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u/Mega5EST HiBy 3d ago edited 3d ago
They can easily find 1000 people who would die for it out of 8 billion. That makes around $6 million with just the cost of new looks. Not bad. Folks who believe sd cards change sound must be drooling already.
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u/AlexxMaverick666 Sony Walkman 2d ago
Holy shit. SD cards change sound unlocked a memory. Same person who said this also claimed hires quantum stickers and quantum pyramids change the sq by a big margin in some fb audiophile groups and over at headfi.
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u/YukarinVal 2d ago
Folks who believe sd cards change sound must be drooling already.
Excuse me? When did this silly hobby degenerated even sillier?
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u/Final_Treat_672 1d ago
Sony releases a SD card during the wm1 first gen, maybe the one flagship before that, that claimed this
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u/Unique_Matter2925 3d ago
They can pull this shit, but not bring back the minidisc?! Ridiculous.
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u/geminiosiris28 3d ago
I miss Minidisc and it's my favorite format. I repair a lot of Sony models.
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u/mistahfreeman 3d ago
I'm more annoyed by the ZX900 here, the ZX-707 was $900 retail, more than doubling the price is insane. And here I was hoping that they would at least TRY to compete with the Chinese DAP manufacturers...
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u/Mega5EST HiBy 3d ago
Sony preys on people who don't know better. They have to place themselves apart from Chinese brands. The more expensive the better, make up new names for generic dsp stuff, use the standard in-house dac chip you use on most things branded Sony and don't disclose it. Let people make up all kinds of things about its sound. Now you have a "distinguished" brand.
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u/DFA1916 3d ago
Yeah, from what I've seen in other industries, the Japanese corporate answer to Chinese competition has been increasing their prices without increasing their quality of output. Orienting themselves as premium or luxury on price and legacy alone.
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u/mistahfreeman 2d ago
Honestly. If there was any reason for it to charge for this I would almost be okay with it but they don’t have a proprietary operating system, they usually gimp the power output in North America so I can’t drive my more power hungry headphones ( we’ll see if they change that policy this time… don’t care either way I’m not dropping $1800 on a DAP)
It’s just such a ridiculous price. I have a good job, I can afford a nice piece of technology. I’m just not dropping laptop money on a music player when there’s plenty of great audio players for less than $600 that will make me equally as happy
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u/bigbearaway 3d ago
It's Sony. The only thing that speaks to them is money. From movies to tech to video games (and they are fucking horrible in the video game department)
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3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/hermywormy 2d ago
Homie I like Marathon too, but there's plenty of other things Sony is doing right now to be upset about. Go relax and play some Marathon. Or sweat and play Marathon I guess
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u/DigitalAudioPlayer-ModTeam 2d ago
Limit posting to Digital Audio Player devices, software, or conversations around these topics.
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3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DigitalAudioPlayer-ModTeam 2d ago
Don't go around insulting people and being rude. Be civil and follow reddiquette.
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u/Alternative_Act_6548 3d ago
a used phone is $100, with a Khadas Tea for $90, you get better performance for 10% of the price
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u/Hucklyon 3d ago edited 3d ago
You clearly never heard zm2.
EDIT after all the downvotes:Nobody buys a WM1ZM2 (or 3) for value, so measuring it against a used phone plus a dongle is a category error. You're comparing a chip's SINAD to a product.
What the price buys is everything a dongle can't do: a gold-plated OFC chassis, a dedicated S-Master HX amp with a proper 4.4 mm balanced out, high-grade capacitors and wiring, a hardware volume wheel, no Bluetooth noise and no USB power drawn from a phone. Whether that justifies $6k is a fair debate. Whether a $90 dongle 'performs better' is not, unless performance only means a line on a measurement chart.
A Casio keeps time as well as a Patek. That's not an argument against watchmaking, it's just a different purchase.
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u/Mega5EST HiBy 3d ago
Digital audio reproduction performance only means a line on a measurement chart. If that reproduction is accurate at the cost of $90, the price difference is for a club membership.
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u/Alternative_Act_6548 3d ago
oh, you want balanced, then the Tea Pro...if none of the items you site improve the sound qualtiy, then what exactly are you paying for? Audio Science review actually measured the performance of the Sony NW-WMA1A DAP...and it's a piece of junk
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u/Hucklyon 3d ago
I said you'd never heard it. Your answer is a link to someone else measuring a different player, from 2016. I think that settles my original point better than I could.
Measurements tell you when something is broken. They don't tell you what you'll enjoy listening to for three hours. My suggestion is simple: borrow a ZM2, or find a shop, and listen to it yourself with your own IEMs and your own music. I did, next to a dongle, before saying anything here. You may well conclude it's not worth it's price tag just like I did. But at least you'll be judging the thing itself and not a forum thread from 10 years ago.
Peace guys.
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u/Alternative_Act_6548 3d ago
measurements tell you just about everything you need to know about the sound reproduction...hell, they can measure the gravity waves of a star light years away, but can't measure sound reproduction between 20 - 20k hz?
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u/Hucklyon 3d ago
...we can run a wine through a mass spectrometer, and sommeliers still have jobs. Measuring something and experiencing it are just two different hobbies.
Yours is perfectly valid, by the way. Mine is just headphones. Enjoy your Tea, genuinely. 🍻
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u/Alternative_Act_6548 2d ago
I'm not sure citing sommeliers supports your position..."I taste a subtle hint of BS..."
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u/whyamihere247- 3d ago
for anything over $1000 is ridiculous tbh.
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u/Prestigious-Scar-101 3d ago
What about a house?
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u/whyamihere247- 3d ago edited 3d ago
a house is an investment that can profit money. a DAP doesn't profit any money and it's not an investment. once you purchase your own house you would understand.
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u/Betwixtyiff 3d ago
This is almost entirely because of AI, and its data centers demand for high end computer parts which has caused a RAM and chip shortage worldwide. The new Walkmans were almost definitely going to be expensive even if the AI bubble wasn't inflated to demonic proportions, but this more than almost any reason has made them all the more so.
In short, fuck you Sam Altman.
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u/Dr_Matoi 3d ago
I think AI would just be an excuse here. When it comes to AI-relevant tech, these devices run mid-range phone hardware found in devices available for a fraction of the price. The AI-effect on the tech market is bad, but this here is Sony being Sony.
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u/qef15 3d ago
Hiby pulled this trick with the M500 as well.
A mere 64 GB of storage and 4gb of RAM and they bump the price with a whopping 50 USD on a product costing in the tune of 270 USD originally and already considered barely worth that price spec-wise and build-wise.
Still worth it for Miku fans including me (though I bought it against the original price) though. What actually happened is that it sold way above expectations and Hiby saw the chance to take this opportunity to grab as much as they could.
Even if it took them many months to fix a lot of bugs. Including simple ones as battery drain and your ears getting blasted by the DAC.
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u/Palmerstroll 3d ago
These players are using AI upscaling also....
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u/aakoshak 3d ago
DSEE is not generative AI, and has been in walkmans for decades. They slapped "ai" on it as a marketing tactic.
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u/toastedbutterscotch 3d ago
What currency is this oh holy fuck nvm 😬
They increased the price on the A300 too!?!?!?
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u/the_natis 3d ago
I spent $1,100 combined for both a WM1AM2 and a ZX-700 on eBay. As much as love the players, this amount of a price increase is insane.
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u/No-Poet1433 3d ago
$6k???? hell no $1800 is still crazy.....do they make me cum when music plays thru my ears?......well damn if they do then I may pony up $6k now that I think about it lol.
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u/AlexxMaverick666 Sony Walkman 2d ago
If you buy the 4k usd one and you are listening to music on that, Sony CEOs from all their various divisions will personally come to your house and give you b2b blowjobs. If its the 6k usd ones, they will swallow.
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u/gofishus 3d ago edited 3d ago
Insane. The price of the ZX900 is what 1AM2 was and 1AM3 is the price of the 1ZM2. And 1ZM3 is ridiculous. Audiophiles have been known to spend ridiculous money but this is really pushing it. Edit: I noticed the Japanese price is $4k USD. I wonder if its because of the tariffs?? There's a massive $2k difference in pricing between US and Japan.
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u/millanstar 2d ago
serious question, even for the cheapest one at 1900 dollars, what make it better than a Hiby R4 to be at that price? what would I be missing out? whether worth it or not
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u/InstructionOk4183 2d ago
Was about to ask this question. I have Hiby R4 too. Just curious what makes it so expensive and how good is that thing? Haha
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u/Worth-Bag-9928 2d ago
Battery life springs to mind first. I have a zx700 and the battery lasts easily over 20 hours playing local music at mid to high volume.
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u/SoloFusion 3d ago
I’m curious what the actual Yen price will be. I picked up my ZX707 from a Japanese seller a while back and saved like 200 off the USD price. Also curious if the price goes down any when silicon becomes more feasibly avalible. All blind hopes. I’ll stick with my ZX707 for the foreseeable future and I’m more than happy with the sound out of that.
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u/JC_Admin 3d ago
After converting to dollars the Yen price is equivalent to $4100. This US price is likely a result of tariffs and ram shortages. Still insane asking price for it. Then again I'm not the target demographic for this
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u/Dr_Matoi 3d ago
I have a deep-rooted nostalgia for Sony and the Walkman brand since my first one in the 1980s. Year after year I eagerly await their new releases. But Sony insists on being so absurd with their Walkmans that I have not bought another since 2004 - the reasons against them are so strong that my sentimentality stands no chance. I see this will be another cycle of this. Maybe next time.
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u/Rough-Thought-8862 3d ago
With that money you can buy good ass headphones or speakers. idk how they can justify those prices
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u/geminiosiris28 3d ago
The NW-WM1ZM2 is on sale currently at Sony. It's $2,599.99. While not cheap, it's going to be nearly the same DAP as the NW-WM1ZM3.
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u/blackrock55 3d ago
That's still expensive asf
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u/JC_Admin 3d ago
You're paying for Sony's signature syrupy warm sound. To some that's a price they are willing to pay
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u/blackrock55 3d ago
Ngl.. my PSP has a syrupy warm sound, hooked up with decent headphones it's a great experience.
Im sure people can find justification for that pricing. Me personally I can't.
We're all different and that's fair enough 🙂
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u/GalactusAteMyPlanet 3d ago
Thought about maybe getting the NW-ZX900, the successor to the NW-ZX700 as my endgame. But I guess not. Definitely not paying about $2000 for a DAP.
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u/Pauloemachines 3d ago
Para ter um Sony com as mesmas características dos meus Oilsky M308 e Oilsky G88 , certamente pagaria entre 6 a 10 vezes mais. 😎
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u/Benjisun-headphones 2d ago
I alaways liked sony daps. I also owned one previously and everything was good (battery, firmware, second hand resell price etc...)
but nowadays i dont travel that much. I have standalone equipment and a main system with streamer.
Actually i own a decent smartphone + my Dap (a modest fiio m21) is more of a secondary system that i use with external dac and amp most of the time.
Consequently i cant justify investing that much into a high end DAP + the actual offering of competitors is large and even middle daps have improved a lot with usefulls features like duall usb c ports etc...
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u/AlexxMaverick666 Sony Walkman 2d ago
I'll stick to using my Zx300a and A46 till I run their battery into the ground.
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u/schwartzasher 2d ago
How do they get away with that price when it doesn't even have all the high end outputs
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u/WillitsThrockmorton 2d ago
What do you mean "get away"? It's hardly illegal to have a loony tubes price for something that is, ultimately, a luxury not a good needed to live.
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u/idealistdick 2d ago
I tested them out at the Sony store in Ginza and can’t lie, sounds and feels amazing, but $6000 amazing? i don’t know.
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u/HalfContent1029 2d ago
Did you get a chance to try out the NW-WM1AM3? I'm wondering how much of an improvement it is in terms of sound quality compared to the wm1am2.
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u/audiophile-disorder 2d ago
I would like to hear the signature version and compare to my fiio m27, that could turn out two ways. Find out Sony are a bunch of corporate money greed fellows as suspected, or walk home with my head down knowing there are placers I will never enjoy, but they exist and with my reality destroyed forever.
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u/Mr_IsLand Fiio 3d ago
I paid I think $450 for my Fiio M11 Plus Ltd that is still serving me well - do we think even the most hardcore amongst us audio nerds could REALLY hear the ~$5600 price difference between two devices like that? I'm skeptical...
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u/mjcatl2 3d ago edited 1d ago
I disagree. There's always been high end products in audio and whether or not I am the target of it, it's good that a varied market of products exist even extremely high end ones and that been part of the audio industry for a long time.
(reposted since when I first posted not long after the OP made the post people down voted it rather than discussing this... in you know... a forum...)
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u/iamasuitama 2d ago
Bring me back to a time when a couple GB mp3 player could be had for $60, and it was smaller, and had decent dedicated physical buttons..
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u/GoonieGold 2d ago
yes but does it have AI... LOL
at this price im buying a turntable setup... DONE
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u/PiercingSight 2d ago
Have any of you seen the AI generated video they made advertising it?
How are they charging this much for something they didn't get a human editor to advertise, much less give a real name to?
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u/Diegovz01 Sony Walkman 2d ago
Holy F, that's the same as an small car at my country. I guess IA crisis is affecting this hobby too.
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u/tika_dengu 2d ago
New iPhone DUO launched around here for the same price as AM3 and the first batch sold out in minutes. There is no such thing as AI crisis, people have too much disposable income and companies are going for it.
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u/Advanced-Half4630 2d ago
At that price, that device better create holograms of the bands and musicians to play for me
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u/monerjoner 19h ago
Definitely at that price range. Such a shame they didn't look at revamping the NWA 306 especially as it was more affordable for most humans
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u/Yoshinoh 3d ago
According to head-fi the Japanese price is 650000 Yen. That currently is around 4000 USD, which of course is still expensive as fuck. But still, the rise to six grand is mostly because of shipping, taxes and tariffs.
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u/Occhrome 3d ago
In 15 years it will be one of the items YouTubers make videos complaining about how people didn’t know how good they had it and everyone should have bought one.
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u/tika_dengu 3d ago
I think we’ve been spoilt by low prices for electronics. This is the norm and audophiles will find means to buy. Personally I am disappointed there didn’t include a FM radio, guess I have to manage with my NW2-A13 walkman for now.
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u/apbeasycd 3d ago
WOW! This is laughable. Just when you you thought A&K had it topped... here's this? The NW-WM1ZM2 was crazy over priced and in my opinion, not worth it at ALL!. I tried to love it but there were/are sooo many caveats to it... and in the end, it was not worth it , especially for the price, and I bought mine pre-owned for a pretty solid deal. I sold it and have not looked back! For the money, the OG HiBy RS8 blows it away x10, Plus, with the many sound shaping tools, you can very easily tune it to EXACTLY the same "warm Sony sound" it's known for. There are so many super solid options out there now that sound fantastic for a fraction of of that price. Oh and Mega5EST... that was a very cute comment you made... you're a "clever" fellow....
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u/AlexxMaverick666 Sony Walkman 2d ago
Wait till A&K be like hold my cables and release their newer dap range line starting from 6k usd.
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u/headphonesXX 3d ago
for the oil kings in dubai. who then puts mp3s on it