Speaking of Sony's market strategy, the most popular comparison is "One Sony" The mobile department of Sony, which is responsible for revitalizing the brand, has received strong assistance from other departments in the process of launching new products. Some functions of digital cameras or walkman players have also been transferred to mobile phones. Today, we will take a look at the audio performance of Xperia Z3 with Walkman technology.
Before starting the audition, let's take a look at some unique features on Sony Xperia Z3.
1、 Hi Res audio support:
In fact, this thing is not so mysterious. The full name of Sony's Hi Res Audio is High Resolution Audio, that is, high-definition audio (the above pictures are from the network).
For digital music files, under the same encoding format, there are three very important indicators, namely, bit rate, sampling rate and output bit depth. Bit rate represents the degree of compression of this audio file, just like the MP3 files you usually encounter have 128Kbps, 192Kbps 256Kbps and 320Kbps, the higher the bit rate value, the smaller the compression degree of the audio file, the better the detail retention for the high-frequency part, and of course, the larger the file size.
(Picture from the network)
The sampling rate, usually expressed in kHz, refers to the number of sampling points in the audio curve in every second. The sampling rate of the digital CD we most often contact is 44.1kHz, The sampling rate of DVD audio is 48kHz. For the same sound, the higher the sampling rate during recording, the more information will be recorded and the clearer the sound will be. Just like when 12 million pixels and 8 million pixels take photos of the same size, the picture of a 12 million pixel camera will be clearer, which can be understood as the horizontal resolution of the audio.
The output bit depth is a measure of the number of precision units that the same piece of music information can have when it is played back. The unit is bit. Now most players, audio files and ordinary CDs are 16bit, that is, when they are played back, they will be processed in the 16th power of 2, that is, 65536 precision units, which can be understood as the vertical resolution of audio, The output bit depth of ordinary high-end audio players on the market can reach 24bit or 32bit.
(Picture from the network)
Sony's standards for Hi Res products are as above. As for what is high resolution audio, there is no unified standard in the industry. At present, the limit of digital sampling files simulating the original audio is DSD format, and the sampling rate is 2.8MHz or 5.6Mhz. Sony's products with the ability to play high resolution audio are, A gold Hi Res Audio label will be pasted on the packaging box or body to show its identity.
Well, there is so much nonsense that I didn't mention Z3 in half a sentence, which is slightly inappropriate.
First, let's take a look at the packaging box of Sony Xperia Z3 BOC Unicom version. Ah, there is this gold label.
And Z3 will automatically display a golden HR logo on the album cover when playing high-definition audio.
However, it is strange that no matter on the official page of Xperia Z3 or on the white paper, the audio playback ability is only marked with the format that can be played, but the specific sampling rate and bit depth supported by each format are not specified.
The audio formats supported by Sony Xperia Z3 are still very mainstream. AAC, WMA and MP3 are of course no problem. The real highlight of the Z3 is that in addition to the FLAC lossless music format, it also adds the support of the ALAC lossless format (that is, Apple's lossless format) and the DSD format, which is very interesting.
In fact, support for high-resolution audio has been available in Xperia Z2 for a long time. Looking at the mobile phone market, Qualcomm's LG G2 and Samsung Note 3 launched earlier than Z2 have already added 24bit/192kHz audio playback support. These two machines use Snapdragon 800 processors instead of Snapdragon 801 processors on Z2 and Z3, and the DAC used is Qualcomm's WCD9320 (The chip in the orange box in the figure is from iFixit, which is the main board of LG Nexus 5) The WCD9320 is also responsible for the two machines' ability to play high-resolution audio, so it seems reasonable to use the Z2 and Z3 of the same DAC to support high-resolution audio. However, it is strange that the HTC E8 using Snapdragon 801 cannot play 24bit/192khz Flac audio files normally. Is this metaphysics?
2、 DSEE HX
DSEE HX is one of the main features on Sony's high-end Walkman music player. Sony claims that this technology can improve the compressed audio quality to close to or exceed the CD quality. As for the specific principle of this function, the algorithm is used to analyze the audio, calculate the data to be supplemented, and then output it to the headset.
This function sounds really good, but it should be noted that after this function is enabled, the power consumption of the device for playing music will increase to a certain extent, and even some F880 series users report that after this function is enabled, the battery life will be directly halved. This problem has not been found to have a very obvious impact on the battery life on the Z3 for the time being.
The diagram of DSEE HX on Sony's official website in the United States.
Z3 has DSEE HX technology.
At the end, we need to explain the application scope of Sony's technology: it does not include video playback and FM radio, and for lossless compressed high-definition audio, this function will not be automatically turned on to avoid wasting power. For audio with poor quality, this function will also not be automatically turned on to ensure the naturalness of the sound, so many people say that it has no effect, It is mainly related to the sound source. (The screenshot is from page 66 of Sony Walkman S series operation manual, , you may need to climb the wall.)
3. Mellow sound technique+
In fact, instead of calling mellow sound a "technology", it is more like sound effect, which is essentially the same as HTC's BoomSound sound effect. mellow sound technology+can not improve the quality of equipment in essence, but can highlight certain bands of music in the sense of hearing and amplify the volume, so the seasoning effect is naturally different, It may have a better effect on some earphones (the figure above is from Sony official website).
Personally, I don't like it, so I never open it.
4. Digital noise reduction technology
Players familiar with Sony Walkman are certainly familiar with this technology. This technology first appeared on the S700 in 2007, which is also known as the "torpedo" by enthusiasts. This technology can also be found on the subsequent X1000, Z1000, F800/880 series. Sony is certainly not the only company that uses digital noise reduction technology in its product line. The QC series earphones produced by BOSE and Beats Studio, which is very unpopular in ear burning circles, also have noise reduction functions.
The simple point of this technology is to pick up the noise of the surrounding environment through the microphone, and generate the inverse waveform matching the noise waveform through the internal calculation to offset it. This function is particularly useful in transportation. (Picture from the network)
However, if Z3 wants to achieve digital noise reduction, it must be equipped with MDR-NC31E/EM earphones and manually select NC31 in the earphone model after insertion. Sony claims that after the digital noise reduction function is enabled, the noise can be reduced by more than 98%. Users do not need to use loud playback when viewing multimedia content in noisy environments. After the noise reduction function is actually enabled, The noise in the surrounding environment has indeed been reduced to a very low level, which can even be comparable to the sound insulation effect of the fully enclosed moving iron earphone. But the quality of the NC31 earphone is really ordinary (after all, it is not expensive), so if you want to pursue sound quality, you'd better get a fully enclosed moving iron and a sponge cover.
Oh, one last word, all the earphone models shown in the picture above will be tuned in a targeted way as long as they are selected. The following listening sense is in the "normal" mode, striving to maintain the most essential output sound effect of the Z3, but the Z3 does not automatically identify the earphone model. After all, Dafa's black technology is limited.
Hearing sense:
The main earphones used are Weston W4R and Innovative Air.
The first point is that Z3 thrust is relatively urgent.
When matching with the W4R, the volume of the W4R is still high enough, but the scalability of the high and low sound configurations is very general, the low-frequency diving is not enough, and the high configuration details are few. However, it is no wonder that the Z3, after all, is a headset that is not easy to push.
As for the innovative Air, the sound generating unit of this earphone is dynamic, which is easy to drive itself. The sound is relatively small and fresh. The sound sense of the Z3 with light coloration is actually very good. Low frequency diving is in place. The separation of instrumental performance and vocal accompaniment is also good. Thanks to the flat head design of Air, the sound field is also relatively broad.
After listening to several songs with other earphones, I found that there is a certain amount of crosstalk between the left and right channels when using the earphones to play music. When using ordinary earphones, the whole sound field is not large, and the positioning ability is poor, which is simply a feeling of "not clean enough".
As for Sony's current dynamic flagship model EX1000 and Z3, it is a bit tragic. The EX1000 is more difficult to push than the W4R, and the Z3 can't wait for it, so don't think it is a good match because it is made by Sony.
In terms of overall sound direction, the sound of Z3 is biased. Even if the mellow sound is not turned on, it will stain the sound to a certain extent. This stain still has the style of Sony. It is similar to my previous Z1050. The voice is slightly protruding, and it is more forward than the accompaniment. This idea is generally OK.
However, due to the limitations of Z3's thrust and control, when listening to the songs of female singers such as Celine Dion or Whitney Houston, the voice is not well controlled, the cohesion is not enough, and the tri frequency is also soft and scattered. Compared with ZX1 with similar style, the gap is very obvious, but after all, ZX1 is Sony's flagship walkman, It is inevitable to do much better in thrust and control than mobile phones.
After all, the gold highlighted headphone port of ZX1 is not vegetarian, and Z3 can only look up.
As for the comparison between Z3 enabling DSEE HX technology and not enabling it, in the case of direct push, only the original poor quality audio sources (such as 128k MP3) can hear a significant improvement. After all, Z3 is a mobile phone, so everyone knows it.
For audio with different resolutions and different sampling rates, Z3 still has one ear of difference when the sampling rates are very different. This difference is very obvious in the analytical power. It uses DSD format audio, 24bit/192kHz FLAC When comparing 24bit/96kHz FLAC with 16bit/44.1kHz FLAC in lossless music format, the former can provide much more information than the latter. There is a difference between watching 4K TV and 720p TV, The sound details of DSD audio are abundant and smooth, and the 192kHz audio is also abundant and smooth. 96kHz is worse, while the ordinary 44.1kHz is like climbing stairs. Of course, I said smooth, which is relative to the situation when Z3 plays 44.1kHz.
Speaking of details, we can also talk about the analytical power of Z3.
The high frequency resolution of the Z3 is OK. When it is paired with a headset that is easy to drive, such as the Air, the amount of information is enough, but it will not be too much. This ensures that you will not be tired after listening for a long time. In addition to the friendly tuning, it is still a pleasant thing to listen to music with the Z3 during one or two hours of commuting on weekdays.
The medium and low frequency resolution of Z3 is also good, but it is not as good as that of high frequency. For the drooling sounds that people like to listen to, it cannot be said that there is no, but this has a great relationship with the sound source. Some obvious drooling sound sources can be restored by Z3, and some not obvious ones can be eliminated.
If you follow Sony's Walkman, you should know that ZX1 and F880 did not support DSD format playback when they were just launched. In a software update after the launch, support for DSD format was added.
So there is a saying on the Internet that ZX1 and F880 can support the DSD format because the DSD is processed into a 192kHz PCM signal and then played. Sony didn't make any comment on this, but I used the system monitor to check the operating status of the processor when playing music, and found that there were obvious changes: when playing 44.1kHz audio, the 4430 processor stayed at 600MHz for a relatively long time, and the occupancy rate was about 30%, while when playing 192kHz FLAC, the frequency also stayed at 600MHz, But the average occupancy is generally 35%. When the DSD format audio is played at the end, the main frequency of the processor will run back and forth between 600MHz and 800MHz, occasionally reaching the maximum main frequency of 1GHz, and the average occupancy will also be more than 50%, often rising to 60%~70%, and the whole machine will also be stuck during operation, It is not groundless to say that the machine switches to PCM (and the number of power and time in the upper left corner and upper right corner of the screen shot can also show something).
For Z3, this situation is similar. After all, the WCD9320 audio chip does not natively support DSD format and such a high sampling rate (the CPU condition at the time of screenshot is only transient).
In general, the analytical power of the Z3 is acceptable when the earphone is directly driven, but because the output power is too small, it cannot drive high-end earphones, or even if it is driven, it cannot give full play to the performance that high-end earphones should have, and the interference between the left and right channels is also an unavoidable problem. Yes, The support of HD audio format can really bring about some improvement, but the volume of HD audio files can reach hundreds of megabytes in about five minutes. To be honest, it is not worth the loss.
In general, supporting the high-definition audio format can really give the Z3 audio quality a little advantage over some unsupported mobile phones, but this advantage is not so great. It can be distinguished only with some relatively good earphones, which are not so easy to serve.
So, is it meaningless for Z3 to support DSD format or HD audio?
No, because in addition to direct pushing, The Z3 still supports the HD audio output function. In brief, the Z3 can output HD audio to external decoders through USB OTGs, such as Sony's own portable ear amplifier PHA-2. Although it is not stated on the official website that Xperia is supported, it can directly hard decode 24bit/192kHz and DSD audio through the PCM1795 DAC inside PHA-2 after USB connection.
Pull out the USB waterproof cover and play the bundling PLAY that people like to see.
In terms of listening sense, PHA-2 is undoubtedly excellent. After pushing forward, W4R has played a full and moist characteristic. The low-frequency diving depth is very good. The excellent control force makes the triple frequency have excellent cohesion. The analytical force is worthy of the word "perfect". The amount of music information is transmitted to the ear in a very delicate way.
Well, after all, the main character of this article is Z3, not PHA-2. After the USB OTG comes out, the direction and quality of the whole voice has little to do with Z3.
The combination of mobile phone+USB DAC has better flexibility than brick level players such as C4 or DX100. However, for waterproof mobile phones such as Z3, it means that the waterproof cover needs to be pulled off. Inconvenience is one aspect. The more important problem is that in the long run, it will inevitably affect the life of the waterproof cover rubber ring, and ultimately affect the overall waterproof performance of Z3.
Bluetooth connection can certainly be considered, but Bluetooth transmission means that the original audio signal needs to be processed by two Bluetooth modules, which will definitely affect the signal quality, WI-FI connection will affect users' normal web browsing. Personally, the best way is that Sony can create a magnetic data transmission interface like the magnetic charging, which can easily connect data cables while maintaining waterproof performance. This is not only more convenient in expanding audio accessories, but also much easier to connect computers at ordinary times.
Of course, the best way to improve the sound quality of a mobile phone (actually ZX1 in the figure above) is to add a high-quality DAC and op amp to the phone, just like VIVO. As for the size, I believe that with the development of science and technology, this problem will not be a problem one day (the customized CS4398CN has been integrated on vivo Xshot, the chip size is smaller than the general CS4398, and the sound quality is consistent).
Sony, who is going abroad this time, would like to have a family photo.
This is the right way to bind PLAY.
We are still looking forward to the day when Sony will put Walkman's hardware technology into its mobile phones.
