[steve in jersey]

On a serious note ; How great would it have been if they had put DVD/CD RW drive in this thing that would
allow you to rip your SACDs right into storage. Seeing as how they decided to make this a "closed" system with no Digital out & no way to digitally clone SACDs. This could have been a doable feature.

As it stands, it's another one of those "if only"wishes. I honestly think that there are executives who may
not stay abreast of what some of their new tech is able to do.

They're not taking any chances that someone might be able to clone SACDs & there goes that royalty fee.
that the record companies are paying to Sony (.& there is still a reason to make & sell SACD players)

Man , don't you hate it when you identify the reasons to burst your own bubble.

[avta]

I'm curious about the internet radio function. Are there only preset stations or can you add your own url's? If preset is there a good selection of stations? Thanks.

[Steven Stone]

I've used SONOS, Squeezebox and, of course iTunes, and the Sony is by far the best Internet radio tuner I've used. The sound is better due in large part to the DSEE circuit. Also you can search by region as well as genre. I was able to quickly populate the "favorites" with the stations I usually listen to, as well as finding some new 320 kbps stations.

Steven in jersey wrote - "How great would it have been if they had put DVD/CD RW drive in this thing that would
allow you to rip your SACDs right into storage"

IMHO that would run counter to the whole idea behind the HAP - easy centralized workflow - with the HAP app, which will  transfer any new music from as many libraries as you have in your home network AUTOMATICALLY, why would you need to add a second ripping center, one that would only add the disc to the HAP?

[avta]

Thanks for the info Steven. 

[steve in jersey]

IMHO that would run counter to the whole idea behind the HAP - easy centralized workflow - with the HAP app, which will  transfer any new music from as many libraries as you have in your home network AUTOMATICALLY, why would you need to add a second ripping center, one that would only add the disc to the HAP?
[/quote]

Well, I'll start with your question first .

There is currently no "traditional" means to rip the DSD layer off of an SACD other than the "back door" method (championed by Ted B & others) of using PS3 made before Sony changed the firmware to close off
the backdoor access to make it possible to bring the DSD stream to a PC.

I could also ask "why do you need to run multiple libraries" . I don't have separate libraries . I use only
one that contains only uncompressed lossless files in it. As far as downloads I will have no need to have them
automatically added to storage. I can add them before I go to sleep.

The appeal of this player is'nt necessarily the same for everyone for the fact that listening habits are'nt "universal" of course YMMV.....IMDBJAVHO (In My Different But Just As Valid Humble Opinion)

(Boy, that does'nt sound too humble, does it ?)  All right I'll revise it to IMKOFUO (the censors would'nt like
this one , so you might have to Wikkipedia it, but we all know how accurate they are)
 

[dspringham]

Wondering about the requirement of the Gracenotes access with this player.

Why is this required? Wouldn't the files to be imported already be tagged by the software used to rip the files in the first place (or properly tagged by the vendor in the case of a purchased download)?

Am I missing something?

Cheers,
Dave

[steve in jersey]

Wondering about the requirement of the Gracenotes access with this player.

Why is this required? Wouldn't the files to be imported already be tagged by the software used to rip the files in the first place (or properly tagged by the vendor in the case of a purchased download)?

Am I missing something?

Cheers,
Dave

Yes, it appears it is !

If you take a look at one of the HAP - ZIES, one of the captions is the HAP Music transfer takes a long time
if you read this page it talks about the music "needing" to registered. It took me a second to realize what they
were referring to. The music is registered so that the Gracenote database can then be accessed to find the right Tag for the file as it goes into storage.

A lot of people use iTunes to rip their CDs & they may have downloaded music they may never had the foresight to think they might put it on a home player that could display cover art so they may not have
bothered to download a cover.

I think I may have posed this same question about Gracenote necessity in an earlier posting in this thread . I think I may have gone as far to ask who puts their music in a player before it's been Tagged. I don't think I received much of a response ,if any so there might be a lot of people who welcome this feature.
 
I use dBPa for my rips, besides giving me exceptional rips it does just as well tagging just about everything I
decide to rip. Before you start a rip it accesses several CD album art databases & if if cover does'nt automatically show up in the box you may be able to choose it from the cover choices that were found &
placed on the choose art page. There is no chance that I will be getting a Mac PC until there is dBPa support.
I look at CD Ripper as a Rolls Royce in a sea of Studebaker rippers.

Yes, it looks like we're stuck with Gracenote, my friend !

[OzarkTom]

Well, finally got my iPad to synch with my hap, but one issue still. I cannot get the mute or volume to work on the iPad. HELP!

[Vinnie R.]

Well, finally got my iPad to synch with my hap, but one issue still. I cannot get the mute or volume to work on the iPad. HELP!

OZT,

Are you using the IR Blaster and aiming it at your preamp/ integrated amp?

[OzarkTom]

I am trying to use the app on the IPad.

[Vinnie R.]

I am trying to use the app on the IPad.

But I assume you have the IR Blaster plugged in and aimed at your preamp/integrated's IR receiver?

Because you need to do that if you want to be able to use the Sony's remote control or iPad app to control volume.

There is NO volume control in the Sony.  It needs to learn the IR command of your external amp and then when you plug
in the IR baster and aim it near the IR sensor of your preamp, you can control the volume via the app (or Sony remote).

[OzarkTom]

Guess I am out of luck? I use a Job 225 amp with no pre.

[Vinnie R.]

Guess I am out of luck? I use a Job 225 amp with no pre.

The HAP-Z1ES can be modded with a built-in volume control 

[OzarkTom]

The HAP-Z1ES can be modded with a built-in volume control 

And remote? Sign me up.

[Vinnie R.]

And remote? Sign me up.

It would use the Sony's remote that comes with it (and the App).  But we're on the wrong thread to be discussing this, so
come over to the dark side 

[steve in jersey]

A couple of questions for you owners out there.

Can you turn off the display led ? If you are using a tablet control there is no real reason for the player's display to be on & supposedly display leds adds some "noise" to the circuit when they're on.

Damn, I forgot my other question it had something to do with playback control.

(Could'nt have been that earth shattering, I guess)

[peterlim8]

Can you turn off the display led ?

Yes, ??? setting at the first page. I always keep the display off.

[steve in jersey]

I don't know how long many of you have been involved with audio equipment. So those of you have been at
this for a while can take this advice w/ a grain of salt.

If you are serious about getting the best SQ results it's best to disregard Sony's suggestions about power
saving & just leave the player on w/ the display turned off. The display will turn on & show whatever function
is being accessed & go back off once the step is in progress. You don't honestly stare at a players display once
music has starting playing the whole time it's playing (if you have some friends over & you want to show off
your "cool" new toy fine. After they see it turn it back off)

The power draw from source components is negligible. DACs sound better when you leave them turned on.
This player uses an internal DAC. An easy formula to use is leave anything that is digital on. Turn off the components that are analog.

If you are really that worried about power use, use a few lower watt light bulbs through the house .
What you gain in playback SQ should be high enough to outweigh any Utility bill increase if you leave
just your digital components on.

With dimmer lighting you might not be as inclined to check out what you're eating from the takeout food
place no one else seems to go to. The price is right though & you can buy more audio stuff sooner, if you
don't make too many trips to the "Emergency Room" 

[brj]

Hi all.  Thread drift will happen, but please try to stay focused on the actual product being discussed in order to keep the value of this review thread as high as when it started.  Not that the other topics that have come up aren't valuable or interesting in their own right, but there are entire circles on AC devoted to these related, but general topics, including ripping, hi-res formats, etc..  Thanks!

It would use the Sony's remote that comes with it (and the App).  But we're on the wrong thread to be discussing this, so come over to the dark side 

Thanks for your discretion and understanding, Vinnie! 

[wayneoh]

This thread strikes me as being considerably more positive about the HAP-Z1ES than negative; however, comments that I've seen elsewhere have been more mixed. In fact, the six consumer reviews that I've just read on Amazon definitely give me pause. I'd be very interested to know if anyone here who has hands-on experience with the Sony has read the Amazon reviews, particularly the user review by a gentleman named Sridhar Mahadevan. And if anyone has, what is your take on that review? Is the app software as bad as Sridhar indicates? And if it is, how can it be that most other reviewers (on Amazon and elsewhere including here) have so little to say about the software? It seems to me that over time what will separate the men from the boys in computer audio will be software, not hardware. Having read so little about how the app software actually functions, I guess I am skeptical about this Sony product ... even though I very much want to want it because I am definitely in the target market that Sony has in mind, namely, one of those who wants the enjoyment of computer audio without all the brain surgery that so often accompanies it.