How to Play Tidal Music on Sony HAP-Z1ES [Latest]

Part 1. Can the Sony HAP-Z1ES play Tidal Music directly?

No, the Sony HAP-Z1ES cannot stream Tidal directly. The HAP-Z1ES is a high-resolution audio player built around local storage and offline playback. Its design focuses on serving as a central digital music library rather than functioning as a modern streaming device. Although it does support Spotify and TuneIn (after a firmware update), Sony HAP-Z1ES has never added support for Tidal, Tidal Connect, or any other modern streaming platform. Because of this, several limitations prevent the HAP-Z1ES from working with Tidal in any native way.

Can I stream Tidal to the Sony HAP-Z1ES via Bluetooth, DLNA, or Wi-Fi?

No. The HAP-Z1ES lacks the wireless streaming features required for Tidal playback:

• No Bluetooth receiver - The device has no Bluetooth receiver, so it cannot accept audio streamed from a phone or tablet.

• DLNA support is file-based only - The HAP-Z1ES can read static audio files from a DLNA server, but it cannot receive live streaming audio or decode Tidal's encrypted content.

• Wi-Fi is limited - It is used only for firmware updates, remote control, and library indexing. The device does not support DLNA rendering, UPnP streaming, AirPlay, or any form of network-based casting.

In short, you cannot stream or cast Tidal to the HAP-Z1ES through Bluetooth, DLNA, or Wi-Fi.

Can I sync Tidal playlists to the Sony HAP-Z1ES through its HDD Audio Remote app?

No. The HDD Audio Remote app can only manage the music already stored on the device. It cannot log in to Tidal, synchronize online playlists, or import streaming content. In fact, it cannot sync playlists from Spotify or TuneIn either.

Note: To play Spotify on the HAP-Z1ES, you must use Spotify Connect, which controls playback directly on the device. This feature does not operate through the HDD Audio Remote app.

The HDD Audio Remote app only manages:
• Song browsing
• Playlist creation
• Editing metadata
• Library indexing

To put it simply, the Sony HAP-Z1ES cannot play Tidal directly, nor can it stream Tidal over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DLNA, or AirPlay. The only reliable way to enjoy Tidal music on the HAP-Z1ES is to convert Tidal songs into supported formats (such as FLAC or WAV), transfer them to the device or a USB drive, and then play them offline through the HAP-Z1ES library.

Part 2. How to Play Tidal Music on Sony HAP-Z1ES [Tool Required]

To play Tidal music on the HAP-Z1ES, you must first download Tidal tracks as local, unencrypted files. Then you can transfer them to the device's internal HDD or an external USB drive.

Supported Audio Formats of Sony HAP-Z1ES:

Since Tidal's original files are encrypted, you cannot directly transfer them. The safest, most effective method is to use a professional Tidal downloader such as AudFree Tidal Music Converter, which converts Tidal Hi-Res tracks into lossless formats compatible with the Sony HAP-Z1ES.

Tip: Since the Sony HAP-Z1ES supports high-resolution formats, you can choose FLAC or WAV for the best fidelity.

How to Download Tidal Tracks for Sony HAP-Z1ES Using AudFree Tool

Download and install the AudFree Tidable Music Converter app by clicking the download button above, and launch the app to access the intuitive interface. Follow the guidelines below on how to add Tidal music to Sony HAP-Z1ES using AudFree Tidal Music Converter.

Step 1 Login and register for AudFree

Once launched, sign in to your Tidal account inside the built-in Tidal interface. Click the profile icon at the top to activate the Tidal Downloader.

Note: Kindly note that the trial version can only download the first 30 seconds of each track from Tidal.

Step 2 Set your output profile for Tidal Sony HAP-Z1ES

Click on the "Menu" button at the top right corner and select "Preferences". Then choose the "Conversion" tab to customize your output profiles. Here you can convert Tidal to WAV, AIFF, FLAC, etc. This also includes channel, bitrate, sample rate, and output route. And don't forget to click "OK" to save the settings effectively.

Step 3 Add the Tidal music to AudFree Tidable

After adjusting your output profile, you can now search the song you want to download and convert in the built-in Tidal web player. Once navigated, click the "+" button at the bottom right corner to add the song to the conversion list.

Step 4 Download and convert Tidal music for Sony HAP-Z1ES

After adding your desired Tidal song, click the "Convert" button to start conversion process. After conversion, you can locate the converted Tidal tracks in the folder on your computer from the "Converted" window.

Step 5 Transfer the converted Tidal song to a USB storage device

Insert a USB storage device (external hard drive or flash drive) into one of the USB ports on your computer, or just connect the Sony HAP-Z1ES to your computer with a USB cable. On recognition on your computer, navigate to "Device with removable storage" and click its icon to open it. Then open the folder containing your converted Tidal music,. Simply "Copy and Paste" the downloaded Tidal music to the removable USB device is okay.

See also: How to Download Tidal Music to USB

How to Play Tidal Music on Sony HAP-Z1ES

After downloading the Tidal DRM-free Hi-Res tracks on your computer and transferring them to your Sony HAP-Z1ES or a USB drive, you can enjoy your Tidal playlists on the HAP-Z1ES. Follow these steps below to play Tidal music on your Sony HAP-Z1ES if you use a USB drive:

Note: You can play songs on your device directly if you transfer your converted Tidal songs to Sony HAP-Z1ES. Please rest assured that its internal storage is 1TB, which is huge to enjoy your tracks. And you can browse and edit the Tidal playlist with HDD Audio Remote app on your phone.

Step 1. Connect the USB storage device to the external port in the rear end of the Sony HAP-Z1ES audio player before you turn it on.

Step 2. Turn the player on and select your desired category from the genre, artist, or album on the home screen.

Step 3. Start playing your desired music.

Note: When selecting Folders on your Sony HAP-Z1ES, select "HAP Internal" (to select the internal hard disk drive) or "HAP External" (to select the external USB storage device), and then select the desired folder or file from the list. When you select a file, playback starts.

Part 3. FAQs about Sony HAP-Z1ES Tidal Playback

Below are answers to common questions users ask when trying to play Tidal music on the HAP-Z1ES.

Is it legal to convert Tidal music for use on the Sony HAP-Z1ES?

Downloading or converting Tidal tracks is generally allowed only for personal, non-commercial use. As long as you do not redistribute, upload, or share the files publicly, converting Tidal music to listen on your own hardware - like the HAP-Z1ES - falls under personal fair use in many regions. Also, please check the local laws and Tidal's terms before proceeding.

Does the Sony HAP-Z1ES support gapless playback for Tidal-converted tracks?

Yes. Once converted and transferred, the HAP-Z1ES provides smooth gapless playback for compatible formats such as FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and DSD, which supports playing Tidal Hi-Res audio up to 24-bit/192 kHz.

How do I organize Tidal albums and playlists on the HAP-Z1ES library?

Once transferred, the HAP-Z1ES sorts music automatically by Artist, Album, Genre, Track number, and Metadata tags. You can also create your own playlists using the HDD Audio Remote app or the front panel interface of your Sony HAP-Z1ES. But also, proper metadata ensures perfect organization, so it is essential to keep metadata enabled when converting Tidal files using AudFree Tidal Music Converter.

How can I avoid quality loss when moving Tidal tracks to the HAP-Z1ES?

To preserve audio quality, you can follow these tips:
1. Convert Tidal music to FLAC or WAV (lossless formats);
2. Avoid transcoding files multiple times;
3. Choose 24-bit, 96-192 kHz output (or keep the original sample rate whenever possible) for Tidal Hi-Res content
4. Do not use MP3 unless storage size is a priority
5. Disable any optional compression during conversion

Part 4. Conclusion

Although the Sony HAP-Z1ES cannot stream Tidal directly, you can still enjoy Tidal's high-quality music by converting and transferring tracks as local files. With the right tool and proper file organization, the HAP-Z1ES becomes a powerful playback system for your Tidal library - offering exceptional sound quality, stable performance, and a smooth listening experience in 2025 and beyond. With the software, you can and seamlessly enjoy playing Tidal music on your device.