Richard, I have an unused 1.5 TB HD that I bought but never used. I intend to dedicate it to the Sony. I can try to hook it up, but my guess is I will get the "reformat" command. If I can find a spare USB I will give it a go tomorrow.
Sony HAP 1 ES and adding external Hard Drives
This is a spin off of the existing HAP 1 ES thread as it addresses a single issue. I have carefully read the reviews of the product by Kal in Stereophile and Steven Stone in The Absolute Sound.
Kal mentions that when he tried to attach an external HD, the Sony requires that the HD be re formatted, and that once this is done the HD can no longer be
used in it's original set up. Stone's review did not comment on adding external drives.
The 1 TB storage would not be enough for me, as I estimate my collection is about 3 TB, uncompressed (not including my SACDs, DVD-As, and Blu Rays, which I don't think could be stored on the Sony). I therefore would be using external HDs. I am currently digitalizing my colection but have only used a fraction of the 3 TB hard drive that is being employed for this. I don't relish the thought of wasting a HD, although I guess it is a relatively small expenditure. Has any one tried adding external HDs to this unit?
Kal mentions that when he tried to attach an external HD, the Sony requires that the HD be re formatted, and that once this is done the HD can no longer be
used in it's original set up. Stone's review did not comment on adding external drives.
The 1 TB storage would not be enough for me, as I estimate my collection is about 3 TB, uncompressed (not including my SACDs, DVD-As, and Blu Rays, which I don't think could be stored on the Sony). I therefore would be using external HDs. I am currently digitalizing my colection but have only used a fraction of the 3 TB hard drive that is being employed for this. I don't relish the thought of wasting a HD, although I guess it is a relatively small expenditure. Has any one tried adding external HDs to this unit?
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Kal mentions in a footnote in his review that the drive is formatted to one of the versions of the Ext file system that is commonly used with Linux. If you are running Windows, Paragon ExtFS for Windows appears to be a solution that would enable Windows to work with Ext file systems, and it appears to be free. If you are running a Mac, a similar program is also available, for $39.95. Although I have no experience with this or other Paragon Software programs, at first glance it certainly appears to be worth looking into. Regards, -- Al |
Richard, that's not quite right. Formatting or reformatting a drive destroys all of the data that it contains. After the HAP-Z1ES reformats the drive, probably to Ext3 or Ext4 (presumably because its internal operating system is Linux-based), music files would then be obtained by the HAP-Z1ES from your computer via the wifi or wired ethernet network connection that would exist between them (via your router). I presume the HAP-Z1ES would then offer a choice as to whether the files it obtains are to be stored on the external drive or on its internal drive. Also, I looked further at the descriptions of the Paragon ExtFS program I cited earlier. Assuming it works as advertised, it looks like it would be an excellent solution, allowing the drive to be removed from the HAP-Z1ES and connected to your computer when and if desired, the data it contains remaining intact, and then used with the computer just like any other drive. Alternatively, there are various free software tools available that would allow you to reformat the drive as Kal did, making it usable with your computer. But of course doing that would destroy any data that had been stored on it by the HAP-Z1ES. Regards, -- Al |
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