Product Comparison: Sony NW-WM1Z vs Sony NW-WM1A

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Sony NW-WM1Z Signature Series Hi-Res Walkman

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Sony NW-WM1A

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General Specifications

Brand

Sony

Model

NW-WM1Z

NW-WM1A

Origin

China

About the Product

Delight in pure detail. Experience a symphony of detail with the Signature Series Walkman®; combining sophisticated sound technology with beautifully crafted, high-grade materials and class-leading usability. The NW-WM1Z is fully encased in a high-grade gold-plated oxygen-free copper chassis.

The NW-WM1A is a premium Walkman® designed for optimal sound quality. Feel every note and nuance with High-Resolution Audio and hear the difference in your music with balanced sound, anywhere you go.

Key Specs

Memory

256 GB

128 GB

Display

Yes

Integrated Speaker(s)

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Sony NW-WM1Z Signature Series Hi-Res Walkman

Purchased the Walkman to replace my ageing iPod which is full! Capacity is good with available card extension.
Great sound and smooth user interface. The best player in this price range in my opinion when paired with good quality headphones.
The 256gb storage is good and with a 400gb micro sd you can upload your full life’s collection into it.
With the solid big buttons, it feels like a classic metal build Walkman in your hand.
The screen is the same as in previous ZX2. It’s a 4 inch screen which has a 854 x 480 resolution.

Sony NW-WM1A

The touch screen after the updates works perfectly fine.
No lags in my 300GB + of jazz albums (600+ albums) in flac/a few in DSD. The OS handles everything without burden, a previous concern.
The external buttons are well placed and the hold button (to disengage functions) is simple and well positioned.
The touch screen works fine perhaps lacking a little fluidity when scrolling but I don't find it an issue.
Also have a 400GB SD Micro card and all works fine. Wow!

Size & Weight

Color

Gold

Black

Height

4.89 in.

Width

2.87 in.

Depth

0.78 in.

Weight

16.05 oz.

9.42 oz.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Sony NW-WM1Z Signature Series Hi-Res Walkman

It’s a clear upgrade in terms of audio performance matched with high Quality of construction, materials and detailing.
Sony focused purely on the sound and an elegant design and hit it out of the park on both counts.
The build quality, design and functionality are top notch.
Sony went all out with this player and used only the best materials and components to achieve perfection in portable sound.
Excellent player.. feels nicely solid in the hand.

Sony NW-WM1A

The build quality is excellent, it feels heavy, but much lighter than the coveted gold model
Apart from being better built and with a much nicer user interface (including touchscreen), the Sony is extremely musical (something the QP2R lacks)
Physically it is well crafted, very robust, and in my opinion a beautiful HiRes DAP.
First, its design is absolutely outstanding, if not the best, of its class
Great sounds and packed with features. A balanced connection. Well constructed.

Features

Supported Audio Formats

AAC (Non-DRM), AIFF, ALAC, DSD, FLAC, HE-AAC, Linear PCM, MP3, WMA (Non-DRM)

Memory Card Slot

Yes

Input(s)

3.5mm Jack, USB port, 0.17" balanced jack

3.5mm Jack, 0.17" balanced jack, USB port

Usability

4" TFT color video display

Voice Recorder

Video Playback

Bluetooth Enabled

Yes

Extras

NFC, Pure sound, premium parts, Advanced cable design, DSEE HX upscaling, DC Phase Linearizer, aptX™ HD audio, S-Master HX™, High-grade gold-plated oxygen-free copper chassis

NFC, Aluminum frame, Pure sound, premium parts, Oxygen-free copper cable, DSEE HX upscaling, DC Phase Linearizer, aptX™ HD audio, S-Master HX™

What customers say about "Features"

Sony NW-WM1Z Signature Series Hi-Res Walkman

Sound quality is very good as is the build of the Walkman.
The sound through the normal headphone jack is crystal clear with a good bass sound.
I have it connected to my system using bluetooth and the clarity is amazing.
As yet I have not had the pleasure of listening through the balanced out, but i can only imagine how that sounds. Great product.
Powerful to drive Utopia and even Hd800, awesome to look at, wonderful sound performances

Sony NW-WM1A

I am delighted with the Sony for its excellent sound (-I much prefer it to A&K models I tried out)
Its bass is simply superb to any other DAP offering I have heard thus far.
The unique thing that is important is the sound. I've listened DSD, FLAC and other formats. The sound is fantastic.
There are two gorgeous gold jack sockets one for standard 3.5mm and a 4.4mm for balanced cable.
I like that the Bluetooth features can be toggled. It works well with an Astell & Kern XB10 for wireless listening.

Accessories

Included With Unit

Wrist strap, USB cable, Leather carrying case

Wrist strap, USB cable

Power

Battery Life

30 hours

Battery Life

Sony NW-WM1Z

Sony NW-WM1A

What customers say about "Power"

Sony NW-WM1Z Signature Series Hi-Res Walkman

Long battery life and great sound under 4.4mm balanced output.
Wonderful sound, beautifully built, great battery life.
Battery life is super long. One of the criteria that I chose Sony 1Z over AK SP1000SS or CU version. Used for 12 hrs long with DSD/Hi-Res/CD formats and still 1/2 full when I got home.
Battery life is truly phenomenal, Sony was able to optimize the performance, depending on the file format, to have a playback of over 30hrs.
Battery life is also one of the best in comparison to other comparable DAPs.

Sony NW-WM1A

I enjoy unexpectedly good battery power.
But to me at this price range WM1A is the best choice, taking UI, design & battery life into consideration as well.
Not too large for most people to hold, wrist strap is supplied. Very good battery life
Amazing battery life, lots of options, eq settings.
Battery life is decent, considering I keep the screen on for long intervals and play this at a fairly loud volume with high gain and tone controls activated.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications

FCC, CE