My NPAudio WM1 Mod V5 Brief Impressions
May 26, 2023 21:35:25 GMT
Steen Pihl and justsomesonyfan like this
Post by rcoleman1 on May 26, 2023 21:35:25 GMT
NPAudio WM1 Mod V5 Brief Impressions
Hey guys. Just wanted to leave a few brief impressions of my WM1A Mod V5 for anyone interested. I’d like to thank Steve at NPAudio on another fantastic job on my Sony as each version of this mod seems better than the last to my ears. For comparison I also have a Romi Audio Blackgate/NPAudio WM1Z mod (my “super mod” I call it) which I love and would never take on the go which is why I purchased the WM1A.
I’ll start with the NPAudio latest Walkman One firmware (With J1 J2 J3 regions) that Steve modified with the Gold GUI. Beautifully redesigned. Seems to boot faster too (could be me) but so far NPAudio only includes it on the WM1 V5 mod.
While the Sony DAPs tend to lean toward a “warmish” sound signature across the board, after about 100 hours burn-in on my new WM1A mod I can say that it is slightly less warm, a slightly more resolving signature with just a tad more clarity, resolution and width than my WM1Z mod. Both my Sonys have killer battery life (40+ hours) due to the mods and I can accommodate all of my IEMs with either DAP because of the contrasting signatures.
I get my Android and streaming fix via my iPhone and a dongle (I’m satisfied with that) but I have 2 1TB cards (one in each player) of my local hi res FLAC, ALAC and DSD music files that I enjoy daily on these DAPs and I am totally satisfied. I like the simplicity of the Sony OS and the Walkman One firmware has extended the legacy of these great Sony DAPs. I’m not even tempted by the latest TOTL DAPs being released almost daily now.
Guys I will say that if you have a chance to get one of these Sony DAPs get one while they’re still around and have it modded by NPAudio. Take my word for it…you won’t regret it.
Another great mod Steve. You are the master bro.
Hey guys. Just wanted to leave a few brief impressions of my WM1A Mod V5 for anyone interested. I’d like to thank Steve at NPAudio on another fantastic job on my Sony as each version of this mod seems better than the last to my ears. For comparison I also have a Romi Audio Blackgate/NPAudio WM1Z mod (my “super mod” I call it) which I love and would never take on the go which is why I purchased the WM1A.
I’ll start with the NPAudio latest Walkman One firmware (With J1 J2 J3 regions) that Steve modified with the Gold GUI. Beautifully redesigned. Seems to boot faster too (could be me) but so far NPAudio only includes it on the WM1 V5 mod.
While the Sony DAPs tend to lean toward a “warmish” sound signature across the board, after about 100 hours burn-in on my new WM1A mod I can say that it is slightly less warm, a slightly more resolving signature with just a tad more clarity, resolution and width than my WM1Z mod. Both my Sonys have killer battery life (40+ hours) due to the mods and I can accommodate all of my IEMs with either DAP because of the contrasting signatures.
I get my Android and streaming fix via my iPhone and a dongle (I’m satisfied with that) but I have 2 1TB cards (one in each player) of my local hi res FLAC, ALAC and DSD music files that I enjoy daily on these DAPs and I am totally satisfied. I like the simplicity of the Sony OS and the Walkman One firmware has extended the legacy of these great Sony DAPs. I’m not even tempted by the latest TOTL DAPs being released almost daily now.
Guys I will say that if you have a chance to get one of these Sony DAPs get one while they’re still around and have it modded by NPAudio. Take my word for it…you won’t regret it.
Another great mod Steve. You are the master bro.
