Sony High-Resolution Audio

A-Lin

Singer A-Lin, also known by her birth name Huang Li Ling and nicknamed "A Born Diva" for her exceptional singing ability, enjoys unsurpassed popularity in her native Taiwan. We asked for her impressions after using the NWZ-ZX1.

Have you ever used a Sony Walkman before?

This NWZ-ZX1 is my first. But since I've started using it, I've found myself wanting to listen to it more and more. Before, I was using my mobile phone to listen to music on my commute to work and during breaks, but now I'd rather use this Walkman for things like working out and listening to my demos.

What do you like about it?

With the Hi-Res Walkman, you can enjoy a new kind of sound. I also like that there's a feature that lets you adjust your preferred equalizer settings, so you can choose how you listen to music.

Is there anything in particular you'd like to listen to in Hi-Res?

I'd like to listen to "Memory" by Barbra Streisand. That song brings back a lot of memories for me and takes me on a journey into the past.

How do you feel about the spread of Hi-Res?

I feel extremely honored to have a career as a professional singer. And the fact that my voice is able to reach so many people as a singer is thanks to everyone working hard in the background, like the composers, lyricists, and mixers. I think it's great that the music we all created together can be delivered with the high sound quality of Hi-Res Audio.

What role does music play in your everyday life?

Music is everything to me, and always gives me energy. Not only does music cheer me up, it also reminds me of lots of important things. I couldn't live without it.

Profile

Born in 1983, A-Lin debuted with the album "Lost Love of Innocence" in 2006. In 2013, she released three Chinese versions of songs from the Japanese TV drama "Galileo" in collaboration with Masaharu Fukuyama. She has been nominated a total of four times for Taiwan's Grammy Awards and the Golden Melody Awards, in categories such as Best New Artist and Best Female Singer.

Eir Aoi

Having sung the theme songs for many popular anime programs, including Fate/Zero and Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, singer Eir Aoi enjoys worldwide popularity, especially among anime fans.

We asked Aoi about her commitment to sound quality and her expectations of Hi-Res Audio in the anime and game industry.

How different is listening to music in Hi-Res compared to regular songs?

There is a distinct difference in sound quality compared to MP3s.

With Hi-Res Audio, the music instantly has weight and depth. The special quality of the sound comes across. The harshness on the ears of high tones is gone, making them sound clear. But that doesn't mean the sound is light – I think that only people who have heard it can understand just how amazing it is.

One more thing – this might be a unique way to listen to Hi-Res music, but I feel as though I can hear the bass tones transmitted through my bones.

I felt that I was listening with my body rather than just my ears.

What music genres would you like to listen to in Hi-Res?

I like the chirping of birds and other sounds in nature and so would like to listen to that in Hi-Res. There isn't much nature in the city center. I think I would enjoy the peculiar feeling of the completely different worlds that you would get by listening to nature sounds in Hi-Res while walking in the city.

It seems like you might be picky about portable audio players as well.

Nowadays you can listen to music even on smartphones, but the sound quality is not very good and the battery doesn't last long, so a portable audio player is a must-have. I started using a Walkman based on the recommendation of my little brother. He is fussy about sound quality and really recommended the Walkman, saying, "Sis, your songs sound entirely different on a Walkman and an iPhone."

What kind of effects can be expected when using Hi-Res Audio in the anime and game genres you are involved with as an artist?

If all the music played at anime events was in Hi-Res, I think it would create a sense of identity and heat up the events even more. I feel that Hi-Res Audio is also suited to game music. When you listen to theme songs, the better the sound quality, the more it moves you emotionally.

If sound effects could also be played in Hi-Res, game players could become more immersed in the feeling that they had actually entered that world. I love games, and would definitely like to experience that.

Profile

A singer from Hokkaido born on November 30. She had her major label debut in 2011 with the single "MEMORIA," which was selected as the ending theme song for the anime series Fate/Zero. Since then she has sung theme songs for a number of popular anime programs, including Mobile Suit Gundam AGE and Sword Art Online. Aoi distributes her music and performs in concerts both in and outside Japan, putting her in the spotlight as a strong young singer with worldwide popularity.

Luna Haruna

Luna Haruna not only sings the theme songs for many anime series including the ending theme for "Sword Art Online II," "Startear," but is also an active imoto-kei model. She has recently been expanding her activities abroad. What does this singer, who enjoys great popularity as a representative of Japanese culture, expect from Hi-Res Audio?

What made you start listening to anime music?

When I was in kindergarten, there was a cassette of the "Sailor Moon" best hits collection in my house. When I listened to it, it took me back to so many scenes and I was really blown away. Later, as I got older, I realized that anime music has the power to make us recall scenery and even smells, and I started to dream of becoming a singer.

What's the appeal of anime music?

I think that what makes it appealing is that it can bring the worlds of different stories to life. Listening to it in Hi-Res brings those scenes back even more vividly. The voice actors sing without changing the voices of their characters, so I think the appeal of those characters comes through clearly.

How was trying out an actual Hi-Res Walkman? Also, is there any particular music you'd like to listen to on this device?

Even the sounds that I can't hear on the player I normally use are clear, like the fine sounds of wind instruments. The song "Kimi wa Boku ni Niteiru" that See-Saw sings in "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY." It's the song that plays in the last episode of the anime and it's a really emotional song for me, so I'd definitely like to listen to it.

Do you get differing reactions abroad and in Japan?

People abroad express their feelings about something directly, like "I love it!" (Laughter). What surprised me the most was when the whole crowd sang the chorus to "Startear" when I performed in Jakarta.

Profile

Born in 1991, Luna Haruna made her debut as a model in the fashion magazine "KERA" when she was in her second year of high school. In 2010, she was an entrant in the fourth All-Japan Anime Song Grand Prix and drew attention as she advanced to the finalist stage. She made her major debut in 2012 with the single "Sora wa Takaku Kaze wa Utau." This year, her performances include New Jersey (Anime Next 2014), Indonesia (AFA Indonesia 2014), and Germany (AnimagiC 2014). With her personal Facebook page attracting 120,000 followers, she enjoys great popularity overseas as well as in Japan.

Peter Barakan

Peter Barakan has brought quality music to listeners for many years as a radio DJ. Also known for his perceptive critique of the music industry, how does Barakan perceive the current diversification of listening styles? After experiencing the Hi-Res Walkman, he talked about the importance of "delivering music with good sound quality."

What do you think now that you have tried the NW-ZX1?

I think it's a quality player. At one time I was using an iPod at DJ events, but it seems it would be good to use this instead, because of the high-quality sound.

I got the impression that the sound had depth with a soft, refined quality, which makes me want to listen to acoustic music. The bassist Charlie Haden, who passed away recently, for example. Listening to a beautiful bass with a deep, round timbre, like the sound of Haden's playing, in Hi-Res would give the bass even more allure.

What situations would you like to use Hi-Res Audio in?

Because of my work, record companies send me new sound sources on CD. But if they could send an FLAC file password via email in the future, and there were a way for the persons involved to download the sound source from the Internet, it would cut shipping costs and I could accumulate new sound sources on my player, which would be great, since I could then listen in my car.

Digital audio has evolved in the direction of sound compression. Now, thanks to the advancement of technology, we can handle large amounts of Hi-Res data. What do you think about this kind of change?

I think the concept of "what kind of sound quality are we going to play for people?" has changed. FLAC files have been around for a while now, but the concept of making them supportable in portable players is a recent idea. Examples include Neil Young's pono, Sony's Hi-Res Walkman, and also the iRiver. I think that these devices have appeared, not in response to demand from numerous listeners, but rather because there are a few people out there with the strong determination that "we should play music at this sound quality for people."

Lastly, what role does music play in your life?

I eat food to support my flesh. I listen to music to support my heart. For me, music is the nourishment of the heart.

Profile

A broadcaster born in England in 1951. He went independent after working in the management offices of a music publisher and YMO, leveraging his vast knowledge of music to get into writing and become a radio and TV personality. In 2013, he won a DJ Personality Award in the 50th Galaxy Awards. His representative programs include Weekend Sunshine.

tofubeats

tofubeats is an energetic DJ and track-maker who began drawing attention with his audio tracks released on the Internet when he was only in junior high school. In 2010, he became the youngest artist ever to perform at WIRE, Japan's largest techno music event. In 2013, he made his major label debut with "Don't Stop The Music." What possibilities do Hi-Res hold as a technology for this young prodigy?

What kind of environment do you normally listen to music in?

Most often, I listen to music outside, walking around with a portable player.

How did it feel trying out the ZX1?

It seems like it has a really good amp. I'd like to try listening to some louder sounds on it. I also like that the buttons are on the side, so you can skip through tracks even when it's in your pocket. In terms of sound quality, I listened to Hi-Res tracks by Hikaru Utada and Norah Jones, and I feel that it's similar to listening to a mastering studio's large format. We create music in 24 bit/48 kHz, so I'm glad that people can listen to a sound that's close to that.

What musicians would you like to hear in Hi-Res?

I'd like to give a careful listen to Hikaru Utada's songs in Hi-Res and non-Hi-Res, and compare them. I once listened to and compared Prince's songs while looking at their waveforms, and the waveforms for the remastered SACD and standard CD versions were shockingly different.

As a DJ, how do you see Hi-Res?

I'm sure that once the equipment specs catch up, I’ll be able to use it as a DJ, too, of course. We do bring in 24 bit/48 kHz audio at festivals and other events.

Profile

Born in 1990, tofubeats continues his activities as a track-maker and DJ in Kobe. He began his career on the Internet when he was only a student, and has produced remixes for artists spanning a variety of genres. In November 2013, he made his major debut on Warner Music Japan's unBORDE label with the EP "Don't Stop The Music," featuring guests such as Chisato Moritaka. On October 2, 2014, he launched his first major album, "First Album." The album features star-studded collaborations with guest artists, including Hitomi Arai (TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE), okadada, Noko (Shinsei Kamattechan), and Takashi Fujii.