[Liono]

Man this is hugely disappointing! NW-WM1A it is then!

 

[tomaster]

Android? That means slow UI and short battery life, not great.

 

[beautiophile]

Not any new walkman yet. Just SA-Z1 speakers. Quite disappointed with the press.

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

Not any new walkman yet. Just SA-Z1 speakers. Quite disappointed with the press.

Check a few post back my Friend.

 

[Liono]

I really don't get it... the ZX500 has a smaller screen and half the size of native storage than my ZX1 but costs almost twice as much, 5 years later! So dissappointed.

Sony Nw-ZX507 64GB Walkman Hi-Res Digital Music Player with 3.6" Touch Screen, Aluminium Body, Android 9.0, S-Master Hx, DSEE-Hx, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth and USB Type-C https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07X5XX1RW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ycqCDb5FBAG95

 

[Isloo]

I really don't get it... the ZX500 has a smaller screen and half the size of native storage than my ZX1 but costs almost twice as much, 5 years later! So dissappointed.

Sony Nw-ZX507 64GB Walkman Hi-Res Digital Music Player with 3.6" Touch Screen, Aluminium Body, Android 9.0, S-Master Hx, DSEE-Hx, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth and USB Type-C https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07X5XX1RW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ycqCDb5FBAG95

It depends on which way you look at. Coming from th zx2, it is cheaper, has a better screen, andriod 9, balanced output and plenty of power. While I really like my zx2, having more power, faster ui and an upto date os, for less money is quite appealing.

 

[superuser1]

I reckon they could have gone with a bigger battery albeit meaning a slightly wider device..

 

[DONTGIVEUP]

Man, I’m so happy.
I can’t keep upgrading walkmans like my clothes.
First of all the ‘better’ walkmans are in the +$1000 range, with the exception of ZX100 & 300. Second resell value is pathetic.

For me 1A/1Z/ZX2 are the ultimate walkmans.

 

[kova4a]

Apparently they'll also be releasing the nw-a50 in Europe this November. I was wondering why they bother at all until I saw the price of the nw-a100. I can't figure out who is the nw-a100 targeting with this $400 price. Aside from the addition of Android it's the exact same DAP with the same weak output and half the battery. The nw-a models were appealing mainly because of the solid UI and the battery life as sq-wise any $100-150 Chinese DAP sounds better. At $400 the nw-a100 is positioned in a range where it can't compete in any form with what has come out the past few years

 

[regz83]

I found this for the ZX500, nothing yet for A100

i think those pics were edited, notice the 1st pic on top, still have that sony trademark charger port. still waiting for the official one.

 

[superuser1]

 

[Layman1]

Been comparing the specs of ZX300 and this new ZX500
https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/walkman/nw-zx300/specifications
https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/walkman/nw-zx500-series/specifications

One thing I noticed is the Maximum Power Output difference:

ZX300
Headphone Out (Stereo mini-jack)
MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT (JEITA 16Ω/MW)
1.6-4.2mW
Headphone Out (Balanced standard-jack)
MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT (JEITA 16Ω/MW)
1.6-4.2mW

ZX500
Headphone Out (Stereo mini-jack)
MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT (JEITA 16Ω/MW)
50mW+50mW (High Gain)

Headphone Out (Balanced standard-jack)
MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT (JEITA 16Ω/MW)
200mW+200mW (High Gain)

ZX300 4.2mW (balanced) vs ZX500 200mW (balanced, high gain) is a pretty staggering difference?
I'm no expert in these matters, but would love to hear other people's thoughts/interpretations of these?
Is 4.2mW really as high as the ZX300 can go? Does it have high gain too? Or is that figure already at high gain?


Also, screen:
ZX300 - 3.1-inch (7.8 cm) , WVGA (800 x 480 Pixels)
ZX500 - 3.6-inch (9.1 cm) ,HD (1280 x 720 Pixels)

A fairly decent upgrade, but on the other hand it's still a comparatively small screen (e.g. compared with a smartphone), and except for nicer presentation of album art, how important is it?

I also note that the ZX500 can still do 15 hours of continuous playback of 24-192 Hi-Res FLAC.
I can't see (or have failed to notice) a comparative figure for the ZX300; does anyone know how many hours of continuous playback of 24-192 Hi-Res FLAC the ZX300 is specified to manage?

 

[nanaholic]

Those figures for the ZX300 on the UK site is off. There's no power difference between the ZX300 and the ZX500

https://www.sony.com/electronics/walkman/nw-zx300/specifications

Also the ZX300 is rated for 26 hours of playback time for 24bit/96kHz FLAC.

 

[fish1050]

Schiit... all this wait for nothing. The main Walkman pro - the battery life - is gone. Both models are stuck at the same power output as the previous iterations. Gone is the nice custom UI replaced by Android. And surprise - the 40th anniversary Walkman is the NW-A100 TPS? I really hoped for much more than just slapping Android on them, obliterating the battery life and calling it a day.

Yes it is a little disappointing though the A100 series looks decent. Battery life takes a hit and is now on par with Chinese DAP's though my Fiio M7 beats it with more power. Yeah the need for Android to provide wifi and streaming definitely takes its toll. Was hoping for more power for sure but having had issues with my Shanling M0 (sold it) and ongoing unresolved Fiio M7 problems if Sony nails the usability, speed and software it is still worth taking a look when available. Looks to be comparable to the Fiio M6 in this price range which isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Shanling went Linux with their M5S and M2X and they are not good choices for streaming for sure and still quite glitchy.

With Sony's background in smartphones and their audio know how and R&D should be able to push the Chinese makers pretty hard. The never ending firmware updates needed on these Chinese DAP's makes me long for an old reliable Sony DAP. Sony has had plenty of time to work on this design with so little difference between the A40 and A50 series so hopefully they will release a finished bug free product unlike Fiio, Shanling... and you are getting bluetooth 5.0 vs 4.1 and 4.2 on the Chinese DAP's. Still a lot to like about A100 series especially if Sony nails the sound quality

 

[purk]

So expect the battery life to be more or less 10-12 hour real world usage? I dont get any where close to 26 hours with the ZX300. Enough for a full work day. Wonder if the digital output will be available when streaming is engaged. I would buy the ZX500 to feed the DMP-Z1.