US Sony Walkman X-series unboxing and hands-on
By Nilay Patel 
posted July 27th 2009 2:56PM
posted July 27th 2009 2:56PM
posted July 27th 2009 2:56PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Look good. :)
I always thought unboxing to be stupid and useless, but this one was nice or maybe I want this SO FREAKING MUCH.
me wants
I do wish wish Engadget would note that this comes with 100 free downloads if you purchase it direct from Sony (which is what I did). That essentially makes the price $100 less if you are apt to be purchasing music for the next 2 years. The download code is good for 2 years. With that and Slacker figured in this was a no-brainer for me. I was going to get an iPod Touch, but this just seemed a better deal. And in the end I am very happy with it. I like its size and the music sounds great. I like it much more than my daughter's iPod.
looks nice but is it fully compatible with OS X?
I'm sure people will find a way to make it, if it isn't.
Mass-storage mode compatible...so, yes.
Looks nice, I hope there is a 32gb version in the works as well.
It comes in 16GB and 32GB. 8GB option would be cool.
The screen should be a bit bigger. I don't really like the faux granite. I'd prefer a more seamless device.
:shrug: get an iPod touch, I guess. Although I wouldn't blame you if you said the software keeps that from being an option.
@CtrlBurn
I already have an iPhone.
ZZZZzzzzzzz.......
waiting for ZuneHD so I can finally dump my 80gb iPod...hopefully it will have enough space for me!
I enjoy my Cowon S9 as opposed to this, but at least its an improvement over previous walkmans. I like the simplicity of this player though.
The sticker is horrible but I would imagine paying customers would just peel it off.
That's what I thought too, but it does contain the serial number... which would deter me from peeling it off.
Just don't throw it away and just stick it back on if you need to. My question is how does apple get away without placing that text on the back of the iPod?
Apple has text on the back of the iPod, you can just barely read it. It's right under where it says "8GB" on the back of my Touch.
It's kinda telling how late this device got an unboxing treatment on Engadget. The interest level is not very high... I mean, I saw this at the Sony Store in June, and tested it out too.
Btw, this Walkman is cool and all, but
1. screen is a bit on the smaller side
2. Internet browser is about 5 years behind the times. Reminds me of those non-HTML browser on feature phones
OLED screen is really cool though.
Sony's only just started sending out review units, we've been asking them forever.
is a good webbrowser really that important on a mp3 player??
just saying...
@seamonkey420: For the price that Sony is charging, yes. If I want a basic MP3 player, I'll just go for a Sansa clip instead of spending $$$ for the Sony X series.
My bad, Nilay. I didn't know the real reason behind the late unboxing. I wasn't implying that you guys had already received the review product and were just sitting on it. -1 to Sony for underestimating the marketing power of early reviews and unboxing.
Why would they send out review units almost two months after this product had been released? it seems kinda backwards to me...
How's the web browser on it? And is it Flash capable?
The browser is pretty poor.
The entire device is quite solid though, really nice looking, and the screen is a stunner.
Hrm. The "faux granite" looks more like black styrofoam to me..... and I don't say that as a good thing.
Otherwise, I welcome any decent iPod / Touch competition.
I've had a X1050 since 4 days after it went on sale in the UK. It is a solid device with a terrific feel due to the hard "granite" effect. The OLED screen is what sold it to me, as it is so bright & clear, with a large viewing angle. But I am most impressed by the sound quality. It is really excellent, especially with high bitrate mp3s. The browser is irrelevant to me, as I wanted it for listening to music.
How's the software on the computer side? Last time I tried to use a sony mp3 player, I was shocked by the fact that one needed to use their proprietary software to convert tracks to their weird format in order to get music to play. The fact that anyone (even apple) can sell an mp3 player that doesn't show up to the computer as a simple frash drive is beyond me.
plug and play, drag and drop, no software needed. Just as they have been for a couple years now.
I use sonicstage and have no complaints about it....atrac sounds better to me than mp3 too...IMO
Sony needs to make their walkman phones look like this and drop the erricson from the name. By just having that SONY logo there it looks more authentic and rich.
Utter Cr@p
Looks good, though I will say that right now I'm still leaning towards the ZuneHD.....Sony REALLY has to regain ground with Walkman, and putting music on PSN and PSN on the Walkmans is the way to go
I had one until it quit working after two days, during those two days my only major complaint was the low res you had to make videos and the sheer time it took to convert it just right to play. I exchanged it for a cowon s9 and I love how I can download a DIVX or XVID file and drag it onto the player at any size and it just works.
I have a NWZ-483F, it replaced my 30GB iPod video, since I never used video, nor that much space. At $89 on sale, compared to the $149 GB iPod Nano, it is superior. Plenty of screen size, overall smaller unit, at least equal sound, radio included, drag and drop (no crappy iTunes), and all for $60 less.
I really like what Sony is doing with the Walkman series, if only people would wake up and see the superiority, or at least other viable options of non-iDevices.
As usual Sony (along with everyone else) has pitted the device that doesn't do as much against a similar Apple iPod even though it does less, and not as easily either. Until competing manufacturers realize that Apple has set the bar and the vast majority of users do care about what the iPod (coupled with iTunes) can do that everyone else can't.
I was really surprised this past weekend as I browsed the competing players that only the Zune (so far as I could tell) even plays AAC files.
Until others take the entire package seriously I don't see any reason to switch.
My Sony plays AAC files just fine. And what are these features you speak of that "Apple has set the bar high". You just sound like an Apple fanboy. iTunes? Well, with a Sony, I can choose between Windows Media Player, Winamp, Foobar 2000, Amarok, or Songbird. I personally like all of these programs better.
Just using the word "switch" indicates you're all about the two sides, Apple and Non-Apple, that Apple pitches. I don't believe for a second you've ever even considered anything non-Apple in this area.
And what about does less? No coverflow, no shake to shuffle? I won't miss them, that's not real functionality. What's doing less is the iPod still not having native FM radio support.
The samsung p2/p3 support aac files and have stellar sound quality. I paired my p2 with some (modded) igrados and I am in heaven. Sure there is no wifi but the p3 has widgets and flash support.
Zune HD should also have aac support, but don't quote me on that.
@sc7: Spoken like a true Sony fanboys. FM radio? Is that the only feature you could brag? LOL. Sony players cannot even do gapless playback for MP3, something that even an old 5G iPod and Rockbox can do for quite some time. A music player that cannot play music properly is a joke, a defective product.
Sony wanting this X series to compete with the Touch is a joke. The Touch is a mobile OS platform. Save your money and wait for Android-based walkman next year instead.
True, Sony does now support AAC files (although most of the models still in the retail channels don't support them) but there are a lot of features that iTunes supports that non one else does. The iPod supports per track bookmarking and EQ settings (while most players allow you set the EQ universally and most of those are settings buried). They also support manual differentiation of files types (most important to me are Audiobooks that I didn't purchase from iTunes or Audible).
Specifically I think that this player fails because it's claim to popularity is the OLED screen but the emphasis for the iPod Touch isn't just the screen but the platform itself with good web browsing (for the device, not overall), the apps, etc.
I've owned a few San Disk MP3 players (3, I think) and a Zune and have felt like using them was far more effort that should be required.
An either/or view of MP3 players is required because I don't want to have to manage my playlists and ratings in more than one application. I know that Songbird will synchronize iTunes stuff but not very well or very quickly and it still feels like a beta application. Other media applications will interface with the iPod but not fully. So this puts me back where I started, like it or not this is a market space that Apple has taken control of and so far Microsoft (with the Zune) seems willing to actually try and compete.
I have my qualms with iTunes and the iPod (I still can't figure out why the radio (and FM only at that) is a $50 accessory and I think the Podcast controls could be much better, like Microsoft has done with the Zune software) but nothing worth switching over.
@the4thheat: Why should Sony add gapless playback, seeing all their fanboys are flocking to and defending their products to no end? :P They should, but I don't they care. When was the last time Sony put a significant firmware update for their Walkman products? Back on the Vaio Pocket and HD1. Sony themselves already said they're doing Android based walkman, so don't hold your breath in hoping a firmware update adding gapless playback for the current players. Everybody was saying the same thing about all the previous Sony Walkmen, and nothing ever happened.
Hey, one of your airline adapter pin is bent! LOL.
No gapless (unless you only use WAV), no lossless codec support, low res movie playback, useless browser, proprietary noise-canceling bud, lack of WM-port accessories, old hardware (it uses the same hardware as older Sony models), and Sony still dare to charge a premium for it? With Cowon S9 getting gapless playback on MP3 and lossless, this Sony is a dud.
Anyway, one would have to wonder why somebody would spend this much money for a device that Sony themselves have decided to abandon since their announcement of Android based walkman for next year. I expect this X series to be on clearance soon, or at least a price drop come September, especially with contenders like the ZuneHD.
gapless playback, who the hell cares about gapless playback? aac is just apples hamstrung MP3 format, lossless playback, again, who gives a toss.
AAC isn't a proprietary Apple format that is inferior to MP3. Gapless playback is very nice. I listen to a lot of live shows, comedy albums and audiobooks where the audio gap is noticeable and annoying.
I agree that this will be less attractive than anything else being released shortly but I don't see Sony dropping prices any time soon. Do they ever? They still live in the fantasy world where their band name demands and deserves a premium price. I really wouldn't be surprised if the new iPod Touch offers 32GB for the same price as the 16 GB does now. Just wait until September...
@matey87: Obviously people like, who don't care about proper playback of music and/or have zero respect towards the artists. By your definition, this Sony X series is perfect for people that don't care about music, how fitting. :P
AAC is a standardized format you fool, and Sony is one of the co-developers, not Apple. Apple in fact has nothing to do with the development of AAC, they just happen to use AAC for the iTunes Music Store.
One could easily say the following too:
"I don't see Apple dropping prices any time soon. Do they ever? They still live in the fantasy world where their band name demands and deserves a premium price."
I actually think Sony needs to add gapless if this player doesn't have it. Some albums are mixed to be played back gaplessly and they sound pretty bizarre with gaps.
Then again I still use a 3G iPod (3G as in third gen totally white iPod with no click wheel) and it doesn't support gapless either. It's on it's last legs though since the index file corrupted and iTunes then insisted that I had to reformat my iPod (thankfully I could dump the mp3s off by dragging the hidden folder out but I think less computer literate people would have lost all their mp3s even though the mp3s were fine).
I've since "upgraded" to a 2nd gen iPod Mini that I've modded to be 32gb but the audio output is utter garbage so I'm already looking for a replacement.
And that brings me to the point, this player is pretty attractive since the onboard amp is very good so the actual audio output is great. There's no point in putting on lossless files then playing it back through a crappy amp. And in reality it's nigh impossible to tell the difference between v0 VBR mp3s or similar AAC files and FLAC/ALAC/WAV, even on the best possible audio gear in the world. So on a portable player and earbuds, even good earbuds, there's zero point to using lossless other than to waste space.
@pika: Are you a musician? Have you written an album? Do you feel "disrespected" as a musician that people are listening to your music without gapless playback? That's what I thought.
@Mr. 14: Are you a Sony fanboy? Though so. Is that the best argument you could come up with to defend Sony? Just show how pathetic Sony fanboys are.
By no means am I a Sony fanboy, or a fanboy in any regard. The last Sony portable music player I owned was a casette walkman, and I currently own an 80GB Zune. I'm merely pointing out that you are making very miniscule drawbacks of the device sound like abominations against music.
Judging by your arguments, you've got a pre-meditated reason for hating this device without even using it. So whether or not you have an actual reason (which you probably don't), you are a Sony hater.