[Chinslide]

Great post

 

[purk]

I think another important thing to consider in your review should be the size. The ZX507 is very easy around while the M11pro is much larger to deal with. How about a driving power on more difficult to drive headphones? Great impression by the way and I agree that the bass on the ZX507 is pretty awesome.

 

[krumplib430]

I think another important thing to consider in your review should be the size. The ZX507 is very easy around while the M11pro is much larger to deal with. How about a driving power on more difficult to drive headphones? Great impression by the way and I agree that the bass on the ZX507 is pretty awesome.

Yep, agree on the size.
Regarding full size cans. I have Z7, Z7M2 and HD800S in my collection. Generally I listen at a lower volume than most people, so take the following with pinch of salt.
For Z7 and Z7M2 I`m normally at 80-85 low gain. For the sennheiser I have to cranck it up to 90-100, still low gain. I don`t listen to classical, but since those are generally mastered at lower volume, I can imagine high gain would be necessary or even not enough.
All of these cans sound fantastic out of zx507, except the Z7M2, which I generally dislike and sounds strange from any source in my opinion.
Also I use EQ for HD800S, it needs a little bass boost, just a few DB
The battery drain will also be bigger with full size cans.
M11pro also drives those cans very well, but no built in EQ for the senn.

 

[purk]

I have the Z7 MKI, MKII, and the HD800s as well and do enjoy the MKII and HD800s out of the ZX507. I get the battery life is less on the ZX507 but the size makes it a perfect portable device on the go. It’s a trade off that I am willing to make. I think the WM1Z revamped will sound even more awesome with those new capacitors!

 

[krumplib430]

I have the Z7 MKI, MKII, and the HD800s as well and do enjoy the MKII and HD800s out of the ZX507. I get the battery life is less on the ZX507 but the size makes it a perfect portable device on the go. It’s a trade off that I am willing to make. I think the WM1Z revamped will sound even more awesome with those new capacitors!

If there will be a revamped wm1z with streaming and bigger battery, I will totally buy it.

 

[Whitigir]

The compromises eh?

 

[equalspeace]

Sound wise, my impressions were very similar. The ZX507 is just so full of win.

I have the ZX507 and M11 pro for 2 weeks now. Here are my impressions/comparison.

I mainly use tidal, sometimes youtube music for music discovery as I find the recommendation engine is better. I have FH7, IER-M9 and XBA-A3.
I have DSEE HX on and DC phase on type A standard as I feel this is the most pleasing for my tastes.

Battery:
Sony: First of all, I did all the recommended settings (battery saver mode, disabled apps, etc...). If you are mostly using streaming services, the battery life will disappoint you. I can barely get 5-6 ours out of tidal streaming with wifi enabled. However if I use tidal in offline mode and disable wifi, I can get an additional 2-3 hours (but no music discovery this way). Probably dsee hx and dc phase consumes a lot of battery as well, but I`m not willing to disable those.
M11PRO: I can get about 9-10 hours with tidal streaming and wifi enabled. M11 PRO is the clear winner here.

Hiss:
I`m using FH7 with balanced while a silent track is playing.
sony: My normal listening volume is around 45-50 low gain. at these volumes I cannot pick up any hiss. when I crank up the volume to 75-80 I start to hear a faint hiss in the background. But even 65 would be too loud and damaging to my hearing, so at normal levels I get zero hiss. Very good job Sony.
M11PRO: the fiio is different here. Strangely, the amount of hiss is not dependent on the volume level, but I can pick up a very small amount of hiss all the time regardless of volume (while silent track playing). However the amount of hiss is so low, that I won`t be able to detect while music playing. Very good job here as well, much better than the original M11
I still think sony wins here as I hear zero hiss at normal levels.

bass:
I think this is the strongest point of the sony. Simply put the bass on the sony is just awesome. In terms of quantity I would say sony and fiio are equal, but in terms of quality sony wins hands down. In comparison the bass on M11pro sounds a bit boxy and boomy, while the sony is just super detailed, you can feel every nuance of the bass and it feels much more dynamic than the fiio. I`m not saying the M11pro bass is bad, far from it, but switching back and forth betwen the 2 there is no question here. (maybe that new capacitor they are using is not just marketing BS after all...)


mids/highs:
The tonality of the 2 is different. M11 pro is a bit brighter, sony is a bit warmer sounding. the top end of fiio feels "crispier" and more open. However the sony gives a bit better positional ques for the instruments and I feel the notes are a bit better defined and has better attack as well. To my tastes the sony wins here, but both of them exceptional sounding. It comes down to preference.


general sound perception:
sony: Overall, the sony sounds a bit cleaner with blacker background to me. Also, the bass is sooo good on it. I really think this device can be a bass heads wet dream. The old XBA-A3 is super fun with bass heavy tracks.
M11: super detailed, a bit brighter and more analytical sounding, but at the same time it can be really fun to listen. For some reason I like IER-M9 a bit better on the fiio, not sure why...

Both of them exceptional sounding devices, I just like the sony sound more. The only downside is the really crappy battery life while streaming 5-6 hours is not good...

 

[psikey]

I have the ZX507 and M11 pro for 2 weeks now. Here are my impressions/comparison.

I mainly use tidal, sometimes youtube music for music discovery as I find the recommendation engine is better. I have FH7, IER-M9 and XBA-A3.
I have DSEE HX on and DC phase on type A standard as I feel this is the most pleasing for my tastes.

Battery:
Sony: First of all, I did all the recommended settings (battery saver mode, disabled apps, etc...). If you are mostly using streaming services, the battery life will disappoint you. I can barely get 5-6 ours out of tidal streaming with wifi enabled. However if I use tidal in offline mode and disable wifi, I can get an additional 2-3 hours (but no music discovery this way). Probably dsee hx and dc phase consumes a lot of battery as well, but I`m not willing to disable those.
M11PRO: I can get about 9-10 hours with tidal streaming and wifi enabled. M11 PRO is the clear winner here.

Hiss:
I`m using FH7 with balanced while a silent track is playing.
sony: My normal listening volume is around 45-50 low gain. at these volumes I cannot pick up any hiss. when I crank up the volume to 75-80 I start to hear a faint hiss in the background. But even 65 would be too loud and damaging to my hearing, so at normal levels I get zero hiss. Very good job Sony.
M11PRO: the fiio is different here. Strangely, the amount of hiss is not dependent on the volume level, but I can pick up a very small amount of hiss all the time regardless of volume (while silent track playing). However the amount of hiss is so low, that I won`t be able to detect while music playing. Very good job here as well, much better than the original M11
I still think sony wins here as I hear zero hiss at normal levels.

bass:
I think this is the strongest point of the sony. Simply put the bass on the sony is just awesome. In terms of quantity I would say sony and fiio are equal, but in terms of quality sony wins hands down. In comparison the bass on M11pro sounds a bit boxy and boomy, while the sony is just super detailed, you can feel every nuance of the bass and it feels much more dynamic than the fiio. I`m not saying the M11pro bass is bad, far from it, but switching back and forth betwen the 2 there is no question here. (maybe that new capacitor they are using is not just marketing BS after all...)


mids/highs:
The tonality of the 2 is different. M11 pro is a bit brighter, sony is a bit warmer sounding. the top end of fiio feels "crispier" and more open. However the sony gives a bit better positional ques for the instruments and I feel the notes are a bit better defined and has better attack as well. To my tastes the sony wins here, but both of them exceptional sounding. It comes down to preference.


general sound perception:
sony: Overall, the sony sounds a bit cleaner with blacker background to me. Also, the bass is sooo good on it. I really think this device can be a bass heads wet dream. The old XBA-A3 is super fun with bass heavy tracks.
M11: super detailed, a bit brighter and more analytical sounding, but at the same time it can be really fun to listen. For some reason I like IER-M9 a bit better on the fiio, not sure why...

Both of them exceptional sounding devices, I just like the sony sound more. The only downside is the really crappy battery life while streaming 5-6 hours is not good...

I tend to discover music on PC or my smartphone and Sony just for playback of my own files or offline Tidal so can live with battery and quick to charge anyway.

 

[gobb]

I have the ZX507 and M11 pro for 2 weeks now. Here are my impressions/comparison.

I mainly use tidal, sometimes youtube music for music discovery as I find the recommendation engine is better. I have FH7, IER-M9 and XBA-A3.
I have DSEE HX on and DC phase on type A standard as I feel this is the most pleasing for my tastes.

Battery:
Sony: First of all, I did all the recommended settings (battery saver mode, disabled apps, etc...). If you are mostly using streaming services, the battery life will disappoint you. I can barely get 5-6 ours out of tidal streaming with wifi enabled. However if I use tidal in offline mode and disable wifi, I can get an additional 2-3 hours (but no music discovery this way). Probably dsee hx and dc phase consumes a lot of battery as well, but I`m not willing to disable those.
M11PRO: I can get about 9-10 hours with tidal streaming and wifi enabled. M11 PRO is the clear winner here.

Hiss:
I`m using FH7 with balanced while a silent track is playing.
sony: My normal listening volume is around 45-50 low gain. at these volumes I cannot pick up any hiss. when I crank up the volume to 75-80 I start to hear a faint hiss in the background. But even 65 would be too loud and damaging to my hearing, so at normal levels I get zero hiss. Very good job Sony.
M11PRO: the fiio is different here. Strangely, the amount of hiss is not dependent on the volume level, but I can pick up a very small amount of hiss all the time regardless of volume (while silent track playing). However the amount of hiss is so low, that I won`t be able to detect while music playing. Very good job here as well, much better than the original M11
I still think sony wins here as I hear zero hiss at normal levels.

bass:
I think this is the strongest point of the sony. Simply put the bass on the sony is just awesome. In terms of quantity I would say sony and fiio are equal, but in terms of quality sony wins hands down. In comparison the bass on M11pro sounds a bit boxy and boomy, while the sony is just super detailed, you can feel every nuance of the bass and it feels much more dynamic than the fiio. I`m not saying the M11pro bass is bad, far from it, but switching back and forth betwen the 2 there is no question here. (maybe that new capacitor they are using is not just marketing BS after all...)


mids/highs:
The tonality of the 2 is different. M11 pro is a bit brighter, sony is a bit warmer sounding. the top end of fiio feels "crispier" and more open. However the sony gives a bit better positional ques for the instruments and I feel the notes are a bit better defined and has better attack as well. To my tastes the sony wins here, but both of them exceptional sounding. It comes down to preference.


general sound perception:
sony: Overall, the sony sounds a bit cleaner with blacker background to me. Also, the bass is sooo good on it. I really think this device can be a bass heads wet dream. The old XBA-A3 is super fun with bass heavy tracks.
M11: super detailed, a bit brighter and more analytical sounding, but at the same time it can be really fun to listen. For some reason I like IER-M9 a bit better on the fiio, not sure why...

Both of them exceptional sounding devices, I just like the sony sound more. The only downside is the really crappy battery life while streaming 5-6 hours is not good...

Great review, well done.
I sold both M11 and FH7 for their brightness. But my point is.. I haven't seen such an unfinished product as M11 with this locked Android version not been able to access Play Store. Its like a PS4 not being able to access the store, but play local discs only, but Xbox can do it... I couldnt justify this, then I heard most of these Chinese brands had this issue. Sold it. Sony wont do this. They care about the product being complete.

 

[TheEldestBoy]

ZX507:
Does this have universal EQ?
In other words, can I EQ the music that is played via streaming apps (via streaming and/or offline downloads) like TIDAL, Apple Music, etc?
Or is EQ only available when playing local files via the Sony Music app?

 

[likearake]

Hi Guys

If using streaming apps, does the ZX507 resample redbook content from 44.1khz to 48khz? Don't really care about hi-rez but resampling regular content is a bit rubbish (my Onkyo DAP used to do this)

Thanks!

 

[Alien HP]

I have the ZX507 and M11 pro for 2 weeks now. Here are my impressions/comparison.

I mainly use tidal, sometimes youtube music for music discovery as I find the recommendation engine is better. I have FH7, IER-M9 and XBA-A3.
I have DSEE HX on and DC phase on type A standard as I feel this is the most pleasing for my tastes.

Battery:
Sony: First of all, I did all the recommended settings (battery saver mode, disabled apps, etc...). If you are mostly using streaming services, the battery life will disappoint you. I can barely get 5-6 ours out of tidal streaming with wifi enabled. However if I use tidal in offline mode and disable wifi, I can get an additional 2-3 hours (but no music discovery this way). Probably dsee hx and dc phase consumes a lot of battery as well, but I`m not willing to disable those.
M11PRO: I can get about 9-10 hours with tidal streaming and wifi enabled. M11 PRO is the clear winner here.

Hiss:
I`m using FH7 with balanced while a silent track is playing.
sony: My normal listening volume is around 45-50 low gain. at these volumes I cannot pick up any hiss. when I crank up the volume to 75-80 I start to hear a faint hiss in the background. But even 65 would be too loud and damaging to my hearing, so at normal levels I get zero hiss. Very good job Sony.
M11PRO: the fiio is different here. Strangely, the amount of hiss is not dependent on the volume level, but I can pick up a very small amount of hiss all the time regardless of volume (while silent track playing). However the amount of hiss is so low, that I won`t be able to detect while music playing. Very good job here as well, much better than the original M11
I still think sony wins here as I hear zero hiss at normal levels.

bass:
I think this is the strongest point of the sony. Simply put the bass on the sony is just awesome. In terms of quantity I would say sony and fiio are equal, but in terms of quality sony wins hands down. In comparison the bass on M11pro sounds a bit boxy and boomy, while the sony is just super detailed, you can feel every nuance of the bass and it feels much more dynamic than the fiio. I`m not saying the M11pro bass is bad, far from it, but switching back and forth betwen the 2 there is no question here. (maybe that new capacitor they are using is not just marketing BS after all...)


mids/highs:
The tonality of the 2 is different. M11 pro is a bit brighter, sony is a bit warmer sounding. the top end of fiio feels "crispier" and more open. However the sony gives a bit better positional ques for the instruments and I feel the notes are a bit better defined and has better attack as well. To my tastes the sony wins here, but both of them exceptional sounding. It comes down to preference.


general sound perception:
sony: Overall, the sony sounds a bit cleaner with blacker background to me. Also, the bass is sooo good on it. I really think this device can be a bass heads wet dream. The old XBA-A3 is super fun with bass heavy tracks.
M11: super detailed, a bit brighter and more analytical sounding, but at the same time it can be really fun to listen. For some reason I like IER-M9 a bit better on the fiio, not sure why...

Both of them exceptional sounding devices, I just like the sony sound more. The only downside is the really crappy battery life while streaming 5-6 hours is not good...

I used to own M11 Pro and now I own ZX507. I also have FH7 with a balanced cable. I agree with what krumplib430 said about the sound signature. ZX507 sounds warmer and its lower frequencies are more pleasent to my ear.

Both players have pros and cons. And if you are deciding which one to get, it probably makes sense to focus on what is more important to you. I personally decided to keep the ZX507.

M11 Pro definetely wins in terms of the battery life. But as others mentioned, the bulky size and weight are the price to pay. The bigger or smaller size can be good or bad depending on what is more important to you. With the bigger size, in addition to the longer battery life, you also get a bigger touch screen which makes it easier to use the OS and apps and it even allows you to watch movies. But you lose portability which is a big factor for me. I also found it more difficult to use the M11 Pro in one hand. Although I can understand the size compromize, I don't appreciate the design and sharp corners and edges of M11 Pro. ZX507 is simply more comfortable to hold and easier to use when traveling or commuting.

Originally, I thought the volume wheel was a cool idea. I thought I could change the volume quickly with nice clicky feedback. But now I feel like it takes more effort to adjust the volume using the wheel on the M11 Pro than the buttons on the Sony. Also the volume wheel location on the left side is questionable as I am right handed. This is all subjective of course. One may prefer the volume wheel.

The location of the usb and audio ports is different on both players. I find it strange to have a USB port on a side. Bit I don't really have a strong opinion about this. The quality of the ports seem a bit better on M11 Pro subjectively.

I find it strange nobody complains about the crackling/popping/static noise when hitting the play button on both players. The nature of this noise is different on both players and I can hear it with any headphones. I think it has to do with some sort of hardware sound processing which is somehow picked up and ends up in the signal. On M11 Pro, it sounded like the crackling noise similar to a vinyl record effect, and I could hear it when starting or skipping tracks. Fiio support explained it has to do with the sudden change in signal. I thought ZX507 would not have this problem. Unfortunetely it does, only it's different. Not sure exactly how to describe it. It's as if a signal cable is connected to another signal cable producing some sort of electrostatic toggle noise. I can hear it right before playing any DSD or 44kHz flac or mp3 files. Oddly, it does not occur when playing 96/192kHz tracks or when skipping tracks of any format. Maybe it's something that can be fixed on the firmware level ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Not sure if I am just nitpicking.

Not a deal breaker, but it's worth mentioning that M11 Pro may get much warmer than ZX507.

I also appreciate Android 9 on ZX507 unlike Android 7 on M11 Pro.

Regarding downsampling, I tried other player apps and I am not sure how to confirm this. For example, I installed Omnia and it sounds fantastic. I can't tell if Omnia is downsampling. To me it sounds the same as the native app. So maybe it depends on a particular app, or maybe my ears can't recognize lower quality sound, I am not sure. And it doesn't have the cracking toggle noise the native player app has. Not to mention the better UI/UX. Also, all the Sony sound filters and equalizer are picked up by Omnia (and probably other installed player apps too) without pausing the playback which is super nice.

What I like about M11 Pro
- Good sound quality
- More output power than ZX507
- Longer battery life than ZX507
- More affordable than ZX507
- USB DAC mode unlike ZX507
- Bigger screen size than ZX507
- Native player app supports more audio formats than ZX507
- Fiio link
- Awesome customer support
- Fast UI
- Native player app UI/UX

What I don't like about M11 Pro
- Useless app equalizer
- Buggy native player app
- Volume wheel location
- Weird location of the power button
- Bulky
- Sharp edges
- Finger print magnet
- Android 7
- Gets warm
- Slight crackling noise right before playing audio tracks
- No accelerometer
- No vibration feedback effect when typing
- Fragile

What I like about ZX507
- Good sound quality and pleasent warm sound signature
- Software equaliser and other sound filters
- Lighter, smaller, and much more portable than M11 Pro
- Rounded edges unlike M11 Pro and more comfortable to hold than M11 Pro
- Android 9
- Bluetooth 5
- Fast UI

What I don't like about ZX507
- Smaller screen size
- Shorter battery life than M11 Pro
- Not impressive output power
- Native player app UI/UX could be better
- Native player app supports fewer audio formats than M11 Pro
- Electrostatic kind of noise anomaly right before playing DSD or 44kHz tracks
- Downsampling if not using the native player app (based on what I read - not sure how to confirm this)
- No USB DAC mode
- Questionable location of the USB port
- More expensive than M11 Pro
- Fragile SD card slot
- Unnecessary useless hold button (does not block the screen/power button)
- No vibration feedback effect when typing
- Not very distinguishable physical buttons
- Lowest brightness level is too bright
- Hard to type text on a small size screen

Overall, I prefer ZX507 over M11 Pro mainly because of its sound signature and more portable size.

I understand some of the points may seem like nitpicking and are not necessarily worth mentioning especially things like the vibration effect. Nevertheless, I thought I would write my thoughts about how I feel about these two players.

 

[Infoseeker]

Not nitpicking at all! You just helped me with a lot of supplementary data for my own decision!

Trying to upgrade from my Sony Zx2 android dap to something much more smoother android experience.

I was going to stick to a Hiby R6 Pro, but noticed the Sony Zx507 has Android 9 for future proofing.

The Hiby R6 Pro has a similar sound to my Sony Zx2. Not overly cold with the treble and good bass. This to compared to other ESS sabre daps, I haven't tried an AK44__ chipped dap.

But a lot of other ESS daps are way colder than the Hiby R6 Pro and the whatever proprietary stuff in the Sony.

Also the R6 Pro has a system wide eq, but it is that MSEB system that will work with any app (tidal/etc) . Not a traditional banded EQ or typical Parameteric-EQ.

 

[krumplib430]

ZX507:
Does this have universal EQ?
In other words, can I EQ the music that is played via streaming apps (via streaming and/or offline downloads) like TIDAL, Apple Music, etc?
Or is EQ only available when playing local files via the Sony Music app?

Yes. It has system wide eq, which works perfectly fine. I use it with tidal, but only for the sennheiser. Other gear don’t need eq.

 

[innocentblood]

Hi Guys

If using streaming apps, does the ZX507 resample redbook content from 44.1khz to 48khz? Don't really care about hi-rez but resampling regular content is a bit rubbish (my Onkyo DAP used to do this)

Thanks!

yes the ZX507 unfortunately does this. i used to own the Onkyo as well and sold it due to this same problem. but i intend to keep the Sony with hopes that it will get better. plus i really like the sound quality of the sony better than the Onkyo.