[Vinnie R.]

AND WE'RE OFF!!! 

I found a very high quality linear regulated power supply module that will do the trick for the tubed output stage.  It's not cheap,
but has really nice specs like ~ 0.2 ohm output impedance across the audio spectrum, ripple in the uV range, excellent
load and line regulation, and made in the USA.

It's a little big, so I spent a while finding a good location, but I had to move the Standby board a little and install some new standoffs
for it in order to make the new power supply fit. 

Then I wired it up to confirm that it does turns ON/OFF when the unit turns ON/OFF (standby).  Success! 

Now that I have found the ideal power supply for the tube output stage, load tested it, and have the installation scheme, I'll
be able to start working on the output stage this week.  This is where I expect to achieve the largest gains in performance! 


HOW ABOUT BATTERY POWER?

I received an inquiry about this, and YES - I do plan to later offer an external Black Lightning LiFePO4 unit that will power the tube output stage, and possible even the dacs and clock circuitry.  This will be part of a higher level modification package, and will naturally add to the cost.  There will be a 1-pack and 2-pack solution, depending on how long one wants to be able to run the audio stages off-the-grid.  It is too early to say, but I'm guessing the 1-pack solution will give around 6-7 hours, and the 2 pack solution will give around 12+ hours (and there is a switch on the Black Lightning that let's you play and charge at the same time for non-critical listening with no time limitation).  I do expect that the Black Lightning edition is going to be the cat's meow for this player, but I do want it to remain an option.

More to follow.

[Vinnie R.]

Ohhhh YES!

Just a teaser pic.    Stay tuned!

Vinnie

[noiseless]

Vinnie, this looks neat and hope it sounds good too.
Will the tubes and their supply or the components around them need additional cooling/ventilation - like drilling holes on the top cover?

[rlabarre]

Hi, Vinnie. I am definitely staying tuned, too!

Meanwhile, it would certainly be interesting if someone reported on a run-off between the unmodified Sony and PS Audio's new DirectStream DAC <http://www.psaudio.com/products/audio/media-players/perfectwave-directstream-dac/>. While in some respects an apple and an orange, the up-sampling in DSD and use of a FPGA that both employ are not. Then look at the upfront cost difference between the two; the PS Audio piece costs 3 times more than the Sony.

And that would be just for starters. Add in your mods, and I am guessing the Sony would be taken to a whole other level!

I will be on the edge of my seat!

[Vinnie R.]

Will the tubes and their supply or the components around them need additional cooling/ventilation - like drilling holes on the top cover?

Hi noiseless,

This is all the ventilation that you will need:





No need to drill holes on the top cover.  No need for exposed tubes. 

And that would be just for starters. Add in your mods, and I am guessing the Sony would be taken to a whole other level!

I will be on the edge of my seat!

Hi rlabarre,

Well I was GLUED to my seat listening last night and got to bed way later than I should have!   

Tube stages are burning-in and I still have some things I am planning to do on the Audio PCB in the unit, but right from the beginning
of listening with the tubed output stages it's a more seductive experience that pulls you deeper into the music.   And this is with stock
JJ E88CCs! 

Vinnie

[kngale1]

Vinnie, when are you taking orders?   

rlabarre, My hesitation with PS Audio is their buggy / in-stable software and firmware.    So far only read positive experiences with Sony software and Apps.

[Vlad]

Hi Vinnie,

Very interesting thread - I've been waiting for this kind of player for a long time.
If you don't mind couple questions about your tube output:
- Is it doing both I/V conversion and amplification?
- What is the output voltage and impedance?
- What do you think about using a transformer directly on the 1795 outputs?
(There are some reports of good results using 1794 with transformer).

Thanks,
Vlad

[Vinnie R.]

Vinnie, when are you taking orders?   

rlabarre, My hesitation with PS Audio is their buggy / in-stable software and firmware.    So far only read positive experiences with Sony software and Apps.

kngale1,

My guess is that I'll at least have the first mod package before this month is over.  Higher-level mod packages will follow. 

----

While the Z1ES does not have all the features of a computer + dac, it does offer some benefits of simplicity (which I like!):

- No need for Pure Music, Amarra, Audirvana, etc
- No need to have to optimize a computer for dedicated audio use.
- No need to have a computer in your system, so you can free it up and use it for other things
- No computer's internal switching power supplies in your system.
- No need for a USB cable, or for trying to isolate the USB power/gnd from the player.
- No cataloging headaches.  Just picks the music folders you want to send to the Sony, and it'll play all your formats
and take all your album artwork and it just works.
- Just a power cable and interconnects.

Very interesting thread - I've been waiting for this kind of player for a long time.
If you don't mind couple questions about your tube output:
- Is it doing both I/V conversion and amplification?
- What is the output voltage and impedance?
- What do you think about using a transformer directly on the 1795 outputs?
(There are some reports of good results using 1794 with transformer).

Thanks,
Vlad

Hi Vlad,

Thanks.  The gain of the tube stages are set to 0dB, so they are not boosting the output voltage.  Right now, I have them as followers (buffers), as the output voltage is good at approx. 2Vrms at the RCA output jacks.  Output impedance is low at under 500 ohms.

I'm not sure if a passive transformer is the best way to do it if you want to preserve the output stage filtering implemented get rid of the ultrasonic noise from the PCM and DSD conversion.  But I'll look into it...

All the best,

Vinnie

[kngale1]

----

While the Z1ES does not have all the features of a computer + dac, it does offer some benefits of simplicity (which I like!):

- No need for Pure Music, Amarra, Audirvana, etc
- No need to have to optimize a computer for dedicated audio use.
- No need to have a computer in your system, so you can free it up and use it for other things
- No computer's internal switching power supplies in your system.
- No need for a USB cable, or for trying to isolate the USB power/gnd from the player.
- No cataloging headaches.  Just picks the music folders you want to send to the Sony, and it'll play all your formats
and take all your album artwork and it just works.
- Just a power cable and interconnects.

Don't forget internet radio.

[OzarkTom]

- No need for Pure Music, Amarra, Audirvana, etc
- No need to have to optimize a computer for dedicated audio use.
- No need to have a computer in your system, so you can free it up and use it for other things
- No computer's internal switching power supplies in your system.
- No need for a USB cable, or for trying to isolate the USB power/gnd from the player.
- No cataloging headaches.  Just picks the music folders you want to send to the Sony, and it'll play all your formats
and take all your album artwork and it just works.
- Just a power cable and interconnects.
 

Now lets see how much this saves me.

No Amarra-I could have saved $149 on this if Sony had been out sooner.

No dedicated computer-I could sell my mac mini for $400.

No USB cable-I was toying on buying a Lightspeed, savings of $1000. And I now do not need my Virtue Audio USB cable at $70, no need to use the IUSB at $199 or the Gemini IFI cable at $219 or the Itube at $299,

No outboard DAC- I had bought a Matrix Mini Pro dac recently for $500, a great sounding inexpensive Sabre Dac with remote.

Power cable- I have a $150 power cable hooked up to the Mac mini, now will goes elsewhere.

Interconnect-One less IC to use, savings of $300-500 and will get better sound.


Wow, does that mean my Sony was free? But it will save me enough to get Vinnies mods. My Sony will be here tomorrow, I cannot wait. And if the tube Circuit sounds good with those JJ tubes, the GE 5751 Gold Pin tubes wiil make it sound a lot better. I have had both in my system.

[Vinnie R.]

Well, you will still need a power cord and pair of interconnects for the Z1ES.  But all the other stuff can go and I doubt you are going to miss it.
Let us know when you get it and put some hours on it...

[Afterimage]

any more updates on the sound? 

[OzarkTom]

Well, you will still need a power cord and pair of interconnects for the Z1ES.  But all the other stuff can go and I doubt you are going to miss it.
Let us know when you get it and put some hours on it...

I have that covered, but it saves me one less IC and power cord.

I will give an update on the sonics.

[Sadhu]

Planning to purchase the Z1, and will be interested in the mods, especially the output stage mod.

[bob53]

Vinnie -

I've been a lurker on this topic for some time. Many posts ago you suggested that your mod was going to eschew the XLR for the RCA outputs due to circuit simplicity. Perhaps I'm in the minority but my preamp is fully balanced and I always like to use XLR when possible. Any way the modification can include the balanced outs or perhaps a higher level modification could enable the XLR outs?

Thanks,

Bob

[Vinnie R.]

Planning to purchase the Z1, and will be interested in the mods, especially the output stage mod.

Hi Sadhu and Bob,

Welcome to Audiocircle and the RWA forum! 

Bob, I am going to work out the same modification for the XLR outputs, so one can choose which output they want modded (SE, or BAL). 

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

All,

I just spotted this initial impressions report on Positive-Feedback's Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/PositiveFeedbackOnline?ref=stream (PF Facebook page)

http://www.positive-feedback.com (PF Home Page, where the review will go live when it is completed)

Quick first impressions, as promised: the Sony HAP Z1ES proved easy to set up. All networking, both wired (CAT6 gigabit) and wireless proved to be simple, and worked the first time on both sides. Its interface is pretty intuitive, and worked very well with the HDD Audio Remote app. I've tried this on both the supplied Sony Xperian pad and my own iPad 3...both IOS 7.1 and the Android system had no problems. Installation of the HAP Transfer app on my Windows 7 64-bit notebook computer upstairs was flawless, and connected with the wired interface immediately, once I shifted to the wired subnet. (For security reasons, I keep wired and wireless networks on two entirely different Network address spaces.) I used the Sony Transfer app to copy about 110 GB of DSD files to the 1 TB internal storage on the Z1ES. Then I shifted it back to the wireless network so that I could connect with the Xperian and iPad remote control apps. No problems at all...a really gratifying result, I must say.

My VERY preliminary listening impressions are quite positive. With only a few hours on the review sample, the sonic results have been quite positive. PCM is PCM, but sounds good on the Z1ES. I had the unit set to convert PCM to Double DSD (yes, that's what the Z1ES can do), so that is likely the reason for this result.

Most of my listening has been to DSD, naturally; there the sound is natural, detailed, totally balanced, with superior imaging and soundstaging. Frankly, I was hearing a quality of sound on the first day that was better than I expected. Nice!

Since the Z1ES converts to Double DSD, I decided to copy a Double DSD sample track to the review unit, to see if it would play it. I wasn't surprised, but I was gratified to see that the Z1ES handled my sample Double DSD track without a hitch. In fact, it sounded great!

So far, this has been an exceptional experience. Sony is onto something here...at $1,999, this is a relative steal in audiophile terms.

More to come at PFO, when I flesh this all out....

As reviews go live, I'll add links to them to the first page of this thread.

Ok - back to work for me...

[Factorz]

Vinnie,
This might be a dumb question but would your mod void Sony's warranty?

[Vinnie R.]

Vinnie,
This might be a dumb question but would your mod void Sony's warranty?

Yes - for sure.

But I can still help make repairs if ever needed.  And any modification work will have a 5 year warranty.

[rlabarre]

I'm not sure if a passive transformer is the best way to do it if you want to preserve the output stage filtering implemented get rid of the ultrasonic noise from the PCM and DSD conversion.  But I'll look into it...

Vinnie, forgive me if this is an ignorant question. Aren't the Dual Burr Brown PCM1795 d/a chips only used for playback of PCM material in PCM, not for PCM converted to DSD? I have assumed (correctly or incorrectly for the Sony) that all the DSD processing is done by the FPGA. If I am right about this, then I don't understand the talk of a transformer just at the 1795 outputs. In fact, maybe you can explain better to a layman like myself exactly how your output stage design improves upon what the HAP-Z1ES comes with from the factory. To help frame how you answer, let me quote the designer of PS Audio's new DSD Dac, who explains particular pains that he took on the output stage of that particular unit:

Transformer coupled output. The output of the DSD engine is fed directly into the output stage which is based on high speed video amplifiers, passive filtering, including a carefully crafted high bandwidth audio transformer at the output. Unlike conventional DACS that depend on active analog output circuitry and the problems associated with them, DirectStream is purely passive.

Specifically, how would your output design differ in philosophy from this? Or is it even a relevant comparison?