Sony HAP-Z1ES or NAD M51?

Have been listening to the Sony HAP-Z1ES for the last week. Have to say very impressed. The thing is built like a tank - weighs 30 lbs!!

Sound quality is definitely amazing - a big jump over my touch/benchmark combo - much more detailed, bigger soundstage and better low end performance. Transferring files is a pain though - almost a week for copying my 1TB collection - admittedly over wireless.

So far I am a believer! Have not tried the NAD - so can't compare - but if I am enjoying this - plus get DSD - I may just have to keep this puppy!

Hey Rmata, is the Sony warm sounding? How's the high frequency performance?

Hi GFC,

How can I describe this - definitely on the brighter side (especially with DSEE/DSD re-master on) but not in a bad way - you just hear a lot more detail on the high frequencies at least compared to the Benchmark. Overall the biggest difference is in the size of the sound stage - almost seems like a went from 2 channel to quad channel or something....hope that makes sense, as I don't have a good audiophile vocabulary :-)

I'd have a LOT more confidence in Sony quality than NAD's .
Notice the NAD sold on here is often "factory refurbished",was it really sent back to China?

I checked out the Sony recently and came away impressed with features. All my tunes are currently burned to WAV and reside on a Mac Mini and drive, so transferring to the Sony would be pretty easy, if a bit time consuming at first.

I like the idea it can upgrade Redbook files. The app seemed cool, but it was a bit goofy using an IPad mini, which I blamed on the dealer's WiFi network.

I also use a Squeezebox, but with mods from Bolder Cable, who I think is no longer doing these upgrades. The mods were replacing the digital SPDIF outputs, and building a ridiculous power supply with Jensen caps and Blackgate parts. It was a $1200 upgrade and so far, it's been hard to beat (driving a Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 21 tube DAC, also built like a brick outhouse). But not cost effective, and I couldn't recommend spending that kind of money today to upgrade an older unit.

I may have to borrow a Sony to see if I like it. Using a headphone system now, Woo Audio 6SE driving Audeze LCD-3 headphones.