A while back I had been looking for a nice but reasonably priced MP3 player to replace my portable CD player. The option of carrying a small device with hundreds of songs on it beat out the one disc clunky machine. Yet I still love my old CD player. Music is important to me, and so is the device I listen to it on. I went through a lot looking for the perfect MP3 and hopefully this review will help you decide with a bit more ease than I had.
Overview
The Sony Walkman (NWZ-S615F) comes in four sleek colors; Black, Red, Pink, & Silver. The color choice is yours to make, surely one will fit your style. The only con to these color varieties is unless you get black you can't get the highest GB option. All colors come in 2GB or 4GB, while the Black comes with the option to buy an 8GB. No matter which you pick the mp3 will have the capability of holding videos on them in crystal clear display. The display itself is 1.8” LCD if you measure it diagonally. This allows for ample screen to view song information, albums, and short videos. If you desire you could manage to fit a full length movie on the higher selection of GB choices, but it isn't recommended.
User Interface and Setup
This device is pretty easy to control. While not an ipod it has a neat little set-up that I'm quite fond of. Looking directly at it you'll find three raised buttons beneath the screen. On the right is the "option" button, which if held for a moment will shut the MP3 off. To the left is the "back" button, which if held will take you to the Menu. In the middle of the control pad is a silver play/pause button that is used to access Menu icons, lists, songs, and basically initiate everything. In addition to these three buttons are four arrow keys that surround the play button. They however are not raised, but set into the control pad so that when you apply pressure to the arrow key design the slightest of clicks can be heard. The arrow keys allow you to navigate the Menu icons, song lists, and sub-menus as well as go from song to song while song info is up.
On the right side of the device, up towards the top on the tiny side panel is a volume button that allows you to adjust the volume from 00 to 30. It can get pretty loud… On the left side is a hold button you can slide up to lock the keys. This way if you're moving around a lot and have it in your pocket, or are around people that like to mess with your stuff the song won't change, the volume won't go up or down, and it won't accidentally be turned on or off.
At the very top is the headphone jack and at the very bottom is the connection for the USB charging cord.
I love the interface and can use it easily with one hand.
Performance
I've had my MP3 player for about 7 months now and haven't run into any problems with it. In my opinion the performance is superb. Its color display is brilliant, everything is easy to see against the dark background, and the menu is very easy to use. Having never really used or owned an MP3 player I figured it all out within a couple minutes. Personally the sound quality is great and gives you a variety of options to adjust how the music sounds with modes like “Matrix” and “Karaoke”.
The menu is composed of nine icons that do various tasks or take you to certain areas of your music. In order you have Intelligent Shuffle, FM Radio, Initial Search, Photo Library, Music Library, Video Library, Settings, Playlists, and Now Playing. The icon I use most is Music Library, however Settings, Playlists, Intelligent Shuffle, and Initial Search get their fair share of use. Clicking on music library using the play/pause button you'll be taken to a basic menu that organizes your music. You can view you music by All Songs, Album, Artist, Genre, Release Year, or the Folder their placed in.
So you have a slew of things to choose from, can find a song or artist by searching for the first letters in the name, or can listen to the radio. But what's really great about this MP3 player is the extreme battery life. You can listen to music for 33 hours or watch videos for up to 8 hours without needing to charge the MP3. However to charge it is only a matter of plugging it into your running computer with the USB cord that comes with it. Very easy. The battery life is one of my favorite features because I can take it to school with me for many days in a row, listen to it while walking to the bus stop, while on the bus, and when I can during school, and then on the bus and walking home again. I can do this for days straight without needing to charge it.
I've never had any other Sony MP3 player but I've heard that SonicStage was terrible. Well, for those who are worried about this, worry no more. SonicStage has been ridded of. Huzzah?
Song and Video Capacity and Price
I bought a 2GB and use it mainly for music but have had videos on it. The 2GB's aren't even filled up yet and I have a lot of music. Currently I have 214 songs and plenty of space left.
- 2GB- 440 songs or 7 hours + 10 mins of video
- 4GB- 925 songs or 15 hours of video
- 8GB (Black only)- 1,850 songs or 30 hours of video
- Price range- $79-89, $99-139, $149-165 (respectively)
Cons
This MP3 is great. But it has some low points. For one it comes with a crumby pair of cheap-o ear buds. But those can easily be replaced for around $10. Wal-Mart sells Sony ear phones that are quite nice along with a variety of other brands and styles. Also, the Sony site sells the MP3s with high quality ear buds for a bit more cash.
- The 8GB only comes in black.
- Not much new has been introduced with this MP3 player, but it is still brilliant.
- Windows Media Player 11 is required for transferring videos onto the MP3.
- Playlists have to be made on the computer and transferred over to the MP3.
- Official Sony protective case is over $20.
- Limited suiting protective cases. (I use a small cellphone case)
Review
- Four colors
- Three GB choices
- Video Capabilities
- Built in FM radio
- Intelligent ways to shuffle your music
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Sleek & durable
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Preferred Headphones ($10)
