[purk]

Yeah lets hope for the best... Dont get me wrong, i am all game if it has top SQ

 
I personally think it will have a really good sound.  Heck this the first time in the last few years that Sony released something that is intended for portable audiophile market.  Like FenderP stated, most of their top of the line DAPs (those with digital amplification features) all sound very very good.  I happen to agree with this and the F807 is my favorite DAP currently in term of sound & operation.  Gotta love something that just "work" you know.

 

[zachchen1996]

As long as the sq gets close to my balanced hm901 for ciems, I'll def get this

 

[FenderP]

   
I personally think it will have a really good sound.  Heck this the first time in the last few years that Sony released something that is intended for portable audiophile market.  Like FenderP stated, most of their top of the line DAPs (those with digital amplification features) all sound very very good.  I happen to agree with this and the F807 is my favorite DAP currently in term of sound & operation.  Gotta love something that just "work" you know.

 
To put it in a bit more perspective: how many major companies of SOny's ilk are marketing players to the higher end audio crowd? I don't count things like the AK120 because it's a niche product; iRiver may be known in these parts, but take a survey on the street: how many people know about them? If it's not Apple or Sony, pretty much it falls off the list for most folks. Heck, even Sony these days is a bit player in the market but at least still has the name.
 
You could argue Sony is either
a) stupid for doing this, knowing it will sell in small quantities
or b) brave for catering to a market they have always historically had a good presence in.
 
We'll see. Sony also has a history of trickle down, so even if this player fails for some reason, some of its technology will filter down to future players which is a benefit for everyone. The fact Sony can put this out at under $1000 (the AK120 is over) is pretty amazing. Sure, some hate the fact it does not have expandable storage but as I've said before, no Sony player in recent memory has had it so those who thought they'd get it here are a bit delusional. If that prevents you from buying it, so be it. I don't think Sony will lose sleep over it. Nothing is ever perfect, and 128GB is more than any player out there with fixed internal memory.
 
If you look at the player for what it supposedly will be, it's pretty damn good at least on proverbial paper. Expensive? You bet. All of us won't be able to afford it.
 
So let's reserve any judgement until people get them and give their impressions.

 

[seeteeyou]

.

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

@FenderP
 
Thanks! For the clarification.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

   
I personally think it will have a really good sound.  Heck this the first time in the last few years that Sony released something that is intended for portable audiophile market.  Like FenderP stated, most of their top of the line DAPs (those with digital amplification features) all sound very very good.  I happen to agree with this and the F807 is my favorite DAP currently in term of sound & operation.  Gotta love something that just "work" you know.

 
You are right. I will wait for more impressions on this DAP. I guess I was just being too cautious bcos of the price point.... probably my remark came out wrong....

 

[Mython]

Personally, I believe Sony's motivation to produce this more audiophile-oriented DAP is because they need a vehicle to promote their foray into Hi-rez digital downloads:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/680208/sonys-dsd-capable-pha-2-portable-headphone-amp-dac/105#post_9826125
 
 
1) So keen are Amazon to sell digital content that they have had developed, and have even subsidised, their Kindle Fire devices. Sony are shrewd (and experienced) enough to know that they need hardware and content to go hand-in-hand if they are to maximise their bottom line.
 
2) Apple have had truly spectacular success with their iTunes+iDevice marketing model, which has literally changed the entire music, and portable hardware, marketplaces during the past decade.
 
3) Sony used the PS3 to maximise market penetration of the Blu-ray format. Few people realise that HD-DVD actually had a better chance of success than Blu-ray, in the early stages, by virtue of the fact that disc replication facilities had a much easier (and more economical) upgrade path for their replication machinery to produce HD-DVD than to produce Blu-ray.  There were a few technical differences at the user-experience end of the equation, in terms of playback features, but, fundamentally, the biggest single deciding factor between the 2 formats was at the replication end, and on this basis, Blu-ray should have fallen by the wayside and HD-DVD succeeded. But that was not to be, simply because Sony had the enormous market penetration of their gaming platform, which they shrewdly endowed with a Blu-ray drive when they released the PS3. That single factor sealed the success of Blu-ray and the demise of HD-DVD.
 
 
 

Granted, things aren't so tight, or proprietary, in terms of hardware options available to playback Hi-Rez digital audio files, but still, it is obvious to a major player like Sony that they need to really convince audiophiles of the merits of Hi-Rez digital audio, by standing behind their downloads by offering decent hardware with which to play them. Although an increasing number of people play their audio via computer these days, and popularity of standalone FILE playback hi-fi seperates is increasing, there is nonetheless a substantial percentage of digital downloads customers who, thanks to being conditioned by the extremely successful marketing model of Apple's iTunes + iDevice, equate digital downloads with playback on portable devices.
 
 
 
Add all these factors together, and I do not view the F880 and NWZ-ZX1 as devices in themselves - they are (IMO) intended as standard-bearers for Sony's drive towards Hi-Rez music sales. There is vastly more profit to be made from selling this digital content than there is to be made from selling hardware, since (obviously) there is negligible cost-of-production for digital downloads of their enormous back catalogue.

 

[Mython]

   
Lovely though the NWZ-ZX1 prototype looks, it makes me nervous that it can't be packing much battery capacity in that slim chassis. I love my old Cowon J3 and it's incredibly slim, light and long-lasting... but the trade-off is that is has really poor output current delivery.
 
The NWZ-ZX1 prototype looks like it may be incorporating some relatively large capacitors in that hump on the back of the chassis. I wonder what part of the trade-off continuum Sony will land on, in terms of output power...
 
 
.

 
Prompted by noticing the resurrection of an old J3 thread today, I stopped by the Cowon website and noticed that they specify the old J3 as delivering 29+29mw into a 16 ohm load (http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/COWONJ3/product_page_4.php )
 
The NW-ZX1 is specified by Sony ( http://www.sony.jp/walkman/products/NW-ZX1/spec.html ) as delivering 15+15mw into 16 ohms. Since I already find the J3 woefully underpowered, this makes me rather concerned about how the Sony may handle very low impedance, current-hungry, multi-BA CIEM loads, as I mentioned earlier in the thread: http://www.head-fi.org/t/680853/sony-nwz-zx1-35th-walkman-anniversary-model/210#post_9833690
 
 
NB: Before anyone pulls me up on it, I do appreciate that neither of the above specs takes into account the actual output impedance of the DAP itself, soemthing which can have a significant effect upon how well the DAP will drive low impedance &/or highly reactive loads.
 
 
.

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

 Interesting, interested....will have popcorn.

 

[AUDIOBREEDER]

Sony needs to open their own digital store supporting various formats. Sony can step up to 320kbps mp3 for the .99 cents each file.
 
Also include FLAC, ATRAC, WAV etc. and Sony will be back in the game.

 

[audionewbi]

Sony had their own store but exclusive for japan. They are opening a bigger store which no longer uses atrac but instead uses flac.

 

[FenderP]

To speak to what I was mentioning above about Sony being stupid or brave, saw this today:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/29/4783132/the-amazing-products-of-weird-sony
 
Wonder if the ZX1 will join the list ...

 

[FenderP]

  Personally, I believe Sony's motivation to produce this more audiophile-oriented DAP is because they need a vehicle to promote their foray into Hi-rez digital downloads:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/680208/sonys-dsd-capable-pha-2-portable-headphone-amp-dac/105#post_9826125
 
 
1) So keen are Amazon to sell digital content that they have had developed, and have even subsidised, their Kindle Fire devices. Sony are shrewd (and experienced) enough to know that they need hardware and content to go hand-in-hand if they are to maximise their bottom line.
 
2) Apple have had truly spectacular success with their iTunes+iDevice marketing model, which has literally changed the entire music, and portable hardware, marketplaces during the past decade.
 
3) Sony used the PS3 to maximise market penetration of the Blu-ray format. Few people realise that HD-DVD actually had a better chance of success than Blu-ray, in the early stages, by virtue of the fact that disc replication facilities had a much easier (and more economical) upgrade path for their replication machinery to produce HD-DVD than to produce Blu-ray.  There were a few technical differences at the user-experience end of the equation, in terms of playback features, but, fundamentally, the biggest single deciding factor between the 2 formats was at the replication end, and on this basis, Blu-ray should have fallen by the wayside and HD-DVD succeeded. But that was not to be, simply because Sony had the enormous market penetration of their gaming platform, which they shrewdly endowed with a Blu-ray drive when they released the PS3. That single factor sealed the success of Blu-ray and the demise of HD-DVD.
 
 
 
 
Granted, things aren't so tight, or proprietary, in terms of hardware options available to playback Hi-Rez digital audio files, but still, it is obvious to a major player like Sony that they need to really convince audiophiles of the merits of Hi-Rez digital audio, by standing behind their downloads by offering decent hardware with which to play them. Although an increasing number of people play their audio via computer these days, and popularity of standalone FILE playback hi-fi seperates is increasing, there is nonetheless a substantial percentage of digital downloads customers who, thanks to being conditioned by the extremely successful marketing model of Apple's iTunes + iDevice, equate digital downloads with playback on portable devices.
 
 
 
Add all these factors together, and I do not view the F880 and NWZ-ZX1 as devices in themselves - they are (IMO) intended as standard-bearers for Sony's drive towards Hi-Rez music sales. There is vastly more profit to be made from selling this digital content than there is to be made from selling hardware, since (obviously) there is negligible cost-of-production for digital downloads of their enormous back catalogue.

 
Wait ... Sony is for profit? Say it ain't so!
 
Sony is doing a big push on Hi-Rez. They're on HDTracks here in the US, and I believe they have other deals in the works. Their DSD catalog is going to be up for downloads as well. So while Sony may do their own store, at least outside of Japan, they don't necessarily see the point of selling it direct. They would rather be the hardware provider (also look at their new Hi-Rez components; not just the ZX1 or F88x). That's a war they have a chance at winning since they are still a recognized brand in audio.

 

[Mython]

   
Wait ... Sony is for profit? Say it ain't so!

 
Of course they aim to make a profit.    And the point of your sarcasm is...?
 
 
 

So while Sony may do their own store, at least outside of Japan, they don't necessarily see the point of selling it direct.

 
Direct or indirect, it's still the same content and they still earn from it.
 
 
 

They would rather be the hardware provider (also look at their new Hi-Rez components; not just the ZX1 or F88x). That's a war they have a chance at winning since they are still a recognized brand in audio.

 
Sony are just as recognized for their music label as they are for their hardware.
 
How do you jump to the conclusion that they would rather profit from hardware (a physical product they have to manufacture) than from digital content (something they can instantaneously and infinitely 'duplicate' at zero additional cost) ?
 
In my view, they would rather profit from both, and it is most profitable to promote both, by structuring their hardware and content offerings to support/promote each other. It's an extremely effective business model, as has been witnessed by Apple's vast growth since the advent of iTunes and iDevices on which to play said content.
 
I'm just happy to see that they are taking Hi-Rez seriously from a hardware and a content point of view. It's more choice for me as a consumer.

 

[seeteeyou]

.