Volume Restricted NW-ZX700 and NW-A300 Walkmans not only in EU

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.

As mentioned in the Head-Fi thread and also in the online guide, there is volume restriction in the following markets:

• For European customers
• For US and Canadian customers
• For Singaporean customers

The manual says there is a beep and you can cancel it, but the main issue is there is no high gain in the menu for the US model, and the specifications only mention a maximum power output of 0.4-1.1mW (32Ω), which is no where near what it should be, like the Japanese version which is 50mW+50mW (3.5mm) and 230mW+230mW (Balanced).

This post lists all the countries with high gain enabled and those with no high gain.

EU version : NO high gain
US version : NO high gain
Japan version : High gain
Singapore version : NO high gain
Malaysian version : High gain
Hong Kong version : High gain
Canada version : NO high gain

So if you want a model that has high gain, do not buy from US, Canada, EU, or Singapore. This is pretty sad and pathetic, especially for a player like the ZX700 which is quite expensive.

For those wondering, yes, even the A-Series is limited in these countries, as evident in the manual and by the specifications on the various websites (Sony Singapore, Sony US)

So if you want a proper A or ZX model, you might have to import from Japan or Hong Kong.

As for trying to modify the firmware to unlock the high gain, well maybe, at this point in time it will be too early to know. I hope something can be done by some users, who knows if people are willing to drop so much money on a player and then brick it by trying to unlock the high gain.

If I decide to get a new A-Series will have to import from Japan, unless anyone from Sony is reading this and wishes to send me a review unit :D

btw thanks to everyone who sent this in via email and twitter.

Edit:

Seems like the players have appeared on Amazon, for those still wanting to grab them and do not mind the volume restriction or high gain missing, check the links below.