Shinji Ikeda

For me it all depends on what is the best products for my needs at the time. The major considerations are always battery life, sound quality and overall design. I know that the iPod is asserted by many as the best player. I would agree that the iPod has some unique features, and has an intregrated design. However, it does have some quirky features that; actually from by perception; defies logic. I spend much more time actually using by NW-A808 and NW-S706 that using SonicStage, this includes the time required to transfer tracks. In other words; it matter most how well it works when it is in my hand, than how popular the device is. I will always pay more for a product, even if it means that I have to save money over time.

I have a question about your computer. Is your computer a non-brand name or recently upgraded? On the NW-A800 series Walkman you can tag a track for deletion using the pop up menu. This may be a work around for on when using Vaio Music Transfer.

Hello, Congrats on your purchase. SonicStage uses ID3v2 tags to arrange your music files within the SonicStage library. This is only within the SonicStage library. The folder structure has not changed, however SonicStage uses this information for copying your track to the NW-A608. There are however, other programs that you can use with the NW-A608. It is up to you whether you use them or not. SonicStage seem to be creating files before it copies then to the NW-A608. I do believe that Sony released a program called MP3 file manager for the NW-E400/E500/A608 series Network Walkman that supports drag-and-drop. SonicStage has a steep learning curve, but as long as you understand tags you should have no problems and SonicStage will be easy to use.

It is important to understand, you will not lose all your songs by pressing the reset button at the back of the player. You may have to delete all the files from the NW-S706, but I want you to avoid doing this for now. As long as the files are still on your computer and in the SonicStage library, they are safe. From what I understand is that your player is currently acting erratically, this is what the reset button is for.

You would rather have drag-and-drop, and I would rather not. I would rather have an application that allows me to manage my music and other files. Both drag-and-drop and application programs are interfaces that allow interaction with DAP. An interface (in the computer sense) is a program that allow the communication between two devices, whether it is between memory and hard drive or something else. One point. Artist link is a feature that is defined by the user and not the manufacture, just like the playlist feature. Sony introduce technology that was suppose to be good for the consumer by making files secure. I do not need someone securing my files, unless I give explicit instructions to do this. It would be up to manufactures to decide who to make the link between how much their applications manage the music library on a computer and how files are transferred to their products. It seems that we will have to wait.

Those models do not come with the FM tunes. The models with the FM tunes are 10 pounds more.

The problem you seem to be having does not relate to SonicStage, but the NW-S706F. You do not have to worry about playlist, since you are unaware of this feature and have never used it. What I would like you to do is to set the playback mode on your NW-S706F to normal mode. And Try to cycle through all 300 tracks while playback. This is done by turning the dial job for each track. Then I would like you to set the playback mode on your NW-S706 to Shuffle repeat. And try to cycle through all 300 tracks by turning the dial job, during playback. Finally, I would like you to reset your play using the reset button on the back of your player. You can skip the above two step, since it only tells of if all tracks can be cycled through. The reseting of the NW-S706 should work. Please let me know if this works.

So apparently the mystery has been solved, and clearly demonstrated. It appears that this product may not be available in Japan. I have not hear any announcement for other regions.

This constant speculation about SonicStage demise is just that speculation. Sony would either release an updated version of SonicStage or a different software program. It is understandable for the preference for drag-and-drop. It unlikely this is the new direction of Sony's DAP, but a part of a larger plan. Software like SonicStage work with the DAP, and given additional functionality. Some of these additional functionality can be incorporated into the DAP, but some would be to cumbersome. Companies such as Sony and Apple have it correct to use a software program with their media devices. These programs allow the users to manage there audio files and other media files. Drag-and-drop does sound cool, but is not the future for managing media files. It is actually the past. From what I understand that is how the first DAP/MP3 players worked. Sony by embracing drap-and-drop they have been able to reduce the cost that the y can sell a DAP for. Manufacturers constantly remove functionality and feature from their products to reduce the price that they sell it to the consumer. This is want Sony did with their latest player. It could be correctly argued that some of the features that are present in SonicStage can be found with other software that can be made to work with Sony's DAP. Thus, allow the user to utilize the what they prefer. However, manufactures prefer to design there own software or a custom software for their devices. The best feature of software like SonicStage is the ability to manage a music/audio library. This includes everything from adding cover art, to renaming tracks. The exactly location of music/audio files do not need to be known. Also additional functionality can be added, or removed as the product like changes. I for one prefer to have a program like SonicStage. It is all about experience, and I feel that drag-and-drop removes that. I suspect that SonicStage maybe be replaced by another software (just in name), or have a major upgrade. There are advantages of drag-and-drop, but I feel that it is just too limited. Both SonicStage/iTunes and drag-and-drop are just interfaces to get music on a DAP. Nothing more. Nothing less.

SonicStage is used to make playlists. Anyways, try and humour me. Turn off the shuffle mode and use the dial-job to change tracks it should take you through all 300 tracks. Now, turn on the shuffle mode and use the dial-jog. This should also take you through all 300 tracks. In normal mode did you see all 300 tracks. Try to reset the NW-S706F by pressing the reset button on the back of the player.

This seem to be a unique problem. The NW-S706F shuffle the tracks and keeps the tracks in that specific order when playing. Have you ensured that the player is in 'All Songs' mode and not in 'Playlist' mode. 1. Check the Property:Song Information displays 'All Songs' by pressing the display/home button on the side. 2. Set the 'All Songs' mode by pressing display/home button and selecting 'All Songs'. Note: The Property:Song Information should display the number of albums and songs Are you using SonicStage?

The only difference between repeat-shuffle and shuffle is that after finish the last track: repeat-shuffle continues to play, where shuffle stops. Remember the first will be the last played.

What should have been said was that the explanation given is an over simplification of the reason for the release of this product. It can be agreed that the major of consumers do not know what ATRAC is and thus confused on how to use the format. The design of this product appears to be for those with at the lower margin, late adopters and the more price sensitive consumers, of the DAP market. Should this have been a product that Sony released many years ago, I would strongly agree yes. The majority of consumers are purchasing iPod and are totally oblivious to the technology that has been implemented to use it. This does not mean that the 3 points presented are true for the technology implemented in that media player. The majority of consumers want to be able to manage their music on their media player. I like others, I only see ATRAC and SonicStage being replaced by new/better technology. This would be the implementation of an advanced codec, media management tool or both. I am older that you may think. Yes, I do remember 8 track tapes.

This seems as a method to reduce production costs. The labour cost in China is very cheap.

On the reverse of the NW-S706F is a button that allow you to cycle through several play modes. These play modes are group, repeat, group repeat, repeat 1, repeat shuffle, group repeat shuffle and normal. There are three icons (actually four) that indicate the play mode. Inorder left to right repeat, group (indicated by a folder; singe is indicated by a 1), and shuffle (indicated by SHUF). Care must be taken when using group mode. A group can be an artist, album, genre, release year, playlist, favourite 100 or recent transfers. So in group mode only songs in that group will play. Ensure that group mode is off.

Sony has invested money into developing ATRAC, thus by not selling units that use ATRAC they are losing money on their original investment in ATRAC. ATRAC is a codec that Sony developed and was initially introduced to be used with MiniDisc's. ATRAC also is a codec used with many of Sony digital audio players (DAPs). The majority of the market does not know what ATRAC is. It is always funny to hear people talk about not having ATRAC files on their computers so why they want to have a DAP that supports ATRAC. This is a major error in what people assume about ATRAC. Previous models of Minidisc would only encode tracks recorded in ATRAC. Additionally, with previous version of SonicStage you would have to encode your CDs into ATRAC to use it with your ATRAC audio device. The current version of SonicStage allows the user to 'rip' CDs into ATRAC, MP3 and other audio files. The biggest complaint was that SonicStage was slow and would occasionally crash when transcoding files to ATRAC. There were some additional issues, but they seem to be resolved. The just of your reasoning is based on the misconception and misunderstanding of ATRAC.

The Sony MP3 players seem to support Unicode. No one has been able to test this, but it is assumed that this is the case. This is based on the fact that the Sony's DAP can display character sets from various different languages, such as Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Anyways, It is advised that you should be using SonicStage 4.2 or 4.3. In addition please use Microsoft AppLocale. There are instruction on how to install and use AppLocale on this site. What character sets are your files using? What version and language is your computer using? Which Sony DAP had you recently purchased?

It is more possible that the NWD-B100 is be released as a substitute of the NW-E010 series. The technology and features of the the NW-E010 series and the NW-S700 are somewhat different. More to the point is that the NW-E010 series lacks several feature and technology such as built-in noise cancellation. It can be strongly doubted that the about concern in the previous post is part of Sony's marketing strategies. Yes, your post has been read. The 12 hours of battery life is the low end for most mp3 players, and still is pathetic. Like most others, battery life is important that is why I chose Sony. It might be an error, but the NW-A800 series is suppose to be rated at 33 hours for MP3 and NW-S700/600 series 40 hours for WMA. With Apples products going at 20-24 hours max.

At times SonicStage can seem slow when importing MP3 files. SonicStage will build a library of your music files. This information that will be included will be the location of the file on your hard drive. Also, a rating system. From what I understand SonicStage will not optimize your library or transcode your MP3 to ATRAC unless you specify it to. Please make the changes to the setting in SonicStage as Zizone has suggested before transferring your music to your NW-E015.

I will have to strongly agree with you on that point. The NWD-B100 is for a totally different market, which is clearly indicated by the Product line (NWD) and the series number (B100). The NW-E00X series was replaced by the NW-E010 series. After the release of the NW-E010 series the NW-E00X series was no longer available, in regions other than USA.

That was an over simplification. Using the dynamic normalizer increases the volume in one of the ranges without causing any distortion. As you have noticed the tracks sound louder.

Yes in an ideal world that would be perfect, however the standard USB leads restrict the design of future electronic devices. I would agree with too many prosperity cables. There should be various standards for USB standards. I have one with two A and two B cables.

There are several realities. The easiest way to sum it up is that the first computer virus was written for the Apple II 25 years ago in July 1982. Some people have selective memory. As I state on another post Software does exactly what you tell it to do. DRM has caused a negative image with SonicStage that it seem to not lose. With now it is against any aspect of SonicStage, ignoring any aspect of SonicStage. The release of the B100 on a blog site that I will not mention, sums up this reality that Dura is mentioning. In life you have to make choices, and educated choice is better than going along with the masses.

The WM-Port was introduced with the NW-S600 and NW-S700 series. As far as I know only the NW-S600, NW-S700 and NW-A800 series have the WM-PORT.

Unfortunately, Engadget can never see the forest through the tree. A site that is so wrapped up in their small little world. They also present opinion as news. 12 hours of battery life. Give me a break. 2GB of memory. Come on, can it really be believed that this product signals a shift away from SonicStage and ATRAC. Sony has made various audio device since the first Walkman. From CD to MD to voice records and continue to. There is nothing evolutionary here.