MrWalkman DMP-Z1MK2/Sony 1A/Noble K-10 Encore/HanSound ZENTOO
There is a song called “Dark Side”.......it’s the 11th song on this album which comes as a 48kHz/24bit file. The band is called Yello and the album is called “Toy”.
I’m now thinking this album maybe even better than their just released album “Point”? Typically the band does very short absolutely audiophile little numbers that are electronic in nature but borrow from the known world of sounds............so there is always this underpinning of electronic sounds which can sound almost better than real sounds. DMP-Z1MK2 especially showcases the vocals here as well as the small embellishments. The song starts with a beautiful woman’s voice which is kind of a set up to when the male voices come in from both sides. It’s the separation now with MK2 and the whole amazing vocal forwardness going on. They of course have a very sparkling sitar like thing. It’s that or a triangle or those little wind chimes which have been sampled then taken up higher in pitch? Yello is kind of like that in that the sounds are familiar yet alien at the same time. The sounds are hyper-real. But so far this has been one of the great vocal songs with the new firmware. And it’s not really like you need a song, as most everyone will know right-away what’s going with vocals here. It’s just that with this vocal ability it gives a person inspirational energy to try and seek out even better than normal vocal recordings; to find gold.
This whole album is actually amazing with this firmware. It’s kind of an audiophile demo record or sorts if Yello is your thing? It’s just one of these audio spectacles where the vivid tones come alive and may be quite rewarding in contrast to this sea of music we swim in?
The paradigm shift occurs when you realize Yello isn’t even considered “vocal” music.
It's me, mate.
So far I haven't been using EQ on my 1A, only direct.
I’m not making this up! Any slowness was speeded up. Any lack of clarity or excitement was reintroduced in a dramatic way! We are now quite possibly taking the N3 in 4.4mm just as far (up) as it can go?? I still am not even beginning to talk about the new N3 soundstage!
That’s why, keep trying your old iems. Those you have completely written off as dregs? Try it again, you might be pleasantly surprised. I’m now still awake at 5:00 am trying Final Audio Heaven VII, omg it’s sounds so freaking amazing. I was curious, bought it 2 years ago, try it for less than 10 hours and given up on it. It’s so thick and muddy. Now, I’m completely enraptured with it. Doesn’t lose to much higher more expensive multi ba iems. That’s really amazingFirmware always has the possibility-option of fixing and escalating sound quality of IEMs. In essence when you read a sparkling write-up about firmware (they are) taking about the IEM or headphone reaction! Right?
I mean we all subscribe to the idea that these systems all work together for a desired sound. Yet due to the firmware at the very-very start of the chain............it seems to cause improvement down the line. Down the line, as the software makes questionably lesser DAPs better, lesser cables better and then finally lesser IEMs act like better IEMs.
And just the fact that the MrWalkman editions of DMP-Z1 MK1 and MK2 raise the clarity level in such a transparent and seemingly nondescript way......by not exactly adding character. Yet what comes out the other-end IS dramatic and remarkable due to hearing the actual real tone of the music. The end results then ARE exciting features and better yet, the qualities go seemingly with EVERYTHING. This across the board friendliness somehow leaves no equipment unimproved! All this written poetry so far and I haven’t even started to talk about the soundstage increase. Let’s just say the soundstage gets boosted out farther on any and all IEMs to a place you could not even fathom!
Take the Sony XBA-N3 for example. A great Sony mid-priced IEM with a legendary......incredibly great and easy to fit form factor. Yet in some ways the tone was slow and just slightly lacking in clarity/luster. It’s more bass laden than the IER-Z1R and Z5. Yet among what you could say bad about it..........it did have a smoothness and coherent manner overall. In comes the DMP-Z1MK2 in direct mode with the Sony Walkman 1A.
In this single instance we find firmware to add remarkable correction and improvements on all fronts. Any fog was lifted.....well most of it was lifted.
Things like this happening really up the curiosity factor! What is now going to happen to it’s inspirational older brother the XBA-Z5? That answer I need to find out next.
So in ending we are getting improvements across the board, meaning MK2 never seems to add anything unwanted. But there also seems to be a fact that some IEMs will synergistically improve beyond what could be reasonably guessed beforehand?
Agreed but in another way. The DAP is carrying the rest of the chain to greatness. Not by making the rest sound better synergistically but simply by virtue of how good it sounds.Firmware always has the possibility-option of fixing and escalating sound quality of IEMs. In essence when you read a sparkling write-up about firmware (they are) taking about the IEM or headphone reaction! Right?
I mean we all subscribe to the idea that these systems all work together for a desired sound. Yet due to the firmware at the very-very start of the chain............it seems to cause improvement down the line. Down the line, as the software makes questionably lesser DAPs better, lesser cables better and then finally lesser IEMs act like better IEMs.
And just the fact that the MrWalkman editions of DMP-Z1 MK1 and MK2 raise the clarity level in such a transparent and seemingly nondescript way......by not exactly adding character. Yet what comes out the other-end IS dramatic and remarkable due to hearing the actual real tone of the music. The end results then ARE exciting features and better yet, the qualities go seemingly with EVERYTHING. This across the board friendliness somehow leaves no equipment unimproved! All this love poem so far and I haven’t even started to talk about the soundstage increase. Let’s just say the soundstage gets boosted out farther on any and all IEMs to a place you could not even fathom!
Take the Sony XBA-N3 for example. A great Sony mid-priced IEM with a legendary......incredibly great and easy to fit form factor. Yet in some ways the tone was slow and just slightly lacking in clarity/luster. It’s more bass laden than the IER-Z1R and Z5. Yet among what you could say bad about it..........it did have a smoothness and coherent manner overall. In comes the DMP-Z1MK2 in direct mode with the Sony Walkman 1A.
In this single instance we find firmware to add remarkable correction and improvements on all fronts. Any fog was lifted.....well most of it was lifted.
Things like this happening really up the curiosity factor! What is now going to happen to it’s inspirational older brother the XBA-Z5? That answer I need to find out next.
So in ending we are getting improvements across the board, meaning MK2 never seems to add anything unwanted. But there also seems to be a fact that some IEMs will synergistically improve beyond what could be reasonably guessed beforehand?
Are you using MK1 or MK2? I am talking about MK2.
I’m actually using Cerberus DMP on Romi mod 1Z. It’s leaps way beyond MK1. I’m looking forward to compare Cerberus DMP to MK2
