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Best Music Players, Digital Audio Players (DAPs) of 2023 | Moon Audio

WM1ZM2 Walkman® DAP Music Player

Was: $3,699.99
Now: $3,698.00
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A luxurious gold DAP with a warm, rich & indulgent sound. More details

Best Music Players, Digital Audio Players (DAPs) of 2023 | Moon Audio

Expected Jul 26th 2024

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Designed for listeners who prioritize audio quality above all else, the Sony NW-WM1ZM2 Walkman DAP Music Player is a force to be reckoned with. As the flagship DAP in the Walkman series, the NW-WM1ZM2 is the pinnacle of portable audio perfection. The second-generation digital audio player boasts many upgrades over the original NW-WM1Z DAP. The NW-WM1ZM2 DAP sports a larger, HD touchscreen, better battery life, and an impressive 256GB internal storage to accommodate today's audiophile. It also has Wi-Fi connectivity and the Android operating system, allowing users to stream and use cloud storage. With upgraded internal components for an even richer and more full-bodied sound, the NW-WM1ZM2 DAP also features a stronger power supply and a higher-purity OFC chassis. The NW-WM1ZM2 is a no-compromise DAP that combines state-of-the-art performance, premium design, and unparalleled sound quality.

Dragon Cable Recommendation: We recommend pairing the Sony NW-WM1ZM2 DAP with the Silver Dragon USB Cable (Type C connector). The Silver Dragon USB Cable is designed for digital bus transmission when getting the most out of your audio is crucial. Made with UP-OCC silver conductors and high-quality materials, the Silver Dragon USB Cable features reinforced connectors designed to maintain a secure, stable connection at all times. The Silver Dragon USB Cable will offer an extraordinary amount of detail and resolution to your hi-fi system.

Features:

  • High-Resolution Audio compatible
  • Native DSD (direct stream digital) file support
  • S-Master HX digital amplifier for pure sound quality
  • Wi-Fi compatibility for downloading and streaming
  • 256GB capacity and microSD card slot
  • UP to 40 hours of music playback
Sony NW-WM1ZM2 in gold, closeup on side buttons

Iconic Sony Style Optimized for User-Friendliness

The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 DAP is housed in a gold-plated OFC (oxygen-free copper) chassis that not only exudes excellence but also minimizes electrical interference. The copper chassis's OFC purity has been upgraded to 99.99%, lending the player its unique natural, acoustic sound; and its conductivity and raw strength reinforce the Sony Walkman with unrivaled performance. The large 5-inch touchscreen display is smooth and responsive with a customizable home screen feature for users to alter to suit their needs. It's been called the "Golden Brick" and yes, it does weigh a bit more at just over 17 ounces—we like to call it an Apple iPod on steroids!

The NW-WM1ZM2 DAP boasts an impressive battery life with up to 40 hours of non-stop 96kHz FLAC hi-res audio playback on a full charge. With a 256GB integrated memory size and a microSD card slot, the NW-WM1ZM2 DAP lets you take even the biggest music collections on the go. On the top of the DAP, you'll find two headphone jacks—a 4.4mm balanced connection and a 3.5mm stereo mini jack. The NW-WM1ZM2 DAP also has standard playback buttons like pause/play and track skipping, volume controls, and a hold switch that when activated disables all buttons for no unintentional track skipping.

High-grade Components for a Premium Digital Music Player

To achieve the evolution in sound quality on the NW-WM1ZM2 DAP, Sony not only upgraded several parts but also assembled them in the best possible layout. By dividing the audio block (highlighted in red) and the power/digital block (blue), the circuit board layout has been optimized to ensure sound quality is unaffected by digital interference.

Sony employed various technologies in the NW-WM1ZM2's circuit board layout and overall design. Custom-made FT CAP3 high-polymer capacitors are used for all bypass capacitors, improving sound expression, soundstage, transparency, and bass. An OFC milled block covers the digital block, strengthening the digital ground and shielding noise for clearer sound. High-quality film capacitors and winding inductors minimize distortion and contribute to pure sound.

The wiring from the amp base to the balanced headphone jack uses thick KIMBER KABLE® for noise elimination, high-quality signal transmission, and smooth sound. Two low-phase-noise crystal oscillators with gold vapor deposition ensure precise clock stability and improved instrumental separation.

The surface-mounted Fine Sound Register ensures even power distribution for consistent sound quality. A newly developed reflow solder containing gold is used extensively, improving sound localization and soundstage.

Premium, audio-grade lead-free solder with gold connects the circuit to the battery for clearer sound and vocals. The low dielectric printed circuit board and copper-filled via holes facilitate accurate signal transmission and a wide, clear soundstage.

Circuit boards from Sony WM1ZM2 highlighted in red and blue to show the audio block and power block.

Superior Digital Audio Quality

The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 DAP delivers a sound quality that's in a league of its own. The NW-WM1ZM2 DAP is powered by a high-end S-Master HX digital amplifier, which delivers an exceptionally clear, powerful, and dynamic sound across the entire frequency range. The player supports a wide variety of audio formats, including high-resolution formats like DSD (up to 11.2 MHz), FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and MQA, ensuring that you can enjoy your music in the highest possible quality. By capturing and reproducing digital audio at a higher rate than CD (24-bit/96kHz and beyond), high-res audio brings you closer to the original studio recording. Enjoy hi-res audio without wires thanks to LDAC, Sony's premium wireless codec with three times the bitrate of standard Bluetooth technology.

360 Reality Audio allows you to enjoy an immersed listening experience as real as if you were there at a live concert or with the artists recording in a studio. Users can further tailor their listening experience with the advanced sound processing technologies featured in the NW-WM1ZM2 DAP. The DSD Remastering Engine in the NW-WM1ZM2 DAP transforms PCM audio into an 11.2MHz DSD ultra-high-frequency 1-bit audio stream. This single-bit stream, which more closely resembles analog audio, is then sent to the DAC, providing users with a wider range of options to enjoy their music. DSEE Ultimate, powered by Edge-AI, upscales compressed digital music files in real time. The constantly evolving algorithm now offers even greater benefits for CD-quality (16 bit 44.1/48kHz) lossless codec audio. By restoring acoustic subtleties and dynamic range, DSEE Ultimate delivers a richer and more complete listening experience.

Give the warmth and character of vinyl back to your digital tracks with the Vinyl Processor. It subtly reproduces low-frequency resonance, tone-arm resistance, and surface noise, creating an authentic listening experience that mimics the sound of vinyl records. Sony's DC Phase Linearizer effectively replicates a wide variety of sonic signatures by applying digital-signal processing to match the phase characteristics of various types of analog amplifiers. This results in a purer, more analog-like sound. Users can choose from six different phase character settings to tailor the sound to their preferences.

What's in the Box

  • USB Type-C® Cable (USB-A - USB-C)
  • Operating Instructions
  • Reference Guide
  • Headphone jack cap (Stereo Mini)
  • Headphone jack cap (Balanced Standard)
  • Leather case

FAQ

What audio formats does the NW-WM1ZM2 support?

The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 DAP supports hi-res audio formats such as DSD, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and MQA, as well as more standard formats like MP3, WMA, AAC, APE, and Apple Lossless.

What is the battery life of the NW-WM1ZM2?

The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 DAP offers an impressive battery life of up to 40 hours of continuous hi-res audio FLAC playback on a single charge. Battery life depends on volume control, ambient temperature, conditions of use, and audio file formats.

How much internal storage does the NW-WM1ZM2 have?

The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 DAP features a generous 256GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded using an external microSD card via the microSD card slot.

Does the NW-WM1ZM2 have a balanced output?

Yes, the Sony NW-WM1ZM2 DAP is equipped with a 4.4mm balanced headphone output, providing improved channel separation and lower noise floor for compatible headphones and earphones.

Does the NW-WM1ZM2 support streaming services?

Yes, the Sony NW-WM1ZM2 DAP has Wi-Fi connectivity allowing you to stream music from popular online services directly on the device.

Size & Weight80.5mm x 142.5mm x 21.0mm
490 g
Wi-FiFREQUENCY BAND
2.4 / 5 GHz
BATTERY LIFE - CONTINUOUS PLAYBACK MUSIC(W.MUSIC APP)
MP3 (128kbps) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 40 hrs, MP3 (128kbps) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 40 hrs, FLAC (96kHz / 24bit) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 40 hrs, FLAC (96kHz / 24bit) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 40 hrs, FLAC (192kHz / 24bit) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 35 hrs, FLAC (192kHz / 24bit) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 35 hrs, DSD (2.8224MHz / 1bit) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 25 hrs, DSD (2.8224MHz / 1bit) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 15 hrs, DSD (5.6448MHz / 1bit) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 18 hrs, DSD (5.6448MHz / 1bit) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 13 hrs
BATTERY LIFE - CONTINUOUS PLAYBACK MUSIC(OTHER MUSIC APP)
FLAC (96kHz / 24bit) / LDAC Connection Preferred (Auto): Approx. 18 hrs
CHARGING TIME (FULL CHARGE)
Approx. 4.5 hrs
BUILT-IN BATTERY
Built-in Rechargeable lithium-ion Battery
CHARGING AND POWER SUPPLY
USB power (from a computer via a USB)
Storage MediaMEMORY SIZE
256GB *Actual available memory 215GB
Playback & displayMUSIC SEARCHING METHODS
All Songs,Artist,Release Year,Playlists,Album,Genre,Composer,Hi-Res,Recent Transfers,Folder,Cue sheet
MUSIC PLAY MODE
Shuffle Playback,Repeat Off,Repeat 1 Song,Repeat All,All Range,Selected Range
DRAG AND DROP
Yes
DISPLAY RESOLUTION
12.7 cm (5.0-inch) ,HD (1280 x 720 Pixels)
DISPLAY TYPE
TFT colour display with white LED-backlight
SOUND EFFECTS
Direct Source (Direct) ,10 Band equalizer,DSEE Ultimate,DC Phase Linearizer,Dynamic Normalizer,Vinyl Processor
AUDIO PLAYBACK
MP3: 32 - 320kbps (supports VBR) / 32, 44.1, 48kHz, WMA: 32 - 192kbps (supports VBR) / 44.1kHz, FLAC: 16, 24bit / 8-384kHz, WAV: 16, 24, 32bit (Float / Integer) / 8-384kHz, AAC: 16-320kbps / 8-48kHz, HE-AAC: 32-144kbps / 8-48kHz, Apple Lossless: 16, 24bit / 8-384kHz, AIFF: 16, 24, 32bit / 8-384kHz, DSD: 1bit / 2.8MHz, 11.2MHz, APE: 8, 16, 24bit / 8-192kHz (Fast, Normal, High), MQA: Supported
Headphone Out (Stereo mini-jack)FREQUENCY
20-40,000 Hz
MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT (JEITA 16Ω/MW)
60mW+60mW (High Gain)
Headphone Out (Balanced standard-jack)FREQUENCY
20-40,000 Hz
MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT (JEITA 16Ω/MW)
250mW+250mW (High Gain)
SoftwareOPERATING SYSTEM
Android 11
ConnectivityTERMINALS
Headphone: Stereo mini jack, Balanced standard jack,External memory: Micro SD Micro SDHC Micro SDXC
WIRELESS CAPABILITIES
Communication system: Bluetooth Specification Version 5.0,NFC: No,Supported Bluetooth profiles: Yes,Supported Codecs (Transmission): Yes,Supported Codecs (Reception): No
AccessibilityTALKBACK
Yes

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