Just read the Absolute Sound review when the new issue arrived the other day. They finished the review stating that "If you plan to spend more than $2000.00 on any digital front end, whether it be an audio computer, CD player, DAC, network player, or any other front end that uses digital files as a source, and you don't audition a HAP-Z1ES, you are failing to consider what may well be "the" benchmark digital product of 2014".
I'm seriously considering purchasing this unit, but am trying to overcome concerns about it having no digital output, eliminating the ability to use it with a newer DAC years down the line. However, there simply isn't anything else out there close to this is price, or value.
It has also been commented on that Sony may actually be either losing money, or, at least greatly minimizing normal mark ups on these units to first, get the DSD technology selling, and secondly, by planning on this working out the same as their PS3 and 4 strategy, where they essentially give the hardware away, but make massive profits on games/software, for years afterwards. Since they will be making available virtually their entire music catalog in DSD, this may well do that for them.
