[gLer]

I feel like I've reached a roadblock lol... I can't really find any Walkman One tuning combination with region/DAC Initialization on my WM1Z, that matches the sound of my WM1A (Walkman One, SIG=0, REG=MX3, PMV=2)... I literally just bought this WM1Z and I feel like I wasted my money lmao... Granted I am limited to my BLON BL-03 earphones at the moment, but the BL-03 with my WM1A have such a good synergy for most/all my music compared to the WM1Z. I even tried the new J3 region with WM1Z external tuning and while it does sound good, there is always this subtle "strain" in the treble with any "J" region tuning that I hear that can sometimes "lash" out at me during loud segments in music (I listen to mainly rock/metal) which causes me to frantically turn down the volume lol. Perhaps I just need to upgrade my earphones to truly benefit from my WM1Z...

As much as I love the BL03, I feel you're not hearing any of the advantages of the WM1Z (or 1A for that matter) given the technical limitations of that IEM. You really need a higher-end IEM like the Z1R to unlock the potential of the Sony DAPs, and to show you the differences between the two. You're quite right that you wasted your money on a 1Z...but only because you're not using it with the right IEMs. You'll get just as much joy from the Blon with a decent $200 dongle. Just my 0.02 based on actual experience.

 

[Hinomotocho]

I feel like I've reached a roadblock lol... I can't really find any Walkman One tuning combination with region/DAC Initialization on my WM1Z, that matches the sound of my WM1A (Walkman One, SIG=0, REG=MX3, PMV=2)... I literally just bought this WM1Z and I feel like I wasted my money lmao... Granted I am limited to my BLON BL-03 earphones at the moment, but the BL-03 with my WM1A have such a good synergy for most/all my music compared to the WM1Z. I even tried the new J3 region with WM1Z external tuning and while it does sound good, there is always this subtle "strain" in the treble with any "J" region tuning that I hear that can sometimes "lash" out at me during loud segments in music (I listen to mainly rock/metal) which causes me to frantically turn down the volume lol. Perhaps I just need to upgrade my earphones to truly benefit from my WM1Z...

I feel that the 1A hit the sweet spot more than I experience with the 1Z across all my different recordings, I think it might be the V shape treble end that is the balance to the deeper bass end but almost takes away from the warm analogue description I had seen in countless reviews.
As an upgrade the 1Z bass depth and soundstage are worth it over the 1A.

I haven't tried the Blon03 but recently got the Blon01 to use with my phone, so I don't know how they compare. Coming from the IER-Z1R I am actually quite impressed with the 01 with many recordings but there are others that seem to show their limitations. I feel that the 1Z is something that deserves and would benefit from a higher end iem and in finding one with the right synergy with the 1Z will in time offer many rewards as you settle in with it opening up things like the staging, textures, details etc.
I don't know your budget and if the IER-Z1R or IER-M9 are out for your spending there are the older N3 or Z5 from Sony that could be a nice pairing. Otherwise there is an abundance of others that may cater to your tastes better.
The Blons are excellent for the price but do have their obvious limits.

 

[Ravenous]

As much as I love the BL03, I feel you're not hearing any of the advantages of the WM1Z (or 1A for that matter) given the technical limitations of that IEM. You really need a higher-end IEM like the Z1R to unlock the potential of the Sony DAPs, and to show you the differences between the two. You're quite right that you wasted your money on a 1Z...but only because you're not using it with the right IEMs. You'll get just as much joy from the Blon with a decent $200 dongle. Just my 0.02 based on actual experience.

I feel that the 1A hit the sweet spot more than I experience with the 1Z across all my different recordings, I think it might be the V shape treble end that is the balance to the deeper bass end but almost takes away from the warm analogue description I had seen in countless reviews.
As an upgrade the 1Z bass depth and soundstage are worth it over the 1A.

I haven't tried the Blon03 but recently got the Blon01 to use with my phone, so I don't know how they compare. Coming from the IER-Z1R I am actually quite impressed with the 01 with many recordings but there are others that seem to show their limitations. I feel that the 1Z is something that deserves and would benefit from a higher end iem and in finding one with the right synergy with the 1Z will in time offer many rewards as you settle in with it opening up things like the staging, textures, details etc.
I don't know your budget and if the IER-Z1R or IER-M9 are out for your spending there are the older N3 or Z5 from Sony that could be a nice pairing. Otherwise there is an abundance of others that may cater to your tastes better.
The Blons are excellent for the price but do have their obvious limits.

Thank you for your replies! I appreciate the suggestions. I was actually looking at getting the IER-Z1R before I purchased the 1Z but when I saw it for sale for $1300 on eBay my impulses got the better of me lol. Unfortunately, I was too late for the $1300 buy it now price and ended up having a bid war for it and won at $1400. The only reason I was hesitant to buy the IER-Z1R is because of the fit. I'll try to save up again to get them retail if I can, so if I don't like the fit I can always return them. I honestly wish there was a earphone shop near me that had the IER-Z1R's available for demoing. Anyways, sorry for being offtopic. I went back to Walkman One Neutral Tuning with MX3 Region and v2 Plus Mode with my WM1Z and that sounds the best to my ears. It sounds similar to my WM1A but the WM1Z with this tuning and settings makes the sound stage and imaging a bit wider in a lot of music, not that it is a bad thing but it doesn't sound as distinct and coherent as it does with the WM1A. Thanks again for the suggestions and thank you Mr. Walkman once again for your awesome firmware and tunings!

 

[magicguy]

Which tuning do you use on your 1A ?
The same you mentioned for your 1Z ?
=> Walkman One Neutral Tuning with MX3 Region and v2 Plus Mode ?

I was looking for a 1Z too, but the more I read the more I think I will keep my 1A…

Anyway, I agree with the fact you must upgrade your earphones in order to justify your 1Z.

 

[MrWalkman]

The low latency USB DAC mode also works on the A55.

Basically it works on all of these players: A30/A40/A50/WM1/ZX300.

One thing is that when this mode is active, sound effects will not work anymore. All audio is passed directly to the S-Master.

 

[newworld666]

The low latency USB DAC mode also works on the A55.

Basically it works on all of these players: A30/A40/A50/WM1/ZX300.

One thing is that when this mode is active, sound effects will not work anymore. All audio is passed directly to the S-Master.

Does it mean no EQ available ?

 

[MrWalkman]

Does it mean no EQ available ?

Indeed, EQ is also a sound effect. You'll still be able to use the normal USB DAC mode if you want.

 

[gLer]

My hat off to @MrWalkman for the 'Much Higher Gain' FW tweak. It's changed my perception of the WM1Z, from a DAP that I absolutely loved but felt just about provided enough power, to one that's even better now with more power (voltage?) than my previous Hiby RS6 and R8 DAPs (690mW/1.2W output) by comparison. I'm now driving both IER-Z1R and MDR-Z1R at a much lower volume setting than I did with the Hiby DAPs without any SQ penalty (if anything I feel SQ has actually improved), and any need/desire for an external amp has dissipated. If you own an OG 1A/1Z, you owe yourself to at least give it a try - and it's so easy to enable/disable at will. The only downside is that it doesn't support DSP or DSD/MQA files, which is where an external amp might still be useful for playing back these files or using DSP with harder-to-drive headphones.

 

[Scubadevils]

My hat off to @MrWalkman for the 'Much Higher Gain' FW tweak. It's changed my perception of the WM1Z, from a DAP that I absolutely loved but felt just about provided enough power, to one that's even better now with more power (voltage?) than my previous Hiby RS6 and R8 DAPs (690mW/1.2W output) by comparison. I'm now driving both IER-Z1R and MDR-Z1R at a much lower volume setting than I did with the Hiby DAPs without any SQ penalty (if anything I feel SQ has actually improved), and any need/desire for an external amp has dissipated. If you own an OG 1A/1Z, you owe yourself to at least give it a try - and it's so easy to enable/disable at will. The only downside is that it doesn't support DSP or DSD/MQA files, which is where an external amp might still be useful for playing back these files or using DSP with harder-to-drive headphones.

I must give it a try, and indeed experiment further with various settings for my 1A - I've been using the 1Z firmware on 'normal' mode for quite a while now.

 

[nc8000]

I must give it a try, and indeed experiment further with various settings for my 1A - I've been using the 1Z firmware on 'normal' mode for quite a while now.

It’s not available yet

 

[magicguy]

No DSD/MQA files ?

 

[nc8000]

No DSD/MQA files ?

Not when using this extra high gain mode, just like is the case with the current higher gain mode as those formats are handled by a different audio path

 

[gLer]

Not when using this extra high gain mode, just like is the case with the current higher gain mode as those formats are handled by a different audio path

Correct. It still plays DSD/MQA, just without the benefits of extra gain. If your library is mainly made up of DSD/MQA files, and you want to use less sensitive headphones, you'll probably want an external amp. If you're using regular headphones or IEMs, and you're listening mostly to non-DSD/MQA, the extra high gain mode will drive just about anything with plenty headroom to spare.

 

[magicguy]

That's very clear, thank you

 

[tommir]

It's probably kind of stupid question but still want to ask Will it be a big sound difference between A45, A55 and ZX300 with MrWalkman's soft?