Review of the Sony NW-ZX707 DAP

The review of the Sony NW-ZX707 surprised me with its build quality, the ergonomics of the physical buttons, and the sound signature delivered by this Digital Audio Player (DAP). This Portable Media Player (PMP) also features a solid music playback app with fast and functional navigation, providing an excellent user experience. Check out this review to see whether or not this player is worth it for your use.

An introduction to the Japanese DAP

Released in January 2023, the Sony NW-ZX707 is a midrange portable music player in the Walkman lineup. It sits below the NW-WM1AM2 and NW-WM1ZM2 models, which cost over one thousand dollars, and it was launched with the Android 12 operating system.

Sony is one of the few DAP manufacturers—if not the only one—that has updated its Digital Audio Players to Android 14. However, this update was made only for the ZX700 and A300 series, leaving out the WM1AM2 and WM1ZM2 models for reasons unknown.

After testing the Sony ZX707 for just over one month and one week, I will share my impressions compared to other Android-based PMPs I have used, such as the FiiO X7 Mark II, the FiiO M11S, and the FiiO JM21, which is the Portable Media Player I currently use in my daily routine.

Build quality

The build quality of the Walkman A series had already impressed me back when I used the NW-A45, but the Sony ZX707 is on another level. Its back panel has a soft-touch feel thanks to the use of a leather-like material, and it also looks great, featuring a textured black fabric finish.

To add an even more special touch, there is a metallic Walkman logo on the back of the ZX707.

The entire body of this DAP is made of aluminum with rounded edges, providing a comfortable grip. On the side, Sony used large buttons of different sizes, two of which have raised dots, making them easy to distinguish by touch.

No matter the position of the ZX707, it was always easy to find each button to control music playback or adjust the volume. Everything was within reach with incredible ease, delivering a user experience unlike any other Digital Audio Player I have used.

Weighing 227 g, the Sony NW-ZX707 is lighter than the FiiO M11S and also thinner (16.9 mm versus 18.5 mm). When placing it in my pocket, I did not feel uncomfortable, even with its height of 13.2 cm and width of 7.2 cm.

Another positive point I noticed was the presence of a USB-C port for charging, data transfer, and audio signal transmission, allowing the ZX707 to be used as a USB DAC/amp (“external sound card”) on a computer, as well as a digital transport when connected to a dedicated desktop DAC.

The only design aspect of the ZX707 that I did not like was the location of the headphone outputs, which are positioned at the top. This got in the way when using it on my work desk while resting it on a phone stand. Since my headphone cable has a straight connector rather than an L-shaped one, it remained twisted most of the time, which could potentially cause a poor connection in the future.

Fortunately, the USB Audio Player Pro (UAPP) app allows me to rotate the screen and use the DAP upside down. As the buttons are easy to locate, it was not a problem to use the PMP this way.

Navigation experience

It may sound strange, but navigation fluidity on the Sony ZX707 can vary. When interacting with the Android operating system itself, the DAP feels somewhat slow. However, once inside an app—whether Sony’s native music player or music streaming apps—navigation was smooth and stutter-free.

Performance improves considerably when disabling Google apps unrelated to music, such as Photos, Calendar, Google TV, Maps, Meet, Gmail, among others. In addition, performance can be further enhanced by disabling background services that are enabled by default and generally make sense for a smartphone, but not for a portable music player.

Even after limiting Google services and app processes, the overall fluidity is still far from what the FiiO JM21 delivers, which offers an experience very close to that of a modern smartphone when navigating Android and streaming apps.

Regarding navigation through music stored on a microSD card, it is necessary to format the card within the DAP by going to the Settings app, accessing the “Storage” section, selecting the microSD card instead of internal storage, and tapping the three dots in the upper-right corner to choose the format option.

After formatting the microSD card, you must copy the music files to the “Music” folder that is created during the formatting process. Once this is done, open Sony’s native music playback app, the “Music Player” with the Walkman logo, to scan and read the tracks on the card.

Battery

The Sony ZX707 unit was purchased used, so the battery is not in the best condition, and I do not know how long the device had been used previously. However, when listening in the morning and afternoon at volume level 30 via the 4.4 mm balanced output with Wi-Fi turned off, this DAP lasted between 3 and 4 days on a single charge, totaling around 24 hours of playback.

To calibrate the battery and improve its performance, I charged it to 100% and then let it drain completely until the DAP shut itself down. I repeated this process twice, and the result was excellent.

Sound

The sound signature of the Sony ZX707 leans toward a warmer presentation, featuring full-bodied bass with plenty of volume and weight. At the same time, there is a detailed presentation thanks to a more prominent upper-midrange region. Without a doubt, however, the “cherry on top” is the midrange.

Although the ZX707 can sound slightly closed-in due to the stronger bass presence, the mids are presented in a very lively and sweet manner, with surprising naturalness. Combined with the clarity in the treble region, this resulted in an engaging presentation on many tracks, with plenty of dynamics.

That said, not everything is perfect, and there are moments when the treble can sound a bit sharp, depending on the track being played. In my case, these moments were rare, but they did occur.
In terms of soundstage and separation, I noticed good performance from the ZX707. I had no difficulty identifying instrument and vocal sounds, as well as their positioning. Even elements further back in the mix, with less activity, were still detectable.

Regarding background noise, during some silent moments in music I could notice a slight hiss. Most of the time, however, this issue is difficult to perceive.

Conclusion

The Sony Walkman NW-ZX707 Digital Audio Player is worth it if you can buy it used for around US$500. However, if you are looking to buy it new, I no longer think it is worth the price, as this model sells for between US$600 and US$700.

What stands out most about this player is its build quality, button ergonomics, battery life, and sound signature, which is hard not to like. Keep in mind, however, that system-level navigation is slow, even though navigation within apps is smooth.