For those excited about the new Walkmans and ready to pick out up, you are not alone. BUT hold on as it seems that more regions that will have the volume restriction, not just the EU.
Saturday 28 January 2023
Thursday 26 January 2023
Sony NW-A300 and ZX700 Walkmans appear on Sony US Website
Good news everyone! Well US residents. The new NW-A300 and NW-ZX700 Walkmans have appeared on Sony US' website. There is no date of availability for the ZX, but the new A is already available to order with a ship date of January 30th/31st.
Monday 23 January 2023
Introducing the Sony Float Run Headphones
After a successful Indiegogo campaign in 2021, Sony has decide to unveil the production version of the WI-OE600, the WI-OE610, or Float Run headphones. I wrote about this new model in November 2022, speculating that this could be the production version of the Indiegogo model. Well it turns out I was correct with my speculation. Go me!
Sunday 15 January 2023
Sony Switches to Qualcomm SoCs for the new A and ZX Walkmans
Sony rarely releases information about what SoCs or chips go into their devices. Obviously there is no obligation for Sony to do this, but it would be nice to have some insight into what powers the devices we use. Major news sites and blogs do not really focus much on such things, or if they do, it will not be a Sony device (unless it is an Xperia). So over the years I have tried to cover this topic. You can check some of the posts below:
Friday 13 January 2023
Comparison: Sony NW-ZX700, NW-ZX500, NW-ZX300 and NW-ZX100
I posted up my NW-A300 vs NW-A100 comparison, so time to compare the 4 generations of the ZX line. I am including all 4 models, since some users with the older models may wish to upgrade to the new ZX700.
| NW-ZX700 | NW-ZX500 | NW-ZX300 | NW-ZX100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions/Weight | ||||
| Height | 132.3mm | 122.6mm | 120.4mm | 120mm |
| Width | 72.5mm | 57.9mm | 57.7mm | 54mm |
| Depth | 16.8mm | 14.8mm | 14.9mm | 15mm |
| Weight | 227 g | 164 g | 157 g | 145 g |
| Capacity | ||||
| 64 GB | X | X | X | - |
| 128 GB | - | - | - | X |
| Android OS | 12.0 | 9.0 | X | X |
| Display | 5.0 in HD | 3.6 in HD | 3.1 in (WVGA) | 3 in (WQVGA) |
| Touch Panel | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz |
No | No | |
There is a big change from the ZX500 to the new model in terms of dimensions and weight. The display has also grown in size significantly. The WiFi is the same as before. For users of the older models who prefer the smaller footprint, I would not upgrade, unless you want WiFi and streaming from music apps. There was a 16GB version of the ZX300 (ZX300A) and ZX500 (ZX505).
| NW-ZX700 | NW-ZX500 | NW-ZX300 | NW-ZX100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Formats | MP3 (.mp3): 32 - 320kbps (VBR compatible) / 32, 44.1, 48kHz WMA (.wma): 32 - 192kbps (VBR compatible) / 44.1kHz FLAC (.flac): 16, 24bit / 8- 384kHz WAV (.wav): 16, 24, 32bit (Float/Integer) / 8-384kHz AAC (.mp4, .m4a, .3gp): 16-320kbps / 8-48kHz HE-AAC (.mp4, .m4a, .3gp): 32-144kbps / 8-48kHz Apple Lossless (.mp4, .m4a): 16, 24bit / 8-384kHz AIFF (.aif, .aiff, .afc, .aifc): 16, 24, 32bit/ 8-384kHz DSD (.dsf, .dff): 1bit / 2.8224, 5.6448, 11.2896MHz *2 APE (.ape): 8, 16, 24bit / 8-192kHz (Fast, Normal, High) MQA (.mqa.flac): Supported |
MP3 (.mp3): 32 - 320kbps (VBR compatible)/ 32, 44.1, 48kHz WMA (.wma): 32 - 192kbps (VBR compatible)/ 44.1kHz FLAC (.flac): 16, 24bit / 8-384kHz AAC (.mp4, .m4a, .3gp): 6-320kbps / 8-48kHz HE-AAC (.mp4, .m4a, .3gp): 32-144kbps / 8-48kHz Apple Lossless (.mp4, .m4a): 16, 24bit / 8-384kHz DSD (.dsf, .dff): 1bit / 2.8224, 5.6448, 11.2896 MHz, APE (.ape): 8, 16, 24bit / 8-192kHz (Fast, Normal, High) |
MP3 (.mp3): 32 - 320kbps (VBR compatible)/ 32, 44.1, 48kHz WMA (.wma): 32 - 192kbps (VBR compatible)/ 44.1kHz FLAC (.flac): 16, 24bit / 8-192kHz WAV (.wav): 16, 24bit / 8-192kHz AAC (.mp4, .m4a, .3gp): 6-320kbps / 8-48kHz HE-AAC (.mp4, .m4a, .3gp): 32-144kbps / 8-48kHz Apple Lossless (.mp4, .m4a): 16, 24bit / 8-192KHz AIFF (.aif, .aiff, .afc, .aifc): 16, 24, 32bit/ 8-192kHz DSD (.dsf, .dff): 1bit / 2.8224, 5.6448 |
|
| Bluetooth | Version 5.0 SBC, AAC, LDAC, aptX, aptX HD |
Version 4.2 SBC, aptX, LDAC |
Version 3.0 SBC, aptX, LDAC |
|
| USB DAC Function | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| NFC | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Noise Cancelltion | No | No | No | Yes |
| Digital Amplifier | S-Master HX | |||
| DSEE | DSEE Ultimate | DSEE HX DSEE Ultimate |
DSEE HX | DSEE HX |
| Equalizer | 20 Band | 20 Band | 10 Band | 5 Band |
| USB Charging | ~ 3.5 hours (100%) ~ 3 hours (~80%) |
~ 6.5 hours (100%) ~ 5.0 hours (~80%) |
~5.5 hours (100%) | ~5 hours (100%) |
| USB Port | Type-C (USB3.2 Gen1) | Type-C (USB2.0) | WM-Port (USB 2.0) | WM-Port (USB 2.0) |
| microSD support | microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC | |||
There are many differences, the newer models both use USB Type-C, where as the older models stick to Sony's own WM-Port. USB DAC function returns after an absence in the NW-ZX500. Only the NW-ZX100 had built in noise cancellation but not really an issue with the current wireless NC headsets.
With each newer generation, the recharge time has kept dropping, most likely due to the better charging speed. NFC is dropped for the past 2 generations, so if you use it a lot, no sense in upgrading, unless you want to stream from online services.
One interesting side note, the ZX-100 Bluetooth chip is certified at 4.0.
| NW-ZX700 | NW-ZX500 | NW-ZX300 | NW-ZX100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Life | MP3 128kbps 3.5mm ~25 hours Balanced ~ 24 hours FLAC 96kHz/24bit 3.5mm ~ 23 hours Balanced ~ 23 hours FLAC 192kHz/24bit 3.5mm ~ 21 hours Balanced ~21 hours DSD 2.8224MHz /1bit 3.5mm ~ 21 hours Balanced ~ 21 hours 5.6448MHz /1bit~ 3.5mm ~ 18 hours Balanced ~ 18 hours 11.2896MHz/ 1- bit 3.5mm ~ 13 hours Balanced ~ 11 hours |
MP3 128kbps 3.5mm ~20 hours Balanced ~ 19 hours WAv 44.1kHz/16bit 3.5mm ~ 20 hours Balanced ~ 19 hours FLAC 44.1kHz/16bit 3.5mm ~ 20 hours Balanced ~ 18 hours FLAC 96kHz/24bit 3.5mm ~ 18 hours Balanced ~ 17 hours FLAC 192kHz/24bit 3.5mm ~ 16 hours Balanced ~15 hours DSD 2.8224MHz /1bit 3.5mm ~ 10 hours Balanced ~ 9 hours 5.6448MHz /1bit~ 3.5mm ~ 8 hours Balanced ~ 7.5 hours 11.2896MHz/ 1- bit 3.5mm ~ 6.5 hours Balanced ~ 4 hours |
MP3 128kbps 3.5mm ~30 hours Balanced ~ 25 hours AAC 256kbps 3.5mm ~ 27 hours Balanced ~ 23 hours FLAC 96kHz/24bit 3.5mm ~ 26 hours Balanced ~ 23 hours FLAC 192kHz/24bit 3.5mm ~ 23 hours Balanced ~20 hours DSD 2.8224MHz /1bit 3.5mm ~ 19 hours Balanced ~ 13 hours 5.6448MHz /1bit 3.5mm ~ 15 hours Balanced ~ 12 hours 11.2896MHz/ 1- bit 3.5mm ~ 13 hours Balanced ~ 10 hours |
MP3 128 kbps NC ON ~ 60 Hrs NC Off ~ 70 Hrs AAC 256 kbps NC ON ~ 55 Hrs NC Off ~ 65 Hrs FLAC 96 kHz/24 bit NC ON ~ 50 Hrs NC Off ~ 55 Hrs FLAC 192 kHz/24 bit NC ON ~ 40 Hrs NC Off ~ 45 Hrs DSD 2.8224 MHz/1 bit NC ON ~ 29 Hrs NC Off ~ 31 Hrs DSD 5.6448 MHz/1 bit NC ON ~ 24 Hrs NC Off ~ 26 Hrs |
| Bluetooth Streaming |
MP3 128 kbps SBC (Connection) ~ 22 hours FLAC 96 kHz/24 bit LDAC (Standard) ~11 hours |
MP3 128 kbps SBC (Connection) ~ 11 hours FLAC 96 kHz/24 bit LDAC (Standard) ~ 8.5 hours |
MP3 128 kbps SBC (Connection) ~ 25 hours FLAC 96 kHz/24 bit LDAC (Standard) ~ 14 hours |
MP3 128 kbps SBC (Connection) ~ 45 hours FLAC 96 kHz/24 bit LDAC (Standard) ~ 28 hours |
| Headphone practical maximum output (JEITA 16Ω/mW) |
50mW+50mW (3.5mm) 230mW+230mW (Balanced) |
50mW+50mW (3.5mm) 200mW+200mW (Balanced) |
50mW+50mW (3.5mm) 200mW+200mW (Balanced) |
15mW + 15mW |
The NW-ZX100 only has a 3.5mm output so it did not have much output. In fact the new NW-A300 has more output than the ZX100. The new ZX700 ups the balanced output even more than the previous models, approaching the WM1M2 models.
Although I suspect that the European models are volume capped again, since if the WM1M2 models are, so is the new ZX700 and A300. This is a shame, and I would highly recommend importing a model if you are able to or buying one overseas if you are on vacation/business trip.
That is all for the comparison, I will do a deeper dive into the ZX700 in a separate post.
Thursday 12 January 2023
Comparison: Sony NW-A100 and NW-A300
I decided to make a comparison post breaking down the differences and similarities between the new NW-A300 and NW-A100. Some details are not listed here, but most of those are carried over from the A100. At the end of the post I have a small comparison of the A300 and A100 PCBs. While not that detailed as I want it to be, it is the best until a full teardown appears online, or at least the FCC one.
Tuesday 10 January 2023
Sony NW-A300 Walkman Revealed
In addition to the new NW-ZX700, Sony has also released the new A-Series. The new player is on the Sony website, labelled as Coming Soon, and will come in black and blue, with Japan also receiving a gray option.
Sony NW-ZX700 Walkman Revealed (Update)
I have no idea if someone at Sony messed up, but the product video for the new NW-ZX700 just appeared on their Youtube channel. I am very surprised with the announcement in January, as I was told to expect it much later on. Regardless, rest of the photos below. Edit: Now it is official.
