new member ready to buy a new player..suggestion?

[asianmoomoo]

hey guys, i am a new member on here, and decided to ask you guys a couple of questions regarding my next mp3 player. i currently have a samsung yepp 256mb...waaay too small...so i decided to buy a bigger capacity one. i dont really like ipods or the other companies, and sony's 3 minute charge for 3 hours is really good. and i want a 2 gig flash rather than a 1 gig..so i was looking into a nw-a608.

how is that player? from people who have it, is it good? reliable? i heard u can get sweat inside the screen..kinda annoying..since i work out at the gym a lot...

and if i do decide to buy it, where can i purchase it? im from california, usa. and i even visit the sony store, and they dont have it..thanks for the info guys!!!!

[aznbro85]

Sup asianmoomoo,

Welcome to ATRACLife Colloquium, hope you enjoy your stay here

The NW-A608 isn't a model that's carried here in the states. There are, however, a few models to choose from.

If you can wait til mid-september, you can get the NW-S205F, which is a sports-oriented network walkman

Another 2GB one from Sony USA is the NW-E005 series.

That one comes in three colors -- black, violet, and green

The 1GB and 512MB editions come in different colors.

I have many network walkmen (check my profile for the list), and I've been a pretty happy camper so far. I have the NW-E507 (the predessor to the NW-608 that you're inquiring about) and I love it. The sound quality is really good, and the battery life really is excellent (I get pretty close to the rated 50hrs by having all my tracks at 64kbps ATRAC3plus ).

The only downside that most people hate about the Sony Network Walkmans are the software.

I've used earlier incarnations of it, and this is the best version of it out.

I'd suggest trying out the software before deciding to buy a sony network walkman or not.

Sony Connect

Take note that this software only works on systems that are Windows-based, and requires Internet Explorer to access the music store (built into the sonicstage program)

If you are able to handle the software, then you will have no problems with any of the players made by Sony.

However, if you can't stand the SonicStage software, you'd be better off checking out another brand.

Edited August 20, 2006 by aznbro85

[asianmoomoo]

oh i see. thanks man. but the thing is, i really want an A608, because i think the battery life is better than the new "usb stick look alike" players from sony..and i want the 3 lines display. when i went to the sony store and tested out the new E003 (i think thats what it's called..the one with many different colors) the buttons felt all plasticky.

im going to give the software a try, but no ideas where i can purchase an a608? btw, how old is the 608? 3 yrs old?

[aznbro85]

Yeah, I can completely relate to you. That was one of the reasons why I steered towards the NW-507 instead of getting the bean (shuddup, I thought it was cool! x_X)

The NW-A608 isn't that old, really. I got my 507 when it *first* came out, and it came out the summer of 2005 (I think in late april?). So the 608 is less than a year old at most, i think...

The 608 is still being manufactured and sold.. even in Sony Japan:

http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Walkman/index.html

My best bet would be to find an importer to help you nab one from japan. ( or asia -- probably not UK because of the volume limiter restriction thing -- I'm not sure if you can hack to change it on the flash players)

but yeah, go and try out the software first, to make sure that you are able to handle it -- that way your purchase wont be in vain.

[kerfuffle]

You can download SonicStage CP (version 4.0) instead of Connect Player, and use that instead. SonicStage seems to be more stable than Connect Player, I've heard . . .

[pata2001]

im going to give the software a try, but no ideas where i can purchase an a608?

At this point, you have to import it (through ebay or audiocubes). Regardless, it will be quite expensive ($300 for the 2GB model form Audiocubes). The E005 is not that bad. It's no as plasticky as other MP3 players out there. I wouldn't get the E50x/E40x at this point, as they are USB1.1.

[aznbro85]

You can download SonicStage CP (version 4.0) instead of Connect Player, and use that instead. SonicStage seems to be more stable than Connect Player, I've heard . . .

Whoops, didn't mean for the confusion!

For the USA, there is no Connect Player download. We only have SonicStage CP download, but you download it from the Connect website, which is the name of Sony's iTunes store.

Sony CONNECT Player (SonicStage ver. 4.0)

There's the link to try it out

Again, sorry for the confusion

[kerfuffle]

At this point, you have to import it (through ebay or audiocubes). Regardless, it will be quite expensive ($300 for the 2GB model form Audiocubes). The E005 is not that bad. It's no as plasticky as other MP3 players out there. I wouldn't get the E50x/E40x at this point, as they are USB1.1.

Don't forget that the NW-E005 has an inbuilt USB connector, so there's no need for an extra USB cable.

The downside is that it's a one line screen . . .

[asianmoomoo]

so is the A608 usb 2.0?

[aznbro85]

so is the A608 usb 2.0?

sup,

not exactly sure, but one would hope it is..

I thought the NW-E507 was USB 2.0, but appearantly it wasn't

The transfering of songs for me really doesnt take that much time -- I think the most tedious part of transfering is if you were converting the songs into ATRAC3/ATRAC3plus format. Transcoding your files is the most tedious part of the transfering of music.

For me though, I don't really download songs, and all my music i rip directly off of CDs at 64kpbs ATRAC3plus format.

That way, when I transfered songs, I didn't have to sit and wait for the files to transcode

So each track for me is about 2MBs or so.. so even if it is USB 1.1, it didn't really feel that slow to me

EDIT:

I also want to mention that it's not required to transcode your songs into ATRAC/ATRAC3 format. You just get better battery life and can fit more songs onto the player.

With my 1GB player, all my songs are 64kbps ATRAC3plus, and I currently have 493 songs, and still have about 25MB leftover.

When you put MP3s on, it just wraps the files with DRM and makes them a OMA file, but it doesnt transcode them.

Edited August 20, 2006 by aznbro85

[Guest Stuge]

so is the A608 usb 2.0?

Yes,Sony does market A6xx series as USB 2 compliant or Hi Speed USB

[asianmoomoo]

the reason i want an a608 is because i heard it can display like 6 languages...and yes, im a fob and i like to listen to chinese music...and my samsung (i bought it at best buy) cannot display any chinese songs at all..pisses me off. but yeah, i know what u mean wiht atrac3. cuz i fit like 100 songs on my 256mb samsung..i use window media player to convert it to a smaller file then transfer them...but yeah, i hope its 2.0 on the a608. hhhaa, im currently asking my friend to check the price on it for me in hk!

oh yeah, and i just wanted to say thanks to all you guys for responding to my questions and comments. nice to see a group of nice people on a useful forum...since forums are for people to help each other out anyways!

[aznbro85]

Yes,Sony does market A6xx series as USB 2 compliant or Hi Speed USB

thanks stuge for clarifying that for me.

I wasn't sure and I was trying to research to help asianmoomoo out.

Though I do wonder.. is it just USB 2.0 compliant, or does it actually transfer files at that speed?

It might be sonicstage crippling it, but with my NW-A1200, I don't feel that it actually transfers as if it was a "USB 2.0" harddrive... haha

the reason i want an a608 is because i heard it can display like 6 languages...and yes, im a fob and i like to listen to chinese music...

Have you tried SonicStage CP 4.0 yet? Is it deemed acceptable to you?

I also want to point out that..

-YES the player does display many languages -- It's Unicode

- BUT, it does not do it natively

Sony being all Sony on us takes certain things out from certain regions.

For Sony America, you need to go download "AppLocale" from Microsoft, and set the regional settings to China to open up sonicstage

Then when you transfer music to your player, i'll keep the titles, instead of them looking like "????"

[asianmoomoo]

thanks stuge for clarifying that for me.

I wasn't sure and I was trying to research to help asianmoomoo out.

Though I do wonder.. is it just USB 2.0 compliant, or does it actually transfer files at that speed?

It might be sonicstage crippling it, but with my NW-A1200, I don't feel that it actually transfers as if it was a "USB 2.0" harddrive... haha

Have you tried SonicStage CP 4.0 yet? Is it deemed acceptable to you?

I also want to point out that..

-YES the player does display many languages -- It's Unicode

- BUT, it does not do it natively

Sony being all Sony on us takes certain things out from certain regions.

For Sony America, you need to go download "AppLocale" from Microsoft, and set the regional settings to China to open up sonicstage

Then when you transfer music to your player, i'll keep the titles, instead of them looking like "????"

applocale? hmm interesting...i will download sonic stage next week when im on my own computer..right now im on my sister's. but yeah, if i do get the player, u gotta teach me step by step on this applocale thing...and how to set it up on sonic stage for china/ chinese characters.

oh yeah btw, is it true that the design for the A608/ E507 is flaw since moisture gets under the casing? has it happen to you?

[aznbro85]

applocale? hmm interesting...i will download sonic stage next week when im on my own computer..right now im on my sister's. but yeah, if i do get the player, u gotta teach me step by step on this applocale thing...and how to set it up on sonic stage for china/ chinese characters.

oh yeah btw, is it true that the design for the A608/ E507 is flaw since moisture gets under the casing? has it happen to you?

Sure, feel free to PM me if you get the player, I'll be more than happy to guide you though AppLocale. It's quite simple.. you install it once, you set it, make a shortcut for it, and you open the Applocale link for SS instead of the Sony one.

As for the design "flaw", I've had mines since they've been out last april/may, and I've had no moisture problem. Then again i think it might depend on how you use it. Most of the time, I have mines in my pocket, or in a carabiner (which has been discontinued btw). I use it quite often, and a few times while it was misting/ really foggy (gotta love that San Francisco weather ). I didn't notice any moisture getting inside.

But I recall you saying you want to use it for working out -- I don't know how that'll turn out though, sorry

Oh yeah, one last thing -- You know that OLED screens are hard to read outdoors during the daytime, right?

When you're indoors or it's dark out, OLED looks so amazing. You just don't see the magnificance of it in pictures -- when you see it in real life, you'd be quite surprised.

[asianmoomoo]

oh yeah, i just thought of something, i've noticed that the special winter edition one comes with a clear case for it...i was wondering do they sell that case or something similar to it by itself? as well as any armband sorta thing for gym usage? thanks man

[aznbro85]

Nope, they never released the "case" that came with the winter edition of the 608's to the general public. What a bummer.. I really wanted one

As for the gym arm band, check on ebay, there might be some.. I did a quick ebay search and only came out with protectors and lanyards with the protective cases...but you never know

sony did not make too many accessories for the NW-E400/500 series, which is a real shame.

If you're having a friend get it for you in HK, you might want to ask them to check and see if they have any of those accessories there as well

[Guest Stuge]

oh yeah, i just thought of something, i've noticed that the special winter edition one comes with a clear case for it...i was wondering do they sell that case or something similar to it by itself?

This is where they lose their customers .The case should have been released,but their poor marketing strategy didn't allow them .

[metal]

hhhaa, im currently asking my friend to check the price on it for me in hk!

If your friend knows where to look for, the A608 is on sale around HKD980 in some shops as Sony HK seems to try to clear the stock for new models.

[AntiPod]

oh yeah, i just thought of something, i've noticed that the special winter edition one comes with a clear case for it...i was wondering do they sell that case or something similar to it by itself? as well as any armband sorta thing for gym usage? thanks man

they never had it on market except in Japan

i believe it is still on sonystyle in japan

[asianmoomoo]

If your friend knows where to look for, the A608 is on sale around HKD980 in some shops as Sony HK seems to try to clear the stock for new models.

since you're from hong kong, do you know where do they have it on sale? is it in one of those big stores like broadway or citicell? or one of those small stores in mong kok? Thanks for letting me know!

[asianmoomoo]

oh yeah, if i get it from hong kong, will the 3 minute charging still work? and i know the charger will probably have a different set of "legs" than the american one...so i'll probably get one of those attachments to attach it to convert it to 2 "legs".

will the E507 charger work for A608?

[aznbro85]

oh yeah, if i get it from hong kong, will the 3 minute charging still work? and i know the charger will probably have a different set of "legs" than the american one...so i'll probably get one of those attachments to attach it to convert it to 2 "legs".

will the E507 charger work for A608?

Hey bro,

Yeah, the three minute charging thing still applies. It's like this:

You're about to go out, and when you press play, it shows "low battery". You plug it in to charge for three minutes (doesnt have to be exactly 3.. it can be more), and if you turn off all display settings and EQs, you will be able to listen to it for a few more hours. A full charge in of itself is typically less than 2 hours, so once it's fully charged you can use it for quite some time.

The E507 charges directly from the USB port. However, you can buy a USB to AC Power Adapter

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP....AC%2fDCAdapters

This is similar to the one that's supplied with the NW-A3000/NW-A1xxx series, except it plugs directly into the wall (As opposed to those that have a doggle and a cord to plug into the wall). If the A608 is like the E507, the AC adaptor will not be supplied, and it will only be charged via USB.

[metal]

since you're from hong kong, do you know where do they have it on sale? is it in one of those big stores like broadway or citicell? or one of those small stores in mong kok? Thanks for letting me know!

It was available at "Citicell" (though I believe the spelling is not correct but I think you know which store we're talking about) at Mongkok last time I saw it about a week ago.

Edited August 22, 2006 by metal

[aznbro85]

It was available at "Citicell" (though I believe the spelling is not correct but I think you know which store we're talking about) at Mongkok last time I saw it about a week ago.

Any ATRACLife forum members in HK willing to nab some and sell em at a decent price to fellow members?

[asianmoomoo]

how long do the sales last at citicell? i already emailed someone in hk to help me check hte price, and if it is 980, im buying telling her to buy one.

[Techno Pride]

btw, if you have a motorola charger for those phones with mini-usb ports, those chargers work as well.

my SLVR L7 charger (5v, 550mA) works fine with the NW-E505.

Edited August 27, 2006 by Techno Pride

[asianmoomoo]

ok guys so here it is...

i was gonnna buy a a608...but sold out at most places in hk...so i decided 1 gig will do for me. i wanted the e507...

currently compusa has it for 69.98..but its sold out everywhere...so i went to best buy today and told them to price match...they were dumb and didnt know they cant price match if the other store is outta stock..but they still did it. and i had a $20 giftcard for best buy...so total came out to be $52 for a brand new silver NW-E507 with fm tuner. good huh?

so i have 4 questions now:

1. how do i make the player show chinese for the chinese songs

2. are there any accessories for it, like an armband that i can work out with in? without getting the player wet with sweat? ..if u do know, can you guys link me?

3. which sonicstage version (it came with 3.0) should i be having?..and can anybody let me know where to get the updated sonic stage

4. what should i do to prolong the battery...when i first got it i charged it fully...now should i use it till it discharges completely?

thanks!

Edited August 31, 2006 by asianmoomoo

[aznbro85]

ok guys so here it is...

i was gonnna buy a a608...but sold out at most places in hk...so i decided 1 gig will do for me. i wanted the e507...

currently compusa has it for 69.98..but its sold out everywhere...so i went to best buy today and told them to price match...they were dumb and didnt know they cant price match if the other store is outta stock..but they still did it. and i had a $20 giftcard for best buy...so total came out to be $52 for a brand new silver NW-E507 with fm tuner. good huh?

so i have 4 questions now:

1. how do i make the player show chinese for the chinese songs

2. are there any accessories for it, like an armband that i can work out with in? without getting the player wet with sweat? ..if u do know, can you guys link me?

3. which sonicstage version (it came with 3.0) should i be having?..and can anybody let me know where to get the updated sonic stage

4. what should i do to prolong the battery...when i first got it i charged it fully...now should i use it till it discharges completely?

thanks!

Hey asianmoomoo,

sorry to hear that you werent able to get the one you wanted to get, but congrats on getting the e507 for so cheap! I bought it when it first came out and I think it was like $199. Anyway, to answer your questions:

1. I PMed some instructions on how to use Applocale. That should work -- if not tell me

2. They used to sell a caribiner for it, but they dont anymore. My suggestion is to look on like e-bay or something online for 3rd party accessories, as they arent readily available in-stores

3. SonicStage CP 4.0 is the newest, and I think it'd be best to get that one. You can get it at http://www.connect.com

4. One way to have more life (err.. make it close to the rated 50hours is to transfer music thats in the ATRAC format onto the player. At 64kbps Atrac3plus *ripped from cd -- not converted from MP3s -- THIS MAKES A DIFFERENCE* it sounds pretty good. As for prolonging the battery itself, i don't know. I generally use it until it shows the "low battery" and then recharge it to full. My battery still is problem free.

There's a good website that tells you all you need to know about all the common batteries out there. It's worth a read if you're interested..

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/

hope this helps

EDIT:

Here's a direct link to their section about Lithium based batteries:

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

Edited August 31, 2006 by aznbro85

[JustAnUnCoolCat]

And as an additional hint...

If you ever encode to mp3 and want use mp3's .. my sane and rational advice is to use a simple 32-320 VBR encoding range where the encoder is set to MAX out for encoding effort - but in such a way as to let the encoder decide what's needed on a track by track basis.

This really does, even if the accepted mp3 community wisdom refused to acknowledge it, generate good audio that's also quite power-efficient on playback - as the audio is often 'lower bit rate' than most wisdom says you need for transparency, but it's still pretty good results.. and maxes out the running time on one charge on most Sony decks.

Clearly, ATRAC is the route to go with for best use of Sony/Awia ATRAC units for many reasons, but if mp3's are encoded right.. you don't lose much on running time with mp3.

With my oldest ATRAC CD deck, using mp3 under the described encoding strategy, i equalled Sony's best case ATRAC running time figures using the less-efficient (technically) format when it comes to running time.

Go figure ...?? )

Be Cool Always

'Tom Kat'

Edited September 2, 2006 by JustAnUnCoolCat

[Guest Stuge]

@asianmoomoo:Do remember that E505 only supports USB1.