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Customer Reviews Collected from sony.com |
Sony - Hi-Res Music Player with 1TB Hard Drive - Silver
Average Customer Rating:
4.2
Rating breakdown 71 reviews
5 Stars
37
4 Stars
19
3 Stars
10
2 Stars
0
1 Star
5
82%of customers recommend this product.
(
50 out of
61)
Customer Reviews for Sony - Hi-Res Music Player with 1TB Hard Drive - Silver
Customer Rating
3
Was Great, now good, starting to outdate (TIDAL!!)
on February 28, 2018
Posted by: DP 14
Gender:Male
This is a really good unit overall. Sound quality is very good. I've had it for almost 4 years now and overall it's a good unit. Part of the appeal however was it's ability to stream and be updated. BUT Sony has yet to update it to allow Tidal to stream. This is a high-end product, intended for high end systems. High end audiophiles want to use Tidal, not spotify. Come on Sony, this could remain a GREAT player if you would just update it to stream Tidal.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, February 28, 2018
Hi DP 14, thanks for the input. Sony takes into consideration all feedback to improve the performance and quality of our products. We're always looking to make Sony better. We appreciate your time sharing this feedback. Thanks! _Bob
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Ahhh, this is what I'm talking about. Beautiful
on February 18, 2014
Posted by: CrystalClear
Finally, a music player that has the absolute highest quality sound possible in the digital realm. Of course you need to play Hi-Rez files to fully bathe in its dimension. As for your old rips, the up convert is amazing. Not a single noise, it makes me cry.
This player was intricately engineered to please the most discerning audiophile. The HAP transfer was a breeze. And with ever expanding library of Hi-Rez music on line, I feel this is the beginning of the long awaited technologically advanced age of new High Fidelity sound reproduction.
I am happy they included silver, a few buttons and left the wealth of functions to the app. I love the radio function too. Now if only Sony would make their premium ES speakers easier to buy, I for one am an American consumer ready for it.
This player was intricately engineered to please the most discerning audiophile. The HAP transfer was a breeze. And with ever expanding library of Hi-Rez music on line, I feel this is the beginning of the long awaited technologically advanced age of new High Fidelity sound reproduction.
I am happy they included silver, a few buttons and left the wealth of functions to the app. I love the radio function too. Now if only Sony would make their premium ES speakers easier to buy, I for one am an American consumer ready for it.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: Wyatt1050
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
As a streaming players is good. What is missing?? It cannot play 11.2 DSD, or 352/32 wav files. I have the Sony headphone amp and the Hi res walkman and they are superb in every way. Software updates please
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, May 5, 2018
Hi Wyatt494, we are sorry for any inconvenience this caused you. To best assist you, I highly recommend you contact our special group who handles ES products, exclusively. Please check the link below for the contact details.
https://esupport.sony.com/US/p/select-system.pl?DIRECTOR=CONTACT
-Erin
https://esupport.sony.com/US/p/select-system.pl?DIRECTOR=CONTACT
-Erin
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Amazing Sound Quality
on June 2, 2014
Posted by: soundpurist
I have a high-end stereo with tube preamp, McIntosh amps, and Tannoy speakers, and admittedly initially reluctant to purchase a music server advertised as adding input to the sound (notably the DSEE and 24bit conversion features). The musical results are above my expectations: DSCC significantly enhances Internet radio sound, while the 24-bit up-conversion removes aggressiveness from the sound of 16-bit CDs. The result is a rich and detailed sound, very pleasant to hear after hours of use.
For Internet radio, I used to have a Logitech connected to a stand-alone DAC, Sony unit replaces both and sounds significantly better.
Setting up the unit and the software that will copy the music on your PC's HDD to the Sony's internal drive is extremely easy, so are the controls from the iPhone/iPad. I would personally like a PC-based control as well, but tablet/cell phone control is good enough. Another positive, unit is completely silent, unlike first-generation music servers of twice the cost.
It is easy to spend a lot of money in sound system components, but this unit represents the best return of my money in my entire sound system.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
3
Audiophile machine w/o Tidal or Qobuz?????
on January 30, 2019
Posted by: Drumbullet
Gender:Male
The machine is great for ripping modern CDs and playing...older 2" reel music suffers from conversion to CD. The quality of what is put in (music speaking) come out very clean...the app is great...time to load in a CD into the system 30 minutes...ugh...have100's of CD's. Now...what is up with the streaming??? Spotify is the only selection??? Come on Sony...Tidal and Qobuz are the streaming services that should be standard with this device...not the compressed MP3 Spotify garbage...please, please, please rectify this.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
4
Great player but issue with transformer hum
on April 12, 2019
Posted by: AutomationGuy
Gender:Male
I love this player.. It sounds awesome and is very easy to setup and operate. The Android app is wonderful and the file utility works flawlessly. Unfortunately, I've had to return this unit 2X due to a transformer hum that causes the left portion of the chassis to resonate very audibly. I can hear the hum 20FT away. This would be a keeper for me but the hum is simply unacceptable. Additionally both units I received had a sticker on the top cover, which when removed yielded marred paint underneath due to the adhesive used. Why would such beautiful casework be cheapened and damaged by such a silly advertisement?
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
A month with HAP-Z1ES
on February 16, 2014
Posted by: xray
Like the previous reviewer, I had a return number by Sony in my hand in favor of using my trusty Transporter by Slimdevices (later acquired by Logitech). But I had two weeks to finalize my decision during which I listened to the my library phrase by phrase alternating Transporter and HAP using balanced outputs.
To sum it up: much lower and tighter base than the Transporter, much better resolution (on speakers or Audeze and Westone headphones), much better orchestral reproduction, and much narrower sound stage.
The latter is what makes one love the Transporter. A whole stage is reproduced, much wider than your speaker setup! Amazing! The cost? It was difficult to figure but I knew it was there since I could never enjoy Tchaikovsky's piano concerto which I have listened to live many times. This is just an example for a type of music that the Transporter cannot handle and that HAP plays with ease. The wide stage achieved by the transporter is the result of coloration of the sound and a weakness at the mids which brings the soloist (singer or an instrument) farther back than the rest of the band. The Sony does the opposite - brings the soloist next to you and the band somewhat back.
Sony's HAP-Z1ES reproduces music smooth and natural - no extras. That said, some singer-songwriters recording, e.g. Wille Nelson, sound better on the Transporter. Plus, HAP is not a true streamer by any stretch of the imagination. As a result now I use both players, stacked on top of each other! Go figure....
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Very Pleased
on June 1, 2014
Posted by: Carbry
Very easy too use, audio is everything I expected. The one feature, I wish was included; direct record of my many DSD album to the device, or include software that would allow for this. I have many DSD album, and in need for software.....Carl
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com