Sony Walkman custom firmware (non-Android)

[MrWalkman]

I didn't even know 92 and 94 existed, plus I didn't know 1.00 was even for download? Did 1.00 come from MrWalkman?

Found all previous versions (pre 1.10 I think) leaked on some Chinese part of the internet, they're real. I packaged them into single .exe files, same as normal updates from Sony.

Some people were reporting that 0.94 was present on 1A/1Z players that were toured to certain shops before the players were actually released, and people liked really much how they sounded back then.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Found all previous versions (pre 1.10 I think) leaked on some Chinese part of the internet, they're real. I packaged them into single .exe files, same as normal updates from Sony.

Some people were reporting that 0.94 was present on 1A/1Z players that were toured to certain shops before the players were actually released, and people liked really much how they sounded back then.

Cool. Thanks for that. There will be people who enjoy those early versions, and completists who need to try them.

 

[nc8000]

I didn't even know 92 and 94 existed, plus I didn't know 1.00 was even for download? Did 1.00 come from MrWalkman?

I can’t remember who originally supplied them but I think it was links in the original thread

 

[andnej]

is it safe to downgrade ?

 

[MrWalkman]

is it safe to downgrade ?

Yes, first revert to stock.

After downgrading to older firmware I recommend doing a Settings reset (not a factory one), otherwise some errors might come up.

 

[andnej]

Found all previous versions (pre 1.10 I think) leaked on some Chinese part of the internet, they're real. I packaged them into single .exe files, same as normal updates from Sony.

Some people were reporting that 0.94 was present on 1A/1Z players that were toured to certain shops before the players were actually released, and people liked really much how they sounded back then.

EDIT: found 1.02
UPDATE: initial impression: it conforms whatever put into the mindstorm excel file, the mid is very loud, very forward, so forward that The Eagles album "Hell freezes over", which is a live album, does not sound live anymore. The excel mentions that there is a feel of home theatre and yes I can confirm that, using IER-M9 with it I felt like going back to 1988, listening to my father's home audio set. I think the "syrupy analogue" is a description of a forward mid combined with warmth (low mid bump extending to the sub-bass). After listening for 2 hours, I went back to 3.02 immediately for comparison. In my opinion, 3.02 is more refined with better treble. I can confirm about the mids are in your head as compared to the "very loud mids" in 1.02

 

[andnej]

Yea that gap is so damn close that I can hardly tell a difference. But when I hear it vs the 1A in stock, there is definitely a jump. It is AMAZING how much the gap has closed from the the 1Z to the DMP-Z1!! WOW!!

Thanks, this answered my question about how close DMP-Z1 vs the MrWalkman firmware

 

[justsomesonyfan]

Thanks, this answered my question about how close DMP-Z1 vs the MrWalkman firmware

replying to a comment from 3 years ago, huh, i thought i was the only one doing big searches for specific comparisons and comments haha

 

[andnej]

replying to a comment from 3 years ago, huh, i thought i was the only one doing big searches for specific comparisons and comments haha

yeah it is because I asked some questions before about how close it is the bright tuning vs DMP-Z1 as the model name boldly stated as DMP-Z1. There is also a combination that will make the WM1A sounds similar like AK SP Series and there is also a custom ROM dan boldly stated that the sound is pretty similar with SP 2000 but with better bass impact which leads me to a hypothesis that it may sound exactly like DMP-Z1 but need a confirmation. That post confirmed my question and hopefully it is helpful to another person as well

There are also questions that I do not ask in this forum but got the answer by going trough the files and posts, reading this thread from the beginning is fruitful. Like how come the firmware sounds so close with WM1Z or DMP-Z1, how do the developers able to create such roms. I wish Sony will go back to Sony OS on M3 or at least gave us the option whether to use Sony OS or Android.

 

[bigbeans]

@MrWalkman, is there prospect of us getting the extra volume mode and ultra short delay (USB DAC) mode soon? Is there a beta firmware we can try with those features.

Best

 

[justsomesonyfan]

@MrWalkman, is there prospect of us getting the extra volume mode and ultra short delay (USB DAC) mode soon? Is there a beta firmware we can try with those features.

Best

if there is a beta firmware, would love to hop on the chance to try it

 

[greymousetaxi]

i tried setting up the low latency dac mode and it's just too confusing for me to understand where to start

 

[andnej]

I am using Bright + CA right now, in an attempt to produce sounds that is similar with Astell SP Series, comparing with Astell SR 25 and Cayin N3 Pro, I feel slow (as if the tempo is slower). Have tried setting the filter to Sharp Roll Off, still feeling slow. Any advice ?

UPDATE: after searching the whole thread looking for answers, it seems that the problem lies on the upper mid, frequency 2-4K is responsible for the attack, so I need a region that gives a good attack, strangely my original region fits to the description which is E, there was also someone in past mentioned about using E to get a good attack on WM1A. Now trying E and compare it. I think it solves one problem right now, still feels that it is a touch too warm. Tried J3, U3, E fits right now. I am currently looking to make it sound similar to my father's old setup (by memory).

 

[nc8000]

I must admit I don’t understand why people buy one dap and then spent energy and time trying to make it sound like a different dap. Why not just buy the other dap in the first place if that is the sound one want ?

 

[andnej]

I must admit I don’t understand why people buy one dap and then spent energy and time trying to make it sound like a different dap. Why not just buy the other dap in the first place if that is the sound one want ?

I'm an engineer, with a researcher mindset. The reason why I bought WM1A is because I like to tinker around, there is a certain sound that I seek, so I started with exploring this WM1A capabilities, I found that I can recreate other DAP's sound using WM1A + Mr Walkman's firmware, sometimes I intentionally go to an audio shop, tried anything DAP and attempt to recreate the sound. Found some config for SE 300, SP series (or SR 25 with fuller body, extended treble and deeper and stronger bass), Cayin N3 Pro solid state (there was a sound similar with the triode as well but I forgot to take note). Then suddenly I remembered my initial goal, which is to recreate my father's old setup, which is what I am currently doing. I have fun while doing that, sorry if I fill this thread with my questions.

Additionally, there is an audio community in my country, which is called "Audio Kere Hore", which in old times, their spirit is to find something that is more valuable then the price we pay. Hence, that spirit is also what inspires me to explore Mr Walkman's firmware. For example, SP 2000T second hand still around USD 1500, its tube sound is great, I can reproduce its sound using WM1A (Warm + J3 + Alternative DAC) and second hand WM1A only cost me USD 600 last December, I got more values than the price that I paid by doing that.