[Stercom]

Hi all - I'm not a computer expert (thats one of the reasons I bought this unit!) but I control the HAP-Z1ES with an Ipad and have no problems. The way it does this is through your network - its not some type of wireless link from the HAP-Z1ES to the Ipad (via Bluetooth or something).  I'm guessing the issues people have been reporting are because of poor network performance, more specifically their router!. If you don't have a newer dual antenna Wi-Fi 802.11 "n" router then go buy one! They are about $100. Also move the router to the most central location in your house possible and raise it above any obstacles. I use a network repeater that is near my stereo room and literally can connect to the HAP-Z1ES from any room in the house. As I've mentioned before, I didn't have any problem downloading music. I still think its best to use a direct ethernet connection, don't let you computer "go to sleep" during the process, let Gracenotes fully update and when its finished - reboot the HAP-Z1ES. If that process is interrupted then there will probably be problems, is my guess. Anyway, thats my 2 cents.

[smargo]

Also move the router to the most central location in your house possible and raise it above any obstacles. I use a network repeater that is near my stereo room and literally can connect to the HAP-Z1ES from any room in the house. As I've mentioned before, I didn't have any problem downloading music. I still think its best to use a direct ethernet connection,

agreed - just as you suggest - except i use it wirelessly - with no download issues whatsoever and to me the music sounds wonderful

[bwillcox]

If the music hangs up while playing, and the music is on the HAP's hard drive, the problem is not Wifi or Ethernet, but something else, something I've never experienced with my HAP after almost six month's of regular use. If the music that hangs up is from the Internet tuner section, the problem is still, most likely, network traffic interference or slow-down. Again, I've had "Hi-def" video streaming to Direct TV at the same time as listening to Internet radio through the HAP with no issues and I have only basic Centurylink service.

It is from tracks that I've mostly purchased from either acousticsounds or hdtracks. Mostly flac files. Once I restart the player (after the forcing off by holding the power off button for 15 or more seconds) it will then continue playing the track. It has also hung during the transfer of files to it (usually will hang on a transfer that lasts more than a couple of hours) and even when simply sitting idle...turned on but not playing anything.

I currently have about 1500 tracks on it. When I originally got it I tried downloading all of my 35000+ tracks to an external 4TB drive. That was a grueling experience. Hung countless times and when it finally (after days of torture) finished it wouldn't play anything at all. At that point I did a factory reset and removed the external drive. Now I'm using only the internal 1TB drive. So long as I don't leave it on too long (only 1 to 2 hours), it will usually play w/o hanging.

Oh, and as I mentioned before, I'm not using Wi-Fi. The HAP box is hardwired to my GIGe network.

[DaveC113]

Well, I got it and it's up and running...  so far so good! The SQ does not disappoint either, it does a VERY good job, massive difference vs my Schiit Bifrost, which really isn't a bad DAC.

I was ready for the music transfer process to be a pita, and it is... there's no way to move large amounts of data without it taking alot of time, and I think it's doing a good job TBH. It takes about 2x as long as it takes for the computer to move music into a transfer folder, I am just going alphabetically in 50 gig or so chunks using manual transfer. I went wireless as the modem/router is in the same room right next to computer and HAP. So far no issues with wireless.

I loaded the HDD smartphone amp on my Samsung 3S, it recognizes the HAP, but isn't fully functional right now, I guess the HAP is busy with the file transfer process, but they should have made it fully functional while it is processing imo.

Basically, I feel criticisms leveled against the HAP are pretty much nit-picking, with the exception of bwillcox... maybe a defective unit?

[bwillcox]

Certainly my unit could be defective. I suppose the hangs that I'm experiencing might be heat related since the unit works fine when first powered on and for sometimes several hours. Also, it doesn't appear to be directly related to what it's doing at the time. I've had it hang during transfers, while playing tracks (always a different track), and when just sitting idle in a paused state.

So, can I assume that no one else is experiencing hangs??

[DaveC113]

Certainly my unit could be defective. I suppose the hangs that I'm experiencing might be heat related since the unit works fine when first powered on and for sometimes several hours. Also, it doesn't appear to be directly related to what it's doing at the time. I've had it hang during transfers, while playing tracks (always a different track), and when just sitting idle in a paused state.

So, can I assume that no one else is experiencing hangs??

I have not read about any issues like this being common, I would definitely return it for a different unit.

[OzarkTom]

Well, I got it and it's up and running...  so far so good! The SQ does not disappoint either, it does a VERY good job, massive difference vs my Schiit Bifrost, which really isn't a bad DAC.

I use my Sony with a highly tweaked out IFI Itube. This combo sounds so magical, yet highly detailed.

[DaveC113]

Anyone having issues with the HDD app on android?

On the main screen with the selection for tracks, folders., genres, artists, etc... you pick one and get info on the right hand side of the screen, but it's condensed to the right 1/4 of the screen and you can't see much, not enough to identify the album or artist you are trying to find. Using the search doesn't seem to be very useful either.

If you select full browser mode you get Artist, Genre, Album and Tracks selections but none of these seem to do anything or provide any info.

This app seems severely handicapped and poorly written. Do you need a bigger tablet to make it work out? This is ridiculous, one of the worst apps I've ever seen and so far a huge downside.

Or is this app just completely handicapped when transferring files? (I still am)

[DaveC113]

Certainly my unit could be defective. I suppose the hangs that I'm experiencing might be heat related since the unit works fine when first powered on and for sometimes several hours. Also, it doesn't appear to be directly related to what it's doing at the time. I've had it hang during transfers, while playing tracks (always a different track), and when just sitting idle in a paused state.

So, can I assume that no one else is experiencing hangs??

Ok, so I experienced a "hang" today while transferring music too. It was a result of a temporary drop in the internet, the HAP uses the internet to get info and it just stopped doing everything including playing music when the internet went down. This was a very short interruption and it recovered after a minute or two, but I did have to restart the transfer. It recognized where it had left off and didn't have to start from the beginning. I also didn't have to turn the unit off and then back on again, it recovered by its self. This is definitely a glitch and I think it could be corrected by a firmware update, hopefully Sony will do that in the near future.

[Vinnie R.]

All,

I have found that using an ethernet "crossover" type (aka "null modem" cable) directly between the computer and Z1ES offers
the fastest transfer, without any trouble. 

I would do that if you can.  Then when the machine connects to the network, it will look up all the album info and shouldn't have
any trouble.

I'm not saying that you have to do it this way, but if you want the best transfer speed and least amount of problem, this is the way to go.

Vinnie

[bwillcox]

All,

I have found that using an ethernet "crossover" type (aka "null modem" cable) directly between the computer and Z1ES offers
the fastest transfer, without any trouble. 

I would do that if you can.  Then when the machine connects to the network, it will look up all the album info and shouldn't have
any trouble.

I'm not saying that you have to do it this way, but if you want the best transfer speed and least amount of problem, this is the way to go.

Vinnie

Well, my local network is anything but simple, with three GigE switches between the laptop I use to do the transfers and the Sony HAP unit. Given my setup/environment it would be very inconvenient to have to connect my laptop directly to the Sony HAP box with a crossover cable.

Also, today the HAP happily played for over 8 hours before hanging. However, once it did hang and I had to do the forced power off ritual, when it started back up it started playing a different track than the one it was playing at the time of the hang (usually, when starting up after a normal shutdown it picks up at the same point in the same track). Then it only ran for a relatively short length of time (less than an hour) before hanging again. It looks like I'm going to be forced to replace it. Hopefully the replacement unit will work better.

[Gzerro]

So this evening I got a message that an update was available. I loaded the update and everything seemed to go as normal. I also updated my iPad app at the same time.

Now I cannot browse from the iPad. It displays albums and even has the correct number of tracks on the display, but when I click through to display the tracks none are listed. The only way I can currently use the player is to browse by folder. 

Anyone else having issues with the new update? I try to "resync" and it whirs a bit and says it resync end, but still no tracks will display.

Edit with Update - I tried my iPhone and it worked normally. Also was fine from the player front panel. Seems just a glitch with the iPad update. I deleted the app, downloaded and re-installed and now everything is back to normal.

Leaving this here in case anyone else runs into the same glitch.

[Rob50]

I purchased my HAP-S1 two months ago today. Yesterday, I was transferring my final 115 files. ( It's taken me all this time, to rip cd's, convert them to DSD, and then transfer them....800 - 900 albums. )
During this final transfer, I noticed connection had been lost. ( nothing unusual in that. ) but the count transfer froze, and did not alter. So I continued the transfer, the count moving along until transfer said finished....unfortunately, the count transfer froze again.
Still the same this morning so had to phone Sony. I was advised to do a factory reset, and a rescan. I asked if this would wipe the external hard drive, to which he replied no, but what I have found that, it appears to have wiped the internal drive, and the majority of albums do not show any art work now. ( I'm still waiting for the rescan to finish so hope it will update the database when finished ?
I'm not happy with the prospect of re-doing 200 + albums to the internal hard drive again, or ( God forbid !! ) any on the external hard drive ! Ironically there was a firmware update this morning, along with a new version of the HAP transfer softwear. ( Which after downloading, doesn't look any different to me ?? ) I do not have an android device, for the HAP transfer.

[gbeard]

All,

I am very interested in the firmware & HAP software updates too.  I have had occasional hiccups, but nothing to the degree some of you are having. I had to wipe the internal HDD and start over once. Not all the HAPs fault though, I had made it more difficult by the structure of my files.  There are still some problems with tagging and cover art. I hope future updates will solve these minor problems and make tagging revisions a little less cumbersome.

That said, after transferring my 18k of files and burning in the unit for several hundred hours, I gotta say, this thingy sounds very, very nice. I really like it.

I hope Sony will continue to tweak the firmware/software and then we will all be happy!

[Gzerro]

Ironically there was a firmware update this morning, along with a new version of the HAP transfer softwear. ( Which after downloading, doesn't look any different to me ?? ) I do not have an android device, for the HAP transfer.

After the update I got a message that there was new HAP transfer software for PC as well. However the current version on Sony's website has the same filename and filesize as the version I downloaded several months ago, and is dated from 2013.

Good luck on getting your files re-indexed properly!

[Rob50]

After the update I got a message that there was new HAP transfer software for PC as well. However the current version on Sony's website has the same filename and filesize as the version I downloaded several months ago, and is dated from 2013.

Good luck on getting your files re-indexed properly!

Thanks !! I can't believe that it looks like I've got to re-do 800 + albums !! What if the player freeze's again, and I have to resort to a factory re-set, yet again ??
I did notice that the date was Nov 2013.

[bwillcox]

Thanks !! I can't believe that it looks like I've got to re-do 800 + albums !! What if the player freeze's again, and I have to resort to a factory re-set, yet again ??
I did notice that the date was Nov 2013.

Well, I made the mistake of trying to transfer all 3000+ albums (35000+ tracks) to my HAP-Z1ES when I first got it. Took days, many hangs, and when I finally finished the player wouldn't play anything. This was on an external drive. So, I removed the external drive, did a factory reset, and have been transferring only a few albums at a time. I currently only have about 200 on it now. But my player still hangs after 1-8 hours of being turned on (doesn't have to be doing anything).

I just updated the firmware on it with the recently released new version and have updated my transfer program on my laptop. Haven't done anything more with it yet though.

[gbeard]

I just updated to the most current firmware and HAP as well. Date is 7/8/14.  Also updated HDD Remote. Hoping for even modest improvements across the board.

Son Seals: I can't hear nothin' but the blues. 

[bwillcox]

Yeah, well I updated my HAP-Z1ES player and the transfer program and now I can't successfully transfer any tracks to the player. I even tried a factory reset and still no dice. The transfer program claims to be transferring 121 tracks (should be over 1700 now that I did the reset) and takes an appropriate amount of time (seems to be transferring the bits to the box), but nothing ever gets there. So, now I'm stuck with just the 15 tracks that Sony initially provided with the unit.

[DaveC113]

Can anyone help me with the remote app?

The app seems like it thinks my smartphone (samsung s3) is a tablet and I can't get it to display vertically, only horizontally, and there isn't enough real estate to see the display. This makes the remote app worthless and it looks like I'm going to have to buy a tablet just to have a useable remote and access the additional features the app has, like being able to make a playlist.

I'm not sure about this thing anymore, it's a great idea and the sound quality is very good but I may return it. Way too many bugs and inconveniences for a $2k high end music server.  I don't know... maybe it's good enough to spend $150 or so on a basic tablet but why should I have to. This is ridiculous to have to deal with this crap after spending so much cash on it.

bwillcox, return it!!! The issues you are having seem completely unliveable and there's gotta be an issue with your unit.