Review: Sony WM1A Walkman – Reform

MIDS

The obvious shortcoming of the ZX2 was the mid presentation. Don’t get me wrong, I like the mids of ZX2 because they are really smooth and the tonality is very nice. But they’re just a little back in the sound stage almost all of the time. That made some people upset of course as they would’ve liked to hear more resolution and more upfront mids. The good news is that the Sony WM1A has those qualities with its beautiful mid range performance.

In fact, the mids are quite close to the 1Z’s in terms of energy and resolution. But the WM1Z is just so emotive with its mid character, bringing so much dynamism, incredible tonality and big note size altogether. So when you compare these two, the 1A gives a thinner and drier mid performance. But that impression comes from the unique performance of the 1Z. If you listen to the 1A alone and compare it to other DAPs in it’s class, you’ll find that the mids contain great tonality, realism and positioning.

To me, together with the bass improvement (quality-wise), the biggest development of the WM1A over the ZX2 is the mid performance. It’s great to hear that they have addressed the issue and improved the resolution and separation in that part. The mids are the strong suit of the Sony WM1A and if you match it with a good IEM, you’ll hear great results. A touch of warmth is still present, giving smooth delivery across all the songs that I’ve tried (good recordings of course).

The mids are very consistent and sound organic with true tones which feels very natural all of the time. There’s no sort of digital or metallic feeling that some DAPs give, instead it’s very smooth and without a fatiguing sharpness in the upper mids.

TREBLE

The ZX2 had some thick treble and they were a little vivid to mention. There’s also an improvement in this part, which supports the new WM1A’s more realistic and technically strong ways to reproduce the sound. The ZX2 had the trebles a little veiled and dark. While I can’t say that 1A positions them upfront, I can confidently say that it has better extending highs with more presence.

After switching from the ZX2, the WM1A can sound bright to your ears. After burn in, it balances the spectrum (just like with the bass) and produces a more evenly matched sound. When you listen to it out of the box, with laid back bass and a little bright treble it can pretty much surprise you, and you might question if it’s a Sony Walkman. When you start to get close to the 200 hour mark which Sony recommends to reach, you will feel the sound being more balanced and settled down.

If you love the warm and analog-like sound reproduction like myself, you’ll be in a little discomfort with the 1A straight out of the box. It’s not because that it’s bright or too thin sounding, but you don’t expect this flat and open sounding character from a Sony DAP. Because of burn in though, you eventually get the sound that you really like. And if you pair it with a coherent and organic sounding IEM, it doesn’t get any better than this, unless you spend more than double the price.

Highs are very detailed and well extending and they’re articulated. It copes with fast music very well and continues to give the separation that you require from many genres. The 1Z’s highs are really great but because of the general character you’ll feel a little more treble presence with the 1A. To me the 1Z has even better highs but sometimes with its outstanding lows and mids, you might not notice it.

Don’t interpret my words as it’s a bright sounding DAP or it’s a little harsh on the treble. I just want to pass on the correct description of the 1A’s treble performance. And the correct information is that, it’s not like the ZX2. It’s brighter and more open than that, but when you compare it with Paw Gold or QP1R for instance, they’re even more bright and in your face. So the 1A is no way harsh on your ears, it retains the smoothness of Sony DAPs and it has a great control over that area but it gives more treble in quantity, than ZX2, ZX100 and other Walkman DAPs.

Just like the other two areas of the spectrum, I think the Sony WM1A performs great with highs. Once again it doesn’t feel metallic, instead it’s very natural and life-like. I need to say again that the extension is very nice while retaining the non-fatiguing character.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

The sound stage – which has been the strong part of the Walkmans – is good as ever with the 1A. Because of the fact that it has a more open sound, I felt it’s wider than the 1Z on a number of occasions. But the 1Z of course is nothing short of spectacular with deepness, it’s hard to deny it’s atmospheric staging which feels so special. I think the difference is the 1A gives a more spacious and airy sound while the 1Z always gives a full, dynamic sound. So as a result the 1A sounds wider to my ears. But that’s probably a delusion created by the difference between their character. I don’t think they’re that different in terms of stage dimensions.

It has a very good separation performance at all times, even in the complex passages. Thanks to the black background you can pick out the elements of the song clearly. To me, the 1Z has an even darker background so it has better micro dynamics. For it’s price class though, the 1A gives a great performance. Especially when you compare it with the ZX2, it blatantly comes out on top in terms of separation. For all these reasons, imaging is absolutely great.

Dynamism is not at the same level of 1Z of course, because 1Z has the transparency and note size that reaches to the pinnacle. But 1A also has a very good dynamism and transparency that can compete with a lot of high level DAPs out there.

I don’t have any complaints about the technical capabilities of 1A if you ask me. I already loved the ZX2 for it’s sound, but the WM1A takes it one step further to challenge the best players you can find in the market. Especially from the balanced output.

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4.1/5 - (164 votes)
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A keen audiophile and hobby photographer, Berkhan is after absolute perfection. Whether it is a full-frame camera or a custom in-ear, his standpoint persists. He tries to keep his photography enthusiasm at the same level as audio. Sometimes photography wins, sometimes his love for music takes over and he puts that camera aside. Simplistic expressions of sound in his reviews are the way to go for him. He enjoys a fine single malt along with his favourite Jazz recordings.

120 Comments

  • Reply September 19, 2017

    Quokka

    Thanks Berkhan for your excellent review. I’ve recently upgraded from the ibasso DX90 to the Sony WM1a and couldn’t be happier. One area I’m keen to explore is find how well it matches with various headphones. I’ve listened with Oppo PM-2 and it sounds great but would like to know what other headphones/earphones you recommend. What phones did you use in your review?

    • Reply September 19, 2017

      Berkhan

      Thank you.

      It matches with warm headphones and IEMs really well and I recommend to pair it with those types of phones.

      I used Audeze EL-8 and Oriolus MK2 mostly for the review.

      • Reply February 16, 2023

        Emm Fickle

        Hello Berkhan,

        I have a Sony A105 Walkman and would like to know if its amp is powerful enough to drive a pair of Sennheiser HD660S headphones. What do you think?

        Best,
        Emm Fickle

        • Reply February 17, 2023

          Cobaltico

          you’ll need an amp for it to sound its best. Sony players are very power efficient they’re geared toward easy to drive stuff like iems. You can make the 660s sound but it wont be at an optimal level.

    • Reply April 7, 2018

      Fkrbormes

      This review is total b…This SONY NW-WM1A is unable to drive any high quality headphone to a suitable level.It seems that SONY has deliberately bridled this device for european markets.
      I can’t get a correct output level with my high impedance headphones (Sennheiser hd-xx Beyer dynamic amiron or Shure 1840) & it’s barely adequate with my Beoplay H6.
      I have a Hifiman h901 a Askell & Kern a Onkyo Dp-x1 & all of them drive my headphones to correct levels.
      What’s wrong with SONY?

      • Reply April 7, 2018

        Berkhan

        Well, first of all before calling a review bullshit, I suggest you to think about the amount of effort we put in here. Secondly, if you didn’t like the review, you can always share your opinions in your own reviews in platforms like Head – Fi.

        Sony DAPs give an enormous battery life to its users thanks to the totally different architecture to other DAPs in the market. Search Class D Amplification and Pulse Width Modulation methods.

        The sound limit is a shame and I criticize it, but you can uncap the device easily and after that, the balanced output gives very good power. I listened to the HD660s and HD800s headphones from Sennheiser with high enough volume levels.

        Although I really liked the 901s’ sound, it’s absolutely no match to the WM1A in terms of battery life, user experience and software quality. DP-X1 sounds mediocre, it’s not high quality, and it has a terrible hiss with streaming apps. Balanced output doesn’t change that also.

        Nothing’s wrong with Sony. If you like to have a DAP that can drive your full size, high impedance headphones, than you can always choose another DAP, nobody’s forcing you to buy this one.

        And that doesn’t make my review bullshit.

    • Reply April 8, 2018

      Fkrbormes

      I have finally managed to uncapp my SONY NWWM1A using the scsitool (I had already found it but was reluctant to use it because I was afraid of ruining the device and the guarantee) and now my Sennheiser HD-660S sounds great at half the volume level.
      It’s a shame SONY doesn’t provide its customers with correct information and the tool to restore the walkman to its original status because the difference between the two statuses is really huge.
      Besides the logic behind it is rather irrelevant the sound pressure level being a function of the headphone as well.
      Now I can appreciate your review although a small preamble making it clear that it applies to an uncapped version only and how to do it would probably save many people a lot of troubles.
      Best greetings.

      • Reply April 8, 2018

        Berkhan

        That tool is not official. So we can’t expect Sony to share that kind of information. Actually they weren’t even aware of this method when I talked to a Sony officer via e-mail.

        OK. I’ll add a small note to the beginning of the review.

  • Reply September 19, 2017

    Jogibaer

    Nice review, thank you very much. 🙂

    • Reply September 19, 2017

      Berkhan

      You’re welcome 🙂

    • Reply April 8, 2018

      Fkrbormes

      What I don’t appreciate is that you and SONY don’t mention that the NWWM1A sold in Europe is capped and as such is unusable with high quality headphones.It also seems that the capping affects the sound quality.Using a Sennheiser HD-660S both outputs sound identical although the balanced one should provide a higher volume but that’s not the case.After hours spent on Internet I have not been able to find an easy way to uncap my walkman.I bought it after reading your review and I have the feeling I have been cheated.
      If you really know how to easily uncap that walkman I would appreciate if you shared that knowledge with our community.
      While I don’t totally agree with your answer I appreciate that you did it.

      • Reply April 8, 2018

        Berkhan

        I already mentioned the volume cap on WM1Z review and ZX2 Picture Sunday post. I think everybody who are into this niche market have or should have the knowledge about this volume cap.

  • Reply September 19, 2017

    Tom

    This is a suburb review, thank you. I’ve been waiting for a thorough review for this device. When it was first announced, I was disappointed that it didn’t have Android on board. I love my ZX2, but I mainly use it to play my own files. In all actuality, I rarely use the Android features. After reading this, I’m seriously considered selling my ZX2 to get the WM1A. Is the difference in sound really significant? The inclusion of a pentagon out, really puts this above all other competitors for me. Does this do a better job of driving high end headphones? The ZX2 doesn’t do well in this area.

    • Reply September 19, 2017

      Berkhan

      Much thanks for your compliment.

      Yes, in my opinion the difference is really significant. If you have the chance to try it out somewhere, go with your ZX2 and take an SD Card to put the exact same files to WM1A to compare directly with ZX2. That was what I did to decide if it’s worth to get the WM1A. And yes, it’s worth it.

      It has quite a powerful output from balanced but you need to get an uncapped version or uncap it yourself. Then when you set it to high gain, it can drive HD800S from single ended. I imagine it would be even better from balanced out but I coudn’t try since the HD800S doesn’t have a 4.4mm jack.

      Definitely way more power than ZX2 (uncapped).

      • Reply September 20, 2017

        Tom

        What do you mean uncapped version? How can you tell if the version is uncapped? I own the HD800 S, and would get a pentagon attachment for those if this can drive it from the balanced output.

        • Reply September 20, 2017

          Berkhan

          The ones that are sold in Europe for example have volume limits. Because of the EU regulations. But it’s not hard to convert the device’s software version to another region. So when you change the region of the software you simply unlock the sound limit.

          Where are you from? If you’re in Europe then you’ll get an EU version which has the sound limit. But like I said it’s easy to unlock it.

  • Reply September 20, 2017

    Tom

    I’m in the US (New York), so I should be safe from the capping. I think the ZX2 had a issue with volume cap in Europe as well. Thanks for the feedback, I’m going to take your advice and try this out at the Sony store.

  • Reply September 20, 2017

    Choi

    Nice review, been contemplating between this and Onkyo dpx1… any suggestions?

    • Reply September 20, 2017

      Berkhan

      WM1A is way beyond DP-X1 in terms of sound quality.

  • Reply September 22, 2017

    Alfy

    Thanks for a great review. I already own an AK70, and I’m looking for an upgrade, sound-wise but also in terms of autonomy: would the WMA1A be that?

    • Reply September 23, 2017

      The Answer

      Yeah much better than AK70. But you’re going to lose the streaming.

  • Reply September 25, 2017

    otoko_oidon

    Thanks for the review Berkhan. How do Mojo compares to WM1A? I’m planning to replace my Mojo with something like that one from Sony or a DX200+AMP3. I will only use some IEM (IT03, Angie) with that player.

    • Reply September 25, 2017

      Berkhan O.

      You’re welcome.

      DX200 and WM1A both nice players but as I said in the review, WM1A is superior from balanced output, and the sound stage is much wider even from SE output. But if you’re looking a DAP for streaming, DX200 is the best choice IMO.

      For Mojo, I think WM1A is much much better.

  • Reply October 20, 2017

    Sang Yhee

    Was the comparison with the ZX2 done with all the sound adjustment apps turned off? With it turned off, the ZX2 sounds more neutral. There are still things that I like better from the ZX2 than the WM1A. Also driver grip and impact on sensitive iems such as a Andromeda is better on the ZX2. I found the andromedas inferior from the SE of the WM1A and only better on bal with high gain engaged. Still its quite close with the WM1A winning in lower noise and hiss.

    • Reply October 20, 2017

      Berkhan

      The ZX2 is warmer and WM1A is more neutral of the two in my opinion. If you look into them in a technical way, WM1A is superior.

      But, the ZX2 is already a legendary DAP to me.

      And yes, the comparison had been made with all DSPs off.

  • Reply November 17, 2017

    Brian Fu

    Great review, Berkhan. By chance have you compared the WM1A to A&K KANN?

    • Reply November 17, 2017

      Berkhan

      Thanks!

      They’re somewhat similar in terms of non-fatiguing sound, but WM1A is technically better in my opinion. KANN is much powerful though, and I really liked it’s smooth and beautiful sound.

  • Reply December 31, 2017

    sulabh

    How is the driving power of WM1A compared to fiio x5iii?

    • Reply December 31, 2017

      Berkhan

      If you unlock the WM1A, they’re similar. From Balanced WM1A is pretty strong (unlocked).

  • Reply April 9, 2018

    Ricky M.

    Great detail review. Because of your review, I ended up purchasing the 1A(US model) a week after reading your review. There is are a lack of reviews(and detail reviews) of the 1A online.

    I own a ZX2 for almost 3 years. I identify some of the weakness and strengths of the player that you were talking about. Despite the flaws of the ZX2, it is still a great player hands down. Great sounding DAP. Still keeping mines because of what it can do and for what it is.

    As far as the 1A, that DAP perform magic to my music library. Hearing details that I never heard before. Blacker background, tighter bass and the highs are so detail and yummy. I am only at 65 hour of burn in. And that is on the unbalanced end. Working on the purchasing a 4.4 mm cable asap.

    Thank you for the great review!!! Keep that s@%t up!!!

    P.S. When will folks learn to just use low impedance headphones/earphones to utilize the output on today’s DAP? Especially the Sony Walkmans.

    • Reply April 10, 2018

      Berkhan

      Thanks Ricky.

      I still own the ZX2 as well. Can’t replace it with anything at the moment. Such a unique player.

      Get the 4.4mm cable and hear the difference buddy.

      These devices are not designed to drive full size cans properly in the first place, so I don’T understand the complaints either. If you want to get the best performance from those headphones you have to have a nice desktop setup anyway. And uncapped WM1 devices can drive those headphones from balanced (although not at their full performance), and Sennheiser includes 4.4mm cables in their new models.

  • Reply April 13, 2018

    Winipou

    Thank you for this nice review.

    One question: This DAP stills runs on Android 4.1.
    Taking into account the considerable investment, what is the expected lifetime of this software and the DAP? Does Sony foresee software updates or when necessary an upgrade to a newer software?

    Regards!

    • Reply September 14, 2018

      Berkhan

      It’s not Android, it’s a custom Sony software which is Linux-based.

  • Reply April 25, 2018

    Adam

    How does the wm1a compare to the zx300 in sound?

    • Reply April 26, 2018

      Berkhan

      I can’t find the ZX300 to listen here. So no idea.

  • Reply May 21, 2018

    Steven

    Thanks for the review Berkhan. Been considering to upgrade my X5iii to the wm1a and stop using streaming services, is it still worth it buying this after almost 2 years of its release date?

    Regards.

    • Reply May 21, 2018

      Berkhan

      In my opinion the WM1A is always worth it 🙂

      And most importantly, switching to it from the X5III will be a significant upgrade for you.

      But if you’d like to keep having streaming, you can look at the DX200 from iBasso.

  • Reply July 4, 2018

    Auronthas

    Great review. How does WM1A sound quality compare with Hiby R6?

  • Reply September 11, 2018

    Sven

    Great review, thank you. How does WMA1 sound quality compare with Calyx M and Hugo Chord 1?

    • Reply September 14, 2018

      Berkhan

      Hugo 1 sounds more like WM1Z, 1A is a bit more relaxed and laid back compared to Hugo, and Hugo has better dynamics.

      For Calyx M I have no idea.

  • Reply September 13, 2018

    Javier

    Very deep and interesting Review. Thanks a lot.
    Based on your description I would definitely go with the 1Z.
    The only thing that keeps me from that is that is a product that already have more than two years. I’m afraid to buy it because Sony might be releasing a new version soon.
    Thanks again

    • Reply September 14, 2018

      Berkhan

      You’re welcome.

      Sony won’t release a new model very soon, they just released a “desktop DAP” which is nowhere near portable (DMP-Z1). And they’ll update the WM1 series’ software next month, which shows that they will stick around for quite a bit of time.

      So you can go for the 1Z, it’s still one of the 4-5 best DAPs in the world.

  • Reply September 16, 2018

    Maarten

    Thanks for the really good review. I considere getting it myself but I can’t decide between the WM1A and Astell&Kern’s SR15. Do you know how they sound compared to each other or how WM1A compares to AK70 mkII?

    • Reply September 21, 2018

      Berkhan

      WM1A is the superior DAP in terms of pure sound. But the AKs you’ve mentioned are more compact and they have streaming feature.

      So you must choose between the best sound or the streaming capability (Tidal, Spotify etc.).

      WM1A is especially a great DAP from 4.4mm BAL output.

    • Reply September 21, 2018

      Berkhan

      Btw, if it helps, I’ve listened the SR15 in CanJam London and I think it’s a very good upgrade over the AK70 series.

  • Reply September 22, 2018

    MhtLion

    Thanks for the great review. Looks like this and AK SE100 is in similar price bucket. Did you get a chance to compare them by any chance? Thanks!

    • Reply September 24, 2018

      Berkhan

      I listened the SE100 in CanJam but didn’t directly compare to my WM1A.

      But I personally did not like it. It’s very (too) relaxed, therefore dynamics weren’t at the level I desired. Surely it has a great wide sound stage, but I think the WM1A is the better player. Not to mention that the SE100 costs 1700 $.

      Sony has a much better battery life too. But of course the AK has streaming.

      • Reply September 26, 2018

        MhtLion

        Thanks for the honest impression!!

  • Reply October 5, 2018

    Gerson Dzib

    Yo tengo el Sony ZX2 y es un reproductor unico, un sonido que wuau me enamoro y es mi favorito ..nunca me despego de el y es mi joya ..

    Te agradesco tu comparacion del zx2 entre WM1A y creo que juntare para comprarme el WM1A ..nunca jamas venderia mi ZX2

    • Reply October 9, 2018

      Berkhan

      Gracias. Es bueno saber que todavía tienes el ZX2. Siempre mantendré la mía también.

  • Reply November 4, 2018

    Timothy Lee

    Hey Berkhan,

    Been looking at replacements for my AK70ii. I currently use an EE Hermes and they’re incredibly sensitive, how’s the hiss on these? With the AK70ii there’s some hiss, loud enough to make me want to use an impedance adapter. But once the music is on, it kinda gets drown out. However I do listen to alot of ambient stuff, and it’s not loud enough to cover the hiss.

    • Reply November 5, 2018

      Berkhan

      Well I can’t precisely comment on the matter of hissing, but I can clearly say the WM1A is the better sounding DAP for sure.

  • Reply November 9, 2018

    Nishy

    Thank you for a very informative review! I love my 901s sound, both as a dedicated portable with Beyerdynamic DT1350 portable headphones for years (even Xiomara items), and especially via a Hifiman Dock and over a Carbon amp and Stax 009. The 901s sound to me is very clear and “juicy” and feels “just right” to my ears. I just tried the Kann as I lost my Hifiman and somehow it did not come close on any jazz track I sampled – rather flat and definitely less clear and with less depth and less sparkle (ok it is cheaper and single chip). I even ran the same tracks from Kann through my Ray Samuel’s Dark Star and an Hifiman HE6…and I was disappointed not to be more positive about a lovely player (Kann) and GUI. Which brings me to your review in the hope that the Sony 1A may be more 901s-like aka “Holy Grail” circa $1500? The 901s GUI is clunky to say the least and I am not desirous of WiFi or really Bluetooth (better indexing certainly)…10 hours battery is a minimum… but I am after great jazz sound. Somehow I can’t adjust downwards from the warm 801 or very natural 901s sound quality…would you please give your expert opinion as 1A does sound hopeful from your review? Thanks!

    • Reply November 11, 2018

      Berkhan

      You’re welcome.

      901s is a great player for the reasons that you’ve mentioned, but the WM1A is quite similar. It’s resolving, close to neutral sounding and it has a very nice sound stage. So I think in terms of sound character they’re pretty close.

      And yes, KANN is not a high end player.

  • Reply November 12, 2018

    N

    Many thanks for your quick feedback! That’s heartening. Have you tried the 1A alongside the SP1000M? I am toying between the two. Any thoughts on sound quality (…coming from 901s stable)? Keep up your great reviews!

    • Reply November 21, 2018

      Berkhan

      No, I’ve never heard the SP1000M. But there’ll be a review here soon.

  • Reply November 22, 2018

    R

    Thanks for taking out the time to write such a awesome review. If I can ask you one question would you recommend the high gain output set on balanced mode? Or do you think a balanced connection without the high gain is the better option. Did you use the balanced output with high gain on?

    • Reply November 22, 2018

      Berkhan

      Doesn’t matter for sound quality. Gain is only a gain. I use the High Gain in my DAP.

  • Reply December 1, 2018

    N

    Having bought the NW-WM1A after reading your in-depth review, I am a) very happy with it (signature and feel in hand/OS), b) your review in hindsight again hits the right buttons. I will probably uncap it as it can do with a little higher sound, though not a crying need. Very tempted to go for a 1Z!

    • Reply December 3, 2018

      Berkhan

      Thank you. Glad to hear that my review helped you to get the device.

  • Reply December 9, 2018

    Kulankot

    Thank you very much for the thorough review. Will it drive the Audeze headphone? Thanks.

    Allan

    • Reply December 9, 2018

      Berkhan

      Which one?

      • Reply December 15, 2018

        Kulankot

        LCD2

        • Reply December 18, 2018

          Berkhan

          If you hook it up through the balanced output with an uncapped software, then you can have some volume.

          But in any case, you should have a full size desktop amp for the LCD 2.

  • Reply December 30, 2018

    Lui Cartin

    Hi Berkhan, thanks for the review!
    I have a question about a mental bug:
    I want to buy a high-end DAP like the 1A, just that the 1A is more than two years old.
    Is this a factor against the newer proposals like the new AKs (SR15, SE100) and the DX200 (Amp8 is newer), or does the quality of the 1A hold in spite of its age?
    I’m still conditioned to think that newer = better. I’d like this baby to hold for a good 2-3 yrs in top form.
    What do you think?

    • Reply January 9, 2019

      Berkhan

      Hi,

      Of course it’s a factor, but it also depends on your preferences.

      Yes, the 1A holds in there among the great DAPs in its price range despite being 2 years old. And you can see Sony keeps giving it updates to improve the software. Now you also have the BT Receiver feature to use streaming apps from your phone. If your phone has an LDAC connection, then it’s even better. You can transfer high res data with BT.

      But if you want to use streaming directly from your DAP, then the new AK players would serve you very well with their fluid and polished software. They’re neat.

      In terms of raw sound performance? I suggest the WM1A, especially against the SR15.

      • Reply January 9, 2019

        Lui Cartin

        Thanks so much for the response!
        In fact, based your your review and other glowing info, I went ahead and got it!

        It’s in the burning stages, so I’m still patient, but so far it’s all that and then some…
        The only comment is that this morning, at the near 50hr mark (I know it’s still not much) I heard hiss… Hisss!!
        Is this normal?
        I thought it was supposed to be pretty black… anyways, I’ll keep burning and let’s see!

        • Reply January 9, 2019

          Berkhan

          Hiss is normal. It should be gone once you start playing the song. It’s not a problem.

          • Reply January 9, 2019

            Lui Cartin

            Whew! Thanks a mil again!

  • Reply January 3, 2019

    Robert Noblitt

    Thanks for your excellent review, which helped me decide to buy a WM1A to use with my Sony MDR-1AM2 headphones. To me, the sound is amazing, with great clarity. Using balanced cable, of course. It is interesting to try high gain output. Maybe I imagine it, but the sound seems better with high gain. Anyway, no harm as long as I don’t turn the volume too high. An actual advantage of high gain is that fewer clicks are needed to adjust the volume, whether raising or lowering.

    • Reply January 9, 2019

      Berkhan

      You’re welcome.

      There shouldn’t be a sound quality difference with the gain setting.

      Very thanks for the comment.

    • Reply February 18, 2019

      Ed

      Hi good review, not many reviews i could fine on the wm1a online. Im currently thinking of maybe purchasing a dap for my ie800S. Ive been listening to music with high end iems for many years but only used my smartphone (now a iphone x) by itself as a source. Im not too technically knowledgable when it comes to audio equipment but to my understanding the ie800s are 16ohm and 125 db sensitivity so they are easy to drive and ive been enjoying their sound with just an iphone, which i read online is actually one of the best audio quality smartphones you can buy right now.

      But my question is do you think with the wm1a i will get a significant upgrade in pure sound quality?

      And ive read online many people who have tried both the wm1a and zx300 say they actually sound nearly identical with the only difference that the wm1a provides more power? Do you know if this us true?

      Thanks

      • Reply February 19, 2019

        Berkhan

        Hello Ed,

        To me the sound performance between a plain smartphone and a dedicated audio player is significantly different, especially when you compare it to a DAP like WM1A.

        So the source is very important. The sound you would get from the WM1A compared to the iPhone should be much much better.

        For the WM1A vs. ZX300 I don’t know to be honest. I also know that people speak highly of the ZX300 but I never had a chance to sit down and test it.

        But if your priority is portability, then the ZX300 would be the better option. But the WM1A BAL output is really something.

  • Reply January 19, 2019

    Ronald

    I really enjoyed your review. I was looking at the Opus 2, but after reading about the WM1a I am leaning more towards the 1a. How would you compare them. I am more interested in sound quality, and not streaming.

  • Reply January 30, 2019

    Eddie Ngan

    I just bought the wm1a. I am looking for a 4.4 cable for my andromeda. I am thinking the Sony Kimber 4.4mm or Alo Litz 4.4mm. Any suggestion

    • Reply February 1, 2019

      Lieven

      The HEadfonia team uses Effect Audio, Plussound, DHC, C3Audio

  • Reply March 27, 2019

    Matt

    I have the NW-ZX1 (Japanese Version) 35th Anniversary edition. Surely Sony will release a 40th Anniversary Walkman this year? Any news on this?

    • Reply March 28, 2019

      Berkhan

      There aren’t any news that we know of.

  • Reply June 15, 2019

    mike

    one thing helpful in a review like this is to know what kind of music and engineering you’re listening to. Ideally, for me, classical orchestra or quartet single mic’d with sound engineered pushing for focus…

  • Reply July 2, 2019

    Blue

    Thanks for this review. I’m thinking of breaking into the market, and I was considering my purchase options between The Onkyo DPX-1A and the NWWM1A.
    I was also looking at the NWWM1Z as an expensive alternative, and your input has given me plenty to digest.
    After I organise some FLAC files of well known songs, I will head off to a local Hi Fi Centre to hit the ground running.

    I appreciate the commentary on the portability, weight, and physical features of the DAPs, also. However, I intend to keep mine in a pouch on my backpack although there is a risk of being knocked from time to time.
    Which product seems sturdier? which would suffer more from a possible knock? (I would turn the screen inward)

    The final question I have, though, is did you test any speakers using bluetooth? Does everything sound just as amazing if I don’t directly inject it into my ear? I’m trying to find the perfect solution for my workplace, and headphones are probably illegal and definitely frowned upon where I work.
    Thanks again

    • Reply July 6, 2019

      Berkhan

      I would recommend WM1A over Onkyo any day, including build quality.

      Speakers are no problem with the WM1A. I use it with speakers time to time.

  • Reply July 3, 2019

    Daniel

    Hello, thanks for your review.

    I recently bought the WM1A and i really want to try the Balance output since the single ended feels a little bit “unpowered” , i was thinking The 660s from Sennheiser. Do you know if the WM1A can drive the 150 OHMS from the 660s?.

    Thanks again for the review.

    • Reply July 3, 2019

      Daniel

      By the way, i bought the “uncapped” US version.

    • Reply July 6, 2019

      Berkhan

      Hello Daniel.

      I actually used it with the very HD660S. They match up great in terms of sound, and the player can drive it from BAL.

      You still go to the very upper volume levels to drive the HD660S, but it’s enough in home environment.

      • Reply October 13, 2021

        changiphone

        Did you drive hd660s on wm1a with low gain, or high gain?😁

        • Reply November 5, 2021

          Tito Mariátegui

          I’ve owned the WM1A and paired it with 660s, sounds kinda boring, not bad, but boring. WM1A doesn’t have the power to driven them properly (of course by balanced).

  • Reply August 2, 2019

    Genek

    Hi! Great review and nice comparison to other DAPs. I own Fiio x5II and considering WM1A for an upgrade (I can’t afford 1Z unfortunately). I recently bought Sony MDR-Z7 and for me Fiio lacks power and bass, I need more punch and juice so my question is should I buy 1A or look at some other DAP? Will I get much more power from balanced output compared to Fiio X5? Thx!

    • Reply October 9, 2019

      mark2mark

      what fiio are you referring to?

    • Reply October 9, 2019

      Berkhan

      You won’t have too much of a power difference but you will have better sound quality.

    • Reply October 13, 2021

      changiphone

      I really do think that x5ii character is on neutral and not bassy at all, if you go with wm1a (midnight fw), im pretty sure z7 is sounded great from balanced output.

  • Reply December 23, 2019

    NIHAL

    Hey Berkhan,

    Great review. After owning Fiio M9 and then Cayin N6ii (which is a brilliant dap) I have realised that I donot need an Android-based device and I need a better battery life. N6ii is bit bulky also, which may seem normal to some, but it seems bit odd to me. I was looking for a dap with a great battery life and a good sound quality. Could not find a better marriage between the two except in the Sony WMA1. I looked for reviews all around but could not find a better review than yours. Now, can you please please help me with a doubt? Does this device have a good sound as compared to N6ii or will it be a significant downgrade? By any means will this device be an upgrade to N6ii? Or if you have any suggestions please let me know. Hoping for a reply.

    Thanks a lot.

    • Reply December 25, 2019

      Berkhan

      Hello,

      Thank you.

      No it won’t be a significant downgrade for you I’m sure of that. I don’t know if it’s an upgrade though. Based on the price levels and their places in the companies’ lineups, I assume that they’re close.

      And since you want to have great battery life, you should go with the WM1A.

  • Reply February 10, 2020

    Mr Fripp

    Hi, good review. I had the old zx2, the fiio m6, fiio m9, fiio m11 pro, fiio q5s and now i have the A&K Sr15, the kann, the shanling m2x and sony wm1a and i really love it. Today we can find very good DAPs but i think sony have something special in their products. While fiio are producing each 6 month new models with the last chips sony only produce a few models but they can compite with any new DAP even if they don’t do streaming. My last fiio dap was the m11 pro and after two month i realize that I only was using the sony and the sr15 (excellent for transportarion and good sound too), so i sold the fiio (beautiful device and good sound but after a while i felt that something is missing).

    • Reply February 10, 2020

      Berkhan

      Thank you Mr. Fripp. I agree that the Sony DAPs are special. Good to know you’re enjoying your WM1A. What are your ear/headphones?

      • Reply February 10, 2020

        Mr Fripp

        Hi. I’m using the HD650, Grado 80 and IEMs Fiio FH1 and the Sony 1000X.

  • Reply February 16, 2020

    Tito Mariátegui

    Great review, thank you. How do we know if our wm1a player is capped or uncapped? if I can set the volume to high gain then it is uncapped?

    • Reply February 17, 2020

      Berkhan

      You’re welcome. Yes, if you can select gain it probably means that it’s uncapped.

  • Reply March 5, 2020

    Loris N.

    Probably the best purchased I ever made and it’s thanks to this enjoyable review.
    So, thanks a lot Berkhan

  • Reply March 10, 2020

    O Khan

    Hello and thanks for your in-depth review. The product is out for a long time and still can’t find detailed review like you did. The price hasn’t changed much since it came out, therefore, I was wondering if there’s any updated model in the pipeline that you are aware of? Currently I own Pono Player which I still enjoy very much and want to upgrade to something better. I am considering Wm1a of Kann Cube that just came out. Any thoughts or insights on this?

    • Reply March 10, 2020

      Berkhan

      You’re welcome.

      There’s a new model which is the ZX-500. But that works with Android with lesser battery life.

      Otherwise, I don’t have any information about a possible release. WM1 series still go strong to this day. I guess Sony will not release something until they develop a better sound.

  • Reply April 5, 2020

    jerzy

    Witam, wreszcie kupiłem wspaniały walkman cyfrowy sony WM1A według mnie jest z najlepszych w historii dziękuję za recenzje pozdrawiam.

    • Reply April 5, 2020

      Berkhan

      Thank you for reading too 🙂

  • Reply May 3, 2020

    proedros

    Bought my wm1a back in July 2017 , and still enjoy it very, very much after 4000 hour of usage…

    along with my 1960s 2wire cable + Zeus XR ciem, this is a TOTL setup that didn’t cost me an arm and a leg (paid 3000$ for all 3 items , so yeah no complaints there…)

    Great review , thanx for taking the time to write it

    • Reply May 4, 2020

      Berkhan

      You’re welcome. Enjoy your Walkman.

  • Hi Berkhan, thank you for your review…I have my 1A with 18 hours of use…would you recommend to make the burn-in till the 200 hours Sony says?…and another question my friend, I also have KANN Cube its in burn-in process…would you recommend to me burn- in it 200 hours as well ( right now is getting 100 hours) thank you for your kind answers, best regards!

    • Reply May 10, 2020

      Berkhan

      Don’t be too bothered about the burn in time. Just listen to your player and see if it improves eventually. 100 hours is OK for that.

      As for the CUBE, I think 100 hours is enough as well.

  • Reply July 13, 2020

    Aakash Kumar

    Hi Berkhan… Enjoy reading your reviews and I own a WM1A. Need to check if the 4.4/3.5 on 1A supports Line out into an external portable AMP?
    In case I want to connect something like iFi xCAN with WM1A for more power hungry cans, can i use the 4.4 Out on 1A into the 2.5 Bal input on the xCAN ? Not sure if it’s digital/analog, or will it result into double amping? (not an audio tech expert so please pardon any lack of understanding)

    • Reply July 14, 2020

      Berkhan

      Hi 🙂

      The WM1A doesn’t support a Line Out from its audio jacks, so yes, it will result with double amping. However, I tried to connect an external amplifier before, and it worked out nicely. So although double amping is not ideal, it works out quite nice. Just try for yourself and see the results.

      • Reply August 14, 2020

        Mark Taylor

        Thanks for your excellent review.

        How about using output via WM-port instead to feed headphone amp? I think this avoids double amping. Have you tried this?

        • Reply August 14, 2020

          Berkhan

          No I haven’t tried it. However I don’t think you can use the WM-Port as a line out.

  • Reply August 15, 2020

    Mark Taylor

    I can get audio output from the WM-Port of my Sony NW-A56, but not from WM1A. Aha.

  • Reply October 26, 2020

    Carlos

    Hello Berkhan!

    Thank you very much for your review and all your kind and precise answers.

    I currently own a Hiby R6 Pro and I am considering buying a WM1A. Do you think it’s a worthy upgrade? I don’t care much for streaming services, although it’s a nice to have feature.

    I’m also considering the A&K SA700 or A&K Kann Alpha, but WM1A are on top of my list because of the reliability.

    I’ll be listening on Unique Melody Mest, Unique Melody Maverick 2, Noble Audio k10 and Sendy Aivas.

    Thank you very much.

    • Reply October 13, 2021

      changiphone

      Been using r6pro for a while and now im with wm1a. All i can say that r6pro has a superior mid section and it is more height and musical as well. While wm1a is more open due a greater treble extention, and it has wider soundstage.
      Comparing both of it using my ie800s from both of their balanced output as well.

  • Reply November 11, 2021

    Edward com

    El wma1a moverá los sundara por lo menos decentemente he escuchado que dicen que no los mueve al 100 pero si es cercano… Y el z7m2 dicen que ni se acerca a moverlos al 100% ni 50% tu sabes algo de estos 2 caso saludos?

  • Reply September 5, 2023

    Andre

    Hi Berkhan, thank you for the awesome and detailed review. May I know what is the region of the WM1A that you used for the review ?

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