[manutd6389]

   
I am a Sony X member, but actually in this case I got a 25% discount voucher when I attended an event they held for high res audio (by invitation).

Jealous! was it being held at Sydney? Nothing comes to Perth sadly

 

[a_recording]

@estreeter
 
The article in question about the limitation of RMAA makes several points. One is that RMAA figures cannot be compared between different sets of test equipment. Another is that RMAA cannot measure several important performance characteristics. A third is that dummy loads must be used when measuring sources. In relation to the third point, since I can't read Mandarin I am not sure what kind of load they used, but you would assume given that they measure many things on their website they would keep the test environment the same between different tests. (Maybe someone who can read Chinese can verify this).
 
As long as the test environment for both players was the same, the SNR between the players is comparable. Since the iPhone 5S scored a higher SNR than the NWZ-ZX1, we can assume that the test interface they are using is not the limit/bottleneck for this SNR measurement. The SNR measurement for the NWZ-ZX1 clearly shows that it cannot deliver even close to what it promises to in regards to 24 bit audio.
 
Not that this really matters, because in the end people will keep saying that 'it still sounds good', which as I have said repeatedly, it does. The ZX1 sounds good, and it appears that it measures and sounds reasonably similarly to an iPhone.
 

 
To give you an idea of what I am doing here to try and compare the two on equal footing, I got a Sescom iPod A/B switch. The output from both players was volume matched within 1db using playing a 1khz sine wave into the line-in on a Zoom H2n recorder and matching the meters visually. Volume matching is critical because louder playback tends to sound better and more 'full'. Using the Sescom switch I can start a track on both players at the same time and switch rapidly between the two volume matched players.
 
I can hear essentially no difference between the two players. The Sony is maybe ever so slightly warmer and bassier. This is maybe my mind playing tricks on me, but remember, I don't claim that the two players should sound identical. They shouldn't, and even the Soomal measurements state that the ZX1 has better stereo crosstalk figures than the iPhone. However the difference does not seem discernible to me and I am listening in a quiet bedroom. I have done enough ABX trials to know that I would never be able to pick between the sound of these two in a controlled environment. 
 
You may ask, how does anyone sell an amplifier that costs several times more? Well, how does anyone sell very expensive wines when wine tasters repeatedly fail to produce consistent verdicts? Why do people pay millions for Stradivarius violins when in blind tests violinists prefer modern day instruments? 
 
Let me repeat, I don't think the ZX1 is a bad player and for the price I paid it seems very reasonable for a 128gig machine. But once I have done my reviews I will sell it, because I could have clearly spent that $525 on a new pair of headphones and gotten something that would have sounded astoundingly, unequivocally better.

 

[Dinche]

   
check out Price-Japan's website.

 
 

   
I am a Sony X member, but actually in this case I got a 25% discount voucher when I attended an event they held for high res audio (by invitation).

Thanks for your replies.
 
I have checked the "Price Japan" and its more than $699 AUD.
 
Will wait and see. Maybe the price will come down a bit. I wanted to upgrade from my ipod nano (7th gen).
I want to to able to rip and and listen in FLAC @ CD or higher quality, and need more storage capacity. Besides, my ipod nano sounds real flat and anemic. My old Sony MZ NH1 mini disc sounds so much better at the comparable bitrate. 
 
Regards

 

[rawrster]

The zx1 price has been roughly the same on price Japan since it came out. At most it's deviated around $30 USD or so depending on exchange rate. I'm not too sure how that translates to aud however.

 

[all999]

Hi, I own ZX1 since yesterday and I admit i didn't read whole thread. Got a question, is there any way to get rid of EU volume limitation?

 

[streetcar]

absolutely not.
 
does your zx1 have eu volume cap?

 

[all999]

   
does your zx1 have eu volume cap?

 
I suppose if I bought in in EU it has one. How can I be sure, besides of low volume?

 

[estreeter]

   
I suppose if I bought in in EU it has one. How can I be sure, besides of low volume?

 
I believe you've answered your own question, but many who have bought units outside the EU also complain that the ZX1 doesnt have sufficient gain for their headphones. I was initially disappointed but to my surprise after a few hours use I seemed to have plenty of power on tap for most of my cans - I dont run the HD800s from it, but I have plenty of power for the LCD-X and my NAD HP50s. Does it drive these cans as well as my 4.5W Taurus ? Of course not, but neither would I expect it to.
 
If we go back to your problem, Sony had to obey EU law when they built your player and I would assume that any attempt to bypass said 'protection' will leave you in breach of those same laws. Big Brother knows exactly how much gain you need for your headphones  

 

[cn11]

I'd be curious to know if the volume output trick works on EU units as well... that could be a huge fix for the volume capped ones. Has anyone with a capped unit tried the trick?

 

[Demibeard]

Hello cn11,
 
I'm from the EU, I can confirm the 'fix' works on the EU ZX1 and it does indeed help with the volume, the unit is still not as loud as my old NWZ-A828, but it is louder than with the sound enhancements activated.
 
I'm personally not a fan of the graphic equaliser, and especially the ClearAudio+ that made the ZX1 and my NWZ-F886 sound rather poo, well to my ears anyway. So disabling hasn't really impacted me as I didn't use the eq etc.
 
Hope this answers your question.

 

[hongky]

Hello headfiers,
 
 
I'm on the verge to buy ZX1. But with the release of HTC ONE M8 and almost every reviewer said that this is the best sound smartphone, I'm having a second thought.
Anyone here have ZX1 & M8 can give comparison (sound quality & power output) between these two ?
 
 
Thanks

 

[harmonix]

  Hello headfiers,
 
 
I'm on the verge to buy ZX1. But with the release of HTC ONE M8 and almost every reviewer said that this is the best sound smartphone, I'm having a second thought.
Anyone here have ZX1 & M8 can give comparison (sound quality & power output) between these two ?
 
 
Thanks

I'm not sure the ZX1 can compete with the M8 - wow "BoomSound" can't beat that!!

 

[yeowyap]

Hi Guys, Any recommendation of alternative software to replace X-Application (i can't read Japanese language)?

 

[all999]

  I'd be curious to know if the volume output trick works on EU units as well... that could be a huge fix for the volume capped ones. Has anyone with a capped unit tried the trick?

 
What trick?

 

[FortisFlyer75]

   
What trick?

Need to read a few pages before that CN11 quote you done as it was the topic as someone found disabling the EQ in the app menu gave extra volume and kindly shared with us all.  Although it slightly altered the SQ a tad, but now sounds great with my MDR-7520 headphones on the extra gain to drive them to a descent volume now, which were not enough on the ZX1 but I have to reset player to use it with my JH16pros as the gain is to high with the EQ disabled.  
 
This needs to really be a sticky at the front of the thread as it is an important user adjustment for ZX1 users/owners.