Sony HAP-Z1ES Hi-Res Music Player RMAF 2013

No outputs variable and controlled from the front knob. You can't connect the Sony to power amp directly,

the drive got cloned on a windows 8 machine using "macrium reflect." It's a free download, but any cloning software should do the trick

once you download the "hdd audio remote" app on itunes, you just keep your finger on those fields and make any change you want. The hard drive on the HAP then recognizes the changes

I don't know the answer -

Seems to me that you can try that first and if it doesn't work, clone the drive as I did.

at minimum, there's certainly no degradation of the redbook spec. At it's best it's excellent, especially with regard to the bottom (at least on my system)

There's no front volume control. There are Sony amps(surround I guess)that can be controlled from the software you download from itunes

I will have mods that optionally can include a remote control volume. Looks like this: discrete I-V converter for each phase (no op amps) then a shunt volume control between phases and then zero feedback jfet buffers on all 4 phases (for full balanced or unbalanced use).