I have found quite the opposite. Having had old tape decks (admittedly ES versions), amps, etc I found most to be built like tanks and long-lasting.
I still have my Walkman Professional portable tape deck as still use it to record interviews / play back the odd cassette or two. It has been serviced only the once.
I can see the HAP S1 as a 'nearly there' device much like Sony's attempt at a hi-res portable, which, all said and done, was pretty poor for the money they were asking compared to the likes of an Astell & Kern.
It seems to me that Sony rush out these devices with a view to trying to get you to buy the 'uprated' version (read one more added function) the following year. Consumerism at it's worst.
The Hap S1 is not a 'stand alone' device and needs a computer at some point in the equation. If you already have music files on a computer or better still a NAS why not just invest in a decent streamer?