Ooh, thanks for the updates.

The Z5 looks tempting, I was initially aiming for the HBA-X3. But then I thought the over-ear design is a bit uncomfortable with glasses. And honestly, the price of the Z5 is quite out of my range - unless the sound is absolutely mind-blowing.

I'm actually more interested in the pricing for the A2, since it has a HD tweeter like in HBA-X3 but has the typical earphone design.

Btw, Lego Warfare, are you sure 16 GB would be enough for you? Since the device is intended for HI-RES audio, I guess people will mostly load on FLACs. I have the 32gb F886, and i have a mix of FLAC and 320 mp3s (to save space), and I worry that I might not have enough space soon. But at least the F886 comes with Android and Wifi where i use Music Unlimited for streaming, so it works great for me.

Edit: Just checked Sony Malaysia's website, they don't even have the A-series walkman listed yet!

This post has been edited by jonoave: Oct 4 2014, 06:32 AM

Oh right, I missed that.

Yeah, the price is Z5 is really high. How much of a step-up is it compared to HBA-X3? Actually now I'm more keen on the A2 since it features the HD tweeter of X3, but the design is not over-ear.

So jelly. Too bad I'm not in Malaysia..

Thanks for the link. Oh the XBA A2 is only RM499! I thought it was gonna be a step up from the XBA-H series.
Now I'm wondering if it's actually the new "budget' series.

I have the F886 and notice that it can be occasionally hissy when connected to the charger. But that is when playback is off, didn't notice anything with playback (even in quiter parts).

Oh you're hosting it? Looks awesome!

This post has been edited by jonoave: Oct 24 2014, 07:29 AM

I can't even imagine the price of this.

I wonder if the Walkman F-series is being discontinued and replaced by the A-series?

The F-series has disappeared from the Sony Asia website.
http://www.sony-asia.com/pa-mp3-walkman/ra...-Players/593309

It's still listed on Sony Malaysia, but it may not have been updated yet. However, it's missing from the online store.
https://store.sony.com.my/productlisting.aspx?catid=162

Sony Germany still has it listed, but remove the pricing and ability to order online (usually signs of old products).

That's gonna be sad if it true though, because I like the Internet ability and Android and the ZX1 is way above my budget.

This post has been edited by jonoave: Nov 8 2014, 11:51 PM

Unfortunately I'm out of the country now! And I just bought one earlier this year so it's a bit early to plan for a replacement!

Anyway, amazon uk and germany has it listed as (discontinued by manufacturer), with the refurbished versions selling around 300 euros.

Is it too much to hope for that they will come up with a new improved version next year?

Are you referring to the F series?

Yes, I agree that the UI is good, cos it's using Android.

If they are going to introduce a new version that runs Android and have microSD slot, then I don't mind them phasing it out. I just hope Sony is not killing the F series for good.

They did introduce the A series with microSD support, but that one has no Wifi and no Android. So I can't use it for streaming music services. e.g. Spotify.

Looks like an awesome deal!


https://www.facebook.com/SonyMalaysia/photo...?type=1&theater
https://store.sony.com.my/productlisting.aspx?catid=376

Damn it! I got my eye on the XBA-A2 but I'm not in the country yet!

I had my eyes set on the XBA-A2, which cost quite a bit at RM799.
but then there was a black friday sale for XBA-H1 at 76 euros (~RM300) from Sony Germany.
Definitely much cheaper than the RM499 listed for XBA-H1 at the Sony Malaysia website.

I decided to order it. There is a 30 day return period, so if I don't like it I can still return.

I just got this as a Christmas present for myself.



It's the XBA-A2!

This is the most expensive earphones I've gotten for myself. I got it for RM640, which is 20% off from the current price of RM799 which is a special promotion for 3 days.

Inside it the packaging is a very nice box.


Open up to reveal the earphones on a soft foam pad.


And all the contents under foam pad: A nice travel carry case, earbuds (3 hybrid and foamed silicones). Inside the travel case there is another cable with line-in microphone.


Disclaimer: I'm not a pro audiophile, so I don't really know how to describe the sound and impressions too well. But this is my take on it.

Impressions in store:
Unfortunately I didn't bring a proper PAP to the Sony store as I initially didn't plan on buying it then, until I found out about the the 20% off promotion. So I had to settle on my phone (Xperia S) and listen using some MP3 and Ogg files. Between the A1 and A2, I noticed the A2 has wider soundstage and slightly better clarity. However, the A1 was lighter and less cumbersome than the A2. Not that the A2 is very heavy, but I can defnitely feel there is something in my ear.

That's why I decided to go for the A2 instead of A1. But again, this is just in-store impression which is noisy and not with a proper PAP but it's good that I can already notice a difference in store.

Impressions at home:
I have been listening to it on and off for quite a few hours since Wednesday, I doubt it has been more than 100 hours for proper burn in. More like 20 hours+.

I'm listening with my F886 walkman, and mostly with FLAC files and also some V0 MP3 files. My previous earphones was the default earphones that came with the F886, which is quite good. There was no model number listed for it, but it comes with noise cancelling, and it was quite bassy but has better sound stage compared to the MH1C. So it was decent set of earphones.

Now listening using the A2, I noticed the music seems to be "heard" towards the back of my head. The soundstage is wider, and the clarity is better too. The music feels punchier and fuller (dunno how else to describe), but it 's generally nice. The smaller details seems to be more pronounced, e.g. there are parts of the song where previously felt was just silence or low instrument noise are revealed to contain some details. I can notice this difference even with MP3 files, which suprises me a little since I was led to believe that MP3 is a lossy format.

Pop and R&B songs sound good, the vocals and beats/music sound fuller. I was more impressed when it comes to instrumental music (music soundtracks), where the violins and flute sounds richer and fuller, since the previous default earphones were quite decent.

I've been using the default earbuds (which is the M hybrid), maybe later I'll try on the foamed earbuds.

For me personally, it really felt like listening to my music was a new experience again, as there is now much better detail and a fuller sensation. I intend to stick with this earphones for quite a long time since it's quite costly (lol) but so far I've been enjoying it.

This post has been edited by jonoave: Dec 26 2014, 01:28 PM

Well, according to what the folks at Headfi dug up, yes there should be due to differences in hardware.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/742609/sony-nw-zx...0#post_11196810

http://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/walkman/nw-zx2

No, it's a bit too rich for my blood.

I'm gonna be sticking with my F886. I've also recently gotten the XBA-A2, so I'm quite happy now.

Well, quick google shows that MDR-NC33 has been discontinued.

And MDR-NWNC33 is apparently for walkman with NC function.

But I believe the MDR-NWNC33 is also obsolete.

My Walkman F886 comes with the MDR-NC31EM, has the noise-cancelling feature and also works with the Xperia Z3.

I'm so depressed.!!

The left housing/driver for my Sony XBA-A2 has gone missing!

I realised that just as I was taking it out from my drawer to leave for a trip.... Can't find it anywhere. Stupid detachable cable feature. I never used it anyway... And now I can't use my earphones anymore..

Is there a chance I could get a replacement housing for it? Or is my money just gone like that...

I just ordered an XBA-A1 to tide things over for now..

At least it doesn't have the detachable housing.

I wouldn't say it's a marketing gimmick. I have the F886, that has DSEE feature and it definitely has a noticeable effect.

Playing on 256 LAME MP3/OGG, there is a slight difference with DSEE turned on. It makes the sound "tighter", not sure if the term is correct.
Even with FLAC, there is a slight, sometimes imperceptible difference.

So clearly the DSEE is messing with the final sound output. The downside of DSEE is it very draining battery so I usually keep it turned off, unless I'm charging my DAP>

Just note that DSEE is quite draining on the battery.

Personally I only turned it on when I'm charging it.

This is one of my gripes with Sony too - no ogg support. Luckily i'm using F886 so can download ProPlayer that support a lot more formats.

By the way, OGG is already lossy format - why do you want to convert it to FLAC since it takes up more space? Might as well convert to MP3.