Sony Walkman custom firmware (non-Android)

[aceedburn]

I’m within reach and I’m a common person. It can be done

Well not everyone is as lucky as you then I guess?

 

[Gamerlingual]

Well not everyone is as lucky as you then I guess?

Buying equipment used helped a lot and I’m a big cheapskate. I don’t eat expensive meals by choice and I mostly spend time at home with my wife and my Corgi. My only real luxury is just below in my signature. No car because I don’t need one in Japan.

 

[gsiu33]

Yes and No? I mean there is an overall smoothness which could be described as the deep personality of the Sony sound. It’s this milky almost dark overall sound that the TA and DMP-Z1 emulation touches on with both DAPs. Still it’s difficult to try and stretch a over-all tone character description across both the 1A and 1Z. They each have a way of reacting to the firmware their own way. Same as 3.01 and 3.02 was a different experience on each 1Z and 1A player ..........this new DMP-Z1 emulation is different. To me it’s too smooth in the 1A, yet closest to heaven in the 1Z. Absolutely historic in the 1Z and could be said to be better than the TA with detail retrieval; especially with IEMs. The TA will always have it’s DSD remastering that makes stuff slightly different. As far as I know that’s not a feature in the DAPs. Yet all the signature series has a kind of blanket sound. The wildcard is the 1A having that topped up electric-crazy 1A/1Z+ midrange crunch which neither TA or 1Z have going for it. The 1A has missed that tone with the DMP-Z1 emulation here. Though that character of midrange was transferred over now to the 1Z in DMP-Z1 emulation.

The DMP-Z1 with the 1A expands a different bass tone section into stratification in the soundstage, where the 1A/1Z+ leaves the 1A with a more concentrated point of deep fast bass. We all know the DMP-Z1 emulation left out a small segment of that bass grunt in the 1A which was loved in 1A with 1A/1Z+. Though crazy enough that bass midrange spectacle was carried over and placed right in the middle of the 1Z DMP-Z1 emulation yet then had even more added on top and bottom which was characteristic 1Z. So the TA kind of sits back not exactly being better better but slightly different. Some may think the 1A is even better with 1Z/1A+ if you became addicted to those mids? Those mids don’t exist in the TA at all? Also strangely enough if you were to listen to the 1A with 1Z/1A+ all day long the TA can almost sound slow in the bass department. Still that quick bass has always been tell-tale 1A from day one!

Also don’t forget the TA will always have the ability to overcome the two DAPs in driving power which helps full-size get just slightly better imaging and focus due to damping power. Yet as posted above............the 1A and 1Z has extra power now to drive full-size better, so the wedge between the 1A and 1Z in comparison to what the TA could do with full-size headphones became a narrower canyon.

To answer your questions on different regions; no. Only U and J regions. You’ve always asked me to travel the regions yet I’m happy with “J” on both players. Though remember too........I decline using DMP-Z1 emulation with the 1A, so maybe a change of region would make a difference? I’m really stuck using J region in the 1A with the 1A switched to 1Z and 1A/1Z+? I’m now using the first public release version of that still? Lol

Yeah but it’s not within reach of the common man. Let’s face it no middle or low income earner can ever dream of owning the Z1. At the current price at least.

Of course. But owner of 1A+1Z+TA-ZH1ES+Z1R won’t belong to these two tiers.

 

[Gamerlingual]

Of course. But owner of 1A+1Z+TA-ZH1ES+Z1R won’t belong to these two tiers.

I consider myself lower class. But oh ok

 

[seanwee]

I’m within reach and I’m a common person. It can be done

Even if I could I wouldn't

 

[Gamerlingual]

Even if I could I wouldn't

Same here. After comparing the modded 1Z to the DMP, there’s no reason to get it. The gap closed to a grain of sand.

 

[nc8000]

Yeah but it’s not within reach of the common man. Let’s face it no middle or low income earner can ever dream of owning the Z1. At the current price at least.

I would imagine that it is all about priorities and life and a persons situation. Much can be achieved by saving and protitising

 

[gerelmx1986]

I’m within reach and I’m a common person. It can be done

How does the actual thing (DMP-Z1) sounds to the imitation (wm1A with the FW mod of dmp)

 

[aceedburn]

I would imagine that it is all about priorities and life and a persons situation. Much can be achieved by saving and protitising

True to a certain extent. But I don’t see myself spending that much money for a slightly better sound. It’s not miles ahead in sonic differences. To me value is key. I would pay a high price for a high valued product. Not for an overpriced product or something to make a statement.

 

[gerelmx1986]

As @Gamerlingual says I also don't eat expensive restaurants unless birthday or so important. My hubby and I huy gof and supermarket at discounters like Aldi,, Lidl or netto and as a visually impaired i get a yearly right to ride for free the train and bus nationwide (costs only 80€ a year)

 

[gerelmx1986]

I am working on getting blind money. Blindengeld filling papers and so . Hopefully I can get access to it and save for a DMP-Z1 or WM1Z Mk2

 

[unifutomaki]

If I had SGD 10,500 burning a hole in my pocket, I'd probably put it in an investment plan rather than the DMP-Z1 Frankly the ZX-507 is at the top end of what I'd be willing to spend on a portable source for a hobby!

 

[AlexCBSN]

I consider myself lower class. But oh ok

Yeah... lower class from a first world country... right...

 

[nc8000]

True to a certain extent. But I don’t see myself spending that much money for a slightly better sound. It’s not miles ahead in sonic differences. To me value is key. I would pay a high price for a high valued product. Not for an overpriced product or something to make a statement.

Totally agree on the value part and I also can’t see myself spending that much

 

[Queen6]

Yeah but it’s not within reach of the common man. Let’s face it no middle or low income earner can ever dream of owning the Z1. At the current price at least.

Pricing can and does vary, locally I see the DMP-ZI as low as $6,700 potentially less. Personally I prefer something more portable that I can take with me and the DMP-Z1 like all such hardware will need the batteries replaced sooner or later which I can see being an issue over an extended period of time. I also enjoy the variation of differing DAP's so to sink all into a single solution would to some extents limit the fun.

Disappointingly not all brands are available with similar favourable pricing an Astell&Kern A&Ultima SP2000 for instance is exceeding an eye watering $4K...

Q-6