[FrankieZappa]

Hey everyone, I know from experience that one must listen to a DAP for personal experience, but I am looking at the ZX300 and can't find one locally to audition. I'd like to hear your thoughts on how it compares to the Pono and to the A45. Is it a huge improvement over the A45? Is it comparable to or better than the Pono?

Thanks in Advance.

I don't know about the Pono, never tried it but I've got a ZX300 and my sister has a A45 and i can tell you the ZX300 is better, more powerful, more soundstage...
It's clearly the winner but the difference in budget are quite consistent... With that being said i think the A45 is without doubts a good player in its price range.

 

[Lurk650]

Hey everyone, I know from experience that one must listen to a DAP for personal experience, but I am looking at the ZX300 and can't find one locally to audition. I'd like to hear your thoughts on how it compares to the Pono and to the A45. Is it a huge improvement over the A45? Is it comparable to or better than the Pono?

Thanks in Advance.

What is your location? Maybe there is a member close by and you can audition theirs.

 

[Audiophile2019]

Sure you're not thinking of the Z7? The M2 is much less dark.

Definitely not Z7.. M2 is better..

 

[Hinomotocho]

I had a secondhand Z7 for about 5 minutes before I sold it, beautiful build but a frustrating sound for my ears. I really wanted to try the M2 but the demo model had a 6.5mm cable plugged into an amp and the store was too busy to ask someone to change the cable.

 

[roadrat]

What is your location? Maybe there is a member close by and you can audition theirs.

Houston.

 

[mf15]

Hey everyone, I know from experience that one must listen to a DAP for personal experience, but I am looking at the ZX300 and can't find one locally to audition. I'd like to hear your thoughts on how it compares to the Pono and to the A45. Is it a huge improvement over the A45? Is it comparable to or better than the Pono?

Thanks in Advance.

I went from a45 to a zx300 and i can say this: if using unbalanced output with the same headphones there's a noticeable difference in SQ, it does justify the upgrade for me, but i do listen to music most of the day and my dap is the ONLY device i use (no home dedicated player or anything, my family hates my music, lol). If you factor in the balanced output (it sounds better), yup, no brainer for me. YMMV tho, specially if you have more devices to listen to music. No experience with the Pono.

 

[roadrat]

I went from a45 to a zx300 and i can say this: if using unbalanced output with the same headphones there's a noticeable difference in SQ, it does justify the upgrade for me, but i do listen to music most of the day and my dap is the ONLY device i use (no home dedicated player or anything, my family hates my music, lol). If you factor in the balanced output (it sounds better), yup, no brainer for me. YMMV tho, specially if you have more devices to listen to music. No experience with the Pono.

Thank you! Very helpful.

Hopefully, somebody will chime in with a Pono comparison and then I should be ready to pull the trigger.

 

[Leetransform25]

I went from a45 to a zx300 and i can say this: if using unbalanced output with the same headphones there's a noticeable difference in SQ, it does justify the upgrade for me, but i do listen to music most of the day and my dap is the ONLY device i use (no home dedicated player or anything, my family hates my music, lol). If you factor in the balanced output (it sounds better), yup, no brainer for me. YMMV tho, specially if you have more devices to listen to music. No experience with the Pono.

I'm literally in the same scenario as you, I also upgraded from the A45 and use the ZX300 as my main form of listening, I don't have any desktop amps or high impedance headphones lol

 

[mf15]

I'm literally in the same scenario as you, I also upgraded from the A45 and use the ZX300 as my main form of listening, I don't have any desktop amps or high impedance headphones lol

It's a good upgrade if it's your main device, IMHO. Do you also have the issue of using just your DAP because people around you hate the music you listen too? lol

 

[Leetransform25]

It's a good upgrade if it's your main device, IMHO. Do you also have the issue of using just your DAP because people around you hate the music you listen too? lol

Well it's mainly because I use a laptop and not a desktop so it was wouldn't be ideal to have a desktop AMP or DAC, and I also like being able to play my music on a single device regardless of where I am. Might pick up a portable DAC/amp, though. I heard the Q5s by FiiO is quite nice

 

[Hinomotocho]

Well it's mainly because I use a laptop and not a desktop so it was wouldn't be ideal to have a desktop AMP or DAC, and I also like being able to play my music on a single device regardless of where I am. Might pick up a portable DAC/amp, though. I heard the Q5s by FiiO is quite nice

Let me know if you get to try the Q5s, I'm wondering how much of a step up it is front the ZX300

 

[mf15]

Well it's mainly because I use a laptop and not a desktop so it was wouldn't be ideal to have a desktop AMP or DAC, and I also like being able to play my music on a single device regardless of where I am. Might pick up a portable DAC/amp, though. I heard the Q5s by FiiO is quite nice

Ah cool, at least you can listen to your music at home on other devices if you wanted to, haha. I do think that i have a portable dac somewhere (an old jds labs one), i bought it and planned on using it but it just ended up gathering dust (can't even remember how it sounds). Guess i'm just used to having an all in one solution.

 

[forper]

Got a good deal on a sight unseen Sony PHA-2 Headphone amp from Sofmap. Cheapest price I'd seen (just north of 10,000yen) and have seen cosmetically trashed ones for 20,000 yen plus. This will be my desktop DAC/DSD decoder and I can put my ZX300 on full time portable duty instead of desktop DAC (wasn't happy with cycling the battery so much on the 300), sounds great, possibly better than the 300:

My 2019 walkman carry, in my opinion that blutooth remote is still a sorry excuse for a remote compared to the old inline stuff, took me ages to figure out how to rig it, went with a short lanyard that I can loop around on itself onto any hook or loop on a jacket or bag:

ZX300 walkman
IER-M7 balanced IEMs

 

[cthomas]

Is anyone else getting the clicking noise playing flac that you usually get playing dsf files? Not sure if I just never noticed it before, because it’s not as bad as when playing dsf, but Im still noticing the clicking/crackle every now and then on any file I play.

 

[Cann3dh33t]

Is anyone else getting the clicking noise playing flac that you usually get playing dsf files? Not sure if I just never noticed it before, because it’s not as bad as when playing dsf, but Im still noticing the clicking/crackle every now and then on any file I play.

What FW version, I haven’t experienced this annoyance.