MrWalkman
Headphoneus Supremus
No longer applicable.
Last edited:
Sony Walkman custom firmware (non-Android)
- Thread starter MrWalkman
- Start date
Issue solved. Thank you!
MrWalkman
Headphoneus Supremus
I'll "make" my WM1A into ZX300 in order to test the installation/stock reverting of DMP-300 FE with the updated installers.
I didn't think of that before, sorry.
Edit: I just did, and all is fine now.
I didn't think of that before, sorry.
Edit: I just did, and all is fine now.
Last edited:
HeyManslowdown97
500+ Head-Fier
Absofreakinlutely!
Totally! @MrWalkman just a suggestion it may be cooler to include the regional tool and bat folder to your new releases or a link to Rockbox’s pages where there at as a supplementary download! It only enhances the experience of your rad work!
Last edited:
MrWalkman
Headphoneus Supremus
I'm thinking of making a more friendly way to change the regions, but I'll have to think about how I will do it.
proedros
Headphoneus Supremus
thanx , bookmarked those for future purchases
gsiu33
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2017
- Posts
- 211
- Likes
- 236
I do, most of the time using 1Z outside. I even take it go for hiking
HeyManslowdown97
500+ Head-Fier
DMP-A40 with Region U is nice.
rangerid
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2010
- Posts
- 852
- Likes
- 1,158
I am going to write about my journey thus far since getting back into the hobby after almost 6 years and what ultimately led to the discovery of this Custom Firmware. Last few years I've sold all my IEMs/headphones/DAC/Amps except for my trusty Starkey (now M-Fidelity) SA43 CIEMs to go with my equally ancient iPhone6S+. About a month ago I rediscovered Headfi and decided it was time for some upgrades.
My music taste these days is mainly electronic and what I look for in an audio setup is the overall presentation (soundstage, imaging, tonality, etc) first then technalities & details in specific frequencies second. I also have a pet peeve about leakage and external noise interferring so I've always preferred IEMs and closed back headphones for isolation purpases.
The first purchase I made was the Focal Stellia, which seems to fit what I am after. These costed almost 3x more than my CIEMs so I expected them to sound 3x better, fair right? SQ wise, everything was an upgrade from my CIEMs. The 2 areas that really stuck with me was the impact of the bass, which can be felt, and the warm, rich signature of the phones, which I really like. So did they meet my expectations? Yes and no. It's hard to quantify audio improvements but if I had to do it, I'd say yea, they did sound 3x better. At the same time, no, because I knew they were nowhere near their potentials driven out of my laptop and iPhone6.
This led to me search for a DAP to go with my Stellia. I really had no idea where to start since it's been so long since I've looked into audiophile gear. In the end, I chose Sony for 2 reasons, familiarity of brand and the most reviews/impressions I read points them as a musical, non analytical, warm sounding with good sound stage/presentation. To me those qualities should compliment the Stellia. I went with the 1Z over 1A because I didn't want a flat sound and wanted more bass presence for my taste.
1Z in 3.5mm SE (3.02 firmware)
I won't downplay it, the 1Z blew me away, even in its supposedly weaker 3.5mm unbalanced jack. If I thought the Stellia is 3x better than the SA43 + iPhone, then Stellia + 1Z is 4x better than Stellia + iPhone. The leap in performance is tremendous. For the first time I heard "layers" in music, or depth in soundstage. Up til now, the soundstage from my iPhone had good width and some height, but was really 2D. Ultimately, the only thing I felt missing is the bass slam. While the bass quality, texture, and extension greatly exceeded the iPhone's, the quantity and weight of the notes wasn't quite there. I will admit this might be very subjective due to the genre of music I listen to, but in bass heavy/focused Electronic music the difference was quite noticeable.
1Z + Signum+ (Artic Cable's UP-OCC Silver 4.4mm Balanced) + 3.02 firmware
Since the Stellia didn't come with 4.4mm balanced cables, I had to purchase aftermarket ones. I decided to go with Artic Cable's Signum+, an UPOCC 8-Core silver cable which I have read excellent reviews about especially when paired with the Stellia. From what I've read and understood, going balanced from unbalanced should yield an improvement in soundstage, imaging and separation but the frequencies/extensions themselves more or less stays the same.
After the 200 hours of burn in for both the input and cable, let's just say I was once again blown away. I'll fully acknowledge the fact that UPOCC cable upgrade is probably a massive upgrade on its own from Stellia's stock, combined with going balanced, the improvements are just magnified. Music just keep sounding better and better...
Whilest I had a rough idea of the sound signature I was after prior to purchasing the Stellia and 1Z, I really couldn't tell you in detail. However, I knew I will recognize it when I hear it.
Well, I've heard it, personally, this is perfection.
The soundstage is absolutely massive with extras I've never heard before from headphones or IEMs, forward projection and distance. The width is slightly greater than 3.5mm but it extends further in front. When called for in a recording, the artist feels in front of you rather than in the middle of your head with the instrument placed behind. In the past, I always perceived certain sounds as being softer or more quiet than others. Now, I am perceiving it as been further away in distance in comparison with others. In "Supermode - Tell Me Why", the repeated vocals have always seemed a bit quiet and recessed. However, now I realized it may be the fact the artist intended for them to be coming from afar, distanced from rest of the stage. I guess this is finally the so called 3D and soundstage depth I've read so much about but never experienced first hand. The SE gave a taste, but nowhere as prolific. It feels as if the entire soundstage has not only been shifted forward from the middle of your head several inches, but stretched out in front as well.
The issue with bass in 3.5mm is completely gone. The slam and impact is back. Bass has become something that can be felt rather than heard. Overall, there is more "weight" and texture to the low end. The vocals are lush and full sounding with great body and natural tonality. The highs are smooth and non fatiguing. I wouldn't say they are overly sparkly like you would find in more analytical sound. They are very easy on the ears and have tremendous air to them, which was lacking with the stock cable in SE. The overall tone is a warm, cozzy one, reminiscent of listening by a campfire. Musical notes are very much full bodied and rich.
While I am not one to look for every single microdetails, they have absolutely improved and I discovered small nuances here and there in songs I know by heart that was not there in all my previous listenings.
The craziest thing here is what I've described above are akin to those of the DMP-WM1 custom firmware. I've taken notes during every part of this process in 50 hour intervals for burn in purposes and none of what I've witnessed is looking back from memory now that I've heard the DMP-WM1 FE but rather from the moment at that time. I should also add here that I have NOT heard Mk1 or Mk2, so I am jumping straight into the latest and greatest by Mr Walkman. The Stellia with the UPOCC Cables in 3.02 firmware is what I was expecting when I upgraded the firmware the the DMP-FE. I've mentioned before I have a sneaky feeling the upgraded cables are playing a tremendous role here in performance and perhaps had it not been for that, the magnitude of improvements might not have been there. Nevertheless, they are there and to my ears and taste, it was perfect.
1Z + Signum+ Cable + DMP-WM1 FE by Mr. Walkman
I won't lie, I was sceptical about how much impact a firmware upgrade can have on sound. I don't have any expertise in the area but have always assumed it was mainly the hardware that was responsible. I've read nothing but positive things about the custom firmware since MK1 and read through the whole thread so I was excited, but I was also prepared for disappointment in case things were exaggerated. Plus, how do you improve upon what I called "perfection" above? I didn't have an answer until I heard the DMP-WM1 FE.
You make perfection better by giving more of it, as simple as that.
Suppose there's a place that serves your favourite fries. You wouldn't change anything about it. So the only thing that can improve the experience is to order a Large size instead of Small so you can have more. That's what the FE here does, it takes the sound in stock 3.02 and gives you more of it. I knew immediately within seconds the sound was different yet familiar, but couldn't quite put my fingers on it. It took about 2 hours of listening to be able to put it into words.
I will borrow another analogy, a magnifying glass, to describe what I am hearing. Suppose there is a rock you want to study, with the naked eye it is a certain size and a limited amount of details. However, when you look at it with a magnifying glass, all of a sudden the rock looks bigger and all the small details, roughness, texture, etc. just stands out more. Nothing was done physically to the rock and the magnifying glass doesn't add any details or anything that wasn't already there, it simply makes everything bigger and easier to see. Music, the notes, instruments, all sound bigger. That is what I think is happening with the FE.
The firmware doesn't add anything that the DAP didn't already have. It doesn't artifically inject details, tonality, or soundstage for that matter (I will describe this in greater details later). It takes the sound already produced and magnify it. All the extra texture, microdetails, extension etc, etc., they are nothing new, but perhaps had taken more of a backseat in the 3.02. The FE magnifies those and brings them to your attention.
The treble is the most interesting. There is the same great air and extension I was hearing before. When you magnify it, there is even more air and perceived extension. Small cymbals in the background all of a sudden becomes more apparent and shine a bit more. It's like before it was in font size 6 but is now size 10. Nothing was added but made bigger. The magnification does something interesting to the overall tone as well, an increase in perceived brightness. It's like upping the size of the same lightbulb. They might have the same brightness rating but when you increase the size, you inevitably get a brighter bulb. That said, the treble here doesn't feel unnatural, forced, or overly sparkly like in more analytical sources. It's just there, shining a bit brighter because it was made bigger, not because it was made artificially bigger. When broken down and analyzed, one would conclude that the 1Z is now brighter, but it is not when looked at as a package with the bass and soundstage.
Often, when there is excessive treble compared to the bass, the sound becomes bright. This is not the case here because the size of the bass scales up proportionally. It's also why I feel nothing was added but just made bigger. I always images the bass beat as a circle; if the circumference before was 2 units, it is now 3 units. The weight, texture, slam, and feel all scales up. Drums hit a bit harder, bass guitar notes feels heavier, and those barely audible subbass hit before are now clearly audible. The reverbs and rumble also increase causing you to really feel the weight in the low ends. The warmth added from it "cancels" out the brightness from the treble.
Similarily, the mids/vocals increases size, preventing the sound from become v/u shaped. All of a sudden, I feel as if not only the font size increases here, but it has also been bolded. The voice is bigger, more lifelike. The tiniest breathing, inhales and exhales can be heard. In songs where voice has been digitally edited, like "Sick Individuals - Alive", the voice is now more lifelike and less digital. My guess as to how this happened is during the editing process, the voice became thinned out and metallicy. When the FE enlarged the vocals, they once again become full and more realistic.
So highs, mids and lows individually are all very impressive in their own ways, but how do they sound tegether, how is the soundstage and presentation of these big sounds. Well I've saved what I think is the best for last. To help illustrate, I've drawn out what I think the soundstage images to me visually:
In the SE output, the soundstage is typical of closed back headphones/IEMs. It is very much in your head. There is good width and some height but lacks depth and any kind of forward projection to create that sense of 3D space. I'd describe it as a "sheet" of music in that goes from ear to ear and left to right. Don't get me wrong, it sounds fantastic with with good imaging and separation. Music sound wide and expansive but ultimately, there isn't much imaging front to back or up and down.
In balanced output with the upgraded cables, the soundstage takes a leap forward, literally. The soundstage feels that it has been shifted several inches forward and extends beyond the inside of your head. There is forward projection and the artist gives the illusion they are in front of you rather than in the middle of your head. I'd describe it as front row seat, right up next to the stage type of experience. When the music plays, you find yourself looking forward more to listen to the music rather than always left to right in your head. There is a noticeable increase in both height and depth which results in greater separation and imaging. Instruments have more distinct edge and space between them because, well, in this larger, 3D soundstage, there is more "space" to allow it. To put it another way, it doesn't feel as "cramped". The depth also allow for sound to have illusion of distance. Rather than something sounding louder or more quiet than another, now it sounds further away. I will once again make the important caveat that the upgraded UPOCC silver cables probably played a key role in further improving the soundstage, had it not been for that and I was using a stock cable, the performance might not have been half as impressive. For review purposes, this is not a fair comparison with the SE since a key variable has changed.
However, the comparison I will now do with the soundstage of the FE is a fair one, since all variables are kept constant except the firmware itself. What can I say, it's surreal, breathtaking, and like nothing I have ever heard or imagined what headphones can sound like. If you look at the image I've protrayed above, you will see the only difference between the FE and Sony 3.02 stock fw is that the soundstage has expanded BACKWARDS. It shouldn't be that big of a deal right, but sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference.
I mentioned in stock fw balanced, the soundstage literally shifted foward, giving forward projection and no longer that left to right in your head sound that the 3.5mm suffers from. However, when this happens, you are left with a sort of metaphorical "void" if you will in the back of the soundstage where the left to right sound used to be. This is something I would have never noticed and one of those instances of not realizing what was missing until you are shown something that has that missing piece. In this case, it clear as day to my ears upon listening to the FE and it is this key piece of the puzzle that completed the holographic imaging and soundstage I've read over and over but could never find a detailed explaination for. I am not even sure if I am describing it accurately since it seems so abstract.
Earlier, I described the in your head unbalanced sound as flat, kind of like a sheet. I will say that the 4.4mm balanced with stock sounds more like a "rectangular cube". In comparison, the sound in FE is more spherical. I cannot call it a sphere, but it's sphere like. The front of the soundstage, starting from where the 4.4mm forward projects to, seems to "wrap around" to the side, extending back to where the positioning of the 3.5mm soundstage is. The edges are softer, there is as much depth as there is height as there is width. This "wrap around" effect is what I perceive is causing the holographic soundstage because when it happens, all of a sudden you have a lot more "room" or "space" for the other sounds and insturment to fill in. The stock fw still have this effect, but to a much lesser extent since it cannot continue "wrapping around" to the where the 3.5mm soundstage space is since it has been forward projected, hence the "void" I described.
Ultimately, what you are presented with is a soundstage that is both simultaneously in your head from left to right and projected in front of you on the z axis, creating a massive headroom. You are surrounded by music coming from all directions, not just left to right or from the front. You have moved from being an audience in the front row to being on stage with the musicians.
It's an intimate feeling, but not in the traditional sense of the word which might imply a small soundstage. It is very much the opposite. It is initimate that you feel you are one with the music.
Imaging and instrument separation are prolific as it should be in such a soundstage. There is just so much room. Each sound seems to occupy its own "space" and regardless if it's a drumbeat, cymbal clash, or vocals, nothing interferes with each other, only plays together.
I'd also like to take a step back to way earlier when I said the FE doesn't change anything, but rather makes everything bigger and gives you more of it. Well, in order for the bigger sound to fit together and not feel cramped, this sort of expansive, holographic staging is almost a requirement, otherwise everything will just sound congested and cramped.
I've also described there is a perceived increase in brightness of the treble since like everything else it is magnified and become more full bodied. Likewise, there is the extra warmth from the bigger bass which I previously said "cancels" out the brightness. This wasn't quite accurate to my ears but the best I could describe before bringing soundstage into the equation. They don't really cancel each other out. Rather, they each occupy their own "space" in the soundstage and never interferes or "bleeds" into one another. If you were to focus on the one area of the soundstage with treble, that area sounds bright. If you focused on the bass rumbles, the surrounding space feels warm. In a soundstage with so much depth, width, and height, there is simply room for this to happen. It's what you'd expect from a live, in person performance, everything just sounds real, natural.
Previously, I had called the sound produced from the Stellia + UPOCC cable + 3.02 FW perfection for me. Now that I've experienced the FE firmware, do I take my words back?
I am going to say "not exactly". I don't exactly look at the FE as a direct ugrade in sound, rather a sidegrade. It is the 3.02's bolder, flashier brother. 3.02 in comparions is more reserved, easy going, and laid back. It doesn't have the "WOW" factor the FE has, it is more humble in nature. Each is perfect in its own way, as cliche as that sounds. With the FE, there is just so much, so much of everything, almost too much at times. It's more bass, more treble, more vocals, more soundstage, bigger bass, bigger treble, and so forth. It throws you right in the middle of it. You become complete immersed in sound, there's no place to run to, sound comes at you from all directions and side. It is what you would show to your non audiophile friends to impress because it most definitely has that little something that makes it different and special. It is so addicting.
At the same time, I can relate and understand if this type of presentation of music doesn't not appease your ears. Sometimes you just want a more laid back and relaxed listening experience and presentation. The FE does not give you that. It absolute commands your attention. Maybe you prefer the front row experience more than being in the center of the stage. Just like I won't say warm sounding headphones are superior to analytical ones, I won't say the FE is better than Sony's 3.02. They are simply different and some might just prefer one of the other. Myself, I love it, I cannot get enough of it.
What you have done here in creating this firmware is nothing short of magical, Mr. Walkman. Just how impressive? I'd say if Sony were to take the existing 1A or 1Z, change absolutely nothing hardware wise and just slapped on this firmware, they can easily repackage it as the future 1A/Z successor and none would be the wiser.
I cannot thank you enough for sharing this with everyone and if anybody deserves the name Mr. Walkman, it's you.
My music taste these days is mainly electronic and what I look for in an audio setup is the overall presentation (soundstage, imaging, tonality, etc) first then technalities & details in specific frequencies second. I also have a pet peeve about leakage and external noise interferring so I've always preferred IEMs and closed back headphones for isolation purpases.
The first purchase I made was the Focal Stellia, which seems to fit what I am after. These costed almost 3x more than my CIEMs so I expected them to sound 3x better, fair right? SQ wise, everything was an upgrade from my CIEMs. The 2 areas that really stuck with me was the impact of the bass, which can be felt, and the warm, rich signature of the phones, which I really like. So did they meet my expectations? Yes and no. It's hard to quantify audio improvements but if I had to do it, I'd say yea, they did sound 3x better. At the same time, no, because I knew they were nowhere near their potentials driven out of my laptop and iPhone6.
This led to me search for a DAP to go with my Stellia. I really had no idea where to start since it's been so long since I've looked into audiophile gear. In the end, I chose Sony for 2 reasons, familiarity of brand and the most reviews/impressions I read points them as a musical, non analytical, warm sounding with good sound stage/presentation. To me those qualities should compliment the Stellia. I went with the 1Z over 1A because I didn't want a flat sound and wanted more bass presence for my taste.
1Z in 3.5mm SE (3.02 firmware)
I won't downplay it, the 1Z blew me away, even in its supposedly weaker 3.5mm unbalanced jack. If I thought the Stellia is 3x better than the SA43 + iPhone, then Stellia + 1Z is 4x better than Stellia + iPhone. The leap in performance is tremendous. For the first time I heard "layers" in music, or depth in soundstage. Up til now, the soundstage from my iPhone had good width and some height, but was really 2D. Ultimately, the only thing I felt missing is the bass slam. While the bass quality, texture, and extension greatly exceeded the iPhone's, the quantity and weight of the notes wasn't quite there. I will admit this might be very subjective due to the genre of music I listen to, but in bass heavy/focused Electronic music the difference was quite noticeable.
1Z + Signum+ (Artic Cable's UP-OCC Silver 4.4mm Balanced) + 3.02 firmware
Since the Stellia didn't come with 4.4mm balanced cables, I had to purchase aftermarket ones. I decided to go with Artic Cable's Signum+, an UPOCC 8-Core silver cable which I have read excellent reviews about especially when paired with the Stellia. From what I've read and understood, going balanced from unbalanced should yield an improvement in soundstage, imaging and separation but the frequencies/extensions themselves more or less stays the same.
After the 200 hours of burn in for both the input and cable, let's just say I was once again blown away. I'll fully acknowledge the fact that UPOCC cable upgrade is probably a massive upgrade on its own from Stellia's stock, combined with going balanced, the improvements are just magnified. Music just keep sounding better and better...
Whilest I had a rough idea of the sound signature I was after prior to purchasing the Stellia and 1Z, I really couldn't tell you in detail. However, I knew I will recognize it when I hear it.
Well, I've heard it, personally, this is perfection.
The soundstage is absolutely massive with extras I've never heard before from headphones or IEMs, forward projection and distance. The width is slightly greater than 3.5mm but it extends further in front. When called for in a recording, the artist feels in front of you rather than in the middle of your head with the instrument placed behind. In the past, I always perceived certain sounds as being softer or more quiet than others. Now, I am perceiving it as been further away in distance in comparison with others. In "Supermode - Tell Me Why", the repeated vocals have always seemed a bit quiet and recessed. However, now I realized it may be the fact the artist intended for them to be coming from afar, distanced from rest of the stage. I guess this is finally the so called 3D and soundstage depth I've read so much about but never experienced first hand. The SE gave a taste, but nowhere as prolific. It feels as if the entire soundstage has not only been shifted forward from the middle of your head several inches, but stretched out in front as well.
The issue with bass in 3.5mm is completely gone. The slam and impact is back. Bass has become something that can be felt rather than heard. Overall, there is more "weight" and texture to the low end. The vocals are lush and full sounding with great body and natural tonality. The highs are smooth and non fatiguing. I wouldn't say they are overly sparkly like you would find in more analytical sound. They are very easy on the ears and have tremendous air to them, which was lacking with the stock cable in SE. The overall tone is a warm, cozzy one, reminiscent of listening by a campfire. Musical notes are very much full bodied and rich.
While I am not one to look for every single microdetails, they have absolutely improved and I discovered small nuances here and there in songs I know by heart that was not there in all my previous listenings.
The craziest thing here is what I've described above are akin to those of the DMP-WM1 custom firmware. I've taken notes during every part of this process in 50 hour intervals for burn in purposes and none of what I've witnessed is looking back from memory now that I've heard the DMP-WM1 FE but rather from the moment at that time. I should also add here that I have NOT heard Mk1 or Mk2, so I am jumping straight into the latest and greatest by Mr Walkman. The Stellia with the UPOCC Cables in 3.02 firmware is what I was expecting when I upgraded the firmware the the DMP-FE. I've mentioned before I have a sneaky feeling the upgraded cables are playing a tremendous role here in performance and perhaps had it not been for that, the magnitude of improvements might not have been there. Nevertheless, they are there and to my ears and taste, it was perfect.
1Z + Signum+ Cable + DMP-WM1 FE by Mr. Walkman
I won't lie, I was sceptical about how much impact a firmware upgrade can have on sound. I don't have any expertise in the area but have always assumed it was mainly the hardware that was responsible. I've read nothing but positive things about the custom firmware since MK1 and read through the whole thread so I was excited, but I was also prepared for disappointment in case things were exaggerated. Plus, how do you improve upon what I called "perfection" above? I didn't have an answer until I heard the DMP-WM1 FE.
You make perfection better by giving more of it, as simple as that.
Suppose there's a place that serves your favourite fries. You wouldn't change anything about it. So the only thing that can improve the experience is to order a Large size instead of Small so you can have more. That's what the FE here does, it takes the sound in stock 3.02 and gives you more of it. I knew immediately within seconds the sound was different yet familiar, but couldn't quite put my fingers on it. It took about 2 hours of listening to be able to put it into words.
I will borrow another analogy, a magnifying glass, to describe what I am hearing. Suppose there is a rock you want to study, with the naked eye it is a certain size and a limited amount of details. However, when you look at it with a magnifying glass, all of a sudden the rock looks bigger and all the small details, roughness, texture, etc. just stands out more. Nothing was done physically to the rock and the magnifying glass doesn't add any details or anything that wasn't already there, it simply makes everything bigger and easier to see. Music, the notes, instruments, all sound bigger. That is what I think is happening with the FE.
The firmware doesn't add anything that the DAP didn't already have. It doesn't artifically inject details, tonality, or soundstage for that matter (I will describe this in greater details later). It takes the sound already produced and magnify it. All the extra texture, microdetails, extension etc, etc., they are nothing new, but perhaps had taken more of a backseat in the 3.02. The FE magnifies those and brings them to your attention.
The treble is the most interesting. There is the same great air and extension I was hearing before. When you magnify it, there is even more air and perceived extension. Small cymbals in the background all of a sudden becomes more apparent and shine a bit more. It's like before it was in font size 6 but is now size 10. Nothing was added but made bigger. The magnification does something interesting to the overall tone as well, an increase in perceived brightness. It's like upping the size of the same lightbulb. They might have the same brightness rating but when you increase the size, you inevitably get a brighter bulb. That said, the treble here doesn't feel unnatural, forced, or overly sparkly like in more analytical sources. It's just there, shining a bit brighter because it was made bigger, not because it was made artificially bigger. When broken down and analyzed, one would conclude that the 1Z is now brighter, but it is not when looked at as a package with the bass and soundstage.
Often, when there is excessive treble compared to the bass, the sound becomes bright. This is not the case here because the size of the bass scales up proportionally. It's also why I feel nothing was added but just made bigger. I always images the bass beat as a circle; if the circumference before was 2 units, it is now 3 units. The weight, texture, slam, and feel all scales up. Drums hit a bit harder, bass guitar notes feels heavier, and those barely audible subbass hit before are now clearly audible. The reverbs and rumble also increase causing you to really feel the weight in the low ends. The warmth added from it "cancels" out the brightness from the treble.
Similarily, the mids/vocals increases size, preventing the sound from become v/u shaped. All of a sudden, I feel as if not only the font size increases here, but it has also been bolded. The voice is bigger, more lifelike. The tiniest breathing, inhales and exhales can be heard. In songs where voice has been digitally edited, like "Sick Individuals - Alive", the voice is now more lifelike and less digital. My guess as to how this happened is during the editing process, the voice became thinned out and metallicy. When the FE enlarged the vocals, they once again become full and more realistic.
So highs, mids and lows individually are all very impressive in their own ways, but how do they sound tegether, how is the soundstage and presentation of these big sounds. Well I've saved what I think is the best for last. To help illustrate, I've drawn out what I think the soundstage images to me visually:
In the SE output, the soundstage is typical of closed back headphones/IEMs. It is very much in your head. There is good width and some height but lacks depth and any kind of forward projection to create that sense of 3D space. I'd describe it as a "sheet" of music in that goes from ear to ear and left to right. Don't get me wrong, it sounds fantastic with with good imaging and separation. Music sound wide and expansive but ultimately, there isn't much imaging front to back or up and down.
In balanced output with the upgraded cables, the soundstage takes a leap forward, literally. The soundstage feels that it has been shifted several inches forward and extends beyond the inside of your head. There is forward projection and the artist gives the illusion they are in front of you rather than in the middle of your head. I'd describe it as front row seat, right up next to the stage type of experience. When the music plays, you find yourself looking forward more to listen to the music rather than always left to right in your head. There is a noticeable increase in both height and depth which results in greater separation and imaging. Instruments have more distinct edge and space between them because, well, in this larger, 3D soundstage, there is more "space" to allow it. To put it another way, it doesn't feel as "cramped". The depth also allow for sound to have illusion of distance. Rather than something sounding louder or more quiet than another, now it sounds further away. I will once again make the important caveat that the upgraded UPOCC silver cables probably played a key role in further improving the soundstage, had it not been for that and I was using a stock cable, the performance might not have been half as impressive. For review purposes, this is not a fair comparison with the SE since a key variable has changed.
However, the comparison I will now do with the soundstage of the FE is a fair one, since all variables are kept constant except the firmware itself. What can I say, it's surreal, breathtaking, and like nothing I have ever heard or imagined what headphones can sound like. If you look at the image I've protrayed above, you will see the only difference between the FE and Sony 3.02 stock fw is that the soundstage has expanded BACKWARDS. It shouldn't be that big of a deal right, but sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference.
I mentioned in stock fw balanced, the soundstage literally shifted foward, giving forward projection and no longer that left to right in your head sound that the 3.5mm suffers from. However, when this happens, you are left with a sort of metaphorical "void" if you will in the back of the soundstage where the left to right sound used to be. This is something I would have never noticed and one of those instances of not realizing what was missing until you are shown something that has that missing piece. In this case, it clear as day to my ears upon listening to the FE and it is this key piece of the puzzle that completed the holographic imaging and soundstage I've read over and over but could never find a detailed explaination for. I am not even sure if I am describing it accurately since it seems so abstract.
Earlier, I described the in your head unbalanced sound as flat, kind of like a sheet. I will say that the 4.4mm balanced with stock sounds more like a "rectangular cube". In comparison, the sound in FE is more spherical. I cannot call it a sphere, but it's sphere like. The front of the soundstage, starting from where the 4.4mm forward projects to, seems to "wrap around" to the side, extending back to where the positioning of the 3.5mm soundstage is. The edges are softer, there is as much depth as there is height as there is width. This "wrap around" effect is what I perceive is causing the holographic soundstage because when it happens, all of a sudden you have a lot more "room" or "space" for the other sounds and insturment to fill in. The stock fw still have this effect, but to a much lesser extent since it cannot continue "wrapping around" to the where the 3.5mm soundstage space is since it has been forward projected, hence the "void" I described.
Ultimately, what you are presented with is a soundstage that is both simultaneously in your head from left to right and projected in front of you on the z axis, creating a massive headroom. You are surrounded by music coming from all directions, not just left to right or from the front. You have moved from being an audience in the front row to being on stage with the musicians.
It's an intimate feeling, but not in the traditional sense of the word which might imply a small soundstage. It is very much the opposite. It is initimate that you feel you are one with the music.
Imaging and instrument separation are prolific as it should be in such a soundstage. There is just so much room. Each sound seems to occupy its own "space" and regardless if it's a drumbeat, cymbal clash, or vocals, nothing interferes with each other, only plays together.
I'd also like to take a step back to way earlier when I said the FE doesn't change anything, but rather makes everything bigger and gives you more of it. Well, in order for the bigger sound to fit together and not feel cramped, this sort of expansive, holographic staging is almost a requirement, otherwise everything will just sound congested and cramped.
I've also described there is a perceived increase in brightness of the treble since like everything else it is magnified and become more full bodied. Likewise, there is the extra warmth from the bigger bass which I previously said "cancels" out the brightness. This wasn't quite accurate to my ears but the best I could describe before bringing soundstage into the equation. They don't really cancel each other out. Rather, they each occupy their own "space" in the soundstage and never interferes or "bleeds" into one another. If you were to focus on the one area of the soundstage with treble, that area sounds bright. If you focused on the bass rumbles, the surrounding space feels warm. In a soundstage with so much depth, width, and height, there is simply room for this to happen. It's what you'd expect from a live, in person performance, everything just sounds real, natural.
Previously, I had called the sound produced from the Stellia + UPOCC cable + 3.02 FW perfection for me. Now that I've experienced the FE firmware, do I take my words back?
I am going to say "not exactly". I don't exactly look at the FE as a direct ugrade in sound, rather a sidegrade. It is the 3.02's bolder, flashier brother. 3.02 in comparions is more reserved, easy going, and laid back. It doesn't have the "WOW" factor the FE has, it is more humble in nature. Each is perfect in its own way, as cliche as that sounds. With the FE, there is just so much, so much of everything, almost too much at times. It's more bass, more treble, more vocals, more soundstage, bigger bass, bigger treble, and so forth. It throws you right in the middle of it. You become complete immersed in sound, there's no place to run to, sound comes at you from all directions and side. It is what you would show to your non audiophile friends to impress because it most definitely has that little something that makes it different and special. It is so addicting.
At the same time, I can relate and understand if this type of presentation of music doesn't not appease your ears. Sometimes you just want a more laid back and relaxed listening experience and presentation. The FE does not give you that. It absolute commands your attention. Maybe you prefer the front row experience more than being in the center of the stage. Just like I won't say warm sounding headphones are superior to analytical ones, I won't say the FE is better than Sony's 3.02. They are simply different and some might just prefer one of the other. Myself, I love it, I cannot get enough of it.
What you have done here in creating this firmware is nothing short of magical, Mr. Walkman. Just how impressive? I'd say if Sony were to take the existing 1A or 1Z, change absolutely nothing hardware wise and just slapped on this firmware, they can easily repackage it as the future 1A/Z successor and none would be the wiser.
I cannot thank you enough for sharing this with everyone and if anybody deserves the name Mr. Walkman, it's you.
aceedburn
1000+ Head-Fier
Awesome. So, now i do!I do, most of the time using 1Z outside. I even take it go for hiking
superuser1
Headphoneus Supremus
I have successfully installed the FE and going to put it through its paces. Thank you @MrWalkman
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NickleCo
Previously known as DatDudeNic
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2016
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Lol! But he did look like a total chad lugging that thing around x)
Kad998
Head-Fier
I definitely carry mine around! Lol albeit carefully, she’s on the go with me!
hamhamhamsta
500+ Head-Fier
Me too, I always carry mine around. It’s worth it, so why not enjoy it. After all, life’s short. Just need very strong pants and belts
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