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Sony NW-A608 volume hack?

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seppowa

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Are you serious? Well it's quieter than the PSP but at max volume I find the nw-A608 volume sufficient enough to drive me deaf with the supplied ear phones, not fantastic for leaving them out of your ears i guess.

Hello Eamij,

Seppowa Might have bought the player from Europe .That`s why the Vol limiter is already present because of French law.

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I believe the volume is set low due to some silly French law. As far as I know the Canadian model is actually the same as the EU version. I wonder why the Canadian firmware has the message:

"NOTE: This utility is only for use with the products identified above and sold in the Canada. Not all models are sold in all countries."

Any ideas ? ;)

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2nd day using my A608, and I also find the volume kinda low even at max. My brother built an external amp for his headphones, gonna try it the next time I see him. :lol:

"NOTE: This utility is only for use with the products identified above and sold in the Canada. Not all models are sold in all countries."

It could be a generic message, replace [Canada] with your country.

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chrisb1975, were you hinting about using a different country firmware? I have a Canadian A608 which is already firmware version 2.0, and I tried the Japanese model's firmware v2.0 (thought that maybe the japanese one didn't have volume limits).

Powered it on, no change :( The volume is still quite low (max is 31).

Maybe i'm slow, but care to elaborate on how you removed the volume limit? B)

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As far as I am aware the Canadian model does not have volume limiter - just the EU version to adhere to French law. After I installed the Canadian firmware the volume has considerably higher. You would have to do the reverse - install the EU firmware and see if the volume gets quieter :)

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I also tried installing the EU firmware and there was actually no change in the volume. If it did decrease, then it was a minimal change and I couldn't notice the difference. I tested it just by walking down the street. With my old NetMD, I was able to drown out most of the noise pollution (I can still hear cars, horns, people shouting), where with the A608 with the CA and EU firmware, I could barely even hear the music while walking down a busy street or taking the subway. :unsure:

Or maybe im goin deaf :lol:

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My AVLS is off. Sometimes, I get really loud pop noises (don't know if its the player or the stock headphones) :sad: Much louder than the audio being played.

Another funny thing I found is that the Canadian v2.0 firmware and the European v2.0 firmware links in the sticky'ed thread retrieves their file from the japanese website. As a matter of fact, the Canadian and European links point to the same target.

Japanese Link: http://www.aii.co.jp/contents/connect/_dat...W-A600_V2_0.exe

Canadian Link: http://dl1.aii.co.jp/contents/connect/_dat...W-A600_V2_0.exe

European Link: http://dl1.aii.co.jp/contents/connect/_dat...W-A600_V2_0.exe

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this leads me to believe there isn't any difference between different country firmwares at all.

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Here's an update of my situation. Took ANGRYBADGER's suggestion.

Called Sony Canada, and they troubleshooted over the phone. They basically told me I had a defective unit, so I took it back, got my replacement (got violet, they didn't have silver in stock).

Charged it up, converted/xfered a song with Connect.......now I'm a happy camper :D

The volume is quite loud, even at around 18 (thats more like it!!!), tested the quality with my XD200's and V500's, perfect :D

So far, no more pops or hisses, etc. Very impressed. The unit has firmware version 1.0, as opposed to the previous unit which was already 2.0. I guess I got one of the earlier batchs of A608's.

I don't know how to confirm this, but I might have gotten a european model. Is there something in the information menu that tells me the region of the unit? My previous one was definately defective because of all the random pops and hisses, but the volume might have been on par with the Euro model's volume standards.

If so, changing the firmware won't affect the volume limit.

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Hi Wing

Glad to hear you got that sorted! The only thing that indicates to me that maybe my model was destined for the UK is that on the packaging where the barcode stickers are, it is printed after the model number "NW-E407/BM". The BM may mean British model? Maybe your model has a similiar sticker on the back of the box? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

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Checked out the back of the box, mine says NW-A608/VC.

I didn't check the box of my previous unit before I returned it so I don't know how it differs from this one.

VC might stand for Violet Canada or something. What colour is your unit?

I just remembered I had tested the FM Tuner function and both were set for Canadian frequencies. So I guess that rules out the idea of it being a Euro model.

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Guest Stuge

Checked out the back of the box, mine says NW-A608/VC.

I didn't check the box of my previous unit before I returned it so I don't know how it differs from this one.

VC might stand for Violet Canada or something. What colour is your unit?

Hey first of all please don`t post a queston which is not concerning the topic at all .

These last manes only denotes specific colour of the walkman & noting else..

A608/LI(Emerald Blue ),A608N(Gold ),A608SI(Silver )

Also Just for your Knowledge that both Canada & European(Like UK) has same FM frequency i.e 87.5-108MHz..But this doesn`t tell that the model is Canadian or European.

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Hey first of all please don`t post a queston which is not concerning the topic at all .

These last manes only denotes specific colour of the walkman & noting else..

A608/LI(Emerald Blue ),A608N(Gold ),A608SI(Silver )

Also Just for your Knowledge that both Canada & European(Like UK) has same FM frequency i.e 87.5-108MHz..But this doesn`t tell that the model is Canadian or European.

I think you will find that it does concern topic as Wing was just trying to establish if there was a way of telling if the product was a European model, as to come to the conclusion with the crippled volume. We now know that it doesn't. Thanks for confirming that with us Stuge.

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Guest Stuge

Can anyone confirm if the volume limit is a hardware or software implementation?

If it is software/firmware only then how does the installer choose/modify firmware accordingly.

BTW firmware is extracted into temporary folder during install for any curious people.

It must be something in the software (i.e firmware of A608 in European version) that`s why volume limit is only available in European version only ..

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It's really interesting... If you Extract a European firmware update and Japan one, inside they are completely the same. So all versions of firmware are packed in one archive. That means, when you do update, FWUpdater.exe detects somehow your version of the player. All the settings are stored in the AuraF100.ini fail, if only knew exactly the meanings of all those options stored in .ini, it probably would be possible to change this .ini fail. Replace the code of european version with code of japan one, for example, so FWUpdater detect your device as japan version and put japan firmware with no volume limiter.

But, of course it is all theoretically. In fact we need a sony employee or service center worker here, to tell as all the secrets.

Anyway, it is not fair. If i want to make my wolume louder, i must have such possibility. Is it really hard for Sony to do? Just allow us to remove this ridiculous limiter? Like Apple did, they also released new firmware with loud limiter, but they said that it's optional, if you don't want the limiter, just dont install this new firmware.

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To my mind, when you do the firmware update, the old version is overwritten completely. That's why it is dangerous, if electricity goes off during the process, you lost your device, and it can be repaired only in service center.

Actually i got the idea, how to cheat the player detection thing. In the archive with the firmware update are 3 types of firmaware. Something like NW_A600_2.00.00J.UPG, NW_A600_2.00.00J.UPG and NW_A600_2.00.00C.UPG.

The .ini fail looks like this

[PAC_FWUpdater]

Target=AURA(F)

Comment=NW-A600 2.00 Firmware Update (Web)

[DEVICE01]

DeviceName=NW-A608

ProductInfo=NWWM MEM AAD2

ClassifyType=5

DevicePropertyProductInfo=NW-A608

SubIdentification=00600000

BootstrapVersion=2.1

CommandType=0

Signature=roga

Version00=2.00

FWPackage00=NW_A600_2.00.00J.UPG

FWPackageWritePathName=\MSFWUPGR.UPG

StorageMediaFormatType=0

PBRFile=PBR2G.dat

Timer=7:00

[DEVICE02]

DeviceName=NW-A608

ProductInfo=NWWM MEM AAD2

ClassifyType=5

DevicePropertyProductInfo=NW-A608

SubIdentification=00600000

BootstrapVersion=2.0

CommandType=0

Signature=roga

Version00=2.00

FWPackage00=NW_A600_2.00.00J_BOOT21.UPG

FWPackageWritePathName=\MSFWUPGR.UPG

StorageMediaFormatType=0

PBRFile=PBR2G.dat

Timer=7:00

.......[skiped part]

[DEVICE05]

DeviceName=NW-A608

ProductInfo=NWWM MEM AAD2

ClassifyType=4

DevicePropertyProductInfo=NW-A608

SubIdentification=01600000

CommandType=0

Signature=roga

Version00=2.00

FWPackage00=NW_A600_2.00.00C.UPG

FWPackageWritePathName=\MSFWUPGR.UPG

StorageMediaFormatType=0

PBRFile=PBR2G.dat

Timer=7:00

.......[skiped part]

So, it is impossible to know, how to make you player be detectet as device other than European, but it is still possible to change that line FWPackage00=... in .ini fail. The original .ini fail contains three type of this line:

1. FWPackage00=NW_A600_2.00.00J.UPG

2. FWPackage00=NW_A600_2.00.00J_BOOT21.UPG

3. FWPackage00=NW_A600_2.00.00C.UPG

,but if you do all this different lines the same. Like this:

1. FWPackage00=NW_A600_2.00.00J.UPG

2. FWPackage00=NW_A600_2.00.00J.UPG

3. FWPackage00=NW_A600_2.00.00J.UPG

it makes the updater to choose NW_A600_2.00.00J.UPG for all versions of the player. So, basically this operation must be done three times. First we change all the lines to NW_A600_2.00.00J.UPG, than to NW_A600_2.00.00J_BOOT21.UPG, and after to NW_A600_2.00.00C.UPG

Open .ini fail.

Change the lines.

Save .ini fail.

Device updating process.

In theory, with one of the version of the firmware the player must be much more quieter, than with others two. I hope my thoughts were clear enough...

So now we need a volonteer brave enough, to update his player for three times in row and tell as results :)

I don't know, may be i will try it by myself. Only have to collect a bit of courage. I just bought my nw-a608. I'm from Europe, and player seems to be a bit quet compare to Creative Zen Nano.

Edited by McRenckov
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Thanks for the warm welcome.

The 608 was bought in Europe, the 507 was bought on a trip to Singapore and it seems to me both are pretty much the same from the volume settings and max volume. I agree that with "normal" headphones the sound tends to be a little too silent if using AVLS (max is 16 then) but even here a setting of around 20 (AVLS off) is way enough for my ears. When using in-ear-headphones like the Sharp MD33S (they sound better than anything else I've heard) 12-15 is way enough most of the time. So I hardly use 50% of the volume. Can't imagine other models beeing much more silent.

Edited by Private-Cowboy
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Ok, I tested our devices a little more. I took the same two tracks, same headphones and same volume settings and they both sound pretty much identical. I also plugged them both into the Line-In of my soundcard and recorded the same sample with both devices and no amplification and the waveforms are pretty much the same with only very minor differences. The volume was set to the same level and the loudness in the waveforms is the same too from both devices.

The only difference I could find is that the max with activated AVLS on the Asian-Pacific NW-E507 is 16 (out of 31) while the max with activated AVLS on the European NW-A608 is 19 (out of 31) so the max volume allowed by AVLS is different. But 16 (or any other setting) on the Asien-Pacific 507 is the same as on the European 608 from what I can hear and the waveform recordings show. The volume on both appears to be pretty much the same.

I turned the AVLS off and must say that even with the included headphones I find 22 and up too loud and nearly uncomfortable for my ears. Those test were made at home with no other noises present so on the road that might be different but I can't image turning mine (the the one of my wife for that matter) higher than 25 anywhere. And when using in-ear-headphones like the Sharp MD33S you need to lower that volume even more. Even on the road I find 15 to pretty much ok and way loud enough. That leaves 16 to go before reaching the max. So I don't think they are too silent at all, they seem more silent then other mp3 players (like the Yepp) from the max setting but I'm never coming close to that anyway.

Edited by Private-Cowboy
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I have managed to obtain a copy of the NW A608 service manual - however it makes no mention of a Sound Pressure setting, which the HD models use to cap the volume in different regions. I am happy to upload the manual if someone can tell me how to!

Edited by SimonGrafftey
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Guest Stuge

I have managed to obtain a copy of the NW A608 service manual - however it makes no mention of a Sound Pressure setting, which the HD models use to cap the volume in different regions. I am happy to upload the manual if someone can tell me how to!

Contact Kurisu or Ishiyoshi in this regard

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