IMHO the NW-ZX2 beats the AK120 and AK120II. Am home and literally dug out of the snow, massive paperwork, hundreds of e-mails, etc and now doing comparos with the AK240 (which was left at home by accident on the charger [AGAIN] needing a charge, as it was by accident hidden under my Red Bull magazine so didn't see it when last minute packing bits out to Singapore).
GREAT review and pretty much agree 100%. Are you looking for a job reviewing for EnjoyTheMusic.com(seriously)? If so, tag me via e-mail / PM.
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Amazingly, have to disagree here (ducks for cover from Head-Fi'ers throwing TRRS cables at me). Wife uses MP3 for her dance/Zumba/pop music and on the way home from airport we compared the exact same MP3 file in her car stereo. Car is fed via thumbdrive, NW-ZX2 fed head unit via some cheapish 1/8" to 1/8" cable that came with my Audioengine speakers. No contest, the NW-ZX2 was jaw dropping better. Especially in the bass frequency depth and resolution (she wanted a subwoofer in her car and now, instead, the NW-ZX2 will do nicely). Car is a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee with STOCK original speakers. So mid-field car, stock stereo speakers, basic $120 aftermarket radio i installed and tuned for her. With the Sony, stereo separation was MUCH better, mids and higher better, etc etc etc. So I save $ and the hassles of installing an amp and sub(s) and she gets an Sony PMP, which she can use while working out, dancing, in the car, home, etc.
Since Apple people never believe me, please e-mail Steve from
Home of Gibson Research Corporation. Ask him about Apple and gov and others who have free reign accessing your data. Not saying Android is better, and if you're truly retentive you want a 'tweaked' Blackberry (mainstream products,... yet there are others depending on your retentiveness and security/encryption needs).
Verified, 15mW per channel via other Sony websites. Sony will not tell me the output impedance so we'll never know. They want to keep it a secret it seems as did ask the designer (live) AND their head of Sony Singapore (via e-mail).
Am at 50% volume output with the Noble K-10 custom and that is good volume level. Sometime need more or less depending on song/track/mood. Of course the Audeze LCD-3 Steampunk edition need not apply without using an external amp. JH Audio 13's are almost the same volume as Noble and JH Audio Roxanne custom need a bit more volume level as did the Angie and Layla universals, yet still fine unless you want something insanely loud or the track was recorded on the quiet side of norms.
Yup. Initially reviewed a store sample that had MANY hours. Was sooo bummed that I could not buy one on Feb 11th. So, the moment it was possible bought a unit in Singapore. It was that great and could not live without it per se. Sounds good out of the box, if a bit lacking ultimate rez/smoothness (as compared to 200+ hours of use). Like you said, at 20 to around 50 hours I was bumming. It sounded a bit thickish and I was beginning to sh&t bricks cuz $1200 aint chump change as was worried I just bought a 'break in' wonder that sounds impressive out of the box and then goes South. As a reviewer, this is why guys who just 'churn and burn' gear every week worry me. Some gear can sound great new and then go South (of course the opposite happens more often then not). Still, at around 20 hours I began to worry.... a lot! After about 100 hours I was A BIT more relived. Now with hundreds of hours on the NW-ZX2 it is 5:33am and jamming out to Steely Dan
Dirty Work within the office while the wife sleeps in the bedroom.
Am also bouncing back and forth between the AK240 and NW-ZX2 and taking listening notes. Sorry, no spoilers until my article goes live.. but it WILL be very interesting.
BTW, have also noticed DLNA lowers sound quality IMHO and microSD cards are... interesting... as compared to using internal storage with the Sony. The difference in SQ with microSD cards is moreso with the Sony than with the AK240 (read into that as you choose until the review). i shall say this,
the Sony NW-ZX2 and Noble K-10 custom are a match made in heaven. I'd say it'd take at least $20k in highly synergistic home audio to come close, perhaps $40k depending on how much you listen to deep/fast bass music (dubstep, Tiesto, Prodigy, Skrillex, etc) as extremely high quality very deep bass can get very $$$$ and finding tweeters/amp combo that is this smooth, extended and clean.....
JMHO, your mileage may vary.