[BensonTT]

Recently I spent some time with my friends ZX2. The device was burned in definitely. Here are my quick thoughts, keep in mind that I didn't listen to it for weeks or something it was a full day of experience.

User experience, darn good. I like the UI and firmware. It does what it is supposed to and has even several bonuses, which are not really important to me but it made me smile to see Sony put so much effort in it. Build quality was out of this world, definitely awesome. I found the device perfect in many ways for a dap, like capacity and battery life, supported file types etc etc. However I am feeling a bit mixed about its physical size. It is a little bit thicker than I would like however I would live with it easily since the both capacity and battery life outperforms many of its rivals. Another thing is, it is very heavy. It really makes you not forget that there is a brick in your jeans pocket and no I don't wear ultra skinny hipster jeans :happy_face1: All and all, I found it to be a marvelous device mainly cuz I like the UI and I need big battery life and big capacity which Sony ZX2 provides at very high levels.

Sound wise, first thing is first. Headphone out power level is quite low. Now if you are an in ear kinda type like me, you wouldn't really miss a lot. Yes some c/iems demand very high power or they sound a lot better if used with a high power output but many of the c/iems should be fine. For the sound quality, I have mixed feeling. Generally I like the device and I would pay for the full price for it but it has its ups and down like many devices in the market. Bass is outstanding, I love pretty much everything about its bass. Midrange is however a let down. Resolution levels are not at the level of high end unfortunately but if you pair it with a c/iem that has a front midrange with crystal clear resolution, the combination saves the day. For this price range, I found it a little bit sad that ZX2 is kinda picky when it comes to pairings. For example if your c/iem has a laid back presentation with not so clear midrange, it might sound congested, muddy and dull. Treble is just slightly north of neutral, showing hints of hotness and sparkle without being bright and ear hurting type. I generally loved it while I found the speed of the treble region is a little bit slow. Could be speedier and it would be awesome with metal, rock n roll tracks. Though again, if you pair it with already treble hot c/iem, this might become a very aggressive pairing to ears. If you are a treble head, sure it might be nice for you but I am very sensitive when it comes to treble and it wasn't my cup of tea.

All and all, I definitely found it a successful device with a few quirks. The thing is, I think it justifies its price tag and it is more than enough for me. I use only ciems thus not so powerful amp section is not a big problem for me. My main ciem mostly pairs with it awesomely minus the treble region which can become too hot for me depending on the song and recording. Apart from that it is wonderful. Big battery life, big capacity, great UI with lots of extra features, kinda pocketable, generally a high resolution of sound through the whole spectrum (especially in low end region). I think it is a winner.

UI is choppy, leggy scrolls, sometime it would freeze, when you press to play a song, takes at least 2 second for the song to play.. Had my ZX2 for a month then sold it on eBay

 

[richie1878]

I know this is probably (definitely) going over old ground so my sincere apologies.
 
My set up right now is Grado RS1E plus the ZX2.  I'm considering buying the PHA-3.  I realise by adding the PHA-3 to the mix, both the DAC and amp elements in the zx2 will become redundant, the PHA-3 takes over.  Will this add a new dimension to the sound overall?  Are the RS1E notoriously difficult headphones to drive?  Will the PHA-3 give it the extra juice they need to take them to another level?
 
Don't get me wrong, currently it sounds great.  Am I just getting used to excellence?  Should I save my money and stick with what I've got (what I've got is very decent indeed).  Or should I take the plunge and invest in the new amp / dac?
 
Cheers

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

RS1E are as easy to drive as headphones get.

 

[tassardar]

Ok let me reply

  I know this is probably (definitely) going over old ground so my sincere apologies.
 
My set up right now is Grado RS1E plus the ZX2.  I'm considering buying the PHA-3.  I realise by adding the PHA-3 to the mix, both the DAC and amp elements in the zx2 will become redundant, the PHA-3 takes over.  Will this add a new dimension to the sound overall?  Are the RS1E notoriously difficult headphones to drive?  Will the PHA-3 give it the extra juice they need to take them to another level?
 
Don't get me wrong, currently it sounds great.  Am I just getting used to excellence?  Should I save my money and stick with what I've got (what I've got is very decent indeed).  Or should I take the plunge and invest in the new amp / dac?
 
Cheers

I can answer this for you. I have the RS1 and I will say grado are easy going really. They sound good on everything but the worst digital players. 

That said, the amp will improve certain things (assuming you get a decent one) For me, my CDM gives better base response, a more forward mid (so it actually sounds better in clarity) and a warm smooth sound. That said, I enjoy the grado both ways, should you invest or not is something you need to audition. Amps on general add their own coloring beyond just power. The ZX2 output is quite decent so a grado wont trouble it much. It all boils down to your preference. Also the sound rendering on the ZX2 vs the PHA3 dac is different. If you prefer ZX2 sound (like me over my CDM dac) a line out maybe better then a digtal over.

 

[richie1878]

Thanks very much for this.  I'll try and get my hands on a demo pha-3 and see how it sounds.  

 

[Buddhahacker]

UI is choppy, leggy scrolls, sometime it would freeze, when you press to play a song, takes at least 2 second for the song to play.. Had my ZX2 for a month then sold it on eBay

Interesting. I haven't experienced any laggy scrolls let alone leggy ones.  

 

[BensonTT]

^^ Lol you know what I mean.. Sorry "laggy"

 

[kms108]

 

 

UI is choppy, leggy scrolls, sometime it would freeze, when you press to play a song, takes at least 2 second for the song to play.. Had my ZX2 for a month then sold it on eBay

I get the same thing, including fail to register a touch during scrolling, that is probably just the lag, so I think it's perfectly normal.

 

[Duncan]

Just to be clear we are talking about the stock player,no user interference whatsoerer,from what i remember Whitigir you found a setting that increases the loudness output and you graciously described the sound quality with different settings on/off?

Correct, and, yes, the JPN does scale differently (more loudness per step) compared to the EU version...

Confirmed by a Chord employee also...

 

[Whitigir]

Correct, and, yes, the JPN does scale differently (more loudness per step) compared to the EU version...

Confirmed by a Chord employee also...

YES!!!!!! Thank you for confirming this. Hehehe, I am so glad mine is a Japan version, and it is pumping my MDR-Z7 so nice !!! It even gives out more gain about 2X when my Z7 gets to 85%, and that is around 8 more knots before maximum volume. It gets very loud at 100%. I can only enjoy around max 80%, but normally 60%

 

[Duncan]

Yup, even with IEMs... the JPN version was almost too loud for me with the Layla (and I love it loud - it would be supreme overkill for most mortals), the same cannot be said for the EU version, which (and I hate putting numbers on things) was only about 85% as powerful at full volume (still too loud for at least 50% of people)...

There were potentially other differences too, but we would've needed to abcdex blind test to get that consistently enough to be able to put it in writing...

[edited to make sense of pic two posts down]

 

[Caruryn]

Τhanks for confirming this but why the hell would Sony cap the volume on a 15mw output device,costing $1100.It's infuriating ...

 

[Duncan]

I forgot, I took a picture, the lit up ZX2 is the JPN version, and the volume you see on screen is equivalent to the EU one at full volume...

 

[proedros]

I forgot, I took a picture, the lit up ZX2 is the JPN version, and the volume you see on screen is equivalent to the EU one at full volume...

 
looks like EU max sound is 80-85% of the JPN version , i can live with that i guess (since i am a iems-only person)

 

[Caruryn]

Just by looking at the picture it's 11-12 more steps for the japan version.There has to be a setting we can disable or an app to install,this is more likely a software issue capping the volume,i doubt sony would tamper with the device hardware to conform with EU rules.