[lesale08]

320$ for a used/mint ZX2 is definitely a STEAL

wow

Indeed although it only came with the unit leather pouch and data cable but it's fine with me for the price I got it

 

[kertong]

Another "late bloomer" who just joined the ZX2 party!

I got mine used from B&H - but $320, WOW. That is a steal. Paid $900 for mine But it's in excellent condition!

One bad thing about buying used though is that you have no idea how many hours are on the unit, so you can't be sure at first of whether it's been burned in, or is in the process of it, etc. Strangely, B&H or the previous owner didn't wipe the unit, so i got the gmail address of the previous owner and creepily emailed them to ask how many hours were on the unit. No reply yet though.

My suspicion is that they were only about ~20 hours in, because the unit sounded pretty disappointing when I first got it. I left it playing overnight and all day with a few 30 min. breaks in between, so i'd say it's already had an extra 20-30 hours on since.

The unit at first sounded muddy and congested, and the treble was a strange combination of harsh, rolled off, and shouty. Kind of disappointing. As of now the treble seems to have smoothed out and the bass seems firmer, and less bloomy.

Not sure if this is in my head (brain-burnin) or the unit is actually burning in. I was never a believer of burn-in on solid state devices but this might make me a believer. Wondering if the previous owner sold it because it sounded so terrible haha.

For the record, I'm using it with my ortofon EQ-8s, Grado SR225, and Senn IE8s. been eyeballing the campfire audio andromeda. Coming from an Onkyo DP-X1 which seems so much faster and smoother due to the better processor and newer android, the sound is markedly different. DP-X1 was thin, airy, neutral, analytical, and in your face / forward. ZX2 so far seems the exact opposite - warm, dark, laid back, and quite punchy. seems to hold it all together cohesively even under load. The ZX2 is just a pleasure to hold and handle (outside the slightly pokey android system) - rounded edges, tactile buttons with nubs on it for blind locating, and that super reassuring weight. Reminds me of a heavy solid quality stereo component. The DP-X1 feels light and plasticky in comparison - and its large with sharp edges/corners, which is actually quite unpleasant after handling it a while. Would always leave a sharp indentation in the meat of my palm after some handling.

Enjoying the ZX2 quite a bit so far. I read *every* page of this thread while I hemmed and hawed on whether to get this unit! Pretty happy I finally pulled the trigger - the only worry is that spotify is going to drop 4.2 jellybean support one of these days then lock out the outdated app versions. Time to start hoarding dsd/flac tracks.. but it is nice to just listen casually to new recommended artists on spotify extreme!

 

[Blueoris]

Another "late bloomer" who just joined the ZX2 party!

I got mine used from B&H - but $320, WOW. That is a steal. Paid $900 for mine But it's in excellent condition!

One bad thing about buying used though is that you have no idea how many hours are on the unit, so you can't be sure at first of whether it's been burned in, or is in the process of it, etc. Strangely, B&H or the previous owner didn't wipe the unit, so i got the gmail address of the previous owner and creepily emailed them to ask how many hours were on the unit. No reply yet though.

My suspicion is that they were only about ~20 hours in, because the unit sounded pretty disappointing when I first got it. I left it playing overnight and all day with a few 30 min. breaks in between, so i'd say it's already had an extra 20-30 hours on since.

The unit at first sounded muddy and congested, and the treble was a strange combination of harsh, rolled off, and shouty. Kind of disappointing. As of now the treble seems to have smoothed out and the bass seems firmer, and less bloomy.

Not sure if this is in my head (brain-burnin) or the unit is actually burning in. I was never a believer of burn-in on solid state devices but this might make me a believer. Wondering if the previous owner sold it because it sounded so terrible haha.

For the record, I'm using it with my ortofon EQ-8s, Grado SR225, and Senn IE8s. been eyeballing the campfire audio andromeda. Coming from an Onkyo DP-X1 which seems so much faster and smoother due to the better processor and newer android, the sound is markedly different. DP-X1 was thin, airy, neutral, analytical, and in your face / forward. ZX2 so far seems the exact opposite - warm, dark, laid back, and quite punchy. seems to hold it all together cohesively even under load. The ZX2 is just a pleasure to hold and handle (outside the slightly pokey android system) - rounded edges, tactile buttons with nubs on it for blind locating, and that super reassuring weight. Reminds me of a heavy solid quality stereo component. The DP-X1 feels light and plasticky in comparison - and its large with sharp edges/corners, which is actually quite unpleasant after handling it a while. Would always leave a sharp indentation in the meat of my palm after some handling.

Enjoying the ZX2 quite a bit so far. I read *every* page of this thread while I hemmed and hawed on whether to get this unit! Pretty happy I finally pulled the trigger - the only worry is that spotify is going to drop 4.2 jellybean support one of these days then lock out the outdated app versions. Time to start hoarding dsd/flac tracks.. but it is nice to just listen casually to new recommended artists on spotify extreme!

That's the best description of the zx2 sound I have read: warm, dark, laid back, and quite punchy I love that sound signature soo much that I pair the zx2 with a LCD2 pre-fazor and decrease the last two EQ bands just a bit and increase the ClearBass between 6 and 8, depending on the song. Dark and warm yet detailed and expressive sound, sooo musical.

I also listen to Spotify a lot, to discover new artist too. I am downloading the respective .APK's app versions for every version I get from the Play Store, so if an update breaks something, I can uninstall it, side-load the last working app version and use it for as long as possible.

Also, I downloaded Power Amp Alpha 704 .APK, as it will be the last version to be supported on 4.2 jellybean. Next versions (the beta and release) will introduce some interface changes, but the DSP functions will remain the same as they are stable now. I will install it at some point in the future as I am curious about it.

Enjoy your zx2.

 

[lesale08]

My unit is more than a year old and from my experience so far I am only getting 11-12 hours of usage based on the battery statistics. That is listening with flac and mp3 files and a bit of messaging in facebook. Might be that my unit now has a weak battery but that's fine with me I can live having to charge the device daily.

 

[329161]

Can anyone confirm if the Fiio RC-78B balanced cable will work in balanced mode using a suitable trrs 2.5 to 3.5 mm adapter on the ZX2?

I'll rephrase this. Can anyone confirm if any 2.5 mm balanced cable will work with the zx2 with a 2.5 to 3.5 mm trrs adapter?

 

[talan7]

I'll rephrase this. Can anyone confirm if any 2.5 mm balanced cable will work with the zx2 with a 2.5 to 3.5 mm trrs adapter?

Yup, I do it with all my iems, I only listen in balanced. I use many various 2.5 to 3.5 adapters. They all work.

 

[talan7]

I use this

http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=252326065057&varId=551170469033

I also use the balanced 2.5 to stereo 3.5 version as well. These are inexpensive but sound just as good as adapters that I paid over $70 for. I also like them because there isn't too much sticking out of you dac or dap like with an adapter only version, that can break.

 

[kertong]

Oh - one quick question. Has anybody had any luck updating their US model ZX2 to the latest 1.01 japan firmware?

The download is available here: http://www.sony.jp/walkman/update/ZX2.html

I've followed the translated directions on that page (start the upgrade program, connect zx2 with usb storage auto connect unchecked, turn on usb storage). Tried it on two different OSX computers and a bootcamp'ed windows 8.1 computer, no luck!

Currenty stuck on the 1.00.0001 firmware - some rumors that 1.01 had some tweaks to allow 3rd party apps (neutron, poweramp, spotify and tidal etc) to allow use of the same audio path as the built in sony player, but not sure how much truth there is to that (as toggling dsee HX or clearaudio+ on spotify still changes the sound quite a bit).

 

[kertong]

tonight will be an all-sony night! these two pair really well together to my ears fwiw - what used to be a thin grado-house-sound is now full bodied and syrupy!

 

[Buddhahacker]

I'll rephrase this. Can anyone confirm if any 2.5 mm balanced cable will work with the zx2 with a 2.5 to 3.5 mm trrs adapter?

I purchased the following from Norne Audio and it works great. They also have one, Eidolic short adapter, which will take the balanced 2.5mm and convert it to 3.5mm trs. I can now keep my balanced 2.5mm cable on my IEMs at all times and still contact to 3.5mm devices.

This is what I ordered:
Norne Hypershort Adapter - Convert (Astell & Kern + Onkyo DP-X1) 2.5mm TRRS balanced female - to - (Hifiman + LH-Labs) 4-pole 3.5mm TRRS balanced male

 

[trajan7]

I lost my zx2 recently. Must have dropped it in the train from my backpack. Anyway, what's the top of the line hi-res mp3 player now?

 

[jscmd2000]

Ouch! Did you not like your ZX2? You don't want another one? I was thinking about it... No wifi on the WM1A/Z but one of the best, love my AK380 but costly.

 

[cfc7]

Guys, I'm thinking about purchasing some good IEM for using with the ZX2. The XBA-Z5 are under consideration, but as they are an expensive piece of kit (for my budget), I'd like to know a bit more about the synergy with the ZX2. I'm a bit concerned with the Z5's being 32 ohms. I'd really appreciate any kind of feedback /advice. Thanks!!!

I remember I've read somewhere here on head-fi - I can't remember exactly where - that, surprisingly, somebody didn't like the Z5 paired with the ZX2 at all.
But that's just something I've read about, so I can't confirm.

 

[cfc7]

So I got a pretty good deal on a used but mint zx2 for $320 locally and currently enjoying the pairing with z5. Playing with sound enhancements, the clear audio really elevates the texture of the bass which is a boomy most of the times.

Wow..and I was thinking that maybe I found a good deal at 830$ for one like new, used just a few hours and with 2 years warranty.

 

[cfc7]

Btw, is the ZX2 still worth buying?
And do you consider this a good deal: 830$ like new, few hours used, 2 years warranty?