Lachlan fondled the new NWZ-ZX2, which he compared to version 1. Evidently, it still hisses:

“So I had a quick demo of the Sony NWZ-ZX2! First of all, I confirmed with the IM02 that the ZX2 still hisses. It was quite noisy in the shopping centre so I couldn’t tell if it hisses less than the ZX1, but it seemed like it might be a slight improvement. The unit on the whole is chunkier and heavier than the ZX1, which makes the whole thing seem a bit excessive. But hey if you are paying 1299 then I suppose you want to look like you have something in your pocket. I can’t comment on the sound as the player was only loaded with demo tracks that I’m not familiar with. Don’t think I’ll be getting one any time soon though.”

Lach's got loads of great stuff on his Facebook page, so check it out.

BTW, the earphones he yaks about in the above quote the Audio Technica ATH-IM02, which he reviews here (YouTube).