[YorkshireBloke]

Hi Paul...

1) - EAC or dbpoweramp would be my vote, FLAC would be preferred format
2) - What would be your budget?
3) - Sorry, no idea!

2) budget for headphones say £500

 

[Duncan]

2) budget for headphones say £500

Sound preference? (bright, bassy etc)?

If you can find a good deal on them and they suit your tastes (crisp / extended treble, and deep / tight bass, with mids that are almost unsurpassed at this price point), Sennheiser IE800 would be a killer match I would say... - Their retail is £600 though, so might be a squeeze...

 

[Mmet]

2) budget for headphones say £500

i would suggest you sony mdr-z5 ... its warm signature would match the neutral signature of the s-master amps and with my experience with walkmans before ... Sony matches good with Sony

 

[purk]

  Do you believe, that the ZX2 itself is technically more advanced, than the PHA-3?
 
I know that these are very different products.

You mean better sound right?  I hope so.  The PHA-3 sounds really good and compared very well to mid-grade desktop amplifier.  However, it has output is still slightly weak to drive harder to drive cans such as the HD800 optimally.  For easier to drive phones such as the Sony MDR-Z7, it works really well.

 

[Ilkyway]

Can I ask some total nub-question?
1. Does an Amp only enhance what comes out of the headphones or does it influence the sound signature too?
2. Am I right, that the MDR-Z7 on its own would be no good with the NW-ZX2 because the X2 has not enough output for it?
3. What do you think about the XBA-H3 with the X2?
 
Now I have the X1 with the psb M4U 2. To my untrained ears that sounds quite good, but the headphones are to big and uncomfortable to wear in public. So when I leave the house I am stuck with crappy in ears. So with the X2 I would very much like to pair it with better in-ears.
I'd like the cable to be replaceable due to many cable-problems in my past and for now I'd like to not spent more then 350 Euros
 
I hear 80th rock and pop and like bass but my ears are not the best due to spending that said 80th in the Disco with very little other hobbies
 
Ilkyway

 

[BlinkST]

  Can I ask some total nub-question?
1. Does an Amp only enhance what comes out of the headphones or does it influence the sound signature too?
2. Am I right, that the MDR-Z7 on its own would be no good with the NW-ZX2 because the X2 has not enough output for it?
3. What do you think about the XBA-H3 with the X2?
 
Now I have the X1 with the psb M4U 2. To my untrained ears that sounds quite good, but the headphones are to big and uncomfortable to wear in public. So when I leave the house I am stuck with crappy in ears. So with the X2 I would very much like to pair it with better in-ears.
I'd like the cable to be replaceable due to many cable-problems in my past and for now I'd like to not spent more then 350 Euros
 
I hear 80th rock and pop and like bass but my ears are not the best due to spending that said 80th in the Disco with very little other hobbies
 
Ilkyway

1] Both. 
2] Well they still sound good according to The Verge, for example, but yeah, they wouldn't be living up to their full potential without a good amp. 

 

[nanaholic]

Hi I'm new to this forum so please be gentle! I'm interested in the ZX2, and have the following questions:

1) I have a lot of CD's what would've the best possible file format for transferring these into the zx2 and how would I do this (which PC software is best?)
2) what portable headphones do you think would do this player justice? Just looking for some ideas, could be 'in ear' or 'on ear'
3) do you think that will sony bring an optional silver aluminium surround? (I just prefer the look of the zx1)
Thanks
Paul

 
Just use Sony's own media management software for their Android based walkmans, it rips directly to FLAC format and has a good tagging system using the Gracenote database and supports creating smart playlists formats which the walkman can read.  It's really all you need.

 

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

Well I just cracked, and ordered the Sony XBA-Z5, so I can have a fully up to date Sony portable rig with my future ZX2 

 

 

[RAFA]

  You mean better sound right?  I hope so.  The PHA-3 sounds really good and compared very well to mid-grade desktop amplifier.  However, it has output is still slightly weak to drive harder to drive cans such as the HD800 optimally.  For easier to drive phones such as the Sony MDR-Z7, it works really well.

 
Well SQ is a quit broad term. For example:
 
The ZX2 has two dedicated crystal oscillators. Will the PHA-3 have the same amount technical finesse, if I can call it that.

 

[yakkosmurf]

  Can I ask some total nub-question?
1. Does an Amp only enhance what comes out of the headphones or does it influence the sound signature too?
2. Am I right, that the MDR-Z7 on its own would be no good with the NW-ZX2 because the X2 has not enough output for it?
3. What do you think about the XBA-H3 with the X2?
 
Now I have the X1 with the psb M4U 2. To my untrained ears that sounds quite good, but the headphones are to big and uncomfortable to wear in public. So when I leave the house I am stuck with crappy in ears. So with the X2 I would very much like to pair it with better in-ears.
I'd like the cable to be replaceable due to many cable-problems in my past and for now I'd like to not spent more then 350 Euros
 
I hear 80th rock and pop and like bass but my ears are not the best due to spending that said 80th in the Disco with very little other hobbies
 
Ilkyway

2.  I find the sound quite good from the ZX1 driving the Z7.  I would think based on the available data, the ZX2 would be as capable.

 

[bowtung]

So the ZX2 is going to come out with balanced trrs out? Is it the same jack as the ones configured in hm901 balance?

 

[forper]

  What is so wrong with a hi-rez PCM to begin with?  Most DSD spent part of its life as Hi-rez PCM.  A pure DSD transfer are not widely popular due to associated cost so a direct DSD recordings are even more scarce.  To be quite frank, I'm a big fan of SACD (DSD) but I find DVD-A (Hi-Rez PCM) to be just as great sounding if not better.  This is depending on the player implementation.  
 

  

I've been spending time on Mora through x-appli and this seems to hold true, most of the stuff I'm interested is 24/96 FLAC. Fumiya Fujii in 24/96? Ah, yes pureasu!

 

[Mython]

Fun, fun, fun...
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/751140/questyle-qp1

 

[Mython]

  So the ZX2 is going to come out with balanced trrs out?

 
It appears it probably will, but has not yet been confirmed in their specs (AFAIK), even though T.R.A.N.C.E.'s post & xjaynine's post point quite strongly towards TRRS happening on the ZX2. However, the 4.4mm version of TRRS which is mentioned in ButtUglyJeff's video doesn't look to have been implemented, if this publicity shot is anything to go by, and since the DAP is intended for a global market, and there is no seperate headphone-out socket, it would be logical to expect it to be 3.5mm:
 

 
 
 
 

  Is it the same jack as the ones configured in hm901 balance?

 
 
Logically, I suppose that seems probable, in light of the above discussion...

 

[purk]

   
Well SQ is a quit broad term. For example:
 
The ZX2 has two dedicated crystal oscillators. Will the PHA-3 have the same amount technical finesse, if I can call it that.

The PHA3 should have two dedicated clocks as well.  I still don't see your point on why the PHA3 will not sound better than the ZX-2 based on its "technical finesse" given that the PHA-3 has more power, and a better DAC.  The PHA-3 competes very well with dedicated home amps powering easier to drive phones.  In balanced mode the PHA-3 is able to output nearly 15 times the power of the ZX2.  The PHA3's DAC is also the best money can buy if implemented correctly.  I also have the ZX1 and it is quite a jump going from the ZX1 to PHA3.