What Sony Clear Audio+ & Sound Setting Does To The Music?

Yes, I going back to the Sony DAP again. This one is the Sony NW-A55, an entry level DAP that sound so good. This DAP can act as Bluetooth receiver through my headphones only, but the connection is not quite easy. Sony NW-A55 also have radio FM built-in which the reception quality is very good when tuning at outdoor. I listen my favorite music through this Sony DAP via the headphones but not as much as I listen it through my home audio system. One reason I using this Sony DAP is their unique DSP sound setting. Let's figure out them one by one.

To be honest, there is no harm using DSP in the pure audio system. Especially in digital audio, the sound processor is become so advance by time and most of DAC has their own DSP system by default. That is why no reason for us cannot loved them. No matters you could say you like the most realistic or natural sound as possible, the manufacture have put some DSP effect on every single audio process.

Back to this Sony DAP, it is become more fun that you can make a sound setting adjustment based on their DSP. Toggle it one by one and hear the effect is no more than a fun experience. The Clear Audio+ is Sony proprietary auto sound enhancement. Unlike Sony previous sound setting, such as "Mega Bass" or "Loudness" which only playing on the EQ, this Clear Audio+ utilized DSP adjustment to sound effect. On my earphones, the Sony MH-1, once you hit the tick box on the right side, you will notice the bass become very loud. It is still controllable with good timing and punch and the highs are become more open and spacious. Change to the open planar headphones such as Senn HD6XX or Hifiman HE-400, this effect give good benefit to them. The bass are pronouce better without sacrifice the mid tone and the highs are more detail and extended. The downside is the vocal become less pronouce, without sacrifice the vocal detail, it is still attenuate the mid-range.

This Clear Audio+ become different story on my DIY home audio system based on Gainclone LM3886 amplifier and SB acoustic speakers set. The Clear Audio+ give the same improvement on the bass with much more lower frequency pronouce than before. Without this Clear Audio+, bass frequency extention couldn't going too deep. Moving to the highs, they are extend more with the overall gain improve but without any changes in mid tone or vocal quality rather covered by those low and high frequency gain.

I find that using this Clear Audio+ in low resolution audio such as Bluetooth receiver can give significant result in sound impact. I connect this Sony NW-A55 using Bluetooth to Samsung TV 60 series and playing PS4. This Clear Audio+ give impact in gaming sound much better. I don't know why the Sony Playstation 4 Bluetooth Device cannot connect to this Sony NW-A55 directly.

This Clear Audio+ seems to much for my taste, so I will think you will agree with me as well. Thanks to Sony also give the others sound option besides this Clear Audio+. There so much fun in their sound setting below the Clear Audio+ option. This sound setting are enable once you un-tick the Clear Audio+.

The first sound setting menu is also Sony proprietary sound option, DSEE HX. I don't know the full name of it but based on the explanation, it is upscale the compressed music files to hi-res audio. In the real world, once you toggle the option to ON, you will notice this DSEE HX fill the music with more detail. The DSP creates all frequency increased in detail and makes music fuller. I personally felt this menu makes music creates more background noise. It is like up scaling the sample rate on the music to higher bit. This menu not become my favorite option anyway.

Then the next sound setting menu is DC Phase Linearizer. The explanation said that this option makes low-frequency response more like an analog amplifier. In fact, it is reduce the amount of bass when listening through headphones. The bass more subtle and mid to high frequency keep remain unchanged. I don't know why I feel this option makes music not energetic, but overall music presentation is quieter, less noise. Opposite to the DSEE HX menu above, this DC Phase Linearizer make the music background very quiet. Perhaps this menu will be suitable for bed time music. Anyway, strangely this DC Phase Linearizer doesn't give any effect when I hook this DAP to my home audio system. Perhaps the on-board Sony NW-A55 amplifier utilized a digital amplifier, compares to my Gainclone amplifier is pure analog amplifier.

The next sound option is VPT (surround). You might remember what is the early DSP audio system does is same like this one. It is manipulate the sound with DSP effect makes you feel like the desired sound stage. Once you put this option to ON, then you can select the type of this VPT. The studio sound make music more focus with small sound stage effect, Club make sound louder, Concert Hall makes you feel like inside the large echoing hall, and the last is Matrix which sound more dynamic. To be honest, I never put this VPT to ON. It is just too much sound manipulate rather than sound improvement.

The next sound setting is the Dynamic Normalizer. Nothing fancy here, this option gives the DSP to put their own gain. So every music played will be leveling the gain increase or decrease based on the DSP standard gain. As you probably know, high gain means high noise, and this option is no exception. So stay this Dynamic Normalizer OFF and set your gain on the DAP volume or the amplifier instead.

The last and the most favorite sound setting is Vinyl Processor. it is explain that this menu recreate the warm, rich playback of record on a turntable. Sony did it very well. I guess this is the most DSP menu that worth to put always ON. It give detail especially on mid to high frequency thus crate more on vocal intimacy.

This sound option give more fun while I listening to music. I can preset them one by one and feel the effect to the music. My favorite option when put the Clear Audio+ ON if I want more impact to the music. I put the Vinyl Processor ON for my daily listening session. It is make an improvement to the music I listen to. And one more things, you can let all the sound option OFF and this Sony NW-A55 sound signature is still very good out of the box.

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