Sony NW-WM1A Review (Digital Audio Player)

[Nutul]

I bought a Sony Minidisc player/recorder in Singapore, some 30years ago. It didn't have the volume capping as some EU-sold devices had. Nevertheless, there are (well, for sure were...) tools to edit the device's internal settings, and get rid of the capping... They would be fool doing it anywhere else than at software level...

 

[IsaacOscar]

I’ve read on some forums that this has been mentioned in the US. It was a bit surprising to me, but I’ve only seen it in news or online posts. In real life, I haven’t actually encountered it myself.

The question I have is how do you know if the cap is in effect or not? (without comparing to a device sold in a different region).

(I was getting an annoying notification on my rooted Google Pixel every 20-hours telling me to lower the volume, but I think I managed to fix it. Sony devices are much harder to modify though).

 

[Tuan Anh]

The question I have is how do you know if the cap is in effect or not? (without comparing to a device sold in a different region).

(I was getting an annoying notification on my rooted Google Pixel every 20-hours telling me to lower the volume, but I think I managed to fix it. Sony devices are much harder to modify though).

To be honest, ASR has saved me from wasting money on some of Sony's more questionable releases. While I’m a fan of their cans and glass(cameras), I’m much more skeptical when it comes to their DAPs. I always make it a point to check the measurements on AudioScienceReview before pulling the trigger to make sure I'm not just paying for brand hype.

 

[Tuan Anh]

what good pair with ier-z1r? nw-wm1am2 good?

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"I think it's a solid pairing; those cans aren't exactly hard to drive. However, regarding the DAP, you should double-check if Sony is hiding any 'fine print.' Watch out for capped output power or if they're using JEITA standards just to juice up the specs on paper.

 

[IsaacOscar]

To be honest, ASR has saved me from wasting money on some of Sony's more questionable releases. While I’m a fan of their cans and glass(cameras), I’m much more skeptical when it comes to their DAPs. I always make it a point to check the measurements on AudioScienceReview before pulling the trigger to make sure I'm not just paying for brand hype.

Yeah, when it comes to DAPs they can be horrendously over priced, I'd just get one that has the features I want, is a nice form factor, and has enough power for my headphones.
(FYI the Audio quality of a good DAC dongle + smartphone should be equivalent; Amir has reviewed many cheap but highly performant dongles)

 

[Tuan Anh]

Yeah, when it comes to DAPs they can be horrendously over priced, I'd just get one that has the features I want, is a nice form factor, and has enough power for my headphones.
(FYI the Audio quality of a good DAC dongle + smartphone should be equivalent; Amir has reviewed many cheap but highly performant dongles)

The
Apple dongle is actually a sleeper hit; its 1 VRMS output (validated by Audio Science Review) provides plenty of headroom for most gear. Even on MacBooks with high-impedance support, the floor is remarkably transparent and clean. Ultimately, your budget should go toward better glass (high-end cans).
I’m a Sony fan too, but when it comes to the Walkman and Xperia lines, it feels like they’re mostly selling the brand name. The hardware often lacks real driving power, or the stock software is too restrictive to actually tap into the product's full potential

 

[IsaacOscar]

I’m a Sony fan too, but when it comes to the Walkman and Xperia lines, it feels like they’re mostly selling the brand name. The hardware often lacks real driving power, or the stock software is too restrictive to actually tap into the product's full potential

Well the Xperia phones are some of the few that still have a headphone jack..., but then they have a horribly tall aspect ratio. I've found a really nice dongle though that is actually better than a headphone jack (it has PEQ!) So I don't regret switching from Xperia phones to google Pixels (one thing I do miss is having a more rectangular phone without rounded corners like my Xperia XZ1)

 

[majingotan]

One thing that’s always been undermined in simple DAPs is the battery life and thermals. Also, the aspect ratio and feel of the device matters a lot as well.

I’ve honestly can’t find another non-modern DAP that plays DSD up-to DSD256 files, plays almost any formats out there and gets 20+ hours of music playback including DSD playback on a single charge. Device never gets hot, warm or anything unlike the modern android DAPs out there

Also, I don’t think anyone has mentioned about the Bluetooth receiver functionality which allows me to watch Netflix etc on my iPad or iPhone and enjoy high quality sound on my IEM wherever I go. I don’t notice a lag or mis-sync since iOS knows how to compensate for that.

Finally, no distractions, no fragile dongle wires hanging around another phone, industrial build quality noted by @amirm , just me and my music alone

Its measured performance is 100% adequate for IEMs out there and you’ve got high gain 2V balanced output if you’re driving some headphones as well

In short, after recently acquiring the NW-WM1A for 350$ mint condition, it’s one of the best if not the best music device purchases I’ve made this year

 

[Mr. Swordfish]

I have a Sony NW-A306 music player that I bought a couple years ago to replace my iPod.

It's ok.
Does more or less what it's supposed to do.
Accepts a 1tb micro SD card so you can put lots of uncompressed music on it (I think it supports 2tb)
Android based,
Supports bluetooth and wifi plus standard 3.5mm audio and USB-c jacks.
Comes with free Music Center software to manage your files on your PC. (I use JRiver instead)
Claims to include dedicated DAC chips instead of the standard DAC you find in most androids
Quite small compared to most other music players

Sound quality? I mainly use it in the car or with a small travel rig, so the weak link is not the player. I rarely use it with headphones, but it seems to work adequately well when I've tried. If I was still working as an audio engineer I'd pony up for a device with balanced outputs, but I don't need that feature now.

Battery life? Not an issue for me since I (mostly) only use it where there's a plug to keep it charged.

If I had it to do over again, I'd just get a cheap android phone, add an SD card, and install some free software (e.g. musicolet). Which is exactly what I did so I have a backup - a 2022 motorola moto-g does everything the Sony does for $45 instead of $400 and the UI is better.

But I'm sticking with the Sony since it's not worth changing the setup that's working - I cheaped out on the SD card for the backup player and only got a 500G instead of a 1tb and I don't feel like it's worth my time to move the SD card.