Sony Vaio Z2 audio options

And once again my question. Custom ASIC development - to deliver something that's genuinely better than popular codecs - is very expensive. If you can only amortise it over a couple of model lines (or really, even the entirety of notebooks that Sony sells), it's not worth it - if we're talking about sticking with the Z with a single-chip solution, it'll add easily hundreds if not thousands to the cost of the notebook, and for what? Who will buy that?

"Beats" is a software solution residing on a bog-standard codec. It uses EQ to make things sound 'better' to the undiscerning ear (by that, it may be better in a musical perspective for certain genres, but it's not a technical improvement in any way). Sony could do a similar thing but since anything they come up with likely won't have any equivalent market kudos, it will not be a 'thing', and obviously it won't have any benefit for the likes of us.

 

Sooner or later we always get a discussion around to "intellectual property". My understanding is that IBM still gets $35-50 of every PC produced, anywhere in the world, because of its web of interlocking patents.

A good ASIC would create a standard around which the future of the industry would revolve. Sony could license an array of products based on its core intellectual property. For that matter, they could keep the hardware solution to themselves, and sell the technology only hardcoded on the ASIC.

I'm not thinking of the Vaio Z singlehandedly as the host of Sony's future revenue stream, but it's a unique platform on which to produce such a thing.
Remember -- the music industry is still developing a lot of "standards". Even the lowly MIDI interface is still evolving (to RTP-MIDI).

And it has to be mentioned that Sony most likely has all the pieces in place within its vast employment. We're not talking a hundred-million for a venture startup, but a few lines shuffled on the corporate organization chart -- and instructions to "proceed".

I wasn't familiar with this so I did a quick Google. Do you mean those music apps that give a picture of a boombox, and you're supposed to click on parts of it to produce/record effects?

Quite a bit different from what I had in mind. Which is relying on Sony's forte as a hardware producer: they don't do well with software (see: Mariah Carey / Michael Jackson).

But if you're into the software side, I'd recommend an hour spent exploring the website soundcloud.com, maybe downloading a few of their free apps.

And BTW, after you mix 3 or more artist tracks through one of these Vita-meata-vegamin devices, the RIAA would likely throw up their hands in horror. There's a track floating around mixing the Benassi Bros' "Satisfaction" with the Rolling Stones' classic. Two different standards, from two centuries: genius or foul?

 

To save any future misunderstandings:

An ASIC is an Application Specific Integrated Circuit - i.e. a single-package chip, as would be required to process audio. Normally in PC audio you'd call these codecs since they're single-chip solutions for every audio-related feature on a PC, sometimes right down to even the analog modem if offered. It would be prohibitively expensive for Sony to engineer their own codec simply for a limited line of notebooks, since perfectly respectable codecs exist (from Realtek et al), and they will *not* sell any to third parties unless they undercut the established companies such as Cirrus, Realtek and C-Media. Sony cannot compete in that respect either.


Beats: Beats Electronics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beats is an audio 'headline feature' added to HTC handsets and premium HP consumer PC's. In terms of PC's and handsets, what Beats do is write audio processing drivers for existing standard codecs. Essentially an EQ layer - in fact, I don't even think there is any psychoacoustic manipulation in the SRS (once again a software layer on a standard codec) vein.

 

The Playstation 3 is an ASIC. The older Walkmen were ASICs. Nowadays an ASIC can have upwards of 100 million logic gates -- considerably more than a Pentium III.

Which begs the question -- what common ASICs already in production could be quickly adapted for our "executive toy" --?

The wiki link seems to talk more about branding (and marketing) rather than any useful sound processing. It's good for the Monster Cable crowd, perhaps.

 

And we all know that Zs and Playstations have similar sales volumes.

 

I would never buy a Playstation -- we gave hacked Xboxes to the grandkids, along with (cough) archived copies of sundry games. However, if it only meant buying a couple controllers to use with the Vaio Z, I'd say "-- Why not?" And then Sony could benefit further from any games I'd have to buy.

But this really isn't the right track. Think of something original, like ... a digital accordion! The right hand is perfect for our Chiclet keyboard; you'd have multiple Bluetoothed sensors (4 for heel and toe taps, something for knees, a smaller keyboard for the left hand, a sensor for a "squeeze" mechanism if we were carrying this paradigm to completion. Hook up a GoPro camera to a headmount with wireless streaming, and use MIDI controls to adjust/synch room lighting.

Don't scoff. Instead, look at ticket prices for Deadmau5 at Club XS in the Wynn Encore for Memorial Day weekend: $150 each per males (and $50 for females) times an average 8,000 people per night at that club.

A Sony Digital Accordion is conceptually simple, and there's a raft of musician "innovaters" who would take something like this and run with it.

But the cool part for us is that it really wouldn't take much difference from what we have right this instant. A dirty little secret of the current DJ wave is that almost all the music and lighting effects are prerecorded, ala Milli Vanilli, and there's just enough left to do in a "live" environment so people don't feel gypped. Dancing around with a Sony Vaio Z dangling from a neck strap with the right hand strapped to the keyboard, while prerecorded tracks mix and pyrotechnics explode ... well, that's what passes for music at the moment. Arguably better than a Donny & Marie duet (which venue is down the Strip at the Flamingo, if you must).

So: why Sony? Look at all the PC-producing alternatives at the moment. IBM could have, but they spun off production to Lenovo. Dell, Gateway, Compaq, HP ... pretty grim tableau. The only one close to the ability to Imagineer something like this is Apple, and I'm damned if I'd give one of those punks at the Genius Bar something else to smirk about.

 

Step away from the Happy Pills, sir...

 

I don't know about you, but that isn't my idea of a happy thought.

 

My best ideas often get written in 3am posts.

Remember, in the digital music world nowadays, those piano things aren't called keyboards. They're "controllers", like any other sort of input device to modulate a MIDI tone form from a sound bank. A digital "accordion" is to the legacy instrument about what a funny car is to a showroom car.

The Z laptop is interesting for this exercise because it's light enough to be part of the performance (as well as a controller, as well as the hub for other controllers). Look back to when Laurie Anderson was doing live performances of "O Superman" on a bodysuit with arrayed sensors... which, if I recall correctly, was analog based theremin technology.

Someone's going to do this, bringing a PC up into the performance act directly -- sooner rather than later. Would you rather see it masquerade as a safe and harmless accordion, or one of Lady Gaga's newest outfits?

 

Bizarre half-informed asides aside, it's just come to my attention that the Samsung HS3000 is APT-X. It's a jacked headset.

Sadly the only way to get APT-X audio out of any notebook which isn't Mac (all the current Macs - but not iPads - have APT-X integrated into their OSX BT stack *shakes fists*) appears to be to buy the Creative BT-D1, and while the cost is trivial you do suffer a further current drain / loss of USB port.

*BUT* I'd counter that with "Do you really need to use a wireless headset with a notebook?" and the answer will probably be no. But if the answer for you is a Yes, then the BT-D1 appears to be the only answer at the moment.

The situation isn't much better on the phone side though: Only the One series and the GIII appears to support APT-X.

I am going to give the HS3000 a go with the One X - my Nokia jacked headset is increasingly short-lived these days so is due for replacement anyway.

 

^HTC One X supports APT-X too. edit: I missed that you caught that. There are some really good traditional BT headphones out there, and I've tried them all. I'm quite pleased with my Sennheiser MM100's.

 

If the above is true, then the below is probably not. Or vice versa.

Personally I prefer, as in the HS3000's case and as we've been discussing, to be free to (throw away the pair it ships with then) choose the headphone component of the headset. My current main wireless headset is the Nokia BH-214. And given a decent front end, it also throws out a reasonably acceptable sound - probably at the upper end in terms of the limitations imposed by regular ol' A2DP.

 

^Both of my statements are true. Referring to bluetooth headphones, I've tried nearly all of them (at least all of the usual suspects). I have not tried the ad2p receivers where you plug in your own phones. That's no longer wireless as far as I'm concerned.

A also haven't tried some of the newer, over the ear stuff that's out. The new sennheiser with apt-x look neat, but I really prefer a smaller profile, and I really enjoy behind the neck phones the best.

 

Oh, personal fit. I didn't realise your comparison criteria

 

^Isn't that always the case with audio?

 

Like Beaups, I have tried every single BT wireless receiver ever made since the beginning of the world through Tuesday, May 22, 1:57 AM. Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. But I have tried quite a few of them and have linked and described the two I consider the best of the lot, circa right now.

First, my favorite by a nose, vs the one just below it, is the Sony MW600. I will dispense with reviews of the two because I found an extremely conscientious and very lengthy one on Amazon, and I have linked it below. The reviewer shares my view: they are both quite good at what they do. He gives the Samsung HS3000 the nod and I give the Sony a nod, largely due to it's incredibly long 10 hr. talk/listen time on the battery vs. 4 for the Samsung. But the Sony only does A2DP while the Samsung does APT-X.

Again, what is the most important takeaway for me at least is that these miniature devices, that are less than half the size of a pen and clip to your shirt pocket or button down flap and they turn your favorite earbuds or even headphones into wireless giving you 30-100ft of range. Yes, Beaups, yes Vogelbung, I do find this incredibly convenient for both listening to music and answering phone calls. For $50 or so, among the best tech investment I've made recently.


Sony MW600 Amazon link

Samsung HS3000 Amazon link

Comprehensive user comparison review of the Sony and Samsung

If you like to listen to music through headphones and have hands-free telephony with caller id and voice control integrated in the same device, these are no-brainer great additions to your technology repertoire.

 

^Thanks. I'd be willing to try one of the bluetooth receivers again. So assuming I like the Sony or Samsung adapter - what do you recommend for a set of decent, BEHIND THE NECK, wired headphones? I may give this a shot

 

Sorry, I have no ringing endorsements to offer in the behind the neck wired headphone market. (Perhaps the audiophiles carrying this thread can help?) I mostly use any of 6 or so earbuds I own - Sennheisers, Klipsch, etc, generally I look for $100-$150 models that are being closed out for $50 and under and have good reviews. However, the fact that I keep buying new ones is a testament to the reality that none seem exceptional and, for the cost of all of them together, I probably should have gotten one pair of Shure or other high end ones. If you're ok with ear buds, the cool thing about the Sony MW600 - probably works as well with the Samsung - is that you can clip the little BT receiver to the back of your collar and the cords and transducers come from behind your ears and you can even tuck in any extra length of cord under your collar.

Believe it or not, the earbuds that come with the Sony MW600 (for $40 inclusive!) are not half-bad and they have very short cords so you can do a workout or other activity without having cords to manage and/or get caught on something. As far as audio quality goes, if I'm listening over BT and combining the listening with phone call management, I'm probably more focused on the other stuff I'm doing than noticing how natural the high hat cymbals with wire brushes sound.

Still and all, if you are listening to standard MP3/AAC compressed audio I'm not sure there is that much more to hear than $100 phones can reproduce and the choice comes down to comfort, even style, more than sound, IMO. But you really should check out one of these devices. You can even "broadcast" from your phone, laptop or other device across a room or from another part of your home/office to powered speakers or an audio receiver - any device or system that can process a headphone jack signal as an input. Again, we're not talking purist fidelity, but for piping music on the fly it does the job and it's the size of a freakin pen cut in half! And it runs 8-10 hrs on a 2 hr. charge.

Get it. And send my cable

 

Thanks for the response! I can't cope with putting things in my ears, and behind the neck allows me to be both active and not look like a DJ at the office. I'll do some homework. all my music (nearly 8TB now) is lossless....

That cable, I can't believe how lame I've been about that. I'm going to surprise you!

 

Whoa, 8TB! I didn't know there was that much recorded music - even uncompressed! Is this a perk of being in the media biz? What's the file size of an average song, uncompressed? PM me if you have a good source of lossless music; I wouldn't want to clutter this thread about computer audio with my off-topic question about where to get digital music

I hope the surprise is more than just the cable; I could use one of those surplus Z2's Sony's trying to get rid of.