[ailean]

DSD Thriller is best version I've heard. I use it to test new kit against. Hugo2 still plays best to my ears but mojo and ZX300 also great

http://www.hdtracks.de/thriller

Buying my SE846's was my first "Wow" moment in portable Audio followed by another "Wow" moment listening to Thriller DSD via Chord Mojo.

AVForums has just started a new Article that's an interesting read but no DSD listed

https://www.avforums.com/article/the-best-hi-res-albums-to-try-on-your-system.14595

I only tried DSD out of curiosity, I'm still perfectly happy with HD FLAC (and now MQA) music. DSD is just too big really for mobile with no significant benefit over HD FLAC/MQA.

I know the Dragonfly Red only natively does 24/96 (or higher for MQA Tidal) but to be honest I can't say I notice improvements above this of any real significance. I'm tending these days to be 95% Tidal FLAC/MQA for my listening.

My main problem with DSD is that I already own most of the albums I'd buy on SACD (like Thriller) and don't really want to have to buy again just to get around the copy protection (I also don't download unlicensed media ). I did do a 24bit/48KHz sampling of Thriller off my SACD player analogue out as a test using an external ADC box and those tracks are in FLAC on my zx300. Not really the best method but sound a lot better then my dodgy vinyl recording attempts (lack of turntable and hassle of cleaning up meant I just bought the better ones on CD in the end ).

I may try out some of the ones mentioned in that article though as I've had a hard time finding albums I'd actually want to buy in Hires.

 

[slinkyjynx]

My main problem with DSD is that I already own most of the albums I'd buy on SACD (like Thriller) and don't really want to have to buy again just to get around the copy protection (I also don't download unlicensed media ). I did do a 24bit/48KHz sampling of Thriller off my SACD player analogue out as a test using an external ADC box and those tracks are in FLAC on my zx300. Not really the best method but sound a lot better then my dodgy vinyl recording attempts (lack of turntable and hassle of cleaning up meant I just bought the better ones on CD in the end ).

I may try out some of the ones mentioned in that article though as I've had a hard time finding albums I'd actually want to buy in Hires.

That's my issue with DSD, there just isn't a lot of music in DSD that I appreciate - but a lot more in MQA/FLAC

 

[Hinomotocho]

In my quest to get the best out of my audio gear I find myself listening to music outside of my tastes. A search for highly rated SACD/DSD albums has me listening to Michael Jackson's Thriller and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac - I would otherwise not be listening to these but I now often consider these to be the best albums to really show the beauty of my ZX300's balanced output.
More to my usual tastes, the Pixies albums also sound really good.
Don't forget the direct source setting.

 

[abitdeef]

So I finally got my balanced cable for the Shures and plugged it into the ZX300 - did a bit of burn in with it first to give it a chance, of course.

Balanced isn't a night and day difference like upgrading your headphones is, but I do find it makes a few changes -

More bass - for some reason, songs are a bit weightier in the low end now, which is quite nice to be honest - and you can always EQ it out if you prefer less.

Sound stage altered - notice that I didn't say 'better'. The soundstage is now brought more forward, with more depth to the front. It makes you feel like you're in the recording studio with bands now rather than being at an intimate concert, if that makes sense?

Clarity is unaltered, but it was excellent to begin with.

One thing that's really interesting though... On the ZX300 over single ended, 320kbps MP3s sounded easily as good as FLAC files, whether they be 16 or 24bit (however MQA mastered files sung on a different level which MP3 couldn't match). Well, over balanced - FLAC definitely sounds a bit better than MP3, but I really don't know why.

It's all good though, it just means over SE the ZX300 makes ALL your music sound incredible, but through balanced it unlocks an extra level that your FLAC files can reach.

If you want to try balanced cables on a semi-realistic budget, I ordered mine from Surf Cables in the US and it took a week door to door to reach me. Built very well also.

You have it on high gain right? The balanced gets better just like the SE does, the stage gets bigger and things settle in a bit.

 

[abitdeef]

In my quest to get the best out of my audio gear I find myself listening to music outside of my tastes. A search for highly rated SACD/DSD albums has me listening to Michael Jackson's Thriller and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac - I would otherwise not be listening to these but I now often consider these to be the best albums to really show the beauty of my ZX300's balanced output.
More to my usual tastes, the Pixies albums also sound really good.
Don't forget the direct source setting.

Steely Dan Aja too. The high rez Pink Floyd albums are a treat too.

 

[Wiz33]

Price recently cut in half for the Sony OE screen protector for our DAP - the Sony PRF-NWZX300. Someone earlier in this thread claimed this particular screen protector doesn't degrade the super cool matte screen that we've all grown to love on the ZX300. Can anyone else confirm this to be the case? Thanks.

I got them from Amazon Japan for $18 including shipping to California, arrived within a week. Very nice matte finish. Price have also dropped on the factory case, can probably get one shipped to the US for $65

 

[JerryHead]

I got them from Amazon Japan for $18 including shipping to California, arrived within a week. Very nice matte finish. Price have also dropped on the factory case, can probably get one shipped to the US for $65

Nice! Wish I had gone that route. I ordered from an eBay seller in Japan for $24USD and I'm looking at a month shipping time now to reach me in New England (USA).

 

[raybies]

(or higher for MQA Tidal)

In my quest to get the best out of my audio gear I find myself listening to music outside of my tastes. A search for highly rated SACD/DSD albums has me listening to Michael Jackson's Thriller and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac - I would otherwise not be listening to these but I now often consider these to be the best albums to really show the beauty of my ZX300's balanced output.
More to my usual tastes, the Pixies albums also sound really good.

I got Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker - Vedernikov https://www.sa-cd.net/showreviews/4307 for $5 which sounds great and the Mrs loves. Ripped it with a cmd line program.
I found Thriller to be a little flat; but it seems my taste for Electro-Trap has me expecting big bass and big dynamic range.

 

[Magnepan Man]

In anticipation for my zx300’s arrival tomorrow, I’ve been cleaning up my iTunes, making sure tags are in proper order. This brought me to think of this question.

Once I drag and drop a song into the zx300, and for some reason, I alter something about the tag that song, how does the zx-300 update it? There obviously isn’t a sync function like an iPod where it’s one quick press of a button and everything gets recatogirized to match my computer after a long day of iTunes housekeeping- so how do I update track info? Do I have to pluck each album or song out and then redrag them back into the zx300?

 

[Dtuck90]

In anticipation for my zx300’s arrival tomorrow, I’ve been cleaning up my iTunes, making sure tags are in proper order. This brought me to think of this question.

Once I drag and drop a song into the zx300, and for some reason, I alter something about the tag that song, how does the zx-300 update it? There obviously isn’t a sync function like an iPod where it’s one quick press of a button and everything gets recatogirized to match my computer after a long day of iTunes housekeeping- so how do I update track info? Do I have to pluck each album or song out and then redrag them back into the zx300?

You could download a tag editor and access the ZX300 like an external hard drive and edit the file on the player

 

[captblaze]

In anticipation for my zx300’s arrival tomorrow, I’ve been cleaning up my iTunes, making sure tags are in proper order. This brought me to think of this question.

Once I drag and drop a song into the zx300, and for some reason, I alter something about the tag that song, how does the zx-300 update it? There obviously isn’t a sync function like an iPod where it’s one quick press of a button and everything gets recatogirized to match my computer after a long day of iTunes housekeeping- so how do I update track info? Do I have to pluck each album or song out and then redrag them back into the zx300?

Another thing you want to keep in mind is the size of your album art. I had some that did not show (although the same files did on other players). the solution was to reduce the size to 300x300 pixels and then the album art appeared while the track was playing

 

[superuser1]

Another thing you want to keep in mind is the size of your album art. I had some that did not show (although the same files did on other players). the solution was to reduce the size to 300x300 pixels and then the album art appeared while the track was playing

Has this been specified by Sony anywhere? the 300x300 pixel album art recommended size

 

[Bepli]

Another thing you want to keep in mind is the size of your album art. I had some that did not show (although the same files did on other players). the solution was to reduce the size to 300x300 pixels and then the album art appeared while the track was playing

Has this been specified by Sony anywhere? the 300x300 pixel album art recommended size

The Problem is not the size. I have albums with 5k x 5k album art that will show. The problem is that the player can not handle progressive album art. Open the cover with a programm like photoshop, gimp or pain.net and save it as baseline. Tag the files again and it will work

 

[captblaze]

Has this been specified by Sony anywhere? the 300x300 pixel album art recommended size

my own findings... I had art that showed and some that didn't, the ones that did were 300x300, and the ones that didn't were 700x700. granted this is on a WM1A, but I would think the ZX300 would be similar

 

[superuser1]

The Problem is not the size. I have albums with 5k x 5k album art that will show. The problem is that the player can not handle progressive album art. Open the cover with a programm like photoshop, gimp or pain.net and save it as baseline. Tag the files again and it will work

I shall do as you advised,

my own findings... I had art that showed and some that didn't, the ones that did were 300x300, and the ones that didn't were 700x700. granted this is on a WM1A, but I would think the ZX300 would be similar

Great. I'll also use something like TagScanner to resize the album art after i have dealt with the progressive/ baseline issue.