New Sony HAP-Z1ES Firmware Out Today


I installed the newest firmware today and was pleasantly surprised that the player now supports an external DAC via the USB connection. It now does DSD over USB2 and there is a provision to turn it on/off. I played a couple of different artists and the player seems to work perfectly with the iPad remote.  Here is the skinny, direct from Sony:


This firmware upgrade (version 18033R) provides the following improvements over version 17384R:

  • Adds support for the Media Server function
  • Adds support for the USB digital output function (USB hub support for connecting each of one HDD drive, one CD drive, and one USB DAC)
  • Adds support for Seek operations
  • Adds support for the Fade In/Out function
  • Adds the Go to genre/artist/album/folder function to the Options menu
  • Adds the following operations:
    • Queuing the track next to the one currently playing, and queuing the track last
    • Deleting the track from the play queue
    • Creating a playlist with the play queue
    • Deleting the playlist
    • Deleting the track from the playlist
    • Deleting the information of a disconnected external hard disk drive

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Showing 6 responses by pro_info

Hi guys,
I just bought an HAP-S1, and no DACs are working.
I don't have a DSD amp, so I try to run it in PCM, but my amp doesn't detect any audio signals.
I connected a Singxer F-1, I do have the play led that lights up when the player is playing, but the DSD led stays on all the time, even if I disable the DSD in the player settings. So I don't know if a DSD signal comes out non-stop (since I don't have a compatible amp), or if even the DSD signal works (maybe it comes out my 44.1kHz 16bits flac tracks in"DSD" instead of PCM).

Anyway, I tried with a PCM only compatible card, and there I have no signal coming out either. I don't have any indication leds on this one.

Is there a way back to the previous firmware that seems to work for some? Knowing that the downgrade option switches me back to an old version that does not yet support USB DAC... since I just bought it and upgrade.

Thank you and sorry if the translation is a little screwed up.
Yes, DSD output, on or off, nothing changes, I will take with m2tech HiFace two (the third dac...).

PS: I also contacted Sony supports in America, Japan, France, to see if they can give me a way to downgrade to version 18033R (download firmware) which seems to work better for some, but I'm not under any illusions about that. I await their answers.
That's the problem, as I just bought it, the previous firmware is not the 18033R, but one that is 2 years old and does not yet support USB DAC. :)

PS : As expected the support was of no use. (Japanese support has understood my problem, which I doubt in others ^^)

I'll make one last attempt with a non XMOS DAC to see if it works, then I'll give up. Either there will be another firmware, or when I change my amp, maybe I'll hear some sound if it outputs all the streams to DSD.
I finished my project, for those who use a DAC, that can be interesting.
Sony HAP S1/Z1ES remote control key remapping demonstration video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIhKWJwfVIU