[peteh]

Any sq differences between this and the wm1a?

Ah.erm there may be some discussion on this already.

 

[peteh]

The consensus seems to be not much.

 

[superuser1]

@audioaudioaudio I tired the L27 the other way round and it does not work when im trying to send audio from an Android phone to the zx300 in DAC mode.

 

[Hanafuda]

Any sq differences between this and the wm1a?

Use search this thread only for 'wm1a' ... it has come up from time to time.

 

[Tw Chia]

The zx300 is good for what it’s designed for.. an affordable portable Dap solution. The 1A is a step up , as is the 1Z from the 1A... as much as I like my 1A, the zx300 is with me all day, out and about

 

[Maru-san]

Ah, I thought you exchanged the zx300 for the 1A. Well you can always try to ignore it and don't listen to anything else. Me I'm too neurotic it would drive me bonkers. Even if I get a tiny ding or scratch I have to get a new player. I dinged my green ak70 almost imperceptible to notice- but I knew it was there. And then bought a black one, which I ended up dropping in the toilet

I know this sounds goofy, but have you tried upgrading the firmware if it's not the latest?

Hah regarding scratches. I have this as well every now and then with certain hardware I purchase. What helps me is to scratch it myself a little bit in a location you do not immediately see. If you then get another scratch it's just that "another" scratch. The first one hurts to me, if you do it yourself, less so.

 

[audioaudioaudio]

@audioaudioaudio I tired the L27 the other way round and it does not work when im trying to send audio from an Android phone to the zx300 in DAC mode.

Cheers for taking a look - saved me some money and effort trying that, thanks

 

[audioaudioaudio]

the n3apb is cheaper if you don't mind not having a SE cable. Got mine from accessory jack

http://www.accessoryjack.com/sony-x...h-4-4-mm-balanced-connection-cable-black.html

The ZX300 (arriving today ) will be the only 4.4mm jack in all my gear, I think I fancy the flexibility of using the N3 with a standard 3.5mm with other stuff, I've been after a new pair of in ears for a while and I always like the Amazon returns. Plus it will give me a good chance to compare the 3.5mm and 4.4mm and see how well things burn in over time - hoping it'll be like an added bonus of a mini solo audio experiment.

 

[hungryewok]

Any sq differences between this and the wm1a?

In short for balanced output opinions vary from 'differences are inaudible' to 'subtle differences' to 'definitely a step up'.
I'm in the first camp, I couldn't tell them apart in the blind test on my music.
But I also can't hear differences between different cables in a blind test, so I'm probably not the best reference

Psychoacoustics is a definite factor in those ones. People who own a WM1A are much more likely to hear the difference than the ones who don't.

 

[Hanafuda]

A couple general questions that've been on my mind.

1) is it possible to use the zx300 as a direct source, i.e. line-out playback to an external amp, skipping the zx300's amp section? Just wondering since I might start saving up for a stationary (tube) amp, finally. If yes, what hardware is used to do so?

2) I know music can be added by simple drag-n-drop to the micro-sd in a simple folder structure under a main folder of 'music.' But does adding music to the player's internal memory require proprietary software, or is it also drag-n-drop while the player is connected to the PC? (i.e. the player appears as a drive)

 

[hungryewok]

is it possible to use the zx300 as a direct source, i.e. line-out playback to an amp, skipping the zx300's amp section? Just wondering since I might start saving up for a stationary amp, finally. If yes, what hardware is used to do so?

Not that I'm aware of. ZX300 has a System-on-Chip that does both dac and amp functions, so 'amping' can't be bypassed.

I know music can be added by simple drag-n-drop to the micro-sd in a simple folder structure under a main folder of 'music.' But does adding music to the player's internal memory require proprietary software, or is it also drag-n-drop while the player is connected to the PC? (i.e. the player appears as a drive)

Yes, intenral storage works the same way as SD card does.

 

[abitdeef]

Hah regarding scratches. I have this as well every now and then with certain hardware I purchase. What helps me is to scratch it myself a little bit in a location you do not immediately see. If you then get another scratch it's just that "another" scratch. The first one hurts to me, if you do it yourself, less so.

I can tell you the aluminum on the ak70 is on the softer side, I dropped it like literally 4 inches and it hit the wood corner of my desk and dented the part that the official case didn't cover. The Sony oem case has everything pretty much protected.

 

[Hanafuda]

Not that I'm aware of. ZX300 has a System-on-Chip that does both dac and amp functions, so 'amping' can't be bypassed.

Well, that's a bummer but not a deal breaker of course. I need to do some research on a good stationary source then. (Not my PC.) Fortunately not in a hurry, the zx300 has enough output. Just thought it would be fun to build one of those DIY tube kits.

Is the WM1A the same??

 

[hungryewok]

Well, that's a bummer but not a deal breaker of course. I need to do some research on a good stationary source then. (Not my PC.) Fortunately not in a hurry, the zx300 has enough output. Just thought it would be fun to build one of those DIY tube kits.

Is the WM1A the same??

yes, all s-master hx devices are, e.g. wm1a/z

If you're looking for a totl dap with good line out - take a look at LPG and A&K Kann. However those two are bulky and I can't call them summer-friendly.
And if you want a semi-stationary source, I couldn't find anything better than Alo Audio Continental Dual Mono. You can use ZX300 as a digital source for it and have one of the best transportable sources money can buy. I'm planning to buy one some time this year.

 

[audioaudioaudio]

... IGNORE - Double Post attempting to add an extra quote ...