Redcarmoose
Headphoneus Supremus
Repost from the Walkman Firmware Thread:
A big part of the day was going back and a short “re-investigation” of the Sony MDR-Z1R and Sony 1A/1Z. I may not fully qualify for these tests as it needs to be disclosed I’m a MDR-Z1R owner but not a daily MDR-Z1R user. It’s my favorite full-size and I love what it does, I’m just more of an IEM listener?
The question of the day was how close could the 1A be to the Sony TA desktop. As well as what could even happen to try and side step the Sony TA by sending the signal 3.5mm to the Schiit Asgard One via an RCA cable and using the DAPs like the DACs they kinda truly are.
There will obviously be variations in everyone’s own personal subjective tastes and listening levels. It should be noted too, that the 1A was in (old-school) 1A/1Z+ switched into 1Z in “J” region with the 1Z living in “J” region code along with MrWalkmans stylish and fancy new DMP-Z1 emulation magical dust application!
End results:
The difference between the 1A and TA desktop has been made much more narrow. The best learning was using the DAPs 4.4mm output with the Kimber to the MDR-Z1R as a way to truly get better 3D imaging, than the Asgard. The Schiit Asgard while offering a new tad more authoritative tone, was still out smoothed by the Walkmans, with the Asgard just becoming more 2D as a soundstage. If the bass was slightly better, the rest of the signature was given noticeable grain. It was both this grain and lack of 3D imaging that made going back to the Walkmans that much more rewarding and real?
Much of these tests also involved an intermediary step of simply joining the 3.5mm included MDR-Z1R cable as included into the DAP 3.5mm output, before going full Kimber 4.4mm again. Even 3.5mm single ended seemed to show a nice shimmer of gloss not offered by convoluting the signal past the mini-to-RCA splitter into the (old-school-audiophile) Virtual Dynamics Master Series RCA interconnection cable....thus finally ending at the Schiit Asgard.
Once again the 1A became the preferred player with MrWalkman magic firmware!
A big part of the day was going back and a short “re-investigation” of the Sony MDR-Z1R and Sony 1A/1Z. I may not fully qualify for these tests as it needs to be disclosed I’m a MDR-Z1R owner but not a daily MDR-Z1R user. It’s my favorite full-size and I love what it does, I’m just more of an IEM listener?
The question of the day was how close could the 1A be to the Sony TA desktop. As well as what could even happen to try and side step the Sony TA by sending the signal 3.5mm to the Schiit Asgard One via an RCA cable and using the DAPs like the DACs they kinda truly are.
There will obviously be variations in everyone’s own personal subjective tastes and listening levels. It should be noted too, that the 1A was in (old-school) 1A/1Z+ switched into 1Z in “J” region with the 1Z living in “J” region code along with MrWalkmans stylish and fancy new DMP-Z1 emulation magical dust application!
End results:
The difference between the 1A and TA desktop has been made much more narrow. The best learning was using the DAPs 4.4mm output with the Kimber to the MDR-Z1R as a way to truly get better 3D imaging, than the Asgard. The Schiit Asgard while offering a new tad more authoritative tone, was still out smoothed by the Walkmans, with the Asgard just becoming more 2D as a soundstage. If the bass was slightly better, the rest of the signature was given noticeable grain. It was both this grain and lack of 3D imaging that made going back to the Walkmans that much more rewarding and real?
Much of these tests also involved an intermediary step of simply joining the 3.5mm included MDR-Z1R cable as included into the DAP 3.5mm output, before going full Kimber 4.4mm again. Even 3.5mm single ended seemed to show a nice shimmer of gloss not offered by convoluting the signal past the mini-to-RCA splitter into the (old-school-audiophile) Virtual Dynamics Master Series RCA interconnection cable....thus finally ending at the Schiit Asgard.
Once again the 1A became the preferred player with MrWalkman magic firmware!
