How would you change Sony's OLED Walkman?

Sony's OLED Walkman is something else. Literally. In many ways, it's Sony's first formidable iPod rival to emerge in quite some time, and with its striking OLED panel, tastefully appointed graphite casing and absolutely amazing audio quality, it's certainly worth a look. For those of you around the world that have picked one up, we're curious to see if you think you made the right decision. For many, anything sans an Apple logo is the right choice, but we're wondering if the UI, design and value here were up to snuff in your mind. Are you digging the overall look and feel? Do you mind not having an App Store? Are you floored with audio / video performance? Have at it in comments below -- don't hold back now, okay?

[royking86 @ Jul 11th 2009 12:47AM]

I wouldn't change anything on my Sony Walkman, not even a single thing..
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT

[Sea Urchin @ Jul 11th 2009 1:52AM]

I'd call it iWalk

[KRIS_C_123 @ Jul 11th 2009 1:58AM]

I walk too :)

[Raphael @ Jul 11th 2009 2:14AM]

turn it into an iPod.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jul 11th 2009 2:53AM]

These first 5 comments are fail.

[Frostblade10 @ Jul 11th 2009 2:57AM]

I agree. Including yours. Not this one though. Nope. No siree Bob.

[EatingPie @ Jul 11th 2009 6:03AM]

I'd ditch the Ace Young and put on Neil Young.

:-)

-Pie

[cowgaR @ Jul 11th 2009 6:06AM]

just asking as you love it so much, does it have un-amplified output? (or possibility tu turn off built in amp and push signal out in its clear form from DAC like iPod?)

as I own few headphone amps so I am currious if it got this abbility. If not, how can we even talk about music quality... I bet you never heard quality music in your life.

[giuliop @ Jul 11th 2009 7:14AM]

So if his Sony doesn't have "un-amplified output" he never heard "quality music" in his life.

Though I'm currious, what ties the specs of an MP3 player to the performers' abbility?

[cowgaR @ Jul 11th 2009 7:27AM]

@giuliop: if you have nothing to add then better not be troll here..

listnening to an AAC via headphone out and listening to a loseless format which this player doesn't support (but not wav! as they lacks tags so it is not bearable to form a library from them) via say some of Ray Samuels Audio super-compact amplifiers (have you heard of Shadow?) is not even the same game, ligue or better say, not even the same sport...

so once again, you all can bash iPods, but they are heck of a capable audio players...which this Sony obviusly isn't, so that was my first point, why so much buzz around average mp3 player?

btw, audiophile would never buy this player (they all own iRivers if I recall correctly because of theirs digital out) that's why the sentence "never heard of quality music"

[Snitch @ Jul 11th 2009 9:56AM]

There's a lot of things that sony could have done to make it better, here is what i like and what i don't like.

Pros.
OLED screen.
Amazing sound quality

Cons.
Web browser sucks.
No Multitouch.
Sound cancelation is useless if you wanna use third party headphones.
No accelerometer.
Price tag.
UI makes the device feel like a cheap Sansa player.
Software needs a entire over haul if you ask me.

If you're just getting it cause it has a OLED screen, the Zune HD looks like a better deal, if you don't care about OLED get a iPod Touch.

[Rob Conway @ Jul 11th 2009 10:07AM]

@cowgaR how dare you call someone a troll when he asked you a straight forward question about your comment? you don't like what he said so you attack him?

guess what? you're a bag of douche juice. you're a troll because from your comments i can tell you have a passing knowledge of audio quality, yet you state that audiophiles use iRiver products and you don't have one. it's obvious that you haven't used the new walkman so how can you claim anything about it? you bitch about people bashing iPods when none of the previous comments said anything bad about iPods.

also, i'm sure you can't beat me in a fist fight and your penis is much smaller than mine.

[Matthew Rey @ Jul 11th 2009 10:25AM]

Thanks Rob.

[JimboJones @ Jul 11th 2009 10:33AM]

"also, i'm sure you can't beat me in a fist fight and your penis is much smaller than mine"

I think I'm going to add this as part of my signature in my company's email, this is just brilliant. You made my day !!

[Newone @ Jul 11th 2009 12:39PM]

I find it really strange the claim that you can bypass ipods amplifier. You would need relays to accomplish that and there's no way the added some into ipod. Also modern DA converters allready have a builtin amplifier so you cant completely bypass amplifiers.

What i think this bypass is, is a program bypass. They drop the headphones equalisation from the mp3 decoding and set the amplifier to max 1 volt peak to peak amplification.

[aamith @ Jul 11th 2009 1:24PM]

"I find it really strange the claim that you can bypass ipods amplifier. You would need relays to accomplish that and there's no way the added some into ipod. Also modern DA converters allready have a builtin amplifier so you cant completely bypass amplifiers.

What i think this bypass is, is a program bypass. They drop the headphones equalisation from the mp3 decoding and set the amplifier to max 1 volt peak to peak amplification.

You're right Newone, there is no "DAC bypass" or digital out from the dock connector on the iPod. It's logical to assume it's digital but it's not, it's just an analog line out. And it's strange that this myth persists. If you wander the high end audio rooms at CES you'll discover a couple of companies who will charge you a fortune to upgrade your iPod giving it a true digital out that bypasses the internal DAC.

[jason @ Jul 11th 2009 2:14PM]

What about iTunes ?? no iTunes Sync --- hahahah too bad - you rebels in the dark 1981 !! submit to Apple or live in peril hahahaha

[m3tric @ Jul 11th 2009 3:39PM]

How lame is that honestly

[Ryan @ Jul 12th 2009 11:24AM]

Yes...these first 5 comments would mean that yours is included, AndrewNoNumbers.

[the4thheat @ Jul 12th 2009 6:43PM]

I think the only thing I really care about is the web browser-if they gave it a really great browser I'd probably buy it over the touch for the audio quality and OLED screen. I do like the fact that Sony has decided to bundle good earphones with it, since that's honestly heads and shoulders over the craptastic default Apple buds. I find it really obnoxious that Apple still bothers to bundle that garbage since anybody serious about listening to music and who's already spending $400 on an mp3 player shouldn't be using what's basically a $1 earbud.

Maybe if Sony also gave the choice of getting just the mp3 player without the earphones for like $40 cheaper that would be nice-so you could still get the earphones at a big discount as a bundle with the mp3 player but at least people who already own good headphones don't feel like they're being forced to buy another pair.

Either way though I'm just glad Sony finally stepped up and made an mp3 player that's not a pile of crap...it's been a long time.

[Mitch @ Jul 12th 2009 10:05PM]

oO I wanna be a troll too!

If your idea of quality music is heard through a portable music player of some sort then I suggest you go to a bowl of some sort...If you live in the LA area....there's the Hollywood Bowl

[Caleb @ Jul 11th 2009 12:47AM]

I would lower the price.

[FAP FAP FAP @ Jul 11th 2009 1:20AM]

This.

[TuxBobble @ Jul 11th 2009 2:26AM]

Amen. Drop it $50-100, and I'm buying one instantly. AND recommending them to EVERYONE. Though I'm already recommending them to everyone...

I don't own one. I have been wanting it SO BADLY for about 6 months now. (Watching it before release) But I can't afford it right now. Definitely going to get one soon, because unlike with the iPod/etc. from Apple, audio quality is #1 for me, on an MP3 player. So...I choose non-Apple products. (No offense to those who use Apple stuff...I just think they're inferior to other comparatively priced products, as in this case)

[pika2000 @ Jul 11th 2009 2:39AM]

Don't worry, it will. Price drop in September, clearance soon after. Thing is, knowing what's ahead, would people still want to buy this, or would they arther save the money and simply buy the next Android based walkman?

[trew @ Jul 11th 2009 5:54AM]

Right on, lower the price, by taking the lovely screen out, and replacing it with a cheap and nasty TFT, perhaps fit a cheaper DAC, that means it does not sound so good, and perhaps have some DRM in there and lock it to Itunes.

You just created a iPod....

Jesus there are some idiots here that still don't get it, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR IN LIFE..

If it's cheaper, it's because it's usually crap. Xbox, cheap crap, iPod, cheap crap, Skoda, cheap crap, Amstrad, cheap crap.

Stop being a pikey/trailertrash and spend a few $$ for more a change and enjoy quality.

[Caleb @ Jul 11th 2009 11:20AM]

@trew:

Cowon S9.

[electron @ Jul 11th 2009 4:21PM]

hey Trew... ever seen what the official price tag on the Samsung P3 is?

[nowayman @ Jul 12th 2009 4:18AM]

damn right. and add flac support while you're at it.

[timothyms @ Jul 14th 2009 12:27PM]

They'll drop the price when when they introduce the 64 GB model. And they'll probably add flac support then as well.

[Stephen @ Jul 11th 2009 12:49AM]

Put in a decent browser.

[Stan @ Jul 11th 2009 7:11PM]

The Netview browser if it's the latest one is not that bad, however, you could run Opera Mini on any SE phone, and SE has links for Opera as a 'software' application that can be downloaded. I even have a GMAIL app on my SE.....

[JohnWesleyHarding @ Jul 12th 2009 12:19AM]

My question is if you can use opera on the walkman. This would make the device a lot more enticing.

[moe @ Jul 11th 2009 12:51AM]

add tegra

[seanmoorman @ Jul 13th 2009 12:31PM]

Yeah really. Haha. Once Tegra comes out everyone will want one in their PMP.

[Tin Wai @ Jul 11th 2009 12:53AM]

Customable UI and dynamic playlist

[ishism @ Jul 11th 2009 12:54AM]

What the Fuch is an App Store??

[Dhruv Garg @ Jul 11th 2009 1:29AM]

have u been hiding under a rock for almost 3 years, or are you using primitive internet technology from a saferoom. whenyou thought that the word was gunna end at the year 2000

[ishism @ Jul 11th 2009 2:02AM]

Durka Durka?

[MarkAM1994 @ Jul 11th 2009 2:10AM]

LOL. I love this guy's response.

[jason @ Jul 11th 2009 2:31AM]

I am not sure myself. It is this thing that has to do with Apple. Never seen it or used it as I have no Apple stuff. I think it lets you pay for small little programs that only do one or two things but not just anyone is allowed to write these apps. Apparently you have to please Apple in some way (maybe sexually?) to get it listed.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jul 11th 2009 2:56AM]

It's a store for buying apps, durka!

[Guess_Who @ Jul 11th 2009 5:46AM]

It's a place to buy a variety of fart noises for your device.

[Derek @ Jul 11th 2009 12:56AM]

I would lower the price. It is not worth $400+. I played with one at the Ks Denki and there is nothing about this device that makes it worth the price.

[madcrabs @ Jul 11th 2009 12:56AM]

Find a way to slap an HDD into that bad boy. What's up with Apple cornering the market on storage space?

[Dave @ Jul 11th 2009 1:02AM]

zune 120?

[MONKEY @ Jul 11th 2009 2:03AM]

Uh...

32GB X Series Walkman - $399

32GB iPod Touch - $399


Am I missing something?

[MacVicta @ Jul 11th 2009 2:09AM]

And in about 2 months it'll be

64GB iPod Touch - $399

[pika2000 @ Jul 11th 2009 2:41AM]

Putting a spinning platter into a small and thin highly portable device that will be used on the go most of the time... yeah, that's a good idea...

[Cris T @ Jul 11th 2009 9:27AM]

Apple did have a 180GB HDD in an iPod but nobody was buying it because it had to much space.