Sony Walkman custom firmware (non-Android)

[Scubadevils]

Midnight loaded on my 1A, time for some listening - too late to A/B versus the ZX507 but will certainly be tomorrow... a nice weekend ahead!

 

[seanwee]

Wait did I miss the release of the DMP-A30Z or was it never released?

 

[MrWalkman]

Wait did I miss the release of the DMP-A30Z or was it never released?

Wasn't released yet, but instead of that there will be Midnight/Dawn for it too.

 

[Queen6]

A very personal decision, rolled back from Dawn to DMP-WM1-FEv2. on WM1A. I feel that that Dawn Lacks the initial bite and aggression that FEv2 presents on the leading edge of the note. I'm speaking in minutia here, however the expanded sound stage & smoother presentation comes at the cost of some tonality was to much for me. Feeling that is related to the attack & timbre.

Albums:
Thin Lizzy - Renegade, Live and Dangerous
Rage Against the Machine - eponymous
U2 - The Joshua Tree
Life Sex & Death - The Silent Majority
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Never Say Die
Bad Wolves - NATION
Death - The Sound of Perseverance
AC/DC - Back to Black
David Bowie - Diamond Dogs, Aladdin Sane
PJ Harvey - 4 Track Demos, Peel Sessions, Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
The Kills - Blood Pressures
Duffery - The World That You Know
DJ Shadow - The Mountain Will Fall
Lamb of God - eponymous
Ice T - Original Gangster
All About Eve - eponymous
Supertramp - Crime of the Century
Muse - Black Holes & Revelations
Japan - Tin Drum
Warlock - Triumph and Agony
Human League - Dare

All credit to @MrWalkman and the QC team, this is more a reflection of an individual listeners preference/taste, most definitely not a broad sweeping statement.

Q-6

 

[Artmuzz]

I received delivery of a 4.4mm balanced headphones cable for my Beyerdynamic T5P to take advantage of the new “Midnight” firmware on my WM1A. So far I like what I hear with the “Midnight” firmware using just the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Anyway I’m going to test using the 4.4mm balanced jack on my WM1A and will report back.

 

[Scubadevils]

I've had a morning of listening to Midnight (Plus) everything from Supertramp to Dr Dre, some techno, house and trance thrown in too. There is definitely a big difference on stock, that excessive brightness taken away and older recordings now actually sound good where many had been a struggle to listen to - hi-res and more recent well produced albums sound fantastic. I feel I've gone a bit too warm though, just marginally but I'm yearning to brighten a little. Of the previous editions, any recommendations to test?

Amazing stuff @MrWalkman - I'm excited to test more!

 

[MrWalkman]

I've had a morning of listening to Midnight (Plus) everything from Supertramp to Dr Dre, some techno, house and trance thrown in too. There is definitely a big difference on stock, that excessive brightness taken away and older recordings now actually sound good where many had been a struggle to listen to - hi-res and more recent well produced albums sound fantastic. I feel I've gone a bit too warm though, just marginally but I'm yearning to brighten a little. Of the previous editions, any recommendations to test?

Amazing stuff @MrWalkman - I'm excited to test more!

Midnight is not the only current firmware available. If you're looking for a less warm alternative, you should give a try to Dawn

 

[Scubadevils]

Midnight is not the only current firmware available. If you're looking for a less warm alternative, you should give a try to Dawn

Yes I was thinking maybe that next - I find with male vocals in particular that they feel a bit recessed... listening to High Violet by The National at the moment, overall it sounds stunning but I need the vocals pushed forward! Cheers, I'll try Dawn next

 

[MrWalkman]

Yes I was thinking maybe that next - I find with male vocals in particular that they feel a bit recessed... listening to High Violet by The National at the moment, overall it sounds stunning but I need the vocals pushed forward! Cheers, I'll try Dawn next

With certain songs I can also get this feeling sometimes, but not with all of them, so I try to take it 'as is' if 95% of the time it sounds right, as there has to be something different about the song.

I like The National very much.

 

[Scubadevils]

With certain songs I can also get this feeling sometimes, but not with all of them, so I try to take it 'as is' if 95% of the time it sounds right, as there has to be something different about the song.

I like The National very much.

Yes I have found its not with all - so on the flipside, the issue didn't exist with Dr Dre 'The Chronic' but did again with Men I Trust (female vocals this time)... the following song, one I often use to test SQ:



Anyway, its a minor thing and if there was no option to try something else, I would be delighted with this improvement over stock - the brightness as mentioned at times rendered some albums impossible to listen, no longer the case.

 

[Scubadevils]

Forgot to ask, do stock revert before moving to another custom version?

Edit - I see it now in the instructions

 

[Ofir_A]

Forgot to ask, do stock revert before moving to another custom version?

Edit - I see it now in the instructions

There is also a significant difference depending on which headphones/IEMs you pair with the firmwares. A warm IEM, for example, may not be as a good fit as a more natural IEM to the Midnight Plus.

In my experience comparing the Campfire Solaris 2020 to the Campfire ARA, the Campfire ARA which is a much more audiophile in nature and natural is paired better for me with Midnight +. The combination gets me to find new things in the music that I did not hear before. Pretty amazing work by @MrWalkman

 

[Scubadevils]

There is also a significant difference depending on which headphones/IEMs you pair with the firmwares. A warm IEM, for example, may not be as a good fit as a more natural IEM to the Midnight Plus.

In my experience comparing the Campfire Solaris 2020 to the Campfire ARA, the Campfire ARA which is a much more audiophile in nature and natural is paired better for me with Midnight +. The combination gets me to find new things in the music that I did not hear before. Pretty amazing work by @MrWalkman

Yes good point, I do need to experiement further with IEMs - I only tried so far on my DUNU SA6 which I guess are pretty neutral.

Dawn loaded up now...

 

[Dtuck90]

Dawn is absolutely perfect.

I’ve got a DSD rip of the MOFI version of Garcia/Grisman waiting for me so can’t wait to give that a listen later.

 

[hamhamhamsta]

Love Midnight version, listening to Norah Jones ‘Lonestar’. It’s so comfortingly warm yet so wide, extend for miles and miles and miles. It’s beyond perfection, it’s magic. Feels like sitting at night in front of campfire, watching the stars and listening to Norah live, singing and strumming her guitar. So comforting