Well guys.. Im outa here. Dont have time for Ciao any more but thanks for all the laughs, tears and ...
Well guys.. Im outa here. Dont have time for Ciao any more but thanks for all the laughs, tears and comments! Ciao!
Member since:02.01.2005
Reviews:40
Members who trust:28
------------------------------------------------------------------------- ((( THE PREAMBLE - SKIP IF YOU WANT.... ))) -------------------------------------------------------------------------
In my newcomer days to Ciao I wrote a rather rubbish review on my Ipod. At the time I was totally obsessed with it and really felt it was the best piece of kit available. Indeed it served it's purpose, until a few weeks ago when it broke! At first I was devistated but then I realised it was my 30th bday and people were willing to buy expensive presents for me. So I took the plunge and said I wanted a new MP3 player. And to be controversial, I didnt go for a new Ipod Nano.. I asked for the new Sony Walkman MP3!
I've now had the product for three weeks and feel able to write a pretty comprehensive review about it, and also compare it to the Ipod, having owned one for 2 years. I have trialled the Sony MP3 an my daily commute and at home, as well as during my recent trip abroad.
I make no apologies for making quite a few comparisons with the Ipod. I am sure that most people reading this review will want to know why they should buy one of these as opposed to an Ipod.
---------------------------------------------- ((( THE BASICS ))) ----------------------------------------------
This is a realtively new MP3 product from they boys and girls at Sony.
The player measures only 24.8 x 79.0 x 13.6mm nad comes in three colours! (Black, viollet and pink!) It has a built in flash memory card, and works via a direct USB port.
There are other similar versions with smaller memory size and built in FM radio (but they are different products
so are best discussed and reviewed elsewhere!). I went for this one as it has the largest memory.
This 2GB version can hold about 80 CD's worth of music, which is probably more than enough for most people, but not all.
Unlike the Ipod, it functions via a direct USB port which is built into to one end of the player. This plugs into your computer USB port and is used to charge the player and transfer music. The advantage of this is that there are no annoying wires, chargers or docking stations to worry about. It is compatible with USB 1.1 onwards (but I'd recommend a USB 2.0 port for faster transfer speeds)
At the other end of the player is a socket for headphones. It is a regular sized socket and you can thereofre use any headphone you want. It does come with a pretty decent set however.
So if you want to reduce on the amount of wires you take on holiday, or have to keep around the house, this may be the trick!
One great feature of this nifty player is the battery capacity. I was sceptical when reading the adverts, which state that it has a 30 hour battery life, but it turns out they were telling the truth! It charges very quickly, and has a 5 minute top up feature, where 5 minutes of charging will give a very decent 3 hours battery life! I have managed to charge the whole thing from empty in less than an hour.
------------------------------------------------- ((( UPLOADING MUSIC ))) -------------------------------------------------
You put music onto the MP3 via a programme called sonic stage.
This is Sony's version of I Tunes, and I think it is very easy to use and a pretty robust product. If you search on the net you will see people moaning about Sonic Stage. Most of the complaints refer to a bug which now seems to have been resolved, as my new version (which comes included with the MP3) has had no problems at all.
The MP3 is compatible with ATRAC, MP3 and WMA files. The ATRAC files allow compression.
Sonic stage can be set up to automatically load up when you put a CD into your computer, and will import the tracks. It will then transfer the song to your sony MP3. Like ITunes, it has a track recognition system, so it recognises and titles the albums and songs for you.
The 2GB memory is much smaller than what is available on some Ipods, which may be a problem for some people with very extensive music collections.
Transfer of tracks seems to be as quick if not quicker than an Ipod.
Like ITunes, Sonic Stage connects to the internet so you can use it's online shop (called CONNECT) to download songs, be it an album or track. The range seems very complete, and a single track can be downloaded for 89 - 99 pence. You need to set up an account to start downloading.
I hate getting new products, as I usually cant work out how to use it. I was especially worried after owning an Ipod, which is beautifully simple to use.
Fortunately the Sony is excellent too. I think the Ipod is slightly easier. The main limitation with the Sony is that it has a small screen, which only allows one line to be displayed at a time. This is unlike the Ipod which shows the next few to come when you are scrolling through the list of what you have stored. However, you quickly get use to it and within days I was very comfortable with it and have no problems telling it what to do!THE BUTTONS:
On the front - Menu button - Play/stop button
On the top - Shuffle forwards and backwards
On the back - Volume up and down - Hold (to prevent buttons accidentally being pressed when you are travelling etc)
It's that simple!
The menu button does most of the work. If you press it, you get a further range of options. I will go through them so you can see exactly what funtions this nifty plater has: - Play all songs option - Playlist creation - Menu option, which has a range of further options... - - Play mode (ie repeat each song / shuffle mode) - - Sports timer (otherwise known as a stopwatch!) - - Sort (by album / song / artist) -- Display mode (what is shown on the screen) -- Advanced mode (power settings, date time , left or right handed setting!!) -- Equalizer
The screen. As I alluded to before, the screen is a small one liner, which scrolls when it needs to display longer titles. However it looks great. When it is off you cant see the screen at all. When it is on it looks pretty funky, and the writing is very clear indeed. A smaller screen helps prolong the battery life.
Another major advantage is the price! Mine was bought for £99 at John Lewis. Much cheaper than most Ipod products, and other decent MP3 players as well.
---------------------------------------- ((( SCORE TIME! ))) ----------------------------------------
I will start by saying that I am not a technical person, and am not reviewing this by its technical ability. I do think the sound is excellent. However, I always thought the Ipod sound is great too and lots of people slate it!
I like my MP3's to be small, easy to use and look nice. This Sony Walkman MP3 easily delivers all of the above. People love the look of it. I have found Sonic Stage to be very easy to use, I never really had to consult the instructions. For me the best part is that it uses a simple USB port, so no wires or plugs are needed. The battery life is infinately better than the Ipod.
The few disadvantages are:
1) If you are travellign you need to consider how you will charge it up, if it runs out. I have just been travelling with my MP3 and charged it up once whilst checking my email in my hotel. If you are somewhere without computer access or laptop you may want a more conventional plug! I have been told you can get a USB - mains plug adaptor, but I havent seen one myself.
2) There isnt the range of fun accessories that the Ipod has, and at present, no speaker system that you can easily hook up. But I never really used my Ipod one, as I preferred to use my HiFi! A range of carry cases is being developed (but not yet available).
3) Only 2GB. More than enough for me and Im sure most people, but would be a problem for some.
Overall ... 5/5!!! I am extremely happy with it, and would even go as far as saying my love affair with the Ipod has finally ended.
Hey Dan, great review, as you can see I'm very into my music players (and Sony) so loved this review, plenty of info. Cheers Tom
nevaeh123xxx 15.10.2006 18:46
What a very informative review, I love my MP3 but it's not as good as this one, I've pondered about whether to buy an Ipod, now I know that when I do eventually upgrade, it will probably be one of these. Excellent rev, cheers. Welcome to my CoT!
donovan74 30.09.2006 14:11
A really good review. I'll be looking out for this Sony (on my list). : ) donnie
Aug 29th, 2006
exceptional by (6%):
very helpful by (94%):
