Sony's X-series OLED Walkman now priced in real American dollars, ships mid-June
By Thomas Ricker 
posted May 13th 2009 4:51AM
posted May 13th 2009 4:51AM
Update: And just like that, it's official. Sony's 16GB NWZ- X1051 with 32GB NWZ- X1061 will be priced $299 and $399, respectively, when they go on sale nationwide Stateside in mid-June. As a surprise, they'll also feature embedded apps for YouTube and Slacker Radio for all the free video and audio you can consume over WiFi.
[Via OLED-Info]
When I was younger, I switched from a portable CD player to a 3rd gen iPod but kept the same headphones. I was so crushed by how crappy mp3 quality was that I was tempted to go back to my CD player. Then my friend jacked my headphones into his old Creative Zen Xtra and I realized that it had nothing to with the format, and everything to do with the device. I got a Zen Micro soon after and have been happy with every MP3 player that i've owned since then.
I'm not a music snob. I don't listen to true lossless sound files or invest hundreds of dollars on my headphones (though I have a nice set of Sennheiser HD477s). But I like music to sound good enough to not be distracting. My CD player did it. My Creative MP3 player did. The Cowons and Sonys I've tried over the years did as well. My iPod did not. Lesson learned.
i'd rather buy a netbook at that price and lug that around with me as my mp3/video player.
I dont understand why this would have the same pricing as the Ipod Touch (there you go chefgon_ign). I am not an Apple fanboy by any means, but this device does not have the same capabilities as the ipod touch. The applications and games are a whole different set of features. i agree that Sony does have excellent build quality and sound quality (own the nwz a816). I do not see a whole lot of benefit of this over the Samsung P3 though. The OLED screen and wifi...seriously? The wifi abilities are cool, but in reality doesn't stereo bluetooth make sense? I don't need to see the latest viral of some ass making an ass of themselves on you tube while at a coffee shop for that much more money- as other readers have said I can use my phone for that. The Zune has wifi (limited benefits) but still allows for wireless sync and podcasting. I am just saying that the P3 with very usable features and a touch screen (not oled granted) and the Zune (sans web browser and touch screen) has a much more friendly pricing point than this. Most players have excellent sound quality when you pair a decent set of headphones with them. This device really was exciting when Engadget presented it to us after CES, but the pricing point will need to be reduced to gain much more attention from me.
Ok so if I buy iPod touch for $200 over a Sony , am I considered apple fanboy or idiot?
Or what would I be called say if I don't own apple pc.
You'd be called someone who values certain features that the iPod offers over other features which the Sony offers. No harm in that as long as you don't think people with reversed value sets are somehow inferior.
you would be one who favors a multi-functional music player over a supreme audio quality music player.
its really up to what you use it for because these are apples and oranges.
Anyone knows if this has Audio-Out? Or an accessory that would give us Audio-Out?
That would be a selling point for me!
Sony sells a dock that have a line-out.
I think this would be a great product at a lower price point. The OLED screen is nice but not worth the extra cost if that is padding the price, especially since it is somewhat small and video support seems middling at best. For pure audio quality I would definitely lean towards a Sansa Fuze than this.
This will of course have better build quality, etc. But this is very much a niche product at this price, I assume Sony knows this.
I doubt will even make a dent in iPod touch sales here in USA ,guaranteed.
Touch $229 or Sony $300-400,.fail
Missing 40000 apps
The real failure is your comparison of the 8GB iPod Touch pricing to the 16-32GB Sony pricing.
The only thing is, regular consumers won't notice the difference. They just look at the lowest price they can get something for. And personally 16GB is too much for me. I'm perfectly fine with my 4GB 2G Nano.
I hate to compare it to an iPod but wow...that's expensive...even if it were to drop $60 that's still pricey.
Sorry, but with no app store, I don't think I'll bite.
More importantly... Buy that Lura album. Great Cape Verdean singer. She deserves the recognition.
Too much. -$100 Each please
I am the happy owner of a S639F and was considering an upgrade but this is freakin' expensive and I have a feeling the internet browser won't be as great as on the iT
Well both are webkit-based.
I just ordered the 32 GB from Amazon, and I can't wait to get it. All I want from a DAP is great sound quality and a good interface. And yes, I can tell the difference. I have 5 iPods, one Zune, one Sansa, and one iRiver H340. I also have $499 Shure E530 ear buds. All my mp3s are encoded at 320 kbps. The only player that really sounds good is my 6 year old iRiver - by a lot. All the others sound only good, but not great. The iPod is the worst. I wish it were 64 GB, but I just can't wait any longer. I don't need the fart aps, just fantastic sound quality!
You my friend are one of the 50,000 "edge" customers ;)
i intend to sell my Touch and accessories to get one of these.
At first I wasn't too interested in the X-Series. But I think the Slacker Radio integration makes it a key seller. I like Slacker Radio, but their hardware players are beyond ugly.
Slacker Radio, FM tuner, YouTube, large capacity.. I think this new Walkman would be quite handy for people that travel a lot and may not have the time to always be near a computer to sync up their music.