[Duncan]

I'm thinking over to purchase a ZX1 but I've got some doubts that I have to clear up before. I've always been faithful to Sony but the last walkman I bought, the Z1060, quite disappointed me specifically for its sound quality comparing it to my earlier walkman, the A818, which with the EX IEM's including sounded tremendously when I listened to it first, so I took for granted that the Z1000's for their price range would have at least the same SQ. The basses were weak, everything sounded dull in general, the volume not loud enough even at highest rod level to the extent that it occurred to me that the AVLS was on (it wasn't) (mine is the Japanese imported model).
Anyway I may be wrong about this and perhaps other people think the Z1000's sound is great but I didn't like it at all from the very moment I tried it first. It's likely a problem of this series, I haven't tried the F series yet so I can't compare.
So the question is somebody tell me wether the ZX1 is as good as it's said and worthwhile or it's on the same track of the Z1000 series. I've kept faithful to Sony for many years but I don't want to spend a great amount of money to meet another disappointment, I also heard great praises about the Z1000 before purchasing it. I'm weighing up other options like Astell & Kern, iBasso, Cowon, etc

unfortunately you're kind of caught in the same situation as me, where it isn't so much a lack of quality, I think it is a lack of driving power...

I started my head-fi journey all those years ago with an obsession with Discmen, some of the earlier units had insanely powerful headphone outputs, as did early iPods etc. which increase perception of quality of sound...

It is unfortunately just the way of the world that these days things are quieter / less dynamic from the main manufacturers.

 

[OK-Guy]

   
Interesting....so I am not going insane then Look forward to hearing your feedback on this. If you still have the Dave Brubeck demo track on your DAPs, then you will be able to clearly hear the bass difference.

I've done some a&b'ing between the ZX1 & F887 (both Japan sourced).
 
volume levels are pretty much the same & only Heir 5.0 IEM's were used... test-racks were in Atrac lossless format:-
 
I've Tried Everything - Eurhymics
Viking - Los Lobos
Misty Blue - Dorothy Moore
Kashmir (live) - Led Zeppelin
Picture Book - Simply Red
 
the soundstage on the ZX1 is slightly wider it appears than on F887, the highs extend slightly higher bringing a crisper feel as a result, no discernible differences in the mid ranges, the bass is a bit deeper on the ZX1 & more taught giving it better impact.
 
as iterated, this is the first time I've had both my Walkman's in a while, when I first got them I heard slight differences but that was before the first update for the ZX1, after that update I really couldn't hear any differences between the two, though in truth I probably wasn't looking for any as I was too bloody happy with firmware-update... now both have been completely updated I can detect slight differences, both have a similar SQ but the ZX1 is more, if that makes sense. 

 

[jonstatt]

 
I've done some a&b'ing between the ZX1 & F887 (both Japan sourced).
 
volume levels are pretty much the same & only Heir 5.0 IEM's were used... test-racks were in Atrac lossless format:-
 
I've Tried Everything - Eurhymics
Viking - Los Lobos
Misty Blue - Dorothy Moore
Kashmir (live) - Led Zeppelin
Picture Book - Simply Red
 
the soundstage on the ZX1 is slightly wider it appears than on F887, the highs extend slightly higher bringing a crisper feel as a result, no discernible differences in the mid ranges, the bass is a bit deeper on the ZX1 & more taught giving it better impact.
 
as iterated, this is the first time I've had both my Walkman's in a while, when I first got them I heard slight differences but that was before the first update for the ZX1, after that update I really couldn't hear any differences between the two, though in truth I probably wasn't looking for any as I was too bloody happy with firmware-update... now both have been updated I can detect slight differences, both have a similar SQ but the ZX1 is more, if that makes sense. 

 
 
Thanks for the feedback on this. To me the bass feels slightly boosted on the ZX1 but maybe it is more about it being more taught as you suggested. Incidentally, do you hear a short burst of hiss after you connect your IEMs to the ZX1?

 

[VVGA]

Hi 
 
I REALLY need some assistance - I'm now on my third device and it just bricked.  THe first two were after reboots, but this one shut down while turning the bluetooth on and then stopped.
 
They each get stuck on the welcome screen and keep cycling through the logo animation.  Resetting just reverts to this loop again.
 
UK tech support just give you a case reference to get a replacement.
 
I have to admit that, in my impatience, I've simply returned them but bought a new one at the same time, so I didn't have to wait for the return to be processed before they shipped me a new one.  So I'm now funding 3 useless bricks on my credit card.
 
Does ANYONE know how to get into the boot menu to factory restore?  Or any other way to get the bloody thing to work?
 
Am I the ONLY one on this board who has this problem?  Has anyone else been through this?
 
Maybe it's the apps I'm adding - just Qubuz, Spotify and isyncr?
 
Help please!

 

[AnakChan]

  Hi 
 
I REALLY need some assistance - I'm now on my third device and it just bricked.  THe first two were after reboots, but this one shut down while turning the bluetooth on and then stopped.
 
They each get stuck on the welcome screen and keep cycling through the logo animation.  Resetting just reverts to this loop again.
 
UK tech support just give you a case reference to get a replacement.
 
I have to admit that, in my impatience, I've simply returned them but bought a new one at the same time, so I didn't have to wait for the return to be processed before they shipped me a new one.  So I'm now funding 3 useless bricks on my credit card.
 
Does ANYONE know how to get into the boot menu to factory restore?
 
Am I the ONLY one on this board who has this problem?  
 
Maybe it's the apps I'm adding - just Qubuz, Spotify and isyncr?
 
Help please!

 
For 3 different devices to brick when (hardly?) no one else has had the issue leads to think that case is specific to your case/use. Have you tried to just do a factory default reset, and just see if it functions. Then add songs to it and see if it works. Then add one app at a time (and in between each app add, reboot it). I'm inclined to think you've added something that is not compatible to the ZX1.

 

[OK-Guy]

   
 
Thanks for the feedback on this. To me the bass feels slightly boosted on the ZX1 but maybe it is more about it being more taught as you suggested. Incidentally, do you hear a short burst of hiss after you connect your IEMs to the ZX1?

 
the 'hiss' you are hearing is just the Walkman checking for connections... I get it when I turn-on the ZX1 for a second or two, same with F887 and my previous Z1070.

 

[VVGA]

   
For 3 different devices to brick when (hardly?) no one else has had the issue leads to think that case is specific to your case/use. Have you tried to just do a factory default reset, and just see if it functions. Then add songs to it and see if it works. Then add one app at a time (and in between each app add, reboot it). I'm inclined to think you've added something that is not compatible to the ZX1.

If anyone could tell me how to do a factory default reset, I would be immensely grateful.  Or somehow otherwise get out of this bootloop or whatever it is.  
 
Most android devices have a button combination you can press at boot to get into a menu which allows this - does anyone know the ZX1 combination?
 
At the moment, the advice given is not wholly practical without the ability to perform a factory reset, as it would require returning and replacing a device every time I get back into this position.  While it might eventually identify the offending app, neither sony nor american express can be expected to be terribly keen on the process.

 

[OK-Guy]

there's a reset button/hole on the back of the ZX1, have you tried that?

 

[goldsmith83]

   
the 'hiss' you are hearing is just the Walkman checking for connections... I get it when I turn-on the ZX1 for a second or two, same with F887 and my previous Z1070.

So has you or anyone else compared the ZX1, F887 SQ to Z1000 series SQ? I ask because I didn't get any satisfied with the Z1060's SQ regretfully since I was very excited before purchasing it. It seemed to me that the bass was rather weak and the sound in general wasn't remotely as powerful as my previous walkman's.

 

[burtomr]

  I would like to hold double blind tests with some people on this forum, I bet they couldn't tell the difference between a plate of spagetti or a roll of toilet paper.

 
                                      

 

[VVGA]

Yes - of course!

 

[purk]

 
So has you or anyone else compared the ZX1, F887 SQ to Z1000 series SQ? I ask because I didn't get any satisfied with the Z1060's SQ regretfully since I was very excited before purchasing it. It seemed to me that the bass was rather weak and the sound in general wasn't remotely as powerful as my previous walkman's.

Is your unit an Euro unit?  I'm talking about the Z1060.  My Japanese Z1070 was too bassy for my taste.

 

[goldsmith83]

  Is your unit an Euro unit?  I'm talking about the Z1060.  My Japanese Z1070 was too bassy for my taste.

No, mine is the Japanese import Z1060. It's not only the bass, the sound is not as loud as preceding Walkman series but rather dull and quiet, at least with the earphones supplied which on the other hand aren't as good as the EX included on earlier Walkman devices. Maybe I haven't played it with the appropriate IEM's although I'm afraid this isn't a problem of the headphones.
In short, I need someone who has owned a Z1000 series unit to tell me what differences between the latter and the ZX1 there are about SQ. I don't know the SQ differences between the Z1000 and the F800 series either.
I'm also thinking over other options instead of ZX1 like Astell & Kern AK100MKII and iBasso HDP-R10 among other DAP's, can anyone advise me about this issues?

 

[mochill]

Ibasso.+1 if power is what you want, I want to buy one before they are gone

 

[psygeist]

Anyone got the latest update ? 1.11