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The Sony NW-WM1Z/ NW-WM1A
Step Aside, NW-ZX2
A Table of Contents
1. Design/ Philosophy Notes (Directly Below)
2. Transcription of Technical Interview (Internal Link)
3. General Impressions By This Author (Coming)
4. General Impressions by Other Members (Coming)
5. Event and Release Videos (Internal Link)
Links To Related Threads
An Introduction From The Ground
Hello all! It’s thatonenoob here, A little while back, the Sony Singapore Team reached out to me, saying that they had a rather interesting proposition. I figured that it was probably going to be something along the lines of a new product release, and was naturally quite curious. A couple of calls and a few emails later, and I found myself booked for a flight to the 2016 IFA in Berlin. As it is now slightly past 1:15 PM here in Berlin on September 1st, I’m finally able to discuss in an official capacity the immensely exciting new Sony Hi-Res lineup. I know there’s already been some “info” that has arrived beforehand from a Chinese (?) source, but by nature of things I won’t be commenting on that channel. Rest assured though, everything you see here is official, so speculation begone!
Currently, the atmosphere here at the press conference is hectic and filled with a great deal of excitement, and in the coming hours I will be posting all my impressions, photos, and videos right here in this thread. In short, I will be bringing the Sony experience directly to y’all Head-Fi’ers. Stay tuned. Also, if you have questions, just let me know below, and if it can't already be answered I will try my best to make sure they do.
ETA to Next Update
I'll be rolling in updates as we go along. I will eventually be posting the bulk of the the photos and videos in the coming day, and will be updating the threads as soon as I can. Also, if you have questions, just let me know below, and if it can't already be answered I will try my best to make sure they do.
Specifications
Model Name | Walkman® NW-WM1Z Hi-Res Audio Player | Walkman® NW-WM1A Hi-Res Audio Player |
Hi-Res Audio | Yes | |
Memory Size | 256GB | 128GB |
External Memory | microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC | |
Digital Amplifier | S-Master HX™ | |
Audio Output | 4.4mm Balanced Standard Jack, 3.5mm Stereo Mini Jack | |
Sound Character | High quality, detailed, natural acoustics | High quality, detailed sound |
Chassis | Gold-plated Oxygen-Free Copper Chassis (Purity 99.96%) | Aluminum Chassis |
Internal Wiring | 4-wire Braided Cable Engineered with KIMBER KABLE® | Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) Cable |
Sound Register | Fine Sound Register | MELF Register |
Power Supply | FT CAP (High polymer capacitor) | |
Output Power (JEITA 16Ω/mW) | Balanced standard-jack: 240mW+240mW Stereo mini-jack: 60mW+60mW | |
Display Size, Resolution | 4.0-inch with new user interface, FWVGA(854 x 480 Pixels) | |
Bluetooth® | Bluetooth® v4.2 (SBC, LDAC) | |
NFC™ | NFC™ | |
Sound Enhancements | DSEE HX™, Dynamic Normalizer, DC Phase Linearizer, 10Band equalizer / Tone control, Direct Source | |
Battery Life | Approx. 33hr (MP3 128kbps); 26 hr (FLAC 192kHz/24 bit); 15hr (DSD 2.8MHz/1bit); 11hr (DSD 11.2MHz/1bit) | |
USB Charging Time | Approx. 7 hr | |
Supported Formats | MP3, WMA, FLAC, Linear PCM, AAC, HE-AAC, Apple Lossless, AIFF, DSD Native (up to 11.2MHz) | |
Dimensions (WxHxD) | Approx. 72.9 x 124.2 x 19.9mm | |
Weight | Approx. 455g | Approx. 267g |
Supplied Accessory | Leather case | - |
USD Prices (Projected For Asia)
WM1Z - 3199
WM1A - 1199
ZH1ES - 2199
Z1R - 2199
1000X - 399
Design/ Philosophy
Key Features
There's several key aspects of the DAP:
- New DSD Native Support (11.2 MHz)
- S-Master HX, SEE HX, and LDAC
- 256 GB Internal Memory (Gold), 128 GB Internal Memory (Black)
- New FT Cap, strengthening power supply
- Optimized substrate layout - Improved SNR
- 30 Hours Playback w/ Hi-Res Audio
Currently, there are two new Sony DAPs. The NW-WM1Z represents the TOTL DAP offering from Sony, while the NW-WM1A represents the more conventional and slightly more price-conscious option. Primary differences between the two models are the internal memory size (Z has 256 GB, A has 128 GB). This is inline with the Sony tradition of providing a decently sized internal memory storage option. The WM1Z is made from a solid OFC ingot w/ a gold-plated copper chassis for high-stiffness and low-contact resistance. According to Sony this makes for more “pure high notes and more powerful, clear bass notes”. I expect there will be comments from both sides regarding this point. The WM1A uses an aluminum chassis. The internal wiring of the WM1Z is a 4 wire braid collaboration w/ Kimber Kable. The WM1A uses OFC cable instead. Last but not least the WM1Z is going to come in at a very solid 0.5 kg, whereas the WM1A is going to weigh in at a more conservative 0.25 kg.
It would seem that this time around, output power on the DAP has been a focus, especially after what occurred with the NW-ZX2. Sony reps confirmed that this was an issue they understood, and were looking into it. I am glad that they are hearing the community's requests in that sense. However, the output impedance once again seemed to be a point of contention. Sony engineers did not feel that it affected sound. When asked they provided this figure instead: 250 mW into 16 ohms. Also worth noting, the device cannot be played while connected to a USB port, and will not be able to function as an external DAC/Amp (charging or not). It seems that high quality components are a focus. S-Master has not been fully explained yet, and the DAC chip remains a proprietary secret. If you watch the technical interview, you can tell that several of us were trying to wrap our heads around what was behind the really fancy systems. Sony has said that they will send out more info about its operation. Perhaps the best thing though is the native DSD support. That, I am sure, will be a highlight for Sony fans.