Sony Walkman custom firmware (non-Android)

[WilcoRoger]

what headphones are you using? I cannot go over 75 without hurting my ears wih a D5200 or HD6xx, so plenty of juice from the 3,5mm jack, IME

 

[Duncan]

Will there be a huge difference betweven connecting an amp to the a55 from headphone out to amp and line out to amp?.through the headphone out , I’m not getting much volume.

Which way around are you not getting the volume you want? - I must confess that I've had a FiiO L5 adapter for many years, still sealed in its packaging - this new discussion about the A55 is making me think about connecting via line out to my Vorzuge Pure II+

As an aside, as great as the WM1x are, its funny how something that can supercharge the lower models (line out) isn't available on the more TOTL players

 

[pranchi585]

Which way around are you not getting the volume you want? - I must confess that I've had a FiiO L5 adapter for many years, still sealed in its packaging - this new discussion about the A55 is making me think about connecting via line out to my Vorzuge Pure II+

As an aside, as great as the WM1x are, its funny how something that can supercharge the lower models (line out) isn't available on the more TOTL players

I’m using the z7.I’m running it balanced via 4.4 through a q3. with the q3 alone need only around 30-40%.with the a55 to q3 via headphone out,need 70-80% On the q3.any reason for This?

 

[emilsoft]

Will there be a huge difference betweven connecting an amp to the a55 from headphone out to amp and line out to amp?.through the headphone out , I’m not getting much volume.

It's about the same, line out might be even be bit less

 

[Queen6]

what headphones are you using? I cannot go over 75 without hurting my ears wih a D5200 or HD6xx, so plenty of juice from the 3,5mm jack, IME

It's not about the volume, more drivability & dynamics. On WM1A I always defer to the 4.4 balanced port as quality versus the rather anaemic 3.5 SE port.

Q-6

 

[Gamerlingual]

It's not about the volume, more drivability & dynamics. On WM1A I always defer to the 4.4 balanced port as quality versus the rather anaemic 3.5 SE port.

Q-6

Yup. The 1A and 1Z drive my MDR-Z1R on high gain no problem on the 4.4mm port

 

[Queen6]

Yup. The 1A and 1Z drive my MDR-Z1R on high gain no problem on the 4.4mm port

Even then a little more wouldn't hurt, equally good enough for on the go. Sony's dilemma is to increase the 1A/1Z power output, without impacting runtime on battery and longevity, all while maintaining the smooth house sound, not an easy task by any means.

The 1A/1Z do not measure well or offer powerful amplification, equally they are popular for very good reason. Music simply can not be distilled down to ones & zeros, facts & figures, quantifiable values charted & graphed. Music is an emotion with the DAP and headgear of choice adding to the colouration the listener desires, something Sony clearly gets, that some miss...

Q-6

 

[Gamerlingual]

Even then a little more wouldn't hurt, equally good enough for on the go. Sony's dilemma is to increase the 1A/1Z power output, without impacting runtime on battery and longevity, all while maintaining the smooth house sound, not an easy task by any means.

The 1A/1Z do not measure well or offer powerful amplification, equally they are popular for very good reason, music simply can not be distilled down to ones & zeros, facts & figures, quantifiable values charted & graphed. Music is an emotion with the DAP and headgear of choice adding to the colouration the listener desires, something Sony clearly gets, that some miss...

Q-6

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in general, I think they have enough power for the Z7M2 and the MDR-Z1R. Only thing from them that offers much more power is the DMP-Z1, but the 1A and 1Z offer enough power, don't they?

 

[nc8000]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in general, I think they have enough power for the Z7M2 and the MDR-Z1R. Only thing from them that offers much more power is the DMP-Z1, but the 1A and 1Z offer enough power, don't they?

They offer enough power to make the MDR-Z1R perfectly enjoyable, but more power makes them better. Now whether this difference is worth the hassle is another matter and using other/extra gear changes the WM1 signature to some extent

 

[Duncan]

I should stop coming to this thread - each time a new discovery!

So, unscientific - based on my ears (and a large portion being based on the Vorzuge), nothing else - my current preferred outputs (in order from least preferred to best) are:

A55(z) HO -------> WM1A(Project Z) 3.5 ---------------------------------------> A55(z) LO (FiiO L5 & Vorzuge Pure II+) -> WM1A(Project Z) 4.4

Considering the Vorzuge is single ended, it is beautifully balanced, and actually drives better than the WM1A 4.4, but - the bigger Sony player ultimately has the better tonality.

It is brilliant to have choices.

 

[Gamerlingual]

They offer enough power to make the MDR-Z1R perfectly enjoyable, but more power makes them better. Now whether this difference is worth the hassle is another matter and using other/extra gear changes the WM1 signature to some extent

The TA gives them plenty of juice. I just felt this new Firmware seems to provide even more juice to our DAPs.

 

[pranchi585]

I should stop coming to this thread - each time a new discovery!

So, unscientific - based on my ears (and a large portion being based on the Vorzuge), nothing else - my current preferred outputs (in order from least preferred to best) are:

A55(z) HO -------> WM1A(Project Z) 3.5 ---------------------------------------> A55(z) LO (FiiO L5 & Vorzuge Pure II+) -> WM1A(Project Z) 4.4

Considering the Vorzuge is single ended, it is beautifully balanced, and actually drives better than the WM1A 4.4, but - the bigger Sony player ultimately has the better tonality.

It is brilliant to have choices.

Have you tried connecting the amp via line out and headphone out?.is the l5 cable worth the price ?

 

[Duncan]

Have you tried connecting the amp via line out and headphone out?.is the l5 cable worth the price ?

Good question - just done this now, the line out is much more present, rich, full bodied, the headphone out sounds quite thin (and sharp) in direct comparison, when plugged into the amp...

The downside, the L5 is discontinued it appears, so - quite glad I bought this one a few years back... I'm sure other cables are available though

 

[pranchi585]

Good question - just done this now, the line out is much more present, rich, full bodied, the headphone out sounds quite thin (and sharp) in direct comparison, when plugged into the amp...

The downside, the L5 is discontinued it appears, so - quite glad I bought this one a few years back... I'm sure other cables are available though

Thank you for the comparison. Bought a Wm port to 3.5 off eBay.

 

[Queen6]

The TA gives them plenty of juice. I just felt this new Firmware seems to provide even more juice to our DAPs.

WM1A/1Z tops out at 250mW @ 16 Ohms, TA-ZH1ES tops out at 1,200 mW @ 32 ohms which is a significant differnce. FEv2 Plus and Project Z Plus keep the WM1A/1Z in high power mode that's the differnce your hearing. Majority of headgear benefits from more power helping to sound more dynamic & authoritative, equally for portables a balance must be struck for obvious reasons.

Q-6