About fresh portable music mp3 player Sony with a circular index ZX100, we reported this September in the news with the Berlin IFA. Over the past since a couple of months the model has had time to make their way from Berlin to Moscow and move to the exhibition stands on the shelves of our audio store. Now you can not only watch but also as it should be tested in real combat conditions! We took advantage of this opportunity to explore the functionality and musical abilities thoroughbred newcomer.
For portable audio Sony’s special attitude: once the company invented the market and then for many years to closely monitor it all the trends, responding to them promptly most competitors. The last of these trends due to an increase in demand for serious audiophile players with the high technical spec, in addition to standard audio formats capable of recording high-definition playback.
This trend music mp3 player Sony responded with two rulers handheld audio devices. First, the index indicated NW-A, includes models with miniature buildings, bright design, and attractive price tags, designed for beginners music lovers.
The second line of music players with an index of NW-ZX designed to lure music lovers with the experience – here Sony plans to collect their most top models constructed with the use of advanced development from the “adult” High-End audio.
Last year, the line received a flagship ZX ZX2 player with selected components in the filling and relatively high by the standards of the portable audio value. This year the company decided to make the ZX line a little closer to the people. That is the task entrusted to the new ZX100, representing a more affordable version of the flagship model. What is the design went to newcomer inherited from older ZX2, and on what the developers had to save? Who is known?
Relationship: Music mp3 player Sony
One-piece body made of polished aluminum with a large screen on the facade and leather trim on the inside – in a new player at first sight recognized by the next of kin flagship ZX2.
However, the differences are also evident at a glance. The new model was slightly more slender in comparison with last year’s predecessor, and most importantly – far less weighty. The music mp3 player Sony ZX100 threw nearly 100 grams compared to the ZX2 – the difference in weight and dimensions perfectly palpable and when you hold the device in his hands, and when to tuck it in your pocket.
Serious cuts have touched the display: it decreased by an inch, and most importantly – lost the ability to respond to touch. Along with the touchscreen device is the Android platform has lost all its many bells and whistles. This player is no longer trying to pretend to be a smartphone! Instead, the missing touchscreen control is assigned to the keys located below the screen. The control logic and the user menu reminiscent of the model of the line NW-A, good mechanical buttons are different to the touch and provide convenient access to the basic functions, even if the player is in the depths of his pocket. Large volume keys on the right side music mp3 player Sony borrowed from the older model ZX2, at the bottom end by a rubber stopper – a slot for microSD can significantly increase the capacity of the player.
This is an important detail, especially when you consider that both models of the ZX line sharpened by playing hefty holding at least ten times more space than MP3 files. However, even without the addition of a flash memory card for storage capacity ZX100 music information produced a serious impression. Its built-in storage device designed for 128 GB of music!
Design: Music mp3 player Sony
Symptoms family resemblance is to the more expensive model ZX2 evident not only in appearance but also in the design of a new device. For example, at its base, which is still the same chip integrated S-Master HX, implementing all stages of sound processing – digital processing, conversion to the analog further strengthening of the analog signal.
If you reduce the price tag would be quite logical to stumble at the filling ZX100 clear signs of the economy – the more surprising to discover many elite “chips” that have fallen from the older model unchanged. Among them – an expensive oxygen-free copper in the internal wiring and special items in the design of the chassis, designed to enhance the stiffness of the already very resistant metal housing.
Two separate clock generator to eliminate jitter, too, went from novice ZX2. Still curious to find music mp3 player Sony ZX100 technical solutions that could not boast of last year’s flagship model – for example, lead-free solder, designed to eliminate the transmission losses and ensure the naturalness of audio frequency balance.
Reliable isolation of circuits, providing the elimination of electromagnetic interference and reduce electricity losses – one more know-how, which previously could not boast of portable audio players and which migrated to the top of the home music mp3 player Sony ZX100 High-End audio components. These technologies make their debut in a portable niche and provide new player serious trump card in terms of sound quality. And in terms of functionality hundredth ZX also have something to show. However, details about it – below.
Options: Music mp3 player Sony
In the struggle for leadership in the market of portable music mp3 player Sony sound relies on a high-resolution audio – can be judged on a variety of models supporting in the company’s catalog in 2015. Fresh ZX100 is no exception – the developers taught him all kinds of playback HD audio from the PCM to DSD. Compatible with DSD implemented at a high level – the device is ready to decode the recording resolution up to DSD128.
However, the owners of even the most advanced music players shipped in them not only – that’s why developers music mp3 player Sony DX100 equipped with its proprietary audio processor DSEE HX, made specifically for treating pinched of MP3 files. This technology is designed to extend the dynamic range of records and to restore high frequencies of audio that most strongly affected during MP3-compression.
About other digital processors, wired into the circuit DX100 – ClearAudio +, Clear Stereo, VPT – to say nothing special: it is the standard digital better that Sony routinely completes all their portable devices from the very top to the very accessible.
Abilities: Music mp3 player Sony
The music mp3 player Sony ZX100 is interesting not only for his musical talent but also wireless capabilities. They are really extraordinary because in addition to the serious aptX codec built-in player Bluetooth-module supports the most advanced to date encryption algorithm LDAC.
This patented Sony Technology brings quality wireless Bluetooth audio to a whole new level, expanding bandwidth channel almost tripled, allowing through music broadcast in high definition up to 24 bit/96kHz. Support LDAC allows cross audiophile sound quality with the convenience of the wireless interface, but so far attempts to realize this benefit in practice run into a shortage of wireless headphones that can decipher the LDAC coding – today the market is represented by only one such model, Sony MDR-1ABT.
Instead, use another advantage of Bluetooth interface music mp3 player Sony ZX100 – technology support NFC – the owner of the player will have no difficulty because today on the shelves full of wireless headphones and speakers that also support NFC and are connected to the player, without further ado, with a simple touch. On the wired headphones included with the player, too, should pay attention because they are equipped with an active noise reduction system and are able to express themselves very well in the fight against high background hum, for example, in the subway or the cabin. To ensure maximum efficiency of noise reduction, the setup menu offers a choice of three modes of his work – “airplane”, “train” or “space.”
An Even more important feature of the player is a capacious built-in battery. Despite the thinness of his body ZX100 developers were able to mount into a powerful battery with a resource to 70 hours of battery life when playing music in MP3 or 45 hours when playing audio files encoded in lossless. With this player, music lover will not have to think about looking for any outlet or carry in your pocket an additional power pack. This music will be eternal! Well, almost eternal.
Sound: Music mp3 player Sony
Last year’s flagship ZX already managed to surprise us with a good balance between price and sound quality – in spite of the rather high price tag, he practiced every ruble shock and group tests are not inferior to more expensive products competitors. ZX2 graced us with a combination of hard to get along with each other advantages like feed temperament and sensitivity to the nuances of the finest acoustic. Can we expect similar feats from a new, more democratic music mp3 player Sony ZX100?
On the one hand, to improve the already very decent price / performance ratio is a task very difficult. On the other hand, numerous signs of similarity in the structure of the two players set up in advance in the expectation of similarities in their performing style. These expectations are confirmed in the testing process: the old and the new model in the line ZX really sound alike. The first thing you pay attention to the integrity and density of sound that make familiar songs played saturated and emotionally.
Biting and fast with excellent bass-drawn attack provides a combination of density and readability, thanks to which even the most rapid and aggressive fragments of rock compositions are fed forcefully and realistically as if you are present during their live performances. Player superb sense of rhythm is in all musical genres from jazz to hip-hop, while not trying to push him roughly to the fore by artificially reducing the midrange.
In the middle register shows the device is nearly as confident micro dynamics that ZX2, providing instrumental parts and good clarity of texture. The machine perfectly fulfills the material in high resolution, but sparing refers to the shortcomings of the compressed audio – MP3 files with 320 kb / s bitrate are played without explicit compression artifacts, standing unless a bluff high frequencies. Sony’s engineers managed to perfectly cope with the task, reducing the price tag flagship with minimal impact on the sound. Pocket High-End Discount – a very interesting proposal for the budget stereo device!
Verdict: music mp3 player Sony NW-ZX100
Most of the advantages of older models at the much more affordable price tag – a new music mp3 player Sony in the ZX family managed to improve the already very good price / quality ratio. However, now it works without an android in OSes. But it does not matter because Android already has in your smartphone.
Source: Sony
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