Sony NW-ZX707 Walkman 64GB Hi-Res Portable Digital Music Player with Android, Large 5.0″ (diag) Touchscreen Display, up to 24 Hour Battery, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth and USB Type-C – Black NW-ZX707/B

Basshead review: It’s a Sony and it’s awesome
I tried a couple of high-end Chinese DAP’s that were featured on many audiophile YouTube videos and I was unimpressed (thank you Amazon return policy) so I was thrilled when this new Sony DAP was available in America on Amazon. This is an amazing player for internet streaming apps… Wi-Fi works well, is very zippy and responsive in the YouTube and YouTube Music app with Android 12. And I just love the large screen!I get all of my music from YouTube and YouTube music because that’s where all the liquid drum and bass mixes DJ sets and bass heavy beats are (like Alpha rhythm, liquiddnbftw, Lumidelic, the man from del monte the_accidental_poet, FOMH, Minded Music, BACKWHEN, Anjuna Beats, Shingo Nakamura as examples). I use these genres of music to help me get quickly in the zone with my workouts. Btw, with YouTube Prime you can download videos and listen to them offline (cool!) and they are saved on the 128 GB SD card. 128 GB seems to be the max for this device. First let me say hi-gain limiting is not an issue for me as I am VERY careful with my hearing (I even apply glycerin drops in my ears the morning) and I’m only interested in using IEM’s not cans, although I did try my old Denon AH-D2000 cans and it drove it just fine with a108 listening volume when 120 is the max on this device. My IEMs are the Moondrop Blessing 2 (just gorgeous) and the Campfire Audio Dorado 2020 (oh the bass!) both with 4.4mm jack cables and Comply foam tips . I only use wired IEMs as I am still not at all impressed with the audio from Bluetooth, even the high-end Bluetooth Sennheiser IEM.Edit for Bluetooth: OkI just purchased Sony’s WH-1000XM5 bluetooth cans… okay I’m a believer now fantastic sound! And they pair up with all the cool proprietary Sony DAP to Sony headphone app adjustments.The sound stage spatial separation is excellent (it actually gave me the shivers the first time I listened to tracks on this device that I’ve listened to a hundred times before!). I feel like the frequencies were well represented all across the spectrum but as a “basshead” the bass especially so… I can feel the bass in the back of my skull even at lower listening volumes! (Did you know your brain picks up on the rhythms of lower, bassier music faster than it does high-pitched noises?) The equalizer is real and does not muddy the sound with adjustments unlike some of the “high-end” Chinese DAPs I’ve tried.In a world of $3k+ DAPs, unfortunately this is the kind of money you have to spend if you want high quality audio… and this DAP delivers while not completely breaking the bank (or perhaps I should say without burning the bank to the ground). Off topic, if you’re not interested in streaming music and want only a “pure” DAP check out the South Korean made Cowon DAP (I own 3) with its amazing Jetaudio suite of audio enhancement tools. Aside from Japan made Sony, South Korea makes the best DAPs (think Astell & Kern).Edit: Check it out, I was not super happy with the fact that the buttons are recessed flush into the body and I kept pushing the “off” button instead of the “volume up” button (big hands fat fingers) and then it slowly dawned in my consciousness, after using this device for a while, that there’s tiny raised little “nibs” on the + button and on the pause play button! Once you know they there you’ll always feel them and know exactly where the buttons are are! How cool is that! Sony thought of everything.Also off topic if you’re interested in an enclosure that you can clip onto your pants or belt check out MightyPouch, they make customized cases. The custom pouch I had them make for this device, with a metal belt clip cost $51, highly recommended. (The dimensions I used are 3 inches wide, 1 inch deep and 5.25 inch high in portrait not landscape)So since my first Sony Walkman cassette player 40 years ago I’ve gone full circle, and with the 3-year warranty plan available on Amazon, I could not be more pleased with my purchase! If you like the bass, while maintaining crystal clarity with other frequencies, with a nice big screen this is absolutely this DAP is for you! Thanks for reading, I hope I didn’t bore you and have a great day friend!

good
Like very much

Underpowered, too much Android OS clutter. Sent it back.
I am amazed that such a well-built substantial feeling unit can’t put out enough volume to drive any high end headphones to anywhere near what I would like. Loud was impossible even at full 120 volume. Online help shows a way to defeat the volume limitation with some button you can press that they say is not available in all countries. It was not showing in my US version.And what’s up with all the android clutter? I already have a cell phone with apps and stuff. I just want a simple, high end, music player that plays music and can power real, corded headphones to some semblance of volume. I wasted two hours screwing around with this. Back in the box it goes for a return.

Build quality, features, connectivity and sonics are all 5 star. It’s also quite sophisticated, in many ways like a smart phone or tablet with apps and wifi/Bluetooth that makes the 707 so versatile, but you need to be either tech savvy or patient to get things operational.I bought it in a move to step up in sonics over iTunes/iPhone, reboot my digital music collection and use this in my car, via USB or bluetooth. So what’s the first thing I do? Plug in some headphones, of course!I didn’t buy it for phones at all but thought I’d try it out. Wow. The music it renders is significantly better than any iPhone I’ve tried. A realism on par with my desktop headphone amp. But not volume levels.Yes, the volume level is limited according to regulations in North America. Both the headphones I tried run at 35 to 40 ohms, and they get louder than I need for sure. But I’ve also got a pair that are 80 ohms, and full volume was semi quiet. So you may need to match headphones carefully. And don’t be concerned about running at near full volume, there is no straining or limitations present.I didn’t try the balanced jack because I don’t have the right cable for my Sundara. But for me this is a non issue, I have several pairs of efficient headphones. The sonics are what counts, and they are gorgeous.Not a forward or bright presentation, this Sony has slight warmth with a really nice top end. Vocals have great detail and realism. The imaging is so life like!I could easily hear the benefits of better quality headphones and tracks, which demonstrates that the 707 is definitely a performer.That leaves the price. This unit is not cheap. I was quite surprised to find that there are are DAP’s costing $2-3000! Sony does a lot of things right, and a non forward/bright presentation with such realism in a portable package makes it an easy buy for me.Edit August 29: I still quite enjoy this Sony. I noticed that a recent review claims it can’t adequately drive 50 ohm headphones. I can’t understand this, it drives my 60 ohm headphones with no issues. I have to assume that the reviewer is still learning about the various settings on this unit. There is indeed a learning curve.

Initially I shared the frustration of others with the low top-end volume. The simple solution was to purchase an affordable headphone amplifier (a $99 iFi Audio GoLink DAC & Amp) which was a noticeable improvement.

The product feels solid. Has good weight, decent brightness, and excellent grip. Android 12 is a bit slow, but not horribly slow. I was able to download Apple Music and play songs in lossless format. I plugged in my Sony MDR-Z7M2 and played a song. My first impression was, “this is very quiet, let me turn the volume up”. It was already at 80, so when I turned it up to 120, I completely understood why people were complaining about its volume. Volume is very low, it is so underpowered that it cannot drive a 50 ohm headphone. Sound is nice, it has pretty good sound stage; however, it is very very underpowered that bass basically does not exist. I plugged in my 20 ohms IEM, it was definitely more punchier than my headphone. Basically, this DAP is only for those with low to medium quality IEM. It is too weak to drive anything greater than 40 ohm impedance. People saying they are fine with the sound, you gotta try other DACs. It is very underpowered that it cannot properly resonate 70mm driver. If you have a MacBook Pro with built in DAC, the maximum volume this thing can produce is about or slightly less than 40% volume level set on MacBook Pro.