beeus

1. I'm afraid I do not know what MP3 VBR files are. You are correct in your comment that it will play regular MP3 files however. 2. Yes, you can use any type of standard 3.5mm headphones you want. As I'm sure you've heard, noise cancelling, clear stereo, etc will only work with the provided headphones. 3. While there is no official s700 series armband, SonyStyle Japan sells the armband for the A608 on the S-series accessory page. I would therefore conclude that it works just fine in that armband as well. Hope some of this info helps.

Thanks for the info. What kind of music do you typically listen to?

I know the answers to this question are highly subjective therefore I am really just asking for opinions. I primarily listen to instrumental movie scores. For those of you who listen to the same sort of thing, what are your ideal equalizer settings? Just fyi, I am currently using a NW-S706. Thanks!

Based on the lack of response I would say that it is a defect unique to your unit. Then again, perhaps this model is still so new that not many people here own one. Either way, I hope you are able to resolve the problem!

I recently switched from using the NW-E507 to using the NW-A608 and had the same question. After doing some research and experimentation I was not able to find a way to arrange the tracks as I had with the E507. Apparently they are arranged by artist. At first it really bothered me but now I just use the search function on the A608 and it is much easier to find what I am looking for. Hopefully you will be able to get used to it as well. Good luck!

I checked the user's manual and didn't find anything so I thought I'd ask. It's a shame...that would be a handy feature. Thanks for the reply!

This question may have been asked before. I apologize in advance if it has... Is there a countdown clock on the A608 which shows how much time remains in a track during playback?

I was frustrated by the same issue when I first begain using my A608. I had been using an E507, which let me re-order the albums and tracks on the player. The A608 did not. At first I thought it was the software but now I believe the issue is actually with the player itself. The newer network walkmans (A-series, E00X-series) have on-player searching features that casue them to behave more like an ipod...organizing everything alphabetically and letting the user locate songs by artist, genre, year, album, etc. It took me a little bit of time to get used to that but now I quite like the new organization. It helped me to really be sure everything in my music library was organized BEFORE I transferred music to the player.

From what I understand, any formatting of the player should be done using the menu options on the player itself, not via a computer. If the menu options are no longer accessible, then I would suggest using the reset button on the player. Keep in mind that I have never done this, nor am I an expert. Does anyone else have any input?

Yup, the player works as if the skin isn't even there.

Anders, I purchased a couple of what looks like the same silicon skins from a vendor on Ebay. Thus far I've been quite happy with them. I used one on an E507 and the other on an A608. The areas that cover the buttons are slightly raised and make it quite easy to use the buttons on the player. I've heard complaints about how the display is unprotected but that hasn't bothered me much. That could be fixed quite easily with just a little bit of clear vinyl placed between the skin and the player. The manufacturer of the skins I purchased also sell them online but I believe the shipping is a bit high as they are coming from Asia. The link is below for those interested. I tried to directly link to the NW-E507 skin but it doesn't seem to get there. Click on products then scroll down to the end of the list to see the skins made for Sony devices. http://www.lajo.biz/Xskn/index.asp I hope this info helps!

I was looking through the User's Guide for the E-507 and noticed the following: "Do not use the Network Walkman on an aircraft." Why is that? I am going to assume they mean do not use the radio feature on an aircraft as it could interfere with navigation, communications, etc. Using the mp3 player should be no different than using an ipod right? Has anyone had any problems with flight attendants while using one of these while flying? Comments? Suggestions? Keen insight?

Thanks for the info...it has been very helpful. I'm interested to hear how your experience with the radio goes when you are in France.

I was planning having a friend order directly from the Sony Japan site. The exchange rate puts it at about $206 plus say...$20 shipping. That's not terrible. Dynamism.com has it also but it's listed for $319 before shipping. Of course, it's guaranteed to work if you get it from them.

Has anyone actually purchased and used a Japanese A608 in the US? I am interested in buying the Special Edition Emerald A608 but before I spend $200+ I want to be sure it will work over here. I know there has been some discussion about the radio frequency and such but I was just curious to know if it works with the English version of Windows, etc. A friend of mine in Japan called Sony and was told that the A608 "is not compatible with overseas operating systems". Can onyone confirm the truth of this? Thanks!