The introductory manual gives you several ways to get started.
#BEST HIGH RES AUDIO PLAYERS WITH WIFI PORTABLE#
Despite its relatively small size (about 430 x 133 x 125mm) it is not all that portable I mean, you can move it about if you like, but as well as the weight there is no handle and it should be moved with care it is also mains-only. So how is the out of box experience? The first thing you notice is that this thing is heavy – 4.6kg. ALAC (Apple lossless) is not listed, but an Apple lossless file I created played fine from a USB stick, from which I conclude that it supports that too.
Supported formats are MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, FLAC, and DSD via USB after firmware update. This is how you get the very best quality. I had limited success with this, but did manage to play some FLAC files from a USB stick.
Note that this is well beyond what humans can hear. It has the speaker technology to go with it too: sub-woofer for deep bass (within the limitations of a small box), and super tweeters for extended high frequencies up to a rumoured 40kHz, though I cannot find detailed specification from Sony. Get all the ducks in line, and you can play DSD (the format of SACD) downloads directly through this device, or high-resolution PCM at up to 32-bit/192kHz. Sony’s top of the range wireless speaker grabbed my attention because it is not just a Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay speaker, but also the entry-level device in Sony’s push for high resolution audio, billed as better than CD quality.