[Sonywalkmanuser]

I guess these remarkable Sony Engineers who designed your ZX707 must be brainless for implying that SD card can change sound:

(Hiroshi Sato)　It's a small detail, but we chose components with good sound for the SD card slot so that the sound will remain the same whether you play from the internal memory or the SD card.

Sato (Morning)　Power is supplied to the SD card from the Walkman, but the sound changes depending on the stability of the power supply, so we thought we could manage it properly.

https://online.stereosound.co.jp/_ct/17611935

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

Here are my suggestions for ZX707 owners, but you don't have to follow them as this @Sonywalkmanuser is nothing but a brainless idiot who post imaginary delusional BS information.

Debloat your walkman: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-wm1am2-and-wm1zm2-android-walkman-optimization-guide.962975/
Maintain good system hygiene, do not install apps that is not required for music playback purposes.
Invest in high quality microsd card.
Invest in high quality usb charger and high quality power bank
Try to charge up as soon as possible once low battery warning appears.
Do Battery Calibration once in a while: https://www.ifixit.com/Wiki/Battery_Calibration

 

[nioh]

Do yourself a favor and don’t listen to all that and end up doing a factory reset or spending too much money for a placebo effect.

I use my Walkman with all the apps as it came with the device and installed my streaming apps on top of it. Apple Music + WiFi, I get 16-18 hours at least.

For charging any li-po battery, keep it between 40-80 and you’ll be replacing the device before you replace the battery.

Buy yourself a SanDisk extreme pro on sale, super fast and reliable. Sony engineers are talking about the electrical design of the SD Card slot, not the data transfer from SD card. Big difference.

Use the same charger you use for your phone, reduce plastic and save the environment. Just don’t use the DAP while charging as this might add some electrical noise. With the long battery life of the Zx707 you won’t need to anyway.

 

[andrewski]

Do yourself a favor and don’t listen to all that and end up doing a factory reset or spending too much money for a placebo effect.

I use my Walkman with all the apps as it came with the device and installed my streaming apps on top of it. Apple Music + WiFi, I get 16-18 hours at least.

For charging any li-po battery, keep it between 40-80 and you’ll be replacing the device before you replace the battery.

Buy yourself a SanDisk extreme pro on sale, super fast and reliable. Sony engineers are talking about the electrical design of the SD Card slot, not the data transfer from SD card. Big difference.

Use the same charger you use for your phone, reduce plastic and save the environment. Just don’t use the DAP while charging as this might add some electrical noise. With the long battery life of the Zx707 you won’t need to anyway.

If you're allowed to hear differences with firmware (Sony didn't say they changed the sound), then I'm allowed to hear differences with microSD cards.

Now let's shut up, 'cause we're ruining this thread too

 

[SolarCetacean]

Sooo my 256 GB card is full.

Any recommendation for a 512 GB?

Back to the original inquiry, I use a 512 GB Samsung Pro Plus microSD card.

 

[iskender299]

I’m still having random issue with DSD.

Cannot Play, works after rebooting.

 

[nioh]

If you're allowed to hear differences with firmware (Sony didn't say they changed the sound), then I'm allowed to hear differences with microSD cards.

Now let's shut up, 'cause we're ruining this thread too

Sound changing with firmware is sometimes also mentioned in the firmware change log. It happens and so it's more reasonable and logical than saying "Put your micro sd card in the freezer to get better sound".

Yes let's stop this discussion now because all the other Sony DAP threads are filled with nonsense like this. This thread was clean until recently, my bad for making a joke that started these discussions here also lol.

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

Well for other non-Sony threads, please see all these “nonsense” posts for yourself. These headfi members must all be brainless I guess? Please don’t try twisting and turning the narrative of Sony to suit your own, it’s just sickening. Implying other forumers to be brainless and nonsense makes you look so great, like the man in the mirror.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ge-all-welcome.957426/page-2309#post-17135890

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ge-all-welcome.957426/page-3920#post-17562015

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ge-all-welcome.957426/page-2316#post-17137498

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ge-all-welcome.957426/page-3992#post-17594887

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ge-all-welcome.957426/page-3632#post-17492401

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...ge-all-welcome.957426/page-2312#post-17136444

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/iba...2-00-android-11.943221/page-538#post-16515919

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cay...ully-bal-nutube.961041/page-348#post-17452862

And how clean you like your threads to be? discussions about microSD cards influencing sound of Walkman/DAP is not clean? How “dirty” can this topic lead to? I guess I better start spraying disinfectants.

Is there a forum rule that strictly forbids discussion of an attached/connected electronic component that could possibly influence the sound of the digital audio player? I guess not.

 

[Ghisy]

Well for other non-Sony threads, please see all these “nonsense” posts for yourself.

Just let it go man...

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

I’m still having random issue with DSD.

Cannot Play, works after rebooting.

Is your dsd file stored on the microSD or the onboard storage?
If you keep having this same issue with playing back of dsd files with your microSD, then I would suspect either your dsd file is corrupted or your current microsd card is getting faulty.

Also it is a good practice to keep your microSD card not 100% full, try to keep at least 10% free space to allow for the microSD’s error correction system/housekeeping to work well, as a full microSD card will likely have much reduced life expectancy in the long run as the microSD controller does have not have enough free nand cells to do proper wear leveling.

Although this video is for ssd, microSD is also using the same nand technology like ssd, so this applies:

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

Content warning: this post may cause brain cells to die, proceed at your own discretion:

For those looking for a good long lasting microSD card for your Walkman, data below might interest you.

TBW: Terabytes Written

I have gathered some data on Microsd Endurance figures, do note that these are just estimated values from the Manufacturers, actual real world TBW is dependent on operating temperatures and other variables.

Manufacturer Rated TBW for 128GB microsd cards(do take note that the MB/sec varies across vendors, but all based on sequential writes):

Sandisk High Endurance 117 TBW
Sandisk Max Endurance 702 TBW
Samsung Pro Endurance (2018) 512.4 TBW
Samsung Pro Endurance (2022) 819.9 TBW
Lexar High-Endurance 135 TBW
Kingston High-Endurance 117 TBW
ADATA High Endurance 234 TBW
Transcend High Endurance 350V 351 TBW
Kioxia Exceria High Endurance 189 TBW
Swissbit S55U 940 TBW
Micron I400 175 TBW
WD Industrial XI 384 TBW
Integral High Endurance 366 TBW
WD Purple 64 TBW
ADTEC Industrial(MLC) 313.6 TBW

Data sources:
https://www.reddit.com/r/raspberry_...bility_of_microsd_endurance_cards_compared_w/
Swissbit S55U Datasheet: https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/3714376.pdf
Micron I400: https://www.mouser.sg/new/micron-technology/micron-i400-microsd-cards/
WD Industrial XI: https://www.avnet.com/wps/wcm/conne...-US.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=mReoKQ5&CVID=mReoKQ5
integral: https://www.integralmemory.com/product/micro-sd-card-for-dash-cam-security-cam-high-endurance/
Wd purple: https://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Purple-Surveillance-WDD0128G1P0C/dp/B088CD4Z1Z
ADTEC industrial: https://www.adtec.co.jp/file/industry/Datasheet_microSD_MLC.pdf

Last edited: Oct 18, 2023

 

[PHLHarmonic]

It appears like the ZX707 is $599 on sale on Amazon. If you're only using IEMs with it, is the overall performance (namely the UI) of the US variant worth it over, say, the A306, if at all? I'm an iPhone 12 mini/Apple dongle user with Apple Music and it's pretty hard to justify anything else. That said, I do love the look of the ZX707 and it would be nice to salvage some phone battery life, and it's one of the few DAPs I'd expect to be supported for a while. The A306 has a way nicer form factor, but I've read a lot of mixed opinions on it.

I realize I'm partially talking myself out of it in public but it's nice to get input.

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

It appears like the ZX707 is $599 on sale on Amazon. If you're only using IEMs with it, is the overall performance (namely the UI) of the US variant worth it over, say, the A306, if at all? I'm an iPhone 12 mini/Apple dongle user with Apple Music and it's pretty hard to justify anything else. That said, I do love the look of the ZX707 and it would be nice to salvage some phone battery life, and it's one of the few DAPs I'd expect to be supported for a while. The A306 has a way nicer form factor, but I've read a lot of mixed opinions on it.

I realize I'm partially talking myself out of it in public but it's nice to get input.

If I comprehend your words correctly, it sounds like you should be considering getting a power bank to extend your phones battery. Please don’t buy a ZX707 just because you want a device to reduce the battery drain of your iPhone, it’s just very ridiculous reasoning.

The Sony Walkman is after all a dedicated device designed by Sony for high quality sound reproduction which is more appreciated by crazy audiophiles or “sound engineers” and music artists. But that’s just my theory. Do you wish to hear more instrument layering in your music? More fine sound details? More immersive sound staging? Do these even matter? Do you have the audiophile golden ear/“super human hearing abilities”? Only you yourself can answer this question.

 

[PHLHarmonic]

If I comprehend your words correctly, it sounds like you should be considering getting a power bank to extend your phones battery. Please don’t buy a ZX707 just because you want a device to reduce the battery drain of your iPhone, it’s just very ridiculous reasoning.

The Sony Walkman is after all a dedicated device designed by Sony for high quality sound reproduction which is more appreciated by crazy audiophiles or “sound engineers” and music artists. But that’s just my theory. Do you wish to hear more instrument layering in your music? More fine sound details? More immersive sound staging? Do these even matter? Do you have the audiophile golden ear/“super human hearing abilities”? Only you yourself can answer this question.

I have a power bank. That isn't really what I was asking. Sorry for bothering.

 

[iskender299]

It appears like the ZX707 is $599 on sale on Amazon. If you're only using IEMs with it, is the overall performance (namely the UI) of the US variant worth it over, say, the A306, if at all? I'm an iPhone 12 mini/Apple dongle user with Apple Music and it's pretty hard to justify anything else. That said, I do love the look of the ZX707 and it would be nice to salvage some phone battery life, and it's one of the few DAPs I'd expect to be supported for a while. The A306 has a way nicer form factor, but I've read a lot of mixed opinions on it.

I realize I'm partially talking myself out of it in public but it's nice to get input.

With the JPY so down, you can find it at the same price in Japan and it comes with high gain. When it was launched last year in Jan many of us (including me) we got it via FromJapan.co.jp

Now high gain comes useful when you have cans that need it, most IEMs will work without it, for example for IER-M9 I don’t need high gain to power them.

However, I do feel that the extra power gives sound a different resonance. So I keep it on high gain anyway.

Apple Music is okay as long as you download them, otherwise streaming is killing the battery. I prefer to listen them on AM then buy the albums from other sources for local hires storage.

Also, a player is a player. I got my A55 years ago to stay away from phone / distraction.