[HeyManslowdown97]

Yes look at the properties of each track, there you can preselect the EQ can opt for one of the default's or your own EQ.

Q-6

Awesome, thanks.

 

[kova4a]

Maybe the A105 sounds better with the later firmware versions or something?

IMO, it sounds slightly better with the last firmware but my opinion stands, it still sounds weirdly artificial

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

But he was asking if the Walkman will use that EQ preset for that track

Yea that’s what I’m asking I know this feature was possible on the old IPod “classic” and iTunes. If it does it probably stores the metadata on the track itself

 

[MrWalkman]

Yea that’s what I’m asking I know this feature was possible on the old IPod “classic” and iTunes. If it does it probably stores the metadata on the track itself

It would be nice, but... press X to doubt

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

press X to doubt

For Old Fart’s like me... haha

 

[NickleCo]

I am curious to know if $1,200+ earphones shrinks the margins sonically between entry level daps vs Flagships ones significantly? The reason I ask is that if it’s better to start your endgame with flagship iems before getting a flagship dap??

IMO, as someone who tried out getting totl iems before a totl dap, I found myself wanting to quit. It was quite tiring trying to 'cuck' the iems performance. At the time I had the k3003, zeus, and Audio Technica ATH CKW1000ANV (all flagships) for my iems and the Pioneer 300r (touted as neutral and supposedly a great bang for the back, I do not agree with it btw). I said to myself that maybe it was just a DAP signature thing, bought the hiby r6, and though it gave the iems more body it made everything sound dull without dynamics and downright muddy. Decided to sell the k3003, both the daps and bought the wm1a and i have never looked at other daps ever since. TLDR I would advise starting with a good dap before investing in iems.

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

IMO, as someone who tried out getting totl iems before a totl dap, I found myself wanting to quit. It was quite tiring trying to 'cuck' the iems performance. At the time I had the k3003, zeus, and Audio Technica ATH CKW1000ANV (all flagships) for my iems and the Pioneer 300r (touted as neutral and supposedly a great bang for the back, I do not agree with it btw). I said to myself that maybe it was just a DAP signature thing, bought the hiby r6, and though it gave the iems more body but it made everything sound dull without dynamics and downright muddy. Decided to sell the k3003 and both the daps and bought the wm1a and i have never looked at other daps anymore. TLDR I would advice to start with a good dap before investing in iems.

I agree but it’s total personal preference. I LOVE the Sony House Sound. The only “disadvantage” or “complaint” about WM1A is that it lacks current to power all demanding iems. My POV is that Sony has done this deliberately because when you have higher current DAPs yes they are powerful but they are also fatiguing... with one exception “line out” that some of these DAPs have sounds better on external speaker because there’s more current running through them IMHO.

Cowan sp??? takes a very similar approach to Sony but they use 2.5 balanced which I hate compared to 4.4 (sooo much better!). Their firmware is pretty rad too! Those DAPs have lots of potential with mods...

 

[Queen6]

But he was asking if the Walkman will then use that EQ preset for that track, which I don't think it will.

I think it does as it places a flag in the metadata. TBH I don't use it myself as tend to rarely EQ and even then is dictated by the headgear not the tracks.

Q-6

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

IMO, as someone who tried out getting totl iems before a totl dap, I found myself wanting to quit

Another thing I have found obsessing over this hobby, is that a lot of marketing for flagship DAPs Emphasizes the high current outputs to “power” all or most demanding power hungry iems gives you the “illusion” of choice when most totl iems like hybrids don’t really require a lot current running through them to sound great. Planar however do in order for them to sound good in my opinion. But there are sooooo many great totl iems to chose from that it’s not question of being limited by power restrictions....also with more current the higher chance of noise in the signal is greater.

THX circuitry solves the problem to a certain extent and gives you that “black background” but I found that the DC Phase Linearizer is just as good (if not better!) circuitry and firmware designed!

 

[NickleCo]

I agree but it’s total personal preference. I LOVE the Sony House Sound. The only “disadvantage” or “complaint” about WM1A is that it lacks current to power all demanding iems. My POV is that Sony has done this deliberately because when you have higher current DAPs yes they are powerful but they are also fatiguing... with one exception “line out” that some of these DAPs have sounds better on external speaker because there’s more current running through them IMHO.

Cowan sp??? takes a very similar approach to Sony but they use 2.5 balanced which I hate compared to 4.4 (sooo much better!). Their firmware is pretty rad too! Those DAPs have lots of potential with mods...

I think the main reason why sony went with a low powered class D amp for the wm1 series was to avoid hissing and frequency shifts with high OI/powered amps and to have the best battery possible. Another reason (marketing-wise) could be that since they already have the TA ZH1ES headphone amp in their signature line up, giving the wm1 a high powered amp would mean that people won't (or at least disregard) it and just go for the wm1 as the all in one solution.

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

I think the main reason why sony went with a low powered class D amp for the wm1 series was to avoid hissing and frequency shifts with high OI/powered amps and to have the best battery possible. Another reason (marketing-wise) could be that since they already have the TA ZH1ES headphone amp in their signature line up, giving the wm1 a high powered amp would mean that people won't (or at least disregard) it and just go for the wm1 as the all in one solution.

Exactly! And the DC Phase Linearizer works just as well as THX circuitry but with added bonus of having the option of different settings baked into the firmware to change or adapt the slopes by the USER which gives more control to them in what sounds best for them!

 

[NickleCo]

Another thing I have found obsessing over this hobby, is that a lot of marketing for flagship DAPs Emphasizes the high current outputs to “power” all or most demanding power hungry iems gives you the “illusion” of choice when most totl iems like hybrids don’t really require a lot current running through them to sound great. Planar however do in order for them to sound good in my opinion. But there are sooooo many great totl iems to chose from that it’s not question of being limited by power restrictions....also with more current the higher chance of noise in the signal is greater.

THX circuitry solves the problem to a certain extent and gives you that “black background” but I found that the DC Phase Linearizer is just as good (if not better!) circuitry and firmware designed!

good point of view! Yes, in the end it's money that makes the world go round... But honestly, there are iems that really do require high power to sound good. The Phantom from empire ears is such an iem even with less than half the drivers of the zeus (5 ba vs 14 ba) phantom takes 2x as much power to make it sound its best compared to zeus which can be driven out off a phone and it would still sound great.

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

good point of view! Yes, in the end it's money that makes the world go round... But honestly, there are iems that really do require high power to sound good. The Phantom from empire ears is such an iem even with less than half the drivers of the zeus (5 ba vs 14 ba) phantom takes 2x as much power to make it sound its best compared to zeus which can be driven out off a phone and it would still sound great.

But there’s a “trade off” in the portable dac market because you will get “hissing or slight “Hums” when powering Sensitive totl iems (which in my opinion should be used at home with a dedicated desktop dac and not a portable dac)

The reason, the “home” or desktop circuit is more complex and addresses all the Noise-to-signal ratios. The Dmp-Z1is like a brick for this reason and way
overpriced (I might add) Haha

These are (of course) generalizations there are portable dacs that are flawless and will drive anything with no hissing or hums but they cost lots of $$$

 

[NickleCo]

These are (of course) generalizations there are portable dacs that are flawless and will drive anything with no hissing or hums but they cost lots of $$$

Very true.

 

[HeyManslowdown97]

Very true.

The only thing I’d like to see in WM1A successor would be to have a faster cpu processor so it can upsample at 8x or 16x in playback. In the new Hiby R8 MQA can be oversampled at 16x! What this does is that it allows the files to sound better, smoother and with less distortion sans having to upsample those files into Yuge ones. That’s an awesome feature!

Another would be PCM To DSD conversion in realtime. This requires lots of cpu power in order to be done right though and will limit your battery life but it’s well worth it if done right!