I praise @MrWalkman for revealing Sony's dirtiest secret... cripple players/ports (e.g. native DSD only for 4.4mm) via software flags instead letting the HW play the major role to justify a price jump.
This will only force sony to raise their bar and pursue true SQ achievements thru hardware and yeah better SW
More like I’m just happy to have a DAP with a new capability. I’ll still be buying another 1A or 1Z with the stock tuning. Sony can do as they please as I think it’s better just to appreciate what we have. We are all lucky to have this. Keep it simple. That’s all
Hardware makes a pretty dramatic difference. The difference between a stock 1A and fully modded one, is very substantial, no matter the firmware.
It-takes both...Firmware and Hardware to truly tango.
An A30 is not taking sales away from a DMP, \
The artificial separation is between the 1A and 1Z. Both are very similar outside of internal wiring and very minute differences in capacitors.
The Internal PCB is pretty much identical.
I'd say the tuning is 90% software and 10% hardware at this point.
Heck the DMP-Z1's is so fundamentally different (using dacs instead just a s-master hx chip) from sony's portable DAPs this shouldn't be possible at all.
I praise @MrWalkman for revealing Sony's dirtiest secret... cripple players/ports (e.g. native DSD only for 4.4mm) via software flags instead letting the HW play the major role to justify a price jump.
This will only force sony to raise their bar and pursue true SQ achievements thru hardware and yeah better SW
Ok, I was able to have some confirmed informations:
1/ DSP professor is Sony in-house design, which were used in both Platform Wm1A/Z and TA-ZH1ES. This processor is able to do DSD Remastering, but is not suitable for S-Master, so Walkman will not have this feature. TA-ZH1ES is using FPGA to accommodate
2/ AKM4497EQ will use it own bypass for DSD Native playback, and Z1 can playback upto DSD512. However, DSD-Remastering is limited at DSD256. There are and no plans for optional user selectable filters for alternative sound signatures.
3/ There are super capacitors inside Z1, and Condenser, many components that were the greatest in Walkman WM1A/Z but with newer improvements and specifications
4/ Headphones Amps are using TPA6102A2 because the engineers deemed it to sound the best and also had shown great performances in other Sony equipments
We feel very lucky and appreciative of the hard work.
I'm still coming to terms with the importance of software.
I am very happy to be involved and benefiting from this Walkman revolution.
But what would truly make people giddy on their feet like back when A45 got the two mods, would be to have DMP-Z1 features on a weak, small A55: for example, any visualisations, DSPs, native DSD over 3.5 mm jack, even DSD Remastering if it's only software based.
I used to be in contact with one of Sony Engineer on twitter who used to reply to my DM every now and than. As soon as the FW mod came live online, I asked him about it, from that day onward he went dark on me.
I have a feeling they do pay attention, just they are hush about it. As one way or another, someone outside of their big corporation is able to release FW after FW that they could not, for whatever reason. And that is embarrassing to them if you ask me.
Now, I have contacted Japanese engineers a lot, and even the nicest had rather close reactions to 'I asked him about it, from that day onward he went dark on me.' But from other people I heard that there was private messaging going on, so they did care and tried all kinds of ways to help etc, but they don't directly do much for the overseas inquirer.
There is a difference of culture of course. An overseas Sony person might not care that much if it's for a good cause, but once HQ know about it, they might (as with any Japanese company) really care about it and order the overseas Sony person to cease contact.
In the meantime, at one stage I tried to spread the mods in Japanese, but administrators delete the posts. Let's hope they can search in English and trawl forums.
But what would truly make people giddy on their feet like back when A45 got the two mods, would be to have DMP-Z1 features on a weak, small A55: for example, any visualisations, DSPs, native DSD over 3.5 mm jack, even DSD Remastering if it's only software based.
But what would truly make people giddy on their feet like back when A45 got the two mods, would be to have DMP-Z1 features on a weak, small A55: for example, any visualisations, DSPs, native DSD over 3.5 mm jack, even DSD Remastering if it's only software based.
Well, I had a quick idea, and it seems that A55 can still get the visualizations and DSP options working. Something changed with the DMP-Z1 sound mod, and this could now work.
Native DSD can work, but there are small pops in the sound, so I don't think it's a good idea to have it enabled. Also, DSD playback while Direct Source is on results in no sound being played back, exactly like on the A40.
It will come soon, but I first want to get the DMP-Z1 sound mod working for ZX300, A40, and A30.
Hi I'm new here and only lurking the past months while I have not used the English Language for more than 35 years now. The Tuners, Whitgir, Morbideath, RobertP, Morgenstern and MrWalkman FW has helped me a lot in finding the sound I like. So my Big Thanks to all of them specially to MrWalkman.
I have 2 1A: One EU Version, J Region, with MrWalkman 1A/1Z++ Firmware. The other one J Version, J Region, MS K-Ultimate, 18 wires, MrWalkman 1A+ (1.4) Firmware with Cerberus+, getested with IMR Opus Mia (Red Nozzle/Red Filter or sometimes Blue). I'm contented and happy with this setup till the next new FW from MrWalkman DMP Z1.
I naturally tried to both 1A the 1A/1Z++ FW, but to my old ears the combi above for my moded 1A sounds better.
Now I installed the new DMP Z1 FW to the EU Version of 1A and wow what a difference. It sounds better now than the moded 1A and what all what has been posted here is true.
So I install the 1st Update of the DMP Z1 to MS moded 1A with reverting to stock wmia first.
. It didn't get thru, but the 2nd Update with Fixed1 get thru. I have now this new DMP Z1 + Cerberus and it sounds wonderful.
Now the moded one is again better than the regular one. I haven't tried yet the External tuning of MrWalkman on my moded 1A while I don't know if I just have to install it and overwrite the Cerberus+ Tuning.
I mean, after your A55L got its radio back, what a shame to lose it again...
besides, every phone can do radio, and A55's DSEE doesn't apply to radio right? Who cares.
And the noise cancelling IEMs are terrible.
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