Sony PHA1 Portable (USB) Headphone Amplifier

2020-04-14T20:00:00

If you can get an audio signal, digital, not headphone out, and the other end terminates in a USB A connection, your in DAC heaven. Sony made the wise decision to use a Wolfson digital -to-analog chip insside the PHA-A1 and used the better Texas Instruments amplifier chips in the output stage. They even used two, one left, one right, for best sound quality. The third and final TI chip is attached to the volume control and it is smooth as glass! Currently I'm listening to Angels & Airwaves, "I-Empire" on my 6th gen iPod with Sony MDR-7506's doing some A/B listening and I'm very pleasantly sonicly surprised at how good my old tunes sound with a little bit of modern massaging with digital bits! I started off with the DAC connected. Big, full, open, wide. The soundstage between my ears opened up and like looking at a black and white picture then pulling a sheet away from it, colors that belonged there all along, jump off the canvas. Yea, that great! Big Country, "In A Big Country", is another example of flat, lifeless, dull, monotone, almost unbearable. The DAC's ability rips the sound wide open and to precisely distinguish individual instruments and voices is the reason why I bought this little wounder. On Angels & Airwaves, there is a acoustic song kind of haphazardly recorded inside a semi-roudy bar. Your basic Saturday night out, drink a beer, listen to a band kind of night. With the DAC, you could hear the room echo's, or relections, and it just sounded more intimate like you were there. BTW, the iPod EQ was set to OFF for this evaluation. The Sony PHA-A1 is an older model in Sony's Hi Res Audio line up. There are newer DAC's, with OLED or LED displays, specs that exceed it's 24 bit/192 kHz. Please take a listen to as many as you can. Play your style of music on your headphones. If you hear a discernable difference that pushes your wallet or purse one way or another. Buy it. If you find the PHA-A1 at a discount like I did, and the DAC chips and the output amplifier chips are similar to the point of not being able to hear the difference, save a couple of dollars and enjoy some digital bliss. Headphones not included. Buy some GOOD one's, you'll appreciate the music even more!

TerenceMJ

Originally posted at

2020-02-22T19:00:00

I'll start with what I was disappointed with in this product. The PHA-1A is designed to work with PC, Apple, Xperia devices, and their own Walkmans. On my PC, the PHA-1A sounds like it was meant to and performs wonderfully, 6 or so hours at a time, as advertised. However, I purchased this device to use with my Xperia XZ1 SOV36, and it falls short here. It works, but with audible clicks in between songs or any other form of audio. This annoys me to no end, and is a major disappointment. I have tried different cables, adapters, to no avail. It's so close to working, yet so far from pleasing. I want to like this device. Onto the device itself. It's constructed well, with aluminum covering every square centimeter. The Hi-res Audio sticker sits squarely on the brushed aluminum and is an eyesore. I don't remove it. It reminds me of how it can make music sound good if it would only work. The volume/on switch is a nicely detailed and designed touch point. It makes the entire product worth keeping. Currently I am keeping this attached to my PC, which was not my intended use of my expensive portable DAC/AMP. Sony I hope you can make this work with your existing products.

Smgg

Originally posted at

2019-11-26T19:00:00

Was always happy with the clear precise sound from my Sony Xperia Z tablet and connected Sony MDR-1RNC headphones. Greatly dissatisfied with the headphones connected to the Samsung products. Decided after some research to buy the PHA-1A DAC/amp. Fantastic sound and now can connect the DAC/amp to any device and be assured of a constantly quality sound.

Sol1Man

Originally posted at

2019-04-05T20:00:00

I purchased the Sony PHA-1A about 1 month ago. Now I got a really good deal on it that couldn't be passed up. Cant be too specific with price, however, this DAC ROCKS at any premium price or lower. It can be charged and be operated at the same time. My Galaxy Note 9 recognizes it with the PROPER APP, that being a paid for liscenced version of "USB Audio Player PRO" available at the Google Play App store. It's important to use this app which essentially is a jukebox style sound app. Benefit is of course it recognizes any USB DAC/AMP. Plug the Sony in to your phone with a USB Micro to USB A Female to USB Male in my case, with the Galaxy Note 9. After all is said and done this DAC sings like a bird. Very powerful to cover up to about 300 Ohm headphones. Most of us use far lower impedance headphone drivers anyway. Here's the thing...you can use your Smartphone DAC and take a chance on quality, or use the Sony DAC and be in heaven. The noise floor us almost nonexistant. Beautifully crafted in aircraft grade silver unpainted aluminum. The volume dial/power LED also alerts you to remaking battery when powering on each time If you use it while plugged in then, well, that feature is not needed. Again most of us will be using lower impedance headphones/earbuds that draw far less power. The SONY DAC itself is in it's own right absolutely beautiful. Very capable of handling High Res audio, you will be floored. There is also a "gain" switch on the back to pump it up even more. In all my testing with 6 wired earbuds ranging in quality to very high quality and Over Eat Headphones of the same caliber...It just will not distort! I have not experienced any crackling or noise except with absurd volume levels (not reccomended). So if you have the notion to buy this DAC in Brand New or Gently Used condition, I welcome you to a whole other level of high quality listening pleasure. Finally, I have lots of headphones of all sorts because, well, I am a collector. That may sound crazy to you I know, bit then you would not have read this entire review anyway. This is probably the best portable rechargeable DAC/AMP available to date. Sony knows a thing or two about audio and video. Originally from Japan, they were first to introduce the cassette player "Walkman" in the 80's. Today they make a DAP Walkman and while there is lots if competition, Sony seems first to the party. I love how nicely machined the PHA-1A is. How smooth the volume wheel is and, well, just how amazing this thing sounds!

dcime

Originally posted at

2018-10-12T20:00:00

But doesn’t work with my Sony digital media player NWZ-X1060!! Sony service center in KL said it’s not compatible! I want to know how this happened, Sony all products should be compatible and I minaly bought this for my Sony NWZ-X1060 (photo attached), please can you advise , Thank you and kind regards Hazim

Hazim20

Originally posted at

2017-05-01T20:00:00

Pros: excellent sound and design, Cons: short time battery, no 3,5mm audio input, no bass boost

Sunee

Originally posted at

2017-02-27T19:00:00

Honestly i bought on impulse. But never been happy. Increases soundstage when connected to my android phone and also laptop. You will hear clearer separation of instruments. Tighter bass. Overall better sound. I just realised there is no Line Out, but i connect them to my powered studio monitor speakers anyway. Also using headphones.. gives enough power, usually at half turn of volume. Battery life is around 5-6hrs continuous usage. Build quality is great..feels solid. Bundled accesories is enough...a case would be great though. :)

CAgas

Originally posted at

2016-07-07T20:00:00

This is an amp with a Wolfson chip, good sound clarity and sufficient but not too over bass feel, superb improvement over standard player.

CKL1213

Originally posted at

2016-05-17T20:00:00

Although it stated is an entry level DAC amplifier, but I disagree on this statement. it solid and quality built. sound is powerful and so natural, yet great details, high clarity, rich density of sound. I consider it is an high-end Hi-Res USB DAC. I have this about 2 weeks, day and night (and leave it run-in overnight some times...) It produce rich sound density, high clarity, a lot... lot more details that noticeable. The amp indeed is powerful - on the bass push and pull timing is greatly noticeable, comparing listen from phone (i mean i listen the same song same file). And then surprisingly that i noticed clearly left & right channel when listening to this PHA-1; but then from phone is weaker, almost never notice the left/right is playing stereo on my phone all this time... The listening experience... When listen to 24/192 (or 24/96), just like imagine we are sitting on an open land, the sky is so high above, the music can go so free that are unlimited ceiling level (192k mean here), where as i listen back to 16/44 Red-book CD, as I can imagine I'm sitting in a small apartment, the ceiling is so short, very limited room for the music to play, I'm feeling like sound tension, noise is crowded, no room for music to go beyond the limit... (44.1k mean here). This is just straight from my listening experience and feeling, it is not limited to other to have the same experience or the other way. I was lend this to 1 of my friend, he was share the same feeling that I had the same (written above). It worth to own one, I love Malaysia. Why? because the PHA-1 is made in Malaysia. oh yes, I have to mention 1 thing here, I am a Linux user, the USB DAC just plug and play with no additional steps is required to get it detected. but just 1 thing, remember to select the sound output to Sony PHA-1, instead of your notebook default internal sound card.

GhostSpeed

Originally posted at