[Whitigir]

Mm..to be fair to the 1Z, I auditioned it in HK with my AK T8ie and the dealer's UE Pro 18+ vs. yesterday, the Noble Katana with the 1A. It could be different synergies at work.

Nevertheless, the 1A can kick ass and it punches above its price class. Also, I still prefer the AK 380 cu over the 1Z or the 1A. Where the 1A exceeds the 380 cu is sheer musicality. Same thing with the Sony Z1R over the Focal Utopia. It is fun vs. reference. Lucky me. I get to keep all of them. Lol!

Back to the Sony, I love what Sony did with the U.I. Huge improvement over the ZX2. Easy to use.

Sony WM1A +Noble Katana = at home with Frank Sinatra and Megadeth. Yum!

Synergies has a lot to do with the final outcome. Trust me, I came from WM1Z into Z1R, and it is a whole new game with Utopia and even SA5000 in balanced mod.

IMO, WM1Z and Ta-ZH1ES is a much better sources to pair with more neutral gears. Budget friendly could be those ancient SA5000 in good shape and modified into balanced connection. Going all out would be Utopia with upgraded cables in balanced out, again.

1A is no debate into performances to pricing value ratios. It is too good for the asking price

 

[gerelmx1986]

1A is no debate into performances to pricing value ratios. It is too good for the asking price

I agree with this seriously WOW 1A even at full Price is the best for the Price i think is a bang for buck, I got it because what if its these sony special editions never to be seen again

 

[raypin]

Synergies has a lot to do with the final outcome. Trust me, I came from WM1Z into Z1R, and it is a whole new game with Utopia and even SA5000 in balanced mod.

IMO, WM1Z and Ta-ZH1ES is a much better sources to pair with more neutral gears. Budget friendly could be those ancient SA5000 in good shape and modified into balanced connection. Going all out would be Utopia with upgraded cables in balanced out, again.

1A is no debate into performances to pricing value ratios. It is too good for the asking price

Mm..copy.

 

[proedros]

 So, I auditioned it with my Noble Katana and my, oh my.....beautiful sound!! I was able to audition the 1Z 2 week ago and I wasn't impressed. The 1A, on the other hand, is a different beast altogether. i prefer it to the 1Z and it utterly destroys my Sony ZX2 SQ-wise. 1A added to my small collection and very happy with it. Wallet also very, very happy.

Should make a happy coupling with my Sony Z1R, balanced.

 
that good ? i have zx2 , very happy with it but upgraditis itch for 1a is getting strong
 
tell us more please 

 

[Whitigir]

that good ? i have zx2 , very happy with it but upgraditis itch for 1a is getting strong

tell us more please 

My Zx2 is sitting home, collecting dusts....I need to sell it lol

 

[boomtube]

Does the 1A or 1Z have that smokey/ chunky tone that the ZX2 has?

 

[Jalo]

Mm..to be fair to the 1Z, I auditioned it in HK with my AK T8ie and the dealer's UE Pro 18+ vs. yesterday, the Noble Katana with the 1A. It could be different synergies at work.

Nevertheless, the 1A can kick ass and it punches above its price class. Also, I still prefer the AK 380 cu over the 1Z or the 1A. Where the 1A exceeds the 380 cu is sheer musicality. Same thing with the Sony Z1R over the Focal Utopia. It is fun vs. reference. Lucky me. I get to keep all of them. Lol!

Back to the Sony, I love what Sony did with the U.I. Huge improvement over the ZX2. Easy to use. I have not read the user manual. Muscle memory after an hour of use.

Sony WM1A +Noble Katana = at home with Frank Sinatra and Megadeth. Yum!

I was in Hong Kong also and was able to audition the 1A at Jaben for the first time, personally at the moment I felt 1Z (SE) and 380CU is a draw, and 1Z (balance) is better than 380cu. I have them both with me now and find the 1Z is warmer and thicker whereas the CU more airy. No question the 1A is a very nice and lovely dap but I do prefer the 1Z balance sound much more. Interestingly I learned at HK Jaben, they told me they actually sold a little more 1Z than 1A which I thought would be the opposite given the price difference.

 

[raypin]

I was in Hong Kong also and was able to audition the 1A at Jaben for the first time, personally at the moment I felt 1Z (SE) and 380CU is a draw, and 1Z (balance) is better than 380cu. I have them both with me now and find the 1Z is warmer and thicker whereas the CU more airy. No question the 1A is a very nice and lovely dap but I do prefer the 1Z balance sound much more. Interestingly I learned at HK Jaben, they told me they actually sold a little more 1Z than 1A which I thought would be the opposite given the price difference.

Ot: mm..that is where I auditioned the WM1Z last Jan 15th.

-------------------------''

@proedros,, Btt, where do I begin? The 1A is a very clear upgrade from the ZX2 (single-ended vs. Single-ended). Better overall clarity, better dileneated bass, richer mid-range tone, clearer treble, better instrument separation and soundstage. Tonally, the 1A achieves a much better balance than the ZX2 (which I've been using for almost 2 years now). The ZX2 makes my in-ears and headphones sound colored whereas the 1A sounds much more natural sounding. Of course, 1A has a very umportant advantage over the ZX2: balanced output. When the ZX2 was introduced, the price was around USD1,200.00 here in Manila. Same SRP for the WM1A (although I paid a lot less....lol!). Given the sonic advantages, superior UI over the ZX2 and same full retail price (although if you factor in inflation, the WM1A is actually cheaper), it is a no-brainer upgrade. About the only advantage left for the ZX2 is it can run Tidal.com. Run to your nearest dealer.

 

[denis1976]

​Interesting as some people bash the WM1A as being inferior"to the Z. Like you, I find my 1A, to be awesome the best DAP and my first TOTL one, very happy with it so far

i have both the 1A and the 1Z ,the 1A is inferior SQ wise, that is a fact, but for the price the 1A is excelent

 

[Gibraltar]

i have both the 1A and the 1Z ,the 1A is inferior SQ wise, that is a fact, but for the price the 1A is excelent

I would disagree with that statement. I also own both and I would say they are tuned differently and which one you will prefer is a matter of taste, equipment pairing and what genres of music you listen to.

 

[denis1976]

I would disagree with that statement. I also own both and I would say they are tuned differently and which one you will prefer is a matter of taste, equipment pairing and what genres of music you listen to.

ok its your opinion, i got to respect that....the ak70 and tha ak380 are also diferent sound tuning...

 

[buzzlulu]

Has anyone had the opportunity to compare the WM1A or Z to the newly released Sony PHA-2A headphone amp/dac which appears to have been designed specifically with the Z1R in mind?

I would be curious to know how an iPhone 7/PHA-2A would compare to a WM1A (or Z) The advantage of this combination would be the ability to use Tidal and still have the Sony synergy and ability to go balanced.

AND

what about a comparison between a Z1R out of the WM1A/Z vs. out of the TA-ZH1ES Amplifier ?

 

[Sarnia]

i have both the 1A and the 1Z ,the 1A is inferior SQ wise, that is a fact, but for the price the 1A is excelent

The problem is when someone states something subjective as absolute fact, arguments start. If your sentence said "I have both the 1A and the 1Z; it's a fact that to me the 1A is inferior SQ wise, but for the price the 1A is excellent" then that would be indisputable.
 
People could counter that, in their opinion, they sound the same, or they prefer the 1A. However, if you say that it's a 'fact' that A is better than B, that implies that it's an absolute truth, like the Sun is bigger than the moon, rather than a subjective opinion based on personal physiology, experience and taste.
 
 

what about a comparison between a Z1R out of the WM1A/Z vs. out of the TA-ZH1ES Amplifier ?

 
I replied to you in the Z1R thread on this, but in case you didn't see it, in my opinion the TA-ZH1ES is a significant step up sound-wise from the WM1A. I'd be very disappointed if I felt otherwise given the difference in size and weight. All of that extra volume had better be doing something otherwise I'd want the desk space back!
 
I don't mean there's anything wrong with the sound of the WM1A to me, but the TA-ZH1ES really seems to be something special that I doubt I'll look to upgrade for a very long time (famous last words and all that).

 

[Whitigir]

Yes, the TA-ZH1ES is a desktop class and is sitting at the high-end segment at it. Definitely a huge leap away from Walkman Wm1a/z

 

[Kiats]

When in doubt buy both 

Haha! I have to agree! I use the 380cu stack at home to stream off my Melco N1ZH. Lovely. And the 1Z in the office and on the road. Much handier though it weighs a ton.