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Even if I could struggle through the Japanese menu, what about track titles and albums names etc? Or is that a stupid question, do they display in English? I guess I can wait for pata to come and laugh and call me stupid too

Zizone, I am using wmp 11 and my rip settings are wma (vbr) at best quality. Then I drag the folders into SS ready for transfer. And when I transfer the tracks (which are over 350kbps), it's then that SS has to convert. It will be interesting to see how the 'new' model works, but I imagine it would support the same bitrates as the models we already have anyway. I don't really care, I just want 16GB

That's because the figure under 'best quality' says: 240kbps to 355kbps. The reality is that those figures aren't quite accurate. In one album (by the same artist) - wmp ripped 17 tracks between 165kbps and 409kbps (the lower bitrate was for songs without much dynamic range) but there was a big difference in the bitrates. So I had 9 tracks with bitrates over 350kbps. and SS had to convert them, even though wmp (vbr) obviously supports it, since those very high bitrates are showing under 'properties'. I don't understand why, but it looks like maybe it's SS that can't support that particular bitrate in vbr?

When I use the 'best quality' option for wma (vbr) - I find that anything which rips at a bitrate of between 350/400kbps ends up being converted, and anything below that bitrate transfers without conversion. So I think that 350kbps (or thereabouts) is the maximum bitrate the 808/828 can support without having to convert. I use wma (vbr) quite often (since re-ripping my collection for the Zune), and frequently the Sony has to convert higher bitrates to a lower bitrate, so I end up with half and half on my 808.

Zizone, where did you order it from? I have to get someone to buy the 729 for me because Sony US aren't going to ship this model to the UK. The listed price for the model you preordered (on the US site) is $319. Where did you see it for $336? Are you ordering it directly?

Also, the Sony US site has the price listed without sales tax. When I asked my friend to preorder the 829 for me, he said the actual price with sales tax is $345 for the 829 model (excluding customs and shipping) and the 729 (without BT) is $320. Once you add shipping and possible customs fees, the 'real' price will be closer to $400!

For the US yes - so the 16GB is definitely not coming to the UK, at least not in the forseeable future.

I thought the iubi had really long battery life? Didn't that cube thing have 100 hours or something crazy like that? This one only seems to have 15 hours (read less than 10 for 'real world' listening) - so that's a shame. I've never heard a player with a wolfson dac, but I'm always reading good things about it for sq. It looks like it's been around for 18 months already, and yet I never heard of it till tonight (I was only familiar with the 'cube'!) And why is only Advanced MP3 players stocking it?

More like their whole fist!! And the thing with us buying from the US is the shipping costs we'll incur including customs charges. Then if it breaks, we have to send it back to the US for the warranty. I wish I knew if the 16GB iRiver Spinn will really be released in May. I think I'd buy that. Gapless, and (allegedly) superior SQ, which means on a par with the Sony then, because it couldn't be better But it appears to be 'fiction' at the moment, and no one seems to know if it will actually be released. If I knew it was coming to the UK, I'd get that instead of the Sony, just because I'd rather buy something from the UK, and because from what I've read of the clix2 sq, I'd assume the Spinn will be similar.

As they've pulled it from the website, and there are only 2 measly choices with the same capacity showing up on it, I don't hold out any hope at all. It's a really poor and pretty useless 'upgrade' apart from BT and a slightly bigger screen, and how many people are so desperate for BT that they'd buy one of these? (if they already have the 808/818.) It doesn't help that everything's so shrouded in mystery! I mean, when I called Sony to ask about the 16GB version for the UK, I was asked how I knew anything about it, since it was still supposed to be 'private'!! Then I was asked to send a link to the listing, which I did - and then I get an e-mail back saying: "This may change". . . and then it gets pulled from the site? So was the inclusion an error? And why can't we just get a straight answer from someone who knows!! How hard is it to answer: "Will the 16GB version be available in the UK?" Someone up there in Sony land must have the answer, right? But who?? And isn't it showing some kind of 'favouritism' to exclude us from being able to buy a 16GB version when everyone outside the UK, Canada and the rest of Europe is able to buy one.

On the Sony UK site, all I can see are the NWZ-A826/828. That looks like IT!! Zizone, do you think Sony will change availabiity to include the UK/rest of Europe for the 16GB 829/729? I now have both the 729/829 on preorder (Sony US) while I decide if I'll ever use the BT feature. I can save £10 if I don't. Big whoopa! But I'd still rather get it from the UK. So do you think it will still change? Even though they pulled the other versions from the website as markey pointed out?

Oh yeah, I forgot Canada gets dumped on too The thing is, I can understand different features being included or excluded (to a certain extent) - I like the option of not having to pay for a Bluetooth model if I don't want Bluetooth for example. What I can't understand is the logic behind capacity variations for different countries. You should be able to get the 16GB in any country. It's ridiculous to decide some countries don't 'need' 16GB, and some do. . . honestly, it's just stupid of Sony to put restrictions on the capacity.

Well I just asked my friend to pre-order them from the Sony US site (28th March 'supposed' availablilty). I don't have to pay him till they're available (4 weeks) - so in that time I hope to confirm one way or the other exactly what Sony UK is 'offering' us. I already have an 8GB A808, I want a 16GB. Doesn't Sony think we add to our music collection in between dap releases?? Oh yeah, I forgot. We don't. But those outside the UK and the rest of Europe DO add to their music, and that is why THEY are getting a 16GB!!!

You have to be kidding. Crap, that's in line with what I was told in the e-mail. The woman from Sony said the 16GB version wouldn't be available in the UK - and when I sent her the link to show her it was listed on the UK site, she replied: "This may change" and that was the end of that. So now it's been taken off, I can only conclude she was right and that we people in the UK and Europe clearly have no need for a 16GB version, like say. . . those outside these regions. I can't believe it. I'm going to have get someone to order it from Amazon.com for me, and then pay customs on top. But if that's the only way. . .

Thanks for the update Zizone. I love these little snippets of info, it all starts to become more real when I read them Now I wonder when/if Sony UK will update its website. I'll go check now EDIT: OK, I just checked Sony UK and the models are on the site (cannot see anywhere at all to pre-order from) - so then I clicked on 'where to buy' and got taken straight to the SonyStyle store, where, surprise surprise, it's not listed.

Hi there, and welcome I did a spot of Googling and found this, which might helps (or not), but it's worth reading anyway. http://forums.minidisc.org/lofiversion/index.php/t10143.html

Ah, well I did not know that! I assumed the music would be exactly the same quality regardless of how it's transferred. That's useful to know. Thanks

I'm embarrassed to say I know nothing about Bluetooth other than people can speak hands-free on the phone! And don't laugh (OK, laugh) but is it something like a shorter range wireless thingybob?

Gradius, are you in Japan? The 'A' series should have SonicStage/Atrac, but I wonder if it will only display a Japanese menu (like the A919.) I guess if you're in Japan, it doesn't matter, but as the 'A' won't be released in the UK, we'll have no choice but to buy the model without Atrac/SS. . . unless we can read a Japanese menu - so that's me out

Just saw the video too. I am also in love!! They got rid of the curves and made it a lot squarer but it's still a beaut. And the extra 1/2 inch screen will make quite a bit of difference to album art etc.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

markey, I got a reply back from Sony (in response to the link you posted) and her response was: "This may change" So that says nothing. By the way, when you said something about a retailer in one of my previous posts, did you mean I'd included a link from the wrong place, or that I'd sent the e-mail link to the wrong place? Either way, I guess maybe 'competent member' should be removed from under my name

markey, I've just sent her that link although the link you put up didn't take me to the actual model. So to make sure she sees the actual photo and details for herself - I sent her the link below. I would like to know what the nest response will be. http://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowProduct.act...ry=NWS+A+Series EDIT: I just looked on the SonyStyle Europe site and can't see the new models listed there. https://www.sonystyle-europe.com/SonyStyle/...rmstandard)/.do

But the Sony UK website doesn't show them as available. I checked it earlier and nothing came up under the new models. She asked me to send her a Sony link to show it was actually Sony who were claiming it was in stock, but of course I couldn't send her anything because the link came from somewhere else, not Sony. What's stranger is that Sony had decided those of us in the UK don't want a 16GB version. . . why else aren't we getting one?

I just got an e-mail back from the woman at SonyStyle. I sent her the link that stated the new models would be in Europe by April, and this is what she said: So we won't be getting the 16GB at all???