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Post by justsomesonyfan on Apr 19, 2023 10:33:28 GMT
Before you give up on the cable do try different regions and settings, dac initialization = 1, high gain = 1, and plus mode are all worth playing with, although plus mode makes the sound thicker and warmer, but who knows how it'll interract with your device. Personally I'd take MX3 over E. It's the most "unprocessed" sound region for me J3 and J are great too but I wouldn't take them over MX3. Generally speaking, do you think your mod can outdo or improve on the latest npaudio mods? Thank you for the suggestion. I tried that too. My initial settings are as follows: * SIG=3 * REG=J3 * REM=0 * PMV=2 * GMD=1 * DIM=0 Everything unchanged except for the switch from GMD=0 to GMD=1. Besides, I find it incredibly comfortable to be able to play with the possibilities of the hardware in this way - thank you Mr. Walkman. And indeed, it sounds different, even distinctly. For the first few minutes you are captivated by this wealth of detail and attention-getting sound events, especially in the mids. Language becomes much easier to understand. But after half an hour at the latest and a few pieces across all genres of music, I didn't want to listen to music any longer. For me, an artificiality that had been perceived as irritating at the beginning had become obvious. What I lack is depth in space and lack of bottom and top registers. The entire image appears flat instead of spatial. For me an indication that a significant increase in crossover distortion and background noise is to be expected. Nothing more with a raven black background. Consistency is lost. All in all an interesting excursion into the possibilities of our Walkman. For me, however, GMD=0 is the preferred operating mode. I'd like to have a little more gain, especially single-ended, when I'm running the Walkman on my MZ3, but I'd rather not. I have to agree, but using different settings. I think high gain definitely improves on DIM=0, as it brings more dynamics and clarity to the sound, however A/Bing further, I love DIM=1 with normal gain and low gain on walkman most, it gives a change to the sound which I've only experienced with the n6ii e01 motherboard when going from class a/b to class A, everything improves, blurred lines aren't blurry anymore, music works in unity, there are much more details, and they're far easier to notice and process. I've noticed that high gain (be it in wm1a settings or txt settings) makes it lose some of it's class A-like characteristics, as you mentioned more distortion, things are not as "whole" and it loses some unity. I'll keep A/Bing, but for now, MX3, plus mode v2, normal gain, dac initialization = 1
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Post by NPAudio on May 4, 2023 10:08:34 GMT
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Post by nc8000 on May 4, 2023 10:16:41 GMT
What are the changes and benefits versus the 2.5 mod I have ?
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Post by NPAudio on May 5, 2023 9:28:46 GMT
What are the changes and benefits versus the 2.5 mod I have ? Now your testing my memory 🤔😅 The Audio Note Kaisei on the balanced out are the larger bipolar ones (same capacitance) so more circuit board is cut across the top in addition to where the relays were. The the top centre post on the chassis is cut back further. The kemet Tantalum Polymer (also on the balanced out) are a higher capacitance and lower ESR. The power supply caps have film bypass capacitors, first explored in the balanced only V4 but now managed it whilst keeping single ended so V4 has been removed as it caused no end of confusion and questions from customers. It's now just one version V5. The copper back plate has a leather effect vinyl with gold walkman logo, as welll as looking better it is no longer raised so no issues with any cases. The software is the latest Walkman One (With J1 J2 J3) that I modified with the Gold GUI. I find the films help with better transients and the bipolar outs bring a little more texture to the lows and mids.
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Post by whitigir on Jun 9, 2023 22:09:54 GMT
View AttachmentI want to ask you if I did it right. The sound is so perfect that I'm still listening to music and I don't want to deal with anything else when I come home from work. I mean L +, L-, R +, R-. I marked it in the picture. I have the correct polarity on the headphone cables. Relay have gone bad! Thanks Steve for all the contributions to the M1, so I know what to do in case a relay have gone bad! Bypassed on M2. The configuration is the same on M2 as M1
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Sept 27, 2023 12:26:58 GMT
Finally went ahead and sent my 1a to get modded, words cannot express how excited I am
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Sept 29, 2023 13:17:25 GMT
Final Update: Capacitor cable: Mundorf SilverGold solid 1mm wire. Battery cables: 24 gauge Solid SilverGold wire. 4.4mm : 11mm Mundorf SilverGold foil, double folded length wise. All caps bypassed with tantalum and foil capacitors. This player sounds insane. Stage is massive and tonality is beyond words. Every time I listen to music I feel like I am in the middle of a hologram, 3D space, sounds coming from everywhere. Resolution is DMP-Z1 level. Player sounds like some very high end desktop DACs that I've listened to, just hard to describe. Using Bright firmware with MX3 region. Just an amazing little device Hope everyone is doing well. I wonder how your mods stack up against nayparms extreme mod v5
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Sept 30, 2023 9:54:21 GMT
For the battery cables, went to silver gold foil. 17mm twice folded soldered into the 1A board power pads, both of them. 11mm foil, twice folded length wise, soldered onto the battery and then soldered onto the foil on the 1A board. It sounds fantastic, resolution snapped right into place, like going from 1080p to 4K UHD. It's funny, every mod on my full size speaker system has a direct analogue in this player. I would love to get my hands on Nayparm mod and do a direct comparison. I've had the ability to listen and mod my player on the fly, and try every combination that I could think of. I would be impressed indeed if another 1A beats this well, it's nayparm after all, if anything i'll be impressed if your mods reach his
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Sept 30, 2023 19:14:52 GMT
These are Nayparm mods copied, and further tuned. Same thing I wouldn't have been able to do this without his help, absolutely not. DMP-Z1 still takes the cake for me, that's the best that I have ever heard, but as far as portable IEM use, this is the closest I have ever come to a setup sounding live. I'm going to compare this to the new Sony and A&K Players soon. Doubt they come close. the most recent exmpv5? along with the board cutting? if you did that yourself that's impressive who knows I might ask nayparm to see if he can toy with your additions
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Sept 30, 2023 20:26:17 GMT
yeah with the board cut and everything I would love to have someone else also listen to this and see what they think. If you decide to do it, I'll send nayparm pictures of the battery mods, the other ones are pretty simple to swap out. Actually I'll just post them here tomorrow. Legenburg 20 gauge cables for 4.4mm or SilverGold foil 11mm folded twice. Legenburg sounds more musical, both are amazing. Mundorf Silver Gold Solid 18 gauge for balanced capacitors. SilverGold foil for battery + connectors. 22 gauge neotech solid copper wires for back board capacitors. Rest of the mods are the same as nayparm. Add: Oh the PIANOS!! I'm in love So it's mainly different cables, are your current mods finale? or do you think you'll end up upgrading in the future?
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Sept 30, 2023 20:47:47 GMT
So it's mainly different cables, are your current mods finale? or do you think you'll end up upgrading in the future? It's final. Player is completely sealed up, with copper foil tape and shielding. I can't do anything better than this The reason that I kept tinkering was that I felt that there was more that this player had to offer, same with my Full size speaker system. Took me years to investigate every iteration that I could think of, including rebuilding my amplifiers, crossovers, cables from boutique parts. Addressing every part of the audio chain, bit by bit, listening and modifying. I learned A LOT.... USB Silver Gold foil cables that as far as I know, no one has ever made or sold. Foil Balanced interconnects, foil hybrid power cables etc. It's been a lot of experimentation, but I'm at the point that the music just sounds right, it's extremely enjoyable, the gear just disappears, it's just music. In short, I can't, and nor will I try to better this. I'll put this player up against anything available on the market without hesitation. sounds awesome, I'll message nayparm about it, you peaked my curiousity
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Sept 30, 2023 21:11:16 GMT
ADD: Cables make a pretty dramatic difference in the final sound. The jump from 24 gauge round solid silver Gold to silver Gold foil on the battery is quite big (Not even to mention the stock stranded cables, that add a fuzziness to the sound). To get the right combinations, it takes a lot of experimentation, You can't know unless you try it. I took a lot of what I learned from my full size speak system, and implemented it here. Can you note all the changes in your mod over nayparm's? as in which cable, what size etc. that way I'll know what to ask for
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Oct 1, 2023 5:42:28 GMT
Can you note all the changes in your mod over nayparm's? as in which cable, what size etc. that way I'll know what to ask for For 4.4mm cables I would recommend Neotech 20 gauge Legenburg copper Flat cables. (Silver Gold foil is harder to work with and is not suitable for all IEMs). Copper is the safer option and is just as good in my opinion. Sounds fantastic. Balanced Capacitor cables 1mm Mundorf Solid Silver Gold wire. Battery cables, as above^^^ Foil. Cables for the Capacitors in the back, I would go with 22 Gauge Solid copper Neotech. (I think Nayparm already uses those). thank you! I'm more of an iem guy myself, so the less hiss the better, even when I use headphones it's all easy to drive ones, so I doubt I'll go for the full sized configuration
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Oct 2, 2023 11:08:06 GMT
whitigirYou're in the Los Angeles area correct? I want you to listen to this 1A, I'd love to hear what you have to say. Maybe we can compare it to the new Sony and Ibasso daps? that would be super interesting... if that happens pleaaaase write impressions!
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Post by justsomesonyfan on Oct 3, 2023 7:28:01 GMT
I thought the last updates were final? 😅 The sound changed 😂 Burn in doesn't always go in the right direction. Happened last night, it was that 18 gauge solid wire, sound became thick and syrupy. Lost details and treble. 😶 I was sooo mad. I'll let you know how this goes, if it stays how it is now, I'm glad that 18 gauge crapped out. So good chance that expmv5 is still the ultimate upgrade haha you should tinker around with dac initialization and gain = 1 I use those all the time with plus mode 2, transforms bright+mx3 to a whole new beast
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