Sony HAP-Z1ES Hi-Res Music Player RMAF 2013

Thanks Jon, Helpful summary.

The Sony does have both single ended and balanced analog outputs. There is a "light" article about the new Sony components in the December TAS and information about them on Sony"s website.

Sorry Petland, I didn't answer your question. I can't confirm that both outputs are variable, but two reviews I read stated that the outputs were for connecting to an amp and the remote has volume up and down buttons. Those clues make me think that both outputs are variable but I haven't seen that question addressed directly.

I think the DSD remastering engine is just an upsampler that upsamples any signal coming in up to DSD rates, if it's turned on.

I read the whathifi review and like everything else I've read about these products there's not much detail. I haven't seen any comparisons between the 2 dacs anywhere.

TAS is going to have an article on it in the March issue and Kal is doing a review for Stereophile, which will probably take a little while longer to get into print.

I think we'll just have to wait a few more months to find out if this is the long awaited low cost, high sound quality, easy to use music server we've been waiting for for many years now.

Sbayne, That's funny. The days of a modest turntable "blowing digital out of the water" are now past. You may prefer the turntable, and you have every right to your preference, but that's just a bias on your part. That's just my humble opinion.

Sbayne,

If you didn't mean to start a debate why did you come to the Digital forum to a thread that has nothing to do with turntables or digital vs vinyl and give your opinion that a $2,000 turntable setup will "blow the the HAP-Z1ES out of the water when it comes to "sound quality." Then you accuse me of trying to start a debate.

The arrogance of SOME of you turntable people is quite amusing.

Sbayne,

We don't want to start a debate, remember? Please just keep your arrogant dismissal of digital sound quality out of these threads. You're just making yourself sound like a blowhard. The time when vinyl blew digital out of the water is past and discussion of the sound quality of digital gear is entirely legitimate and needs no qualifiers regarding turntable sound.

You can post all you want about the glories of turntables on the Analog forum.