Sony HAP-Z1ES has arrived

[bwillcox]

I think you are referring to SDs not SSDs. SSDs are the same form factor as 2.5 inch disks and are SATA connected (like most disks).

[sfseay]

I'm am definitely referring to an SSD (Solid State Disk).  The Sony HAP-Z1ES and HAP-S1 both come standard with 2.5' SATA HDDs and I replaced the 2.5" 1TB Hard Disk Drive with a Micron 2.5" SSD drive.

[sfseay]

18 minutes ago, jimdukey said:

I'd like to follow-up on Installing the SSD.

I CAN work a screwdriver, at least at slow speeds...

My Samsung SSDs have Usb Micro or Mini connectors,

and they are about the size a Credit Card.

What SSD did you install, and how did you choose it, to know it would fit?

 

TIA!

I installed the this drive from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Micron-MTFDDAK2T0TBN-1AR1ZABYY-Solid-State-Drive/dp/B01LB05TOO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1532037604&sr=8-3&keywords=Micron+2tb+SSD

[pro_info]

For my part, I think I will modify my Hap-S1.
I'll keep the display and buttons in front, remove the rest to put a mini-stx motherboard with a good Intel processor and storage. In order to have some kind of combined NAS for movies, music and other files, knowing that there will also be the possibility to output HDMI video. I'll run Windows 10 (or maybe the server version to be able to make me a WSUS server and gpo for home PCs) and if I can't find any potable software to use with the front screen, I might develop an interface similar to what Sony did. Basically a kind of PC in this box, it can be very nice and flexible. I have measured and I should normally have enough space to fit everything, although it is rather small.

[bwillcox]

14 hours ago, sfseay said:

I'm am definitely referring to an SSD (Solid State Disk).  The Sony HAP-Z1ES and HAP-S1 both come standard with 2.5' SATA HDDs and I replaced the 2.5" 1TB Hard Disk Drive with a Micron 2.5" SSD drive.

I wasn't responding to anything you posted, it was to jimdukey's post regarding mini and micro USB connections.

[sfseay]

11 hours ago, bwillcox said:

I wasn't responding to anything you posted, it was to jimdukey's post regarding mini and micro USB connections.

@bwillcox - Whoops, sorry.  

[dep14]

Sony.. please... Tidal, Deezer... still really like this unit, just want the ability to stream hi-res.  I'll pay for it.

[Richard Zane]

Sony Corp is in competition with streaming music services being that make a lot more money from Sony owned music and entertainment companies than they do from their audio electronics companies. So it’s extremely unlikely they would support Tidal. 

[wormcycle]

1 hour ago, Richard Zane said:

Sony Corp is in competition with streaming music services being that make a lot more money from Sony owned music and entertainment companies than they do from their audio electronics companies. So it’s extremely unlikely they would support Tidal. 

Agree, that why I sold my HAPZ1ES a year ago, although I think the build quality and the SQ of HAPZ1ES is incredible for the price. The only competition to streaming is better streaming.

[dep14]

2 hours ago, Richard Zane said:

Sony Corp is in competition with streaming music services being that make a lot more money from Sony owned music and entertainment companies than they do from their audio electronics companies. So it’s extremely unlikely they would support Tidal. 

They support Spotify. It’s really just hi res that they lack. I don’t think that market is even as big.  Heck if Spotify would hurry up with hi res that would be fine also. 

[Richard Zane]

43 minutes ago, wormcycle said:

Agree, that why I sold my HAPZ1ES a year ago, although I think the build quality and the SQ of HAPZ1ES is incredible for the price. The only competition to streaming is better streaming.

 

43 minutes ago, wormcycle said:

Agree, that why I sold my HAPZ1ES a year ago, although I think the build quality and the SQ of HAPZ1ES is incredible for the price. The only competition to streaming is better streaming.

i have ordered another product to to replace the HAP but of course the price to replace the DAC and also have storage will be much more than several times the cost of the HAP.  With the HAP unit one gets storage. To better the SQ  if just the DAC one already has to spend about one and half times the cost of the Sony. A music server that betters a standard computer rig and the noise and interference of the standard computer one has to spend as much as the Sony, and there is still a need for either cables and a software interface.  So as i look at my options, i see what a great bargain the HAPZ1ES has been.  It may not be perfect but it didn’t break the bank either. 

 

It’s also not easy figuring out the evolving market place, and how best to educate oneself. i wish some knowledgeable writers would take in the challenge of education in this area, The DAC itself is only oart if the puzzle. The music servers and software and how best to connect up all the pieces with the least amount if noise and electrical interference is not easy to sort through. There is a big need for some goid writing and to my knowledge no one so far is writing about it in terms that non-engineers and non-tech-heads can absorb.  No doubt this will change, but right now, it’s a jungle out there! 

 

A list of the challenging areas and writing about all the areas to know about and consider and the pitfalls to avoid is needed. Leaving aside tge issue of cost, even just knowing enough to make informed decisions is hit or miss, and unlikely.  Yeah, the Sony was easy. improving on tge Sony for the separates tgat replace it is really a challenge!   

 

 

[jimdukey]

Is there a Z2 w/DSD 256 in our future?

Their top Portable Player has it.

Maybe some Trickle-Down. would be nice.

[jimdukey]

When replacing the HD, is there any System Info that has to be on the SSD?

Or just load Music Files and listen?

The Drives just pop out and pop in?

I've got the link from Amazon, thanks!

[sfseay]

3 minutes ago, jimdukey said:

When replacing the HD, is there any System Info that has to be on the SSD?

Or just load Music Files and listen?

The Drives just pop out and pop in?

I've got the link from Amazon, thanks!

Just replace the original drive.  No prior formatting needed.  The Z1 will prompt you to format the drive once you restart the Z1.

[jimdukey]

Ok, Thanks.

Any tips about removal and installing?

Just pull the old one out, and pop in the new one?

[sfseay]

There are a couple of tutorials online, but it should be intuitive once you open the cover.

[jimdukey]

• Due to the nature of the hard disk drive, we do not recommend you store data on the hard disk drive for a long period.

This from Sony.

Can someone explain what is meant?

Of course I'm going to store files for a long period!

Should the Drive be re-set from time to time?

 

The Files IN the Sony are just copies, so I don't see the problem.

[audio.bill]

I think there might have been a translation problem there, and what was meant was that it shouldn't be trusted on for your long term storage. As you said since the Sony transfer software copies the music files from your networked PC or NAS the Sony hard drive has copies of the music that you have safely stored elsewhere so it's really not an issue for most users.

[peterlim8]

On 7/30/2018 at 8:34 AM, jimdukey said:

• Due to the nature of the hard disk drive, we do not recommend you store data on the hard disk drive for a long period

It means make a backup.

[peterlim8]

I have changed the internal HD to 2TB. Easy!

 

I also converted the Sony to transport, i.e. disable the aualgue power supply from the power board. Easy too!

 

The heats were greatly reduced.

 

I'm ripping all my CD collections, optimisationally, to the Sony.

 

I.e.

1. battery powered the external disk drive.

2. Cold start the external disk drive after every single rip, to initialise the RAM.

3. Two ground boxes were deployed.

4. The external  disk driver was secured to symphonic ultra platform.

 

And my chord electronic Qutest just arrived. Will connect it tomorrow.

 

My next upgrade is chord electronics Hugo M Scaler i.e. Sony ->HMS-> Qutest.

[les]

I'm a person who is keenly eyeing this machine after many years of wondering what my digital solution should be. (Still playing CDs...) I do wonder if Sony has given up on this machine or the concept behind it, which would be a shame. Anyway, it's clear that it's very much a design of 5 years ago, even though it more than meets my current needs. Still, it would be great if they could somehow broaden its capabilities... either via firmware or in a future design.

 

1) Allow it to be a network player

2) Roon capability

3) USB DAC capability

4) Use a different file system, without the current capacity limitation

 

Also, how great would it be if the cataloging/indexing could be done externally, on a pc? It would literally run 100x faster on a modern machine...

 

Just a few thoughts...

 

 

[sfseay]

USB DAC Capability?  It has had that feature for over a year.  I have connected it to an Auralic Vega, PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC, Esoteric K-07, and now am listening to it through an Esoteric N-05...all via the HAP-Z1ES USB port

[jimdukey]

When using the USB out to a Dac, what rates are played?

I assume the Remastering Engine is bypassed.

So no upsampling, just plays whatever rate the File is?

[les]

5 minutes ago, sfseay said:

USB DAC Capability?  It has had that feature for over a year.  I have connected it to an Auralic Vega, PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC, Esoteric K-07, and now am listening to it through an Esoteric N-05...all via the HAP-Z1ES USB port

 

That is indeed a great feature. While it may not be end-all-be-all, but it would also be great if it could act as a USB DAC, also (to lesser systems).

[jimdukey]

Then just use it as is, it's already a Dac, just load some files.