We just came from Singapore where Sony has announced its new lineup of high-resolution audio devices that will be available starting this month. With the goal of bringing you sound quality close to its original sound when it was recorded, let’s take a look at these products for home or even on-the-move.
Walkman HWZ-A15 digital music player
This is currently the newest, slimmest, and lightest high-resolution audio digital music player available today. It carries the classic Walkman branding and is designed to go wherever you go to provide lossless audio quality. Here’s our hands-on experience with it.
HWZ-A15 Specs:
2.2-inch TFT QVGA display @ 320 x 240 resolution
Support for FLAC, Apple lossless, MP3, AAC, HE-AAC, WMA, WAV, and AIFF
Support for MPEG-4/AVC(H.264/AVC/Windows Media Video 9 for video playback
Effects/sound processing: S-Master HX/DSEE HX/Clear Audio+/Clear Bass/Equalizer/VPT (surround)/Dynamic Normalizer
Bluetooth, NFC
FM radio
43.6 x 109 x 8.7mm
66 grams
High-resolution audio headphones
The MDR-Z7, MDR-1A, and MDR-1ADAC are premium quality headphones that offer unique features for their users. For starters, the MDR-Z7 carries 70mm drivers which is currently the first headphones from the company with drivers this big. It promises to completely envelop the ears that reveal every music nuance with integrity.
MDR-Z7 specs:
Design: Closed back, dynamic
Drivers: 70mm (currently the largest), dome-type
Sensitivity: 102dB
Frequency range: 4Hz – 100kHz
Impedance: 70 ohms
Weight: 335 grams
Cable length: 3m
The MDR-1A, on the other hand, has 40mm HD drivers with aluminum-coated LCP diaphragms and silver-coated OFC cabling with separated ground conductors for minimized distortion. It’s got a 4-wire structure in its cable that basically lessens crosstalk between the left and right channels that produced balanced audio output.
MDR-1A specs:
Design: Closed back, dynamic
Drivers: 40mm, dome-type
Sensitivity: 105dB
Frequency range: 3Hz – 100kHz
Impedance: 24 ohms
Weight: 225 grams
Cable length: 1.2m with in-line remote and microphone
Colors: Black and silver
The MDR-1ADAC is capable of accepting hi-res signals of up to 192kHz/24-bit while the company’s S-Master HX digital amplifier maintains signal purity and clarity. It is compatible with a wide range of devices including Walkman and Xperia models, PCs, iPods, iPad, and iPhone.
MDR-1ADAC specs:
Design: Closed back, dynamic
Drivers: 40mm, dome-type
Sensitivity: 102dB
Frequency range: 4Hz – 40kHz (digiral output), 4Hz – 100kHz (analog input)
Impedance: 24 ohms
Weight: 300 grams
Cable length: 1.2m
XBA hybrid headphones
For those that want a lightweight alternative for listening to high-res music, there’s the XBA-Z5 which is an in-ear headphone that boasts sound reproduction like that from a theater. It comes with a unique HD hybrid three-way driver system that consists of a 16mm dynamic driver unit and two balanced armature driver units which deliver a full range of sound as well as magnesium HD super tweeters for a powerful yet balanced reproduction.
XBA-Z5 specs:
Design: In-ear, ear hanger
Acoustic type: Closed
Driver: Hybrid 3-way – 16mm dynamic + 2x balanced armature
Frequency range: 3Hz – 40KHz
Sensitivity: 107dB
Impedance 32 ohms
Cable: 1.2m detachable
Plug type: Gold-plated, L-shaped
Weight: 11 grams
Both the XBA-A3 and XBA-A2 feature the same hybrid three-way driver unit that lets them reproduce a wide range of sound from radiant highs down to deep bass levels. They are equipped with a newly-developed Linear Drive Balanced Armature to improve the linearity of mechanical vibration.
XBA-A3 specs:
Design: In-ear, ear hanger
Acoustic type: Closed
Driver: Hybrid 3-way – 16mm dynamic + 2x balanced armature
Frequency range: 3Hz – 40KHz
Sensitivity: 105dB
Impedance 32 ohms
Cable: 1.2m detachable with in-line mic and remote
Plug type: Gold-plated, L-shaped
Weight: 11 grams
XBA-A2 specs:
Design: In-ear
Acoustic type: Closed
Driver: Hybrid 3-way – 12mm dynamic + 2x balanced armature
Frequency range: 4Hz – 40KHz
Sensitivity: 108dB
Impedance 32 ohms
Cable: 1.2m detachable with in-line mic and remote
Plug type: Gold-plated, L-shaped
Weight: 9 grams
All in-ear headphones listed here utilize direct coupling between the armature and diaphragm to give out clear mids and highs. In addition, they are comfortable to wear thanks to their silicone-foamed earbuds that ensure a secure fit while at the same time isolating ambient noise.
XBA-A1AP specs:
Design: In-ear
Acoustic type: Closed
Driver: Hybrid 2-way – 9mm dynamic + 2x balanced armature
Frequency range: 5Hz – 25KHz
Sensitivity: 107dB
Impedance 24 ohms
Cable: 1.2m non-detachable
Plug type: Gold-plated, L-shaped
Weight: 7 grams
Sony PHA-3 high-resolution audio headphone amplifier
To give your music an extra kick and reveal more details, there’s the Sony PHA-3 headphone amplifier. It converts hi-res signals from your device’s digital output using its D/A conversion technology that gives off a spacious, three-dimensional soundstage with distinct channel separation.
PHA-3 specs:
Frequency range: 10Hz – 100kHz
Supported impedance: 8 ohms – 600 ohms
Maximum input: 2 Vrms
Ports: Computer/Walkman/Xperia ports, iPhone/iPad/iPod ports, and optical input port
Dimensions: 80 x 29 x 140.5mm
Weight: 300 grams
Here’s a quick look at what happened during the launch.
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