Japanese giants Sony have proven themselves more than capable of making brilliant and beautiful products, and in some quarters they’re still as highly regarded as they always were. Today we’ll be looking at one of these products – the all new hard-drive based music player, the HAP-S1.
With this latest innovation the HAP-S1 has taken cues on the design from popular brands like Brennan and Nova Fidelity. It’s a 40 WPC stereo amplifier coupled with a 500GB hard-drive for storing music. You can transfer your collection via the USB connection on the rear, with this also allowing playback from a separate hard-drive or memory stick. Two RCA inputs and an optical connection are also provided for those wishing to add more elements to the whole kit.
Taking it out of its box I was anxious to see if it would make a good first impression – and did it ever! The build quality is truly exemplary. For such a compact unit, the HAP-S1 is particularly weighty at 5.8kg, the reason for this being its beautiful full-metal case. The finish is lustrous, with a brushed aluminium face plate-cum-top plate looking every inch the quality product. Sony’s typically minimalist design helps draw attention to the fabulous 4.3″ LCD screen that’s bright, crisp and colourful. This type of product relies heavily on usability, and having such a large and clear display is a huge boon.
The easy to use HDD Audio Remote is available on Android and iOS devices.
The remote would be better described as a ‘wand’ with just seven buttons for real simplicity. Their real intended mode of operation however is through the free app, which you can use on your smartphone or tablet. ‘HDD Audio Remote’, as it is snappily titled, is available for free on both Android and iOS devices. The app was quick to download and install, and just as quick to get used to. Everything was controlled from here once we’d started to use it, and the experience was all the better for it.
Once we’d loaded a few tracks onto the hard-drive and joined our network (important for control and for the internet radio feature) we were ready to play. Browsing albums and selecting tracks was a breeze, and the unit was immediately responsive to the app.
Unlike some cheaper rivals, the Sony is able to play a huge amount of Hi-Res file formats, including WAV, FLAC and ALAC, and also its own DSD. Older Sony codecs like ATRAC are also provided.
A FLAC from CD rip of the latest Noel Gallagher release ‘Chasing Yesterday’ was first up, and the HAP-S1 served it well. The soundstage was really good for a system of its kind, the track filling the space between and around the speakers nicely. Likewise, the separation of instruments as the music builds was superb, everything being easily identifiable but remaining part of a cohesive whole.
Switching to the internet radio, we sought out a favourite in SOMA FM’s ‘Groove Salad’ (if you’ve ever visited the Liverpool branch, you’ve probably heard it). Again the Sony did a good job of conveying the music as intended, internet radio often does itself no favours with its low bit-rate stations sounding tinny and harsh but the HAP-S1 showed its mettle here with a bit more quality to play with.
On the point of sound quality and internet radio, those wishing to expand their musical horizons but not risk a drop in quality can use a very handy ‘High Quality Stations’ search feature that Sony have included – a brilliant idea!
After a few hours exploring the features and listening to the HAP-S1, we’d come to the conclusion that it was simply a great bit of kit. The build quality is absolutely top notch, the interface and controlling app worked brilliantly and the sound was great too. There’s no DLNA unfortunately so streaming isn’t available across a home network – but for that you can try MAP-S1 that covers this feature. Welcome back to the fold Sony, it feels and sounds good to have you back!
To find out more about the Sony HAP-S1 click here.
Author: Chris, Liverpool store
