Sony have officially launched their Signature Series range of audio products here in Malaysia following the earlier announcement at IFA 2016. The series includes the MDR-Z1R headphones, the NW-WM1Z and NW-WM1A Walkman players, and the TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier.
MDR-Z1R
The MDR-Z1R headphones feature 70mm, magnesium dome HD drivers, and an aluminum coated LCP edge diaphragm coupled with neodymium magnets. These components are housed in a resonance-free housing that allows for detail preservation and ventilation.
The Z1R’s headband is constructed from lightweight beta titanium and is covered with genuine leather that is also found on the ear pads. The balanced cable makes use of the industry’s new 4.4mm plug and the ear cup connection jack utilises a non-magnetic plated Corson alloy jack for low resistance.
NW-WM1Z Walkman and NW-WM1A Walkman Players
Two Walkman players are being released: the gold-plated copper chassis NW-WM1Z and the aluminium-housed NW-WM1A. The NW-WN1Z’s gold-plated chassis minimises contact resistance and magnetic interference. It also incorporates a dual clock circuit with low phase noise quartz oscillation and internal wiring by Kimber Kable.
Both Walkman models have wireless features such as Bluetooth and LDAC built in for hassle-free listening. There is also support for Hi-Res audio playback up to 384kHz/32bit recording and Quad (11.2MHz) DSD native playback. The players also include a built-in amplifier that is capable of driving headphones such as the new MDR-Z1R as well.
TA-ZH1ES Headphone Amplifier
The final product in the Signature Series lineup is the TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier. The amp features a D.A. Hybrid Amplifier Circuit, which utilises Sony’s S-Master HXTM digital amplifier for detail preservation and low distortion. The device of course supports Hi-Res music file formats up to DSD 22.4MHz and PCM 768kHz.
The TA-ZH1ES is constructed mainly of aluminum and is built rigid enough to suppress vibrations and resonance. The amplifier also provides simple connectivity with balanced and unbalanced connections like XLR4 and Standard jacks.
The entire Signature Series Lineup will be launched some time this month with the MDR-Z1R headphones going for RM7,099, the TA-ZH1ES headphone amp at RM8,999, and the NW-WM1Z and NW-WM1A Walkman players at RM9,999 (Update @5:00PM, 20th October: Sony Malaysia has reached out to us and informed us that the previous pricing was an error. The actual pricing of the WM1Z is RM11,999.) and RM4,999 respectively.
