Some more random thoughts on the c2600 vs c47. I have owned the c47 since Sept. 2016...

In my system I have the Sony HAP 1ZES HDD. Excellent Hi-Rez component. Internal storage etc...so I transferred all my 44.1khz CDs over and of course have high rez downloads from DSD to 192/24. The Sony has no digital out. So you must use their DAC. It's a great one though. It has RCA and balanced connections. So that goes to the c47 currently.

The only other analogue connection is from my turntable/phono-stage.

I really don't think I'll use the SACD player now due to not having any SACDs :) And all my music is now on the Sony HDD so really won’t be playing any cds.

So my question is this. Will l truly benefit from the tube sound even if I'll be using the DAC in my Sony? Or will it just mostly be a benefit from the analogue Turntable audio?

Probably going to cost me about $2k to trade in the c47 and obtain the c2600.

Just trying to get some perspective and some education I suppose on what and how a Preamp chain works.

Timobi, I think Sony has issued new firmware for the HAP that allows it to pass a digital signal by its USB port to an external DAC. I have not done that but you should look into it. It would give you options to use the C2600 DAC or the HAP's and see which you prefer.

Thank you! Will do that this evening. :tresbon:

The USB in on the C47 is only supposed to be for a computer with windows drivers. I would be interested to know if this will work with the HAP.

It didn't. :( the volume was WAY low..like bad low.

Then it would downconvert DSD to 176...

Pretty amazing and a BIG headscratcher the c47 has these limits. For $4000 it should be more flexible. Color me really disappointed.

Interesting. The question of how the HAP digital output would work (or not) with DACs that need special drivers was asked months ago by Dan but never answered as far as I know.

Your experience suggests it won't work with the Esoteric DACs either.

I hope to test this myself next month when I set up a HAP for a friend. I will be able to try with my TEAC UD503 and later, my Esoteric K-03X.

yeah I am not sure who to blame! :) seems both are extremely limited.

I owned the Halo Integrated for awhile and the USB had all the bells. Any device it would receive and decode whether it be 192/24 or DSD 2.8.

One more thing; I was strongly considering using the McIntosh Upgrade program and trading in my fairly new c47 for the c2600. But if the c2600 has the same USB limitations then I'm not going to trade 'up'.

The Sony HAP just updated the USB firmware but I purchased it knowing full well that it only had unbalanced/balanced connections. But the c47 and c2600 tout all this USB decoding from 192 to 384 and DSD blah blah.

I currently own the halo int and will be hooking to the mc452 this week. Plan to slowly move into the McIntosh preamp but we will see..

I haven't and won't be able to compare the SQ of a HAP's analogue COAX output with its digital output into a McIntosh DAC of any model.

The experience I do have said the Sony is only a 'hair' away from media server / Esoteric K03-X system. Its interface is pretty good although not as good to me, as JRiver or especially, ROON.

My point is that we can all chase dragons but the Sony HAPZ1-ES is a fine fine unit and most of us should be very happy with it in any system. It plays all formats and resolutions up to DSD2.8.