[Dymloslouire]

Hmm....I am not sure I agree with that. I have an HTC One M7 and the Sony F886 (which sounds near identical to the ZX1). Of course to compare you must strip the sound back to its pure basics....without any kind of clear audio, or beats audio enhancements. I am using both with the AKG K3003i earphones which admittedly are in high-end territory for IEMs but they are very revealing of the differences. The M7 sounds like it is lacking in dynamics and compared to the F886 it sounds like a thin layer of cloth has been placed over the sound resulting in some of the detail being lost as well. This is not a subtle difference but a fairly considerable one. I am not for one second saying the M7 sounds bad, but with a revealing IEM, it is simply not at the same level as the Sony. I also have a Galaxy Note 3 and that has quite a similar sound do the M7 but at least in European versions has a severely crippled volume level which often has me maxing out the volume level!

Hi, sorry for asking this question again if there's someone who already do this,
But i wondered, how close did 887's SQ go, comparing it with zx1?

 

[OK-Guy]

Hi, sorry for asking this question again if there's someone who already do this,
But i wondered, how close did 887's SQ go, comparing it with zx1?

 
there is no difference SQ wise.

 

[VVGA]

Thank you Jon!  Ordered another - slightly cheaper due to the voucher they gave me to say sorry, too!

 

[estreeter]

   
there is no difference SQ wise.

 
Right, so I paid roughly double for nothing more than extra storage capacity ? Fan-freakin-tastic Sony. 

 

[jonstatt]

   
Right, so I paid roughly double for nothing more than extra storage capacity ? Fan-freakin-tastic Sony. 

 
The F886/887 are better value, but you haven't just paid for extra storage...you also have got a much more polished and high quality casing/finish on the unit..with its brushed aluminium etc.
 
In the UK, if you consider the price difference of the F886 (259 pounds) and ZX1 (549 pounds), you get an extra 96GB of memory (worth about 100 pounds at most if you consider micro SD prices) and I guess the high-end metal casing is worth another 100....so that's about 459. So the price is about 90 pounds over what it should be considering what you get for your money.
 
On the other hand the F886 comes with IEMs that support noise cancelling...although they aren't likely to be used by the sort of consumer that buys the ZX1

 

[rawrster]

From what I understand it's the storage, battery life and of course the better aesthetics for the zx1. I heard bad reports of battery for the 887 so I opted for this instead.

 

[warrior1975]

There is always a premium price on the flagship models. I'm still extremely happy with my purchase and find it night and day between my cell phone (Note 3, rooted V4A)

 

[jonstatt]

From what I understand it's the storage, battery life and of course the better aesthetics for the zx1. I heard bad reports of battery for the 887 so I opted for this instead.

Actually battery life is quoted as slightly less on the ZX1 (32 hours) vs the 886/887 (35 hours). Not much in it but shows the opposite of what you said.

 

[estreeter]

 
Actually battery life is quoted as slightly less on the ZX1 (32 hours) vs the 886/887 (35 hours). Not much in it but shows the opposite of what you said.

 
As I said earlier, fan-freakin-tastic.

 

[jonstatt]

   
As I said earlier, fan-freakin-tastic.

 
So I am now very confused based on OK-Guy's feedback
 
I have in-front of me, The F886 (UK) and the ZX1 (UK)
 
I have ensured that all sound enhancements are disabled. They don't produce the same volume for the same level bar on the display. They don't sound the same.
 
The ZX1 is louder at the same apparent level using the volume bar than the F886
 
Also I noticed when I connect my AKG 3003 to the ZX1, after I connect it I hear a strange hiss for a second and then it disappears. This does not happen with the F886. This is NOT a residual hiss (noise) in the amplifier circuit that is there whenever sound is playing....its a specific noise that only happens just after connecting the IEMs.
 
I used the provided Dave Brubeck test track that is already on these devices when new. I ensured that they are the very same file on both devices.
 
In the higher frequencies they sound quite close to each other. The bass end though is totally different with the ZX1 providing a fuller and deeper bass. Based on comparisons before now, I am mystified about this......but I have triple and quadruple checked and there is definitely no sound enhancement enabled on either unit.
 
I am curious also why the ZX1 is thicker at the bottom section of the unit whereas the F886/887 is totally flat on the back. We know its not the battery as the life is nearly the same. The fact that the battery life is different suggests electronic differences and of course the F886/887 supports noise cancelling earphones and has an extra menu option for that.

 

[jonstatt]

Quick question. On the F886/887 the Walkman logo at the bottom right lights up whenever you turn the screen on. On the ZX1, it does not seem to light up. Is this correct?

 

[system11]

I'm surprised people are buying the UK ZX1 at all given the EU volume limit.

 

[mochill]

I think zx1 would extend more on both ends because it is the flagship model and should be abit more powerful than the lower models, but that's just me

 

[mochill]

I can definitely say its louder and cleaner sounding then my z series

 

[OK-Guy]

It looks like the Euro ZX1 might not be 'capped' as there shouldn't be any volume differences between models, I will reiterate that there are no differences between the Japanese ZX1 & F887, to my ears obviously.
 
You will get SQ differences between models if they're capped (I speak from experience of previous EU>USA Walkman's - A865).
 
I heard that Sony didn't need to cap ZX1 because only mp3-players supplied with headphones are capped (F886/7), as far as I know no-one in this thread has compared a Euro ZX1 to one from outside the EU.
 
The cost of the ZX1 shouldn't be a problem imo as you are buying a Limited-Edition which has benefits over the lesser F886/7.... for me it was worth the extra for the design alone.