[nc8000]

Immediately interesting to me. How does it compare to FEv2?

Q-6

To me essentially the same sound as the original FEv2 but with minor refinements

 

[Queen6]

To me essentially the same sound as the original FEv2 but with minor refinements

How is the soundstage, still on region E?

Q-6

 

[nc8000]

How is the soundstage, still on region E?

Q-6

Yes I’m still on E. I’m very poor at detecting/judging soundstage but I don’t detect any difference (but nor did I between the original FEv2, Dawn or Midnight)

 

[Queen6]

Yes I’m still on E. I’m very poor at detecting/judging soundstage but I don’t detect any difference (but nor did I between the original FEv2, Dawn or Midnight)

Have tried MX3? IMO is in the top trio of E, J & MX3. For me I could hear a difference in staging between FEv2, Dawn, Midnight & Project Z always feeing that FEv2 was the more accurate. How is Plus V2?

Q-6

 

[nc8000]

Have tried MX3? IMO is in the top trio of E, J & MX3. For me I could hear a difference in staging between FEv2, Dawn, Midnight & Project Z always feeing that FEv2 was the more accurate. How is Plus V2?

Q-6

I've actually never tried MX3. I'm assuming Plus V2 and/or the new dac init mode is what gives the slight extra refinement but don't really know. Also remember that my player is Nayparm modded so the baseline is not stock. The tone and timbre is certainly lovely and I'm not sure if I'm going to try further changes now

 

[Voxata]

Sony is in the unique position of not only designing & selling audio equipment, Sony also produces and sells music. So I suspect this allows some crosstalk and sharing of metrics allowing Sony's engineers to fine tune the regions to the general taste of the local. There are some other aspects such as radio certification as some regions do not have the BT remote feature for the DAP's.

You should be happy as with the vast majority of players you have no options, with the Sony Linux based players the user can pick and choose the region to tailor the sound signature to their personal taste. Is also worth noting that the regions are not just simple EQ curves being far more complex.

Q-6

Some great points! Thank you! Do you have any suggestions for a good Bluetooth remote for the WM1A?

 

[nc8000]

Some great points! Thank you! Do you have any suggestions for a good Bluetooth remote for the WM1A?

As far as I know there is only the one Sony makes specifically for the WM daps

 

[Voxata]

As far as I know there is only the one Sony makes specifically for the WM daps

Ah so no third party support? Guess I'll bite the bullet. Thanks!

 

[CRITICALSHOT]

I have tried all the different firmware on the Sony WM1A and each one was pretty damn good! I tried the different FW's with the Blessing 2 Dusk, Sony IER-Z1R and the Sony MDR ZR1. The midrange of the Sony MDR ZR1 is pulled back, diffuse and lacking in that warm powerful grunt with cello's. I have a 2 channel Focal Sopra system and an Audio Note System and am familiar with the specific specific cello passage. I am also familiar with it on other headphones out of a Dave/TT2/MS and my trusty HD650 and the Valhalla 1.

I was thinking about getting the Sony Walkman NW-WM1Z but figured I would wait a bit before I pulled the trigger. The 1Z has better more impactful bass, extended treble and a somewhat diffuse midrange. The 1A is more neutral and the midrange is more even and not diffuse.

My brains problem with the mods is that they are more your creation than the engineer of the signature series. Midnight combines characteristics of the WM1Z and DMP-Z1 sound signatures. I would have liked to have a mod that was the just the WM1Z so I could of had more of an idea of what the creators intent for the series was with the default signature of each dap.

I don't think the 1Z with the stock firmware would be the best fit for the Sony MDR ZR1 but would have loved to check it out. The Midnight Classic does seem to have that diffuse/pulled back midrange that neuters the cello in the passage I referred to earlier. As it stands now I am listening to the stock firmware with the 1A and region J. So far the midrange seems to be more in line with my expectations and I need to a lot more listening before I can come to any solid conclusion.

Do you think that the Engineer of the Signature Series tuned the devices to work together to ultimately bring his vision together? I like Sony's house sound and didn't really want to veer to far from their vision. I really don't want to go down a rabbit hole with different daps/cables.

I don't even know if I made any sense at all but had to contribute.

​

 

[MrWalkman]

I have tried all the different firmware on the Sony WM1A and each one was pretty damn good! I tried the different FW's with the Blessing 2 Dusk, Sony IER-Z1R and the Sony MDR ZR1. The midrange of the Sony MDR ZR1 is pulled back, diffuse and lacking in that warm powerful grunt with cello's. I have a 2 channel Focal Sopra system and an Audio Note System and am familiar with the specific specific cello passage. I am also familiar with it on other headphones out of a Dave/TT2/MS and my trusty HD650 and the Valhalla 1.

I was thinking about getting the Sony Walkman NW-WM1Z but figured I would wait a bit before I pulled the trigger. The 1Z has better more impactful bass, extended treble and a somewhat diffuse midrange. The 1A is more neutral and the midrange is more even and not diffuse.

My brains problem with the mods is that they are more your creation than the engineer of the signature series. Midnight combines characteristics of the WM1Z and DMP-Z1 sound signatures. I would have liked to have a mod that was the just the WM1Z so I could of had more of an idea of what the creators intent for the series was with the default signature of each dap.

I don't think the 1Z with the stock firmware would be the best fit for the Sony MDR ZR1 but would have loved to check it out. The Midnight Classic does seem to have that diffuse/pulled back midrange that neuters the cello in the passage I referred to earlier. As it stands now I am listening to the stock firmware with the 1A and region J. So far the midrange seems to be more in line with my expectations and I need to a lot more listening before I can come to any solid conclusion.

Do you think that the Engineer of the Signature Series tuned the devices to work together to ultimately bring his vision together? I like Sony's house sound and didn't really want to veer to far from their vision. I really don't want to go down that rabbit hole again.

I don't even know if I made any sense at all but had to contribute.

​

There will be a firmware exactly to switch a 1A to a 1Z, if someone is curious about the 1Z sound.

 

[Hinomotocho]

Some great points! Thank you! Do you have any suggestions for a good Bluetooth remote for the WM1A?

There is only the RMT-NWS20. I bought mine in Japan so the price was reasonable, it does the job nicely. I have successfully got it working with my Samsung android phone.

 

[MrWalkman]

There is only the RMT-NWS20. I bought mine in Japan so the price was reasonable, it does the job nicely. I have successfully got it working with my Samsung android phone.

I was thinking that someone knowledgeable and willing enough could create an Android app version of this remote. That would be nice.

 

[CRITICALSHOT]

I

There will be a firmware exactly to switch a 1A to a 1Z, if someone is curious about the 1Z sound.

This is why you are the man! Your work is incredible and led me to forsake all other DAP's because of your wonderfully crafted FW's. I did have the A&K Alpha and the A&K SE180 with both DAC Modules. After trying the Sony 1A and your FW's those Daps where gone in an instance. I am a purist at heart and I have a calibrated Sony A90J and am not one of those people that run their TV in torch mode or change their settings per movie/show.

I just wonder what creative choices you made and why. I wonder what exactly you did and get a little weirded out when I know their is extra reverb and the soundstage is artificially enhanced. That being said, they do sound amazing but some people like me are little too anal and too many choices in FW's and DAP's is not great for my mental or my pockets. At least your FW's are free and saved me from the DAP rabbit hole. You are a pillar of of this community and we are lucky to have you.

 

[nc8000]

There is only the RMT-NWS20. I bought mine in Japan so the price was reasonable, it does the job nicely. I have successfully got it working with my Samsung android phone.

To use the Sony remote to control your phone ?

 

[Hinomotocho]

I was thinking that someone knowledgeable and willing enough could create an Android app version of this remote. That would be nice.

Yes, someone like yourself with android knowledge. People would happily pay a small price for the app too.

To use the Sony remote to control your phone ?

Yes, I was on a Samsung thread and saw that someone was using the remote with their phone, I had tried unsuccessfully over the years. I don't know if there are changes with android base firmware bluetooth codecs or whatever but I tried and got it working with my Samsung S10. When going back to my Walkman I found that I had to reset the remote, but I have only tried it once. I have struggled to find an android remote for my phone and purchased a FiiO remote that was designed for one of their early daps, it works but is glitchy.