the ZX-2 DAC
. Just plug the analogue out from the ZX-2 into your preamp and enjoy the music.

 

[malcolm.mcintyre]

So are you saying the ZX-2 has a TRRS balanced output jack socket???
Can't believe I've been using mine without knowing this. I thought the balanced option was only via the PHA-3

 

[Caruryn]

To be honest, I'd stop worrying about it. The DAC in the ZX-2 is so good that any improvements using even the Hugo are absolutely minimal. The Dacmagic is not as good as the ZX-2 DAC
. Just plug the analogue out from the ZX-2 into your preamp and enjoy the music.

I really doubt ZX2 surpasses Hugo especially if you are listening to stock sound without TRRS and sound adjustment disabled as you seem to be doing.Mojo surpasses ZX2 in almost everything except soundstage and imaging (really close)when in stock.When ZX2 used with the above it's a different story.

 

[malcolm.mcintyre]

I really doubt ZX2 surpasses Hugo especially

which would be why I never suggested that it did.

and I don't believe I mentioned failing to disable sound adjustment either.


However, I do admit to being unaware that the ZX-2 offered a balanced output, and have yet to find any authorised statement to that effect.

 

[Caruryn]

which would be why I never suggested that it did.

and I don't believe I mentioned failing to disable sound adjustment either.


However, I do admit to being unaware that the ZX-2 offered a balanced output, and have yet to find any authorised statement to that effect.

Stand corrected,you didn't imply that,i was going for doubt the differences would be minimal vs hugo,frankly the ZX2 in stock form is unimpressive,we've touched on this subject many times on the thread,especially about reviews from big american/uk sites giving it a 9 and 10 in sound where reviews from smaller sites said they had trouble discerning between an a15(pun intended).
 
As for the balanced output and lack of information i agree,the Sony marketing department is less than impressive almost like they believe everyone knows about this or should know.Maybe some in Japan know but outside the rest of the world couldn't care less about sony walkman and sony brand unless it's playstation or tvs.Imo this is the wrong attitude to have,especially when many loyal to sony brand pay $1200 for a device and you don't make part of your campaign the TRRS function which improves sound and thus many don't take full advantage of the device and end up selling it.
 
Lack of information about volume cap in Europe and falsely advertising it as a 15mw device as well as stupid proprietary port have lowered my opinion about sony and how they go about things.With the ever increasing dap competition i hope that somewhat arrogant attitude(you're not apple guys) won't be the undoing of walkman brand.

 

[kingdixon]

Well,
 
i was impressed after the 200 hours burn in with stock app, without disabling sound adjustments or trrs,
 
may be because it outperformed my other daps (dx50, fiio x5, shozy alien), while these daps are much cheaper, i have seen others compare it to more expensive ak daps like 240 and still give it the upper hand, but anyway its a matter of preference.
 
and i didn't try out the a15 but if its so close to zx2, i guess we have a killer dap at such a low price.
 
honestly disabling the sound adjustments or trying third party apps didn't do it for me, but trrs did.
 
Also, i never touch this significant refinement when pairing an iem with totl dap against totl dap + totl dac/amp, i find improvements very minimal.
 
so pairing an iem with either zx2 or zx2 + hugo, i would definitely go with only zx2.
 
but with an inefficient headphone thats a totally different situation, and iam not talking only about the volume, but big improvement there.
 
thats just my experience ..

 

[Caruryn]

  Well,
 
i was impressed after the 200 hours burn in with stock app, without disabling sound adjustments or trrs,
 
may be because it outperformed my other daps (dx50, fiio x5, shozy alien), while these daps are much cheaper, i have seen others compare it to more expensive ak daps like 240 and still give it the upper hand, but anyway its a matter of preference.
 
and i didn't try out the a15 but if its so close to zx2, i guess we have a killer dap at such a low price.
 
honestly disabling the sound adjustments or trying third party apps didn't do it for me, but trrs did.
 
Also, i never touch this significant refinement when pairing an iem with totl dap against totl dap + totl dac/amp, i find improvements very minimal.
 
so pairing an iem with either zx2 or zx2 + hugo, i would definitely go with only zx2.
 
but with an inefficient headphone thats a totally different situation, and iam not talking only about the volume, but big improvement there.
 
thats just my experience ..

Combining all three together(burn in,trrs,sound adjustment)make the ZX2 sound like a $1200 as you well know as an old thread member,as far as hugo i know that it hisses with iems so not ideal but shouldn't it  be a big improvement in terms of transparency,soundstage,dynamics even with iems since it's being compared with thousands of  $ desktops especially dac side?
 
Many reviews and you tube channels have only stellar things to say about quality of sound despite price and lets not talk about the hugo/mojo threads here and the hype that's been going on whether warranted or not.

 

[kingdixon]

  Combining all three together(burn in,trrs,sound adjustment)make the ZX2 sound like a $1200 as you well know as an old thread member,as far as hugo i know that it hisses with iems so not ideal but shouldn't it  be a big improvement in terms of transparency,soundstage,dynamics even with iems since it's being compared with thousands of  $ desktops especially dac side?
 
Many reviews and you tube channels have only stellar things to say about quality of sound despite price and lets not talk about the hugo/mojo threads here and the hype that's been going on whether warranted or not.

 
iam not debating at all the quality of chord products or any other totl dac/amp, but what iam trying to focus on instead, the ability of a speaker either iem or headphone to reflect these qualities,
 
i find headphones and specially hard to drive ones are the best to escalate with a high quality source, while for all the iems that i tried or owned improvements are minimal, i mean there are improvements but should i stack a rig for it, i won't .. but i know alot of people would
 
ya hype is .. crazieee