[VaryCold]

I just got my zx1, don't like it at all, I prefer iphone5 much more, zx1's sound is just too slow, warm, fat, flat, Michael Jaskson's quick songs turned into "slow" songs, I like quick, strong, high density sound, can't accept zx1's sound. 
 

 

[AnakChan]

  Anakchan , what do you think of the zx1 among your daps, does it still perform and still went down to actual sound sig preference, or does the zx1 just falls short to the other daps 

 
Well I sold my AK120 in favour of the ZX1 (I had them side-by-side for a week I think before putting the AK120 up for sale). It just offers a different sound sig from the HM-901 which has more warmth and depth but the HM-901 has a unintuitive interface. Now I've got the AK240 I think I'm actually ready to let go of the ZX1 & HM-901. There is one pair of earphones that I feel pair well with the ZX1 and that's the FitEar MH335DW(SR). the ZX1 balances out the MH335DW's double woofer bass rather well. But I don't know if I'd keep a DAP just for one pair of earphones.
 

  well, can't say or silent means yes to me

 
hmm, considering that the international model and the Japanese model have the same product code...
then it's safe to assume that the product is no different, then? 

 
A logical guess would be yes but best to put two side-by-side.

 

[VaryCold]

I agree with you, I shouldn't to be so greedy to buy zx1 just because I think it's cheap, and actually there's not so much, 90% discount is not much and I paid train tickets and time to be there the day before my final exam, damn bad deal! I think I will just sell it when I back to China after 7 July, the system and screen is good if it's the same price with ipod classic I can accept it 

 

[VaryCold]

  I don't mean to get personal. I just don't want a spurious narrative about a fabled Japanese spec NWZ-ZX1 to evolve out of thin air.
 
As much as I appreciate relative and subjective impressions (I'm an art student for goodness sakes!) I think there needs to be a degree of open and objective discussion around common reference points.
 
As far as I am aware, I am the only person who went to the trouble of actually volume matching this player to compare with another. I did this because as a reviewer I simply do not want to tell people to buy something when I do not trust my own ears when it comes to the at times infinitesimal differences between sources.
 
I have said again and again and I will say once more: I do not think the ZX1 sounds bad. But I think the marketing and price reflects a bad direction in the industry when even a major player like Sony will release a product that seems to fail to meet it's stated technical objectives while at the same time marketing its advantages.
 
I do not want to see portable audio become a faith based industry. When people dismiss or outright ignore actual data points with a wave of the "everyone hears things differently" wand, I think the community is moving into dangerous territory.

hmm, forget to use quote, I replied to you ,the two notes above this

 

[FortisFlyer75]

  I just got my zx1, don't like it at all, I prefer iphone5 much more, zx1's sound is just too slow, warm, fat, flat, Michael Jaskson's quick songs turned into "slow" songs, I like quick, strong, high density sound, can't accept zx1's sound. 
 

It's all right saying that but what do you use your ZX1 with??? Be nice to enlighten everyone when making these statements! What earphones or headphones do you use, through an external amp or even dac possibly, files used, just gives us all some reference point as I find quite the opposite with various cans, iem's I have listened with (Sony MDR-1's & MDR-7520's, Senn 560 Ovations, N5's & JH16pros) recently whilst listening to Japanese version ZX1 on it's own with MJ's Thriller & Bad remastered albums ripped to FLAC from 16 bit cd very snappy, fast, dynamic and keeps up just fine.  
 
I would of said this was the case to an extent before Sony done a major update a couple of months ago which changed the mid range for the better which was it's achilles heel. 
 
I take it the iphone 5 SQ has come on light years since the ipod touch gen 2&3 I experienced back in the day then?

 

[Dumbleroar]

I just got my zx1, don't like it at all, I prefer iphone5 much more, zx1's sound is just too slow, warm, fat, flat, Michael Jaskson's quick songs turned into "slow" songs, I like quick, strong, high density sound, can't accept zx1's sound. 

 

Did you apply the update before you tried it out? I only ask because I got my zx1 last month and it didn't gave the latest update installed. Looking through this thread there seems to be a great improvement in sound. Though I applied the update soon after I got it so had no chance to hear it before.

 

[AnakChan]

   
It wasn't aimed at you specifically, not to worry.
 
BTW, did Warren pass on the message to you that "I hear no hiss on my ZX1, nor did my work colleague" ??

 
Just an update to this. I asked my wife to listen for the ZX1 hiss and she says that she can hear it. I asked her to compare it to the Cypherlabs Theorem 720 and the hiss in the Theorem is much more easily noticeable than the ZX1. Sadly that was the limit of her patience. I may ask her to compare it to the Duet & Apex Glacier some other time.

 

[Retrias]

   
Well I sold my AK120 in favour of the ZX1 (I had them side-by-side for a week I think before putting the AK120 up for sale). It just offers a different sound sig from the HM-901 which has more warmth and depth but the HM-901 has a unintuitive interface. Now I've got the AK240 I think I'm actually ready to let go of the ZX1 & HM-901. There is one pair of earphones that I feel pair well with the ZX1 and that's the FitEar MH335DW(SR). the ZX1 balances out the MH335DW's double woofer bass rather well. But I don't know if I'd keep a DAP just for one pair of earphones.
 
 
A logical guess would be yes but best to put two side-by-side.

thank you for the answer anak chan , I didnt quite like the ak 240 sound sig, and well I havent got the time to visit the store that have the hm901. Last time that I got to hear the ZK1 , its pretty good, but there is something lacking about it. I guess my search for the x5 upgrade continues

 

[Duncan]

I take it the iphone 5 SQ has come on light years since the ipod touch gen 2&3 I experienced back in the day then?

The iPhone 5(S) is quite a cold / analytical sounding device / player, so - I suppose that anyone who likes that style of sound will not like a warmer / lusher sound that Sony tend to go for...

...Glad the conversation re volume matching is over - if there is one thing that frustrates me, it is that - not one single person on the planet will 'volume match' their devices when out on the street, which is where DAPs are used, sometimes it is just about the soul / emotion that you can scrape out of your device, and that is a far more personal trait than any technical specs will ever provide

 

[VaryCold]

  It's all right saying that but what do you use your ZX1 with??? Be nice to enlighten everyone when making these statements! What earphones or headphones do you use, through an external amp or even dac possibly, files used, just gives us all some reference point as I find quite the opposite with various cans, iem's I have listened with (Sony MDR-1's & MDR-7520's, Senn 560 Ovations, N5's & JH16pros) recently whilst listening to Japanese version ZX1 on it's own with MJ's Thriller & Bad remastered albums ripped to FLAC from 16 bit cd very snappy, fast, dynamic and keeps up just fine.  
 
I would of said this was the case to an extent before Sony done a major update a couple of months ago which changed the mid range for the better which was it's achilles heel. 
 
I take it the iphone 5 SQ has come on light years since the ipod touch gen 2&3 I experienced back in the day then?

earphones which are all easy pushed by 5s, tf10, dn1000, dn2000, denon c300, ue900, no amp, btw, I have usb dac hud mx1 ,but I never like its sound when using it to listen earphones compared to iphone, I think the sounds pushed too far, what I can say is iphone just got the sound I like better

 

[VaryCold]

Did you apply the update before you tried it out? I only ask because I got my zx1 last month and it didn't gave the latest update installed. Looking through this thread there seems to be a great improvement in sound. Though I applied the update soon after I got it so had no chance to hear it before.

yeah, I did, btw, stop the sound enhencement will immediately increase the push power and may lose some control power of the music, just may, someone said, but the push power will increase so much, and tried many ways other peoples recommended. 

 

[VaryCold]

For some songs in the high part, my zx1 just performed so soft, not high as iphone, it's not like you cut the high part, but your changed the way you singing, just like the singer changed a softer way to sing it. I just like fast and clear sound. After using zx1 and during the time I charge for zx1, I go back to listen ipc and I found I like it more, have to say it's just I like iphone's sound better, I am not saying zx1 is not good, when talking to chinese hifi friends, they said the sound I love is not healthy its too stimulant can't be listen long by them, but I just like it and can accept it, they like softer and loose sounds better, they all said they want to purchase my zx1, lol. But after I got all things maxed in eq, its get more stimulated but not like iphone's, can't listen to it long time. I think I just got used to iphone's sound too much

 

[rawrster]

I don't understand how a dap can make a fast song into a slow one. Can you elaborate what you mean by that? 

 

[VaryCold]

the sound gets dark for me, and it lost some emotions and passion of the song, just can't get touched, for some songs, the sound get too close and the position of human and instruments' sound in my head is not comfortable as iphone did to me and for some songs just too dark too far, don't know why, but just can't feel touched as iphone did

 

[VaryCold]

  the sound gets dark for me, and it lost some emotions of the song, just can't get touched, for some songs, the sound get too close and the position of human and instruments' sound in my head is not comfortable as iphone did to me and for some songs just too dark too far, don't know why, but just can't feel touched as iphone did

 

  I don't understand how a dap can make a fast song into a slow one. Can you elaborate what you mean by that? 

hmm, if the usual way I like is the way like to scream, and the zx1 I think is more like to talk louder, but not totally different, just a bit, but without this a bit I just can't feel satisfied. I like the sharp and high sound which could make me have gooseflesh like this song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRbefCGnQ5E and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQKsr3Kdk48 and this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xxySvoUb2Y， however youtube's quality is not high at all, loseless file is much higher and sharper and with my earphones get higher and sharper but I want higher and sharper without any seal loof, lol, I think it's just not a healthy and common taste of sound