Sony - What were you thinking?

+ Elizabeth

However, some of the other criticisms here strike me as being a bit overblown. For one thing, I don’t get the big deal about not having a digital output. With this product I don’t think Sony is trying to target people with superior standalone DACs. Why would anyone who doesn’t want to use the HAP-Z1’s built-in DAC buy this product? It makes no sense to me to spend $2000 if all you are looking to get out of it is a single terabyte of storage in a well-built chassis along with some player software.

I also don’t see the argument that Sony dropped the ball by not building in the capability to digitize vinyl and tapes. The HAP-Z1 is a $2000 product. The NuWave Phono Converter -- which digitizes vinyl and tapes -- is a $1900 product. If Sony had included the ability to digitize vinyl in its product, then the HAP-Z1 would be a lot more than $2000. To put it another way, I don’t think this criticism makes any more sense than it would to hammer PS Audio for not including in its NuWave Phono Converter the storage/server/DAC/digital player capabilities of the Sony.

As for the claim of “failed r&d efforts as evidenced in the new hi-res line,” I think it’s still too early to tell. The HAP-Z1 has only been out for six weeks, and reviews have only started appearing in the last two. What little feedback I’ve seen so far from actual users is mixed at best. But although I think the jury’s still out on the success or failure of Sony’s “r&d” in hi-res, I think there is no question whatsoever that Sony's hi-res product launch has been and continues to be a marketing failure extraordinaire. The decision noted by Airegin to make the HAP-Z1 available in silver only is but one example of that failure.

GZ, good comments. The market will decide if Sony got this right or wrong.

Hirai-san, you are a very, very bad man!

To me it seems like a functionally improved Bryston BDP-2 and a step in the right direction. I am with Onhwy61. I would be far more apt to purchase it if I had some assurance I could audiophile it. May not be a great way to think about it, though.

"Why would anyone who doesn’t want to use the HAP-Z1’s built-in DAC buy this product? It makes no sense to me to spend $2000 if all you are looking to get out of it is a single terabyte of storage in a well-built chassis along with some player software."

What is the alternative outside of becoming a "computer audiophile"? I really do not know.

I assume that sony figures that the small number of people who want to use the product with vinyl aren't the core demographic. I also think they should be lauded for trying to make a simpler product that won't intimidate the buying product. The key goal should be making it easier to use quality downloads to bolster that market. Just think how awesome it would be were apple to sell 24 bit 96khz downloads through iTunes!

Simpler is better if the goal is to kill of lousy lossy mp3s.