I think you've thoroughly dismissed any possibility of purchasing a ZX1 don't you?, it is pretty obvious the unknown battery issues & impedance outputs are putting you off. In truth it's getting a bit boring reading rehashed discussions that were covered earlier, the way you're going on about things is a tad over the top, imo you're trying to insinuate that the ZX1 crap device and we should all be looking elsewhere, I for one will be looking forward to the arrival of the ZX1 despite your repeated concerns.
No, I've been at pains to point out that I think the ZX1 looks like a truly lovely DAP.
Really.
Regarding the battery of the NW-ZX1, it is quite obvious that you only skimmed what I wrote in my earlier post - if you read carefully, you'll see that I said I am
not one of the people worrying about the battery.
All I have said is that I am wary of the low
amp power output and (at the moment) unknown output impedance.
I fully recognise the strengths of the ZX1 in terms of (probably) almost flawless firmware/UI, beautiful industrial design, gorgeous screen, proper hardware control buttons, etc., and as much as I adore the SQ of iBasso's DX100, I have openly stated that I dislike the appalling battery life and terrible lack of hardware buttons to control the DX100 instead of having to pull it out of one's pocket every time one wishes to change the track etc. Not only does the ZX1 have hardware control buttons one can use within one's pocket, but it also does not make the stupid mistake of the Cowon J3 and DX100, of having some buttons
directly on opposite sides of the DAP, so that one accidentally presses an undesired button on the wrong side of the DAP whilst trying to press the desired button on the other side of the DAP (on the J3, the power/screenlock button is directly opposite the volume buttons. On the DX100, they made exactly the same mistake). From an industrial design POV, the ZX1 is an absolute class-act and has many people drooling over it, myself included. Just look at the attention to detail of the button layout, and differentiation between the buttons, so they can be felt and correctly identified in a pocket, without having to see them.
Wonderful!:
(image from http://www.xperiablog.net/2013/10/03/sony-announces-two-new-android-powered-walkmans-nw-zx1-and-nw-f880/)
Obviously, I'm not suggesting you would have any reason to do so, but I assure you that if you were to read every single post I've ever posted here on Head-fi, you would not find so much as a single post from me raving about
any DAP being perfect. They
all have their various flaws.
I'm not trying to
"insinuate that the ZX1 is a crap device". I'm saying I perceive that it
may be lacking, in the amp section, but I am not
assuming that that will be so. I am
waiting to hear people's experience of it when it is soon released. For the record, I found that my ancient Sony D-777 PCDPs sounded very decent with UM's Miracle CIEM. Not
perfect, but very respectable and all parts of the frequency spectrum were rendered appropriately. I am a big fan of these classic Sonys - so much so that I still own
2 D-777s, so please don't think that I do not like Sony, because the truth is, I'm a longtime fan of Sony's portable products, going all the way back to the cassette Walkmans of the 1980s, many of which I owned at the time. I don't recall what the power output of the D-777 is, or know what the OI is, but I was surprised at how well it drives such a low-impedance CIEM. If the ZX1 is no better than the aged D-777, it will be quite sufficient to satisfy me, given the many other positive aspects of the ZX1's design, so there is still hope for me that I may be pleasantly surprised by the reviews when it is released.
Believe me, if I hear user reports / reviews that the amp section of the ZX1 punches above it's apparent specifications, I will
gladly buy one when I get my finances back on-track. This DAP looks like a class act in
many respects, and it would be so nice to finally have a DAP which has a wonderful slick UI
and which will drive low-impedance multi-BA CIEMs
properly,
without needing a seperate amp. I don't expect DX100 power levels, but the DX100 really opened my eyes to the amazing difference in SQ a truly decent (and low impedance) amp section can make, even to tiny balanced armature CIEM designs, and I'm not new to high quality audio (I've been a fullsize Hi-fi enthusiast for 2 decades or so).
I want NW-ZX1 to succeed, but if it doesn't, I will have to settle for a less-slick DAP, which, perhaps, may be Fiio's X5. I do respect James' efforts to actually
listen to his customers, and engage with them during development. He scores very high points, in my eyes, for his attitude towards satisfying his customers' requirements.
The NW-ZX1 and the X5 are due to be released at almost the same time, in Europe, (approx Feb/March 2014), and I won't have money before then, anyway, so I am excited to see how both devices perform when they reach the hands of customers. I have no firm allegiance to Sony
or Fiio, so my decision remains unmade at this point, in spite of what you appear to think of me.
There's an unpleasant trend developing in this thread, of people jumping to huge misinterpretations about other members' intended meanings, and then personally accusing them of this that or the other. Attribution Error is something us humans are habitually prone to, but it's quite unnecessary to take/make things so personally within the context of this discussion. We all enjoy this hobby and this forum is an opportunity for everyone to light-heartedly chat about various aspects of the hobby without being personally accused or criticised just because of differing opinions or concerns about these
inanimate objects/devices.
Peace.
.
