High Resolution Audio captures the emotion of the performer better, as if you were listening onstage or in a recording studio. Sony expands the possibilities for listening to high-definition music at home, on vacation or on the go.
Walkman player
®
A15 by Sony
Sound quality that even the most discerning audiophiles will appreciate, and a pocket-sized design makes the Walkman® A15 is the new benchmark for sound and style. It also comes with high-resolution headphones and a new headphone amplifier to give you the best possible sound quality.
Walkman
®
A15 Series
The world’s smallest, lightest digital high definition audio player[i], the exquisitely stylish Walkman® The NWZ-A15 immerses you in a world of rich sound with superb detail.
For sound quality that impresses even the most discerning audiophiles, the Walkman portable player® The A15 series is answered by the S-Master HX™ digital amplifier. This advanced amplifier handles vast amounts of wideband audio data while reducing noise and distortion. The Walkman boasts excellent energy efficiency, with up to 30 hours of battery life on High Resolution Audio and up to 50 hours on MP3 audio.
Walkman ® The A15 series takes on many of the features of Sony’s high-end Hi-Fi devices, such as lead-free, high-purity soldering that delivers balanced bass, midrange, and treble. In addition, the power circuit uses thicker, lower-resistance wires to help minimize distortion and deliver deep, tight bass performance. Extremely rugged die-cast aluminum housing reduces external electrical interference and stabilizes sound reproduction. And instead of the usual ceramic capacitors [i]a POSCAP capacitor is used to power the S-Master HX™ digital amplifier.
Even if you’re listening to low bitrate CDs or compressed MP3s, the DSEE Digital Sound Enhancement Engine HX™ intelligently restores lost treble data, so you get an audio experience superior to Audio CDs. All the tracks in your music collection play back in high-definition quality as close as possible.
Enough storage capacity for even the biggest audiophiles. The 16GB of internal memory can be expanded with a microSD card up to 128GB , letting you download very large high-resolution audio libraries High Resolution Audio .
For owners of music collections of hundreds of albums is perfect NWZ-A17 model with a capacity of 64 GB, which can also be expanded with a misroSD card up to 128 GB.
High definition headphones MDR-Z7
Immerse yourself in the incredible depth of music with the MDR-Z7.
The MDR-Z7 concept is based on three main aspects: superior sound quality, superior comfort and superior build quality.
Combining the latest advances in sound and design, using only high quality materials the Japanese engineers created a new 70mm driver that enables maximum frequency response up to 100,000 Hz!
This headband headphone model is great for high-resolution audio sources. The MDR-Z7s feature unique materials of construction to bring the listening experience to a new level and ensure the emotional involvement of the listener.
The new 70mm driver covers the ear to the fullest extent, reflecting every musical detail and creating a complete soundscape – from deep sub-bass to crystal clear high-frequencies. Faithful high-frequency playback down to 100 kHz produces transparent sound with all the nuances of a live performance.
Whether you’re listening to a string quartet or rock, the new Liquid Crystal Polymer Aluminum-coated diaphragm drive units are equally at home delivering every musical nuance across the full frequency range.
Even the most complex bass lines are reproduced very clearly and rhythmically thanks to Beat Response Control, which diverts airflow to allow free diaphragm motion.
Unprecedented sound quality meets superior comfort. Large, non-pressurizing urethane earpads provide excellent acoustic isolation and maximum wearing comfort.
Other features include a 4-wire cord with separate grounding strands to reduce crosstalk between channels and the ability to connect to a balanced audio output. In addition to the normal detachable cable, a cable is available for connecting to a balanced audio output on devices such as the new PHA-3 headphone amplifier. The cord is made of oxygen-free copper with silver plating to reduce loss.
Ideal for listening to high-definition audio on the go, the MDR-1A takes many of the innovations from the MDR-Z7, including aluminum-coated LCP diaphragms in the 40mm drivers and an oxygen-free silver-coated copper cord with separate grounding strands.
High-resolution in-ear headphonesXBA-Z5
You can get High-Resolution Audio quality on in-ear headphones too if it’s the new flagship model in Sony’s XBA line of hybrid headphones. Specially designed 16 mm speaker with a liquid crystal membrane coated aluminum, is responsible for reproduction of the clearest and deepest low frequencies. The two armature drivers, which are responsible for the midrange and treble, have also been redesigned.
Symmetrical armature driver design improves mechanical vibrational linearity, resulting in a clearer sound in the midrange and treble without any audible distortion. In addition, one of the armature radiators uses a super light and thin magnesium diaphragm, which allows you to accurately reproduce the super high frequencies. Rugged and slim magnesium housing reduces the size of your headphones, thereby greatly increasing your headphone enjoyment.
PHA-3 headphone amplifier
Discover a new level of detail with high resolution audio files stored on your computer, smartphone, tablet or music player.
The PHA-3 headphone amplifier converts the high-resolution PCM 384kHz/32 bit and DSD signal from your device’s digital output, amplifies it and delivers it to headphones like the MDR-Z7. High quality digital-to-analog conversion guarantees the recreation of a three-dimensional sound scene with excellent channel separation. You can connect your MDR-Z7 and XBA-Z5 headphones directly to the balanced audio output of this amplifier, which is ideal for home use.
The Walkman® NWZ-A15 and NWZ-A17 players will go on sale in America on October 16, 2014.
Approximate price: 7990 Dollars and 11 990 Dollars respectively.
Headphones MDR-Z7, MDR-Z5, as well as the headphone amplifier PHA-3 will be available in America in November 2014.
Approximate price of MDR-Z7 – 24 990 Dollars, XBA-Z5 – 29 990 Dollars, PHA-3 – 34 990 Dollars.
Specifications:
| Model Name | NWZ-A15 /NWZ-A17 |
| Available Colors | Black Silver Pink |
| Internal memory | 16GB 64GB for NWZ-A17 |
| External memory | microSD card not included , up to 128GB |
| Screen size/resolution | 2.2 inch 5.6 cm QVGA 320×240 color TFT screen |
| Compatible file formats | Music FLAC/Apple Lossless(ALAC /MP3/AAC/HE-AAC/WMA*/Linear PCM(WAV /AIFF |
| Video: MPEG-4/AVC(H.264/AVC /Windows Media Video 9 | |
| Sound Effects Processing | S-Master HX/DSEE HX/Clear Audio+/Clear Bass/Qualizer/VPT(surround technology /Dynamic Normalizer |
| Battery life | MP3 50 h. |
| High Definition Audio 30 h. | |
| Bluetooth | Communication system: Bluetooth® Ver. 2.1+EDR1 Compatible Bluetooth profiles: A2DP／AVRCP／OPP Supported codec: SBC/ aptX® |
| FM Radio | 76.0～108.0 MHz |
| Other features | Karaoke, Dance, Display Lyrics, Language Study, SensMe™ channels |
| Dimensions not including protrusions | 43.6 x 109 x 8.7 mm |
| Weight | 66 g |
| Model Name | MDR-Z7 |
| Type | Closed, dynamic |
| Speakers | φ70 mm, domed aluminum voice coil wire with copper plating |
| Sensitivity | 102 dB/mW |
| Frequency Specifications | 4 Hz ～ 100,000 Hz |
| Resistance | 70 Ohm at 1 kHz |
| Maximum input power | 2 000 mW |
| Plug | Headphone cable, Balanced headphone cable, Universal adapter 6.3 mm |
| Weight without cable） | Approx. 335 g |
| Complete Accessories | Headphone cable 3 m , balanced headphone cable 2 m , Gold-plated adapter for connector |
| Model Name | XBA-Z5 |
| Type | Closed, hybrid in-ear headphones |
| Speakers | 16mm driver + 2 armature drivers |
| Sensitivity | 107 dB/mW |
| Frequency characteristics | 3 Hz ～ 40,000 Hz |
| Resistance | 32 Ohms at 1 kHz |
| Maximum input power | 100 mW |
| Plug | L-shaped |
| Weight without cable | Approx. 11 g |
| Accessories included | Headphone cable 3m , balanced headphone cable 2m , 7 pairs of ear cushions |
| Model Name | PHA-3 |
| Frequency range | 10 Hz to 100 kHz AUDIO IN input Distortion coefficient of 0.01% or less 1 kHz |
| Supported Impedance | 8 ohms to 600 ohms |
| Maximum input power | 2 IN, RMS AUDIO IN |
| Maximum output power (When using the built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery | Balance connection Approx. 320 mV + 320 mV 32 &Omega, distortion factor of 1% Normal connection Approx. 100 mV + 100 mV 32 &Omega, 1% distortion factor |
| Output jack | Three-pin mini jack BALANCED-L R Stereo mini-jack -NORMAL |
| Input jack port | Computer WALKMAN® Xperia connection port iPhone/iPad/iPod connection port Optical port OPT IN Stereo mini-jack |
| Power supply | 5 V post. Current: When using DC power adapter |
| Rated power consumption | 13.5W |
| Dimensions | Approximately. 80 x 29 x 140.5 mm (W/H/D, not including protruding parts |
| Weight | Approx. 231 g |
| Supported Sample Rate/Transmit Rate | PCM: when connected to a computer: no more than 384 kHz/32 bit When connecting an iPhone/iPad/iPod: no more than 48 kHz 24 bits With optical connection: no more than 192 kHz 24 bit DSD: 2.8 MHz, 5.6 MHz |
| Complete accessories | Headphone amplifier this device 1 Digital cable for WALKMAN® 1 Digital cable for Xperia 1 Micro-USB cable 2 Audio cable stereo mini-jack 1 USB power adapter 2 Silicone Strap 4 |
| Work environment | Compatible OS: Windows 8.1/Windows 8.1 Pro/Windows 8/Windows 8 Pro Windows 7 Windows Vista Mac OS X v10.6.8 or higher Processor: Intel Core 2 1.6 GHz or higher 1GB or more memory USB port USB 2.0 High Speed |
How does Sony’s expansion of high-definition music listening on the go affect the quality of music playback? Can it provide a better experience compared to other options currently available in the market?