This mp3 player has recieved very mixed reviews all over the internet which caused great annoyance to me, and many long nights of trawling through looking for someone that actually knew what they were talking about. I was confronted with morons giving it one star and leaving reviews such as 'DOWn WiTH SOniCSTAGE it SUCKS!!!!!!' which really didn't help me at all. In this review I will try and make the good and bad points of this mp3 player clear, to avoid undue stress for others
We will start at the beginning...
Apperance
This thing looks stylish, with its sleek design and nice lines it could be seen as a fashion accesory to rival the iPod. It is also quite a bit smaller than the iPod, about three quarters of the length and the same thickness and depth. It comes with a stupid looking fuzzy pouch thing that really doesn't look good, and isn't useful at all. It barely even fits the player in it. To be fair I just chucked it away and never gave it a second thought until now. The edges of it are concave and really give it that stylised look. I have the black version and I like it, it is matted and a nice effect.
Build Quality
This is very strange at first. I picked it up and it felt quite fragile in my hand, it felt as if the metal surrounding the player was wafer thin
and I feared that it would break. The metal is soft, and suspiciously cold to the touch. There is a plastic bit at the top, where the player connects to USB wire that flicks off and is held on by a tiny little piece of flexible plastic. Don't be fooled by it's apparent flimsiness however. I have tested this through the rigours of everyday life and it is more than capable of withstanding quite severe knocks and contortions. I have unwittingly jettisoned my unfortunate player down my stairs on a number of occasions and it has remained completely unharmed. The player includes a special anti-shock feature that ensures it will not get damaged in all but the most severe of accidents. That will give you piece of mind if nothing else. The player is very pleasing to hold, it's buttons are very nice to the touch and actuate in a very satisfying and sturdy way. The screen of this player is made of thick ground glass, so is virtually unbreakable, although it is very prone to small scratches appearing through abrasion against clothes etc. These scratches will only be visible when light shines on the screen and do not bother me, but if you think this would be a problem then you can get screen protectors along with other things to safeguard your HD-5. All of the input connections are sound and there are no gaps where moisture, sand or small animals can get in which is a bonus.
The sound
This player sounds great, it is one of the most sonically able devices available for purchase as an mp3 player. The only problem for people is the volume of the player. Many people complained about it not being loud enough for them to enjoy, and when I first got my player, I couldn't believe how quiet it was. I got all worked up and angry, started making up names for the Sony salesman then I suddenly calmed down and thought rationally about it. A quick internet search revealed an extremely simple way of turning off the volume limit, it takes about a minute if you follow the instructions. With the standard earphones the sound is not bad, however it can get a bit harsh with certain songs. It is definitely a good idea to adjust the EQ when you get your player, this makes a great difference to your sound. There are several models of venues, ie. To make your songs sound as if they're live and there is a graphic EQ for your fine tuning. A good tip to make it sound good through the standard earphones is to ramp up the bass to compensate for their incompetence. I must say that the compression of Atrac and Atrac plus sounds great, you have to hear it to believe.
Ease of Use
You may have heard about the failings of the SonicStage software, and to be fair it does have its faults, but most can be overcome by simply thinking things through. You have to take care to read the manual in order to work it, and it is a bit of a chore for importing and transferring mp3 files you have that are already existing. For importing CD's it works brilliantly. The software is not as bad as it is made out to be, and does not detract from the desirability of the player at all, you get used to it.
The player itself is very easy to navigate, the buttons being dependable as they are, they can sometimes be a bit slow although with the search initial functions it is easily mastered. The screen is a slightly lower resolution than I have seen in other players. This is no real issue, but noticeable. Linking it up to the PC is easy enough and you should have a pretty stress-free time with your HD-5.
Features
The HD-5 is pretty much the bread and butter. It has no fancy recording functions, games or other frivolities. One of the best things about it is the monster 40hour battery life (the battery is also removeable), It has been designed to be an exceptionally good mp3 player that has a great sound, compatability (it plays wma) and style all in a compact package.
Overall
The HD-5 is a joy to own. It looks great, so impresses your friends, it sounds great and it feels great, which is a bonus. If you are considering buying an mp3 player from this price range then this is definitely the one to choose. If you are looking for a honest, hardworking and sonically sparkling experience I recommend it.
This player kicks major iPod behind for a number of reasons:
40 hours of battery life compared to a measly 12 hours.
It fully charges in 3 hours, and charges 70% in just one.
The battery is replaceable so you can look smugly over to the sheep who is left stranded with a lifeless iPod.
It uses the Atrack format, which holds twice as many songs at the same quality of mp3 files, thus giving it double the capacity.
It is a lot smaller, and doesn't look like some kind of toilet prduct like the iPod does.
It uses good buttons instead of a clickwheel which loses responsiveness and can lead to arthritis (it's true!).
It costs around about the same, maybe cheaper (I bought mine for £180, the price may go down with the release of the new sonys, making it even better value!)
And iPod's are so clichéd, don't you think…
Stand out from the crowd, and be eternally grateful that you chose the far superior HD-5. Now stop reading and go buy it!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Dec 27th, 2005
(Dec 31st, 2005)
exceptional by (9%):
very helpful by (82%):
helpful by (9%):
