NW-A805B review

[DSP]

well guys,

I went to the local Dixons store this afternoon and couldn't resist the NW-A805 staring at me from it's place in that big vitrine....

So I went home with a brand new NW-A805.

As promised I would post a review of it with some pictures.

note that the pictures are not of high quality. sorry for that.

first, we start of with the box:

it's a very small box, even smaller that that of NW-S70x series and in totally different style.

then we get the CD, earbuds and USB cable:

and then the walkman itself:

general

overall the player feels very sturdy. It's very lightweight and feels small, yet sturdy. Not like you're gonna break it anytime soon.

the display is of very high quality. Picture quality is crystal clear and bright enough. The spiderman trailer that comes on it is spectacular.

The icons and animations look very sleek too. The WM-port on the downside is protected against dust and dirt by a little ''flap''.

On the back side there's only a walkman logo, 2 screws and the hold switch. The volume is placed on the side like on the NW-A1x00 series, but it are 2 buttons. I think this is a plus.

soundquality

The soundquality is (as you might've epected) outstanding. I have both NW-S703 and NW-A805 and NW-A80x sounds brighter, with a little bit more detail.

The earbuds that come with NW-A80x are not very loud, but do sound much clearer than MDR-NC022 (supplied with NW-S70x).

NW-A80x comes with VPT, DSEE, EQ, ClearBass and Clearstereo. all thes funcions work very good. DSEE is actually noticable with low quality tracks.

the disturbing hiss noise on NW-S70x doesn't exist anymore in NW-A80x. I was very pleased to notice this!!

edit: after listening in more quite environments I have to say the hiss due to low SNR is still there. In daily use it's not noicable and sounds very clear, but when (for example) I'm lying in bed and listen to quiet track like some of U2 for example the hiss is still there. It's not very disturbing, But I think it's just a shame. A dark smudge on an almost perfect Walkman.

Don't know the SNR number, but tryin' to find that out.

I leave it here for now, I'm running out of time.

Hope it is a bit helpfull.

If you have ANY questions just ask them in this thread or PM me.

I'll be happy to answer them.

greetz

Edited May 2, 2007 by DSP

[Old skool D]

Thanks for the review. Did you have a look at a carrying cases for this?

[DSP]

yes, but they are just too expensive.

I have a litlle bag that came with my MZ-NH900 Hi-MD unit.

It's great protection!!

greetz

[Old skool D]

Thanks. In the shop it looked REALLY small. Do you find it hard when using the buttons( I ask as I have small chbby hands

[Old skool D]

Also, when it syncs to all your items in SS, does it allow you to view your album covers, or do you need to download the CD ROM that comes with this player?

[markey]

yes, but they are just too expensive.

I have a litlle bag that came with my MZ-NH900 Hi-MD unit.

It's great protection!!

greetz

Sony Centres here in the UK do the cases for between £10 and £20.

[markey]

Also, when it syncs to all your items in SS, does it allow you to view your album covers, or do you need to download the CD ROM that comes with this player?

When using Gracenote in Sonicstage it will allow you to drag and drop your album covers on to the device.

[Ascariss]

great review, I was gonna get one, but after the debut of the B series, I am holding out till later this year.

[Jrome]

Very nice i got my NWA-805W last friday (couldnt wait for black to come in stock XD) and no..the smallness of the player..doesn't reduce use of the buttons..im lie 6'3 with pretty big hands..and this player feels great in my hands..veyr sturdy..very nice..picture quality amazing indeeed $$

[Shinji Ikeda]

well guys,

I went to the local Dixons store this afternoon and couldn't resist the NW-A805 staring at me from it's place in that big vitrine....

So I went home with a brand new NW-A805.

The sound of an elated owner of NW-A800 series.

Is the SNR number the S/N that is seen in the photo you took. This can be also found in under the Common Settings under Unit Information.

The only I think is strange is the NW-A800 is larger than the NW-S700/S600, but the former comes in a smaller box.

It seems that the hissing comes from the design of the headphone and not a fault in the design of the NW-S700. The hissing is noticeable when the when the NW-S700 is off, and also when the headphones are disconnect. It seems to exist with the MDR-EX082 headphones, but is not as loud.

Thanks for the review.

[markey]

Hi DSP

Seeing as you live in Europe and you now own both the NW-S7xx and the NW-A8xx, can you tell me if the volume cap on the A8xx is the same as the S7xx or is the volume lower than the S7xx? If the volume is lower would you say it's the same as your NW-A1200 before you implemented the volume hack?

[DSP]

well, volume on NW-A80x series is equal to the NW-S70x series. Compared to NW-A1x00 series volume is loud.

I must say that the supplied earphones are a bit low volume. But it's fair enough.

I think that sony hasn't put the volume cap on their walkmans since the realease of the NW-S70x series.

greetz

[markey]

well, volume on NW-A80x series is equal to the NW-S70x series. Compared to NW-A1x00 series volume is loud.

I must say that the supplied earphones are a bit low volume. But it's fair enough.

I think that sony hasn't put the volume cap on their walkmans since the realease of the NW-S70x series.

greetz

Thanks DSP

Have you tried another pair of phones with the player? Would you say an upgrade of phones was needed? What's the bass response like on the stock phones?

Hope you enjoy the new toy and thanks for the great pictorial/review.

[Zizone_]

great review, I was gonna get one, but after the debut of the B series, I am holding out till later this year.

I am also going to wait until later this year for more new line ups.

By the way, I now know that A, S and E stands for Advanced, Specialized and Entry, respectively, then is B for Basic?

And, DSP, thanks for the review!

Edited May 1, 2007 by Zizone

[DSP]

Hi guys,

your welcome!!

I have tried the player with other phones (sennheiser CX300) and it's louder withthese phones.

The stock phones are surpsisingly clear. There is more treble then for example the stock phones of the NW-S70x series. when zompared NW-S70x phones sound a bit muffled. Bass response on NW-A80x phones is very good, but not as much as on the NW-S70x stock phones, they are clearer.

greetz

[markey]

Hi guys,

your welcome!!

I have tried the player with other phones (sennheiser CX300) and it's louder withthese phones.

The stock phones are surpsisingly clear. There is more treble then for example the stock phones of the NW-S70x series. when zompared NW-S70x phones sound a bit muffled. Bass response on NW-A80x phones is very good, but not as much as on the NW-S70x stock phones, they are clearer.

greetz

Thanks DSP for carrying out the tests on the different phones, much appreciated.

GQ Smooth, I hope this helps you decide.

[markey]

great review, I was gonna get one, but after the debut of the B series, I am holding out till later this year.

Wise move! Maybe in 6 months to a year we will see a more attractive, higher capacity drag and drop offering from Sony.

[DSP]

I think we should be a bit carefull with that drag&drop dream of ours....

No big company did this so far.... so Sony would be revolutionairy there. And we all know sony is only late with everything...

So be wise and be carefull.

greetz

[doclloyd]

Do you think there will be a tool, similar to the MP3 File Manager for the E40x/50x series that would allow for mp3 file transfers w/o SonicStage? Not a dealbreaker, but curious.

[Old skool D]

Thanks DSP for carrying out the tests on the different phones, much appreciated.

GQ Smooth, I hope this helps you decide.

ANGRYBADGER & DSP many thaks for your advice & help. I think I'll buy one these this week, God Willing. I'll let you know & post my comments up here.

Edited May 1, 2007 by GQ Smooth

[DSP]

Hi guys,

I've editted the first post due to a little something I discovered along the way....(yesterday when listening music before going to sleep)

''edit: after listening in more quite environments I have to say the hiss due to low SNR is still there. In daily use it's not noicable and sounds very clear, but when (for example) I'm lying in bed and listen to quiet track like some of U2 for example the hiss is still there. It's not very disturbing, But I think it's just a shame. A dark smudge on an almost perfect Walkman.''

As said, it's not something you should depend you're choice for buying it on (@ GQ Smooth) but I just tought I'd share this with you.

Note that I compare this to my Creative Zen vision:M with a 97Db SNR. If only the SQ could match up with the Walkman......

If any questions come up, Feel free to ask!!

greetz

[Old skool D]

Hi guys,

I've editted the first post due to a little something I discovered along the way....(yesterday when listening music before going to sleep)

''edit: after listening in more quite environments I have to say the hiss due to low SNR is still there. In daily use it's not noicable and sounds very clear, but when (for example) I'm lying in bed and listen to quiet track like some of U2 for example the hiss is still there. It's not very disturbing, But I think it's just a shame. A dark smudge on an almost perfect Walkman.''

As said, it's not something you should depend you're choice for buying it on (@ GQ Smooth) but I just tought I'd share this with you.

Note that I compare this to my Creative Zen vision:M with a 97Db SNR. If only the SQ could match up with the Walkman......

If any questions come up, Feel free to ask!!

greetz

DSP, many thanks. No this wouldn't put me off buying the AW-800 series. One questions that springs to mind. Am I right in saying that your player syncs with SS, and updates the play count for each track on SS, and on the player unit?

[Guest Stuge]

Congrats DSP .I'm just waiting for this walkman to launch here .

@Dsp :Does DSEE makes a lot of Difference or it just a Gimmick ?

[DSP]

@ Stuge;

In general it can be considered a gimmick. But If you use badly recorded tracks (like old music) or low-bitrate tracks DSEE is noticable.

It gives more sparkle and vividness to the tracks. But since most users use >128K files and listen to modern music I think you could consider it a gimmick. But it's usable for what it was aimed for.

greetz

[Guest Stuge]

So I was right DSP .

Also,How do you rate the Screen in terms of Resolution ,colour etc with I-pod or Any other Devices like Walkman Phones Etc ?

[DSP]

''But it's usable for what it was aimed for.''

With this I mean that DSEE actually works for the purpose it was designed for. So overall it's a gimmick (since many people have High quality trakcs) but it works.

The screen is very sharp. The brightnes is very good, but could be better. Note that this would eat up battery time. I think it's a good balance between brightness/battery time. I;ve compared to PSP and Creative Zen vision:M and both are much brighter. But since the image quality is superb (76.800 pixels on a 2'' screen surface) I can get over this. colours are very vivid and the display gives a very juicy image.

greetz

Edited May 2, 2007 by DSP

[Shinji Ikeda]

DSP, many thanks. No this wouldn't put me off buying the AW-800 series. One questions that springs to mind. Am I right in saying that your player syncs with SS, and updates the play count for each track on SS, and on the player unit?

I have not notice SonicStage updating the counter for each track. Until you mentioned it I did not think about it. SonicStage updates the playback history on the player, which lists the songs in the exact order you played then. If a track was played three times, it will appear three times in the playlist. The exception is if the same song is played successively then it only appears once.

''But it's usable for what it was aimed for.''

With this I mean that DSEE actually works for the purpose it was designed for. So overall it's a gimmick (since many people have High quality trakcs) but it works.

The screen is very sharp. The brightnes is very good, but could be better. Note that this would eat up battery time. I think it's a good balance between brightness/battery time. I;ve compared to PSP and Creative Zen vision:M and both are much brighter. But since the image quality is superb (76.800 pixels on a 2'' screen surface) I can get over this. colours are very vivid and the display gives a very juicy image.

greetz

The NW-A800 seems to be brighter than the PSP under direct sunlight when adjusted to level 5. Actually, the NW-A800 is completely usable under direct sunlight, while the PSP has been unusable under. The higher brightness level does reduce NW-A800's battery life, so it is best to use it sparingly. DSP, it is unknown if you are having the same experience?

DSP, would you agree with that the video playback on the NW-A800 is a gimmick to show off the 76,800 pixel with 256K colour screen? Or, is this a feature that you would not use? Sony might have found the sweet spot for screen size and video quality with the NW-A800 series.

[aob9]

As good as the stock buds are I prefer to use my seinnheiser cx-300's. They still offer a cleaner sound on both my NW-S703 and NW-A805, they are also neat and lightweight. Obviously, I use the stock buds on the *703 when I require noise cancelling. The *805 is an excellent device with rich sound and an excellent screen for it's size...highly recommend.It's also amongst the best eye candy that's out there at the moment.

Anthony

[doclloyd]

I'm this close to buying the A808 from any online retailer... I'm with aob9. I have no idea why Sony USA hasn't even announced this product for the States. The whole world knows it's out there, but why no US love? Are they waiting to release something better here? Or just letting the rest of the competition continue to increase their lead in the portable music race?

I've been pleasantly surprised to read all the positive reviews of this device... looks like I'll also need to search online for accessories like carrying cases... :-/

[Shinji Ikeda]

I'm this close to buying the A808 from any online retailer... I'm with aob9. I have no idea why Sony USA hasn't even announced this product for the States. The whole world knows it's out there, but why no US love? Are they waiting to release something better here? Or just letting the rest of the competition continue to increase their lead in the portable music race?

I've been pleasantly surprised to read all the positive reviews of this device... looks like I'll also need to search online for accessories like carrying cases... :-/

One can wonder what Sony USA is thinking. USA is the largest consumer market in the world. It would make sense to release this there. Sony may be releasing the NW-B100 series in USA, but the product has not been announced yet. I am for one who is hoping for this product to be release in America, but we will have to wait and see.

[DSP]

I have not notice SonicStage updating the counter for each track. Until you mentioned it I did not think about it. SonicStage updates the playback history on the player, which lists the songs in the exact order you played then. If a track was played three times, it will appear three times in the playlist. The exception is if the same song is played successively then it only appears once.

The NW-A800 seems to be brighter than the PSP under direct sunlight when adjusted to level 5. Actually, the NW-A800 is completely usable under direct sunlight, while the PSP has been unusable under. The higher brightness level does reduce NW-A800's battery life, so it is best to use it sparingly. DSP, it is unknown if you are having the same experience?

DSP, would you agree with that the video playback on the NW-A800 is a gimmick to show off the 76,800 pixel with 256K colour screen? Or, is this a feature that you would not use? Sony might have found the sweet spot for screen size and video quality with the NW-A800 series.

The NW-A80x screen indeed performes better under direct sunlight then both PSP and Creative Zen vision:M. I must say that speaking out of experience this is a common phenomenon, that smaller displays perform generally better under direct sunlight then bigger screens. But in dark areas PSP and zen are brighter.

At first I thought of video playback as a gimmick. But now I have used it I must say I'm surprised with the way Image converter 3 performs. It works very smoothly.

So this resulted in me actually using the video function on my Walkman more than on my Zen. I still think the main strength of NW-A80x is music playback since it performs great in this matter. But video playback (for me) turned out to be very usable. So I use it regularly. It's just good integrated in the whole package.

how about you? Do you use it or is t just a gimmick to you?

greetz

[Shinji Ikeda]

The NW-A80x screen indeed performes better under direct sunlight then both PSP and Creative Zen vision:M. I must say that speaking out of experience this is a common phenomenon, that smaller displays perform generally better under direct sunlight then bigger screens. But in dark areas PSP and zen are brighter.

At first I thought of video playback as a gimmick. But now I have used it I must say I'm surprised with the way Image converter 3 performs. It works very smoothly.

So this resulted in me actually using the video function on my Walkman more than on my Zen. I still think the main strength of NW-A80x is music playback since it performs great in this matter. But video playback (for me) turned out to be very usable. So I use it regularly. It's just good integrated in the whole package.

how about you? Do you use it or is t just a gimmick to you?

greetz

My first impression of the NW-A800 was that it was possibly one the best media player. The thing that I noticed was that it can be hard watching videos that a 16:9 aspect ratio. The NW-A800 has possible the best screen, both being crisp and bright. I prefer watching videos on my PSP. I also do not think the video playback is a gimmick, not being able to view videos on the NW-A800's screen would be a waste. I would agree that it is well integrated into the whole package.

Oh well. Only those have used this can honestly appreciate the work that Sony put into designing the NW-A800.

[aob9]

I just purchased th BCR-NU3 charge cradle for my NW-A805.It is marketed as 'for the NW-S 6** and 7** series but the supplied adaptor allows the A-80*to be used also. A very neat compliment to my video walkman

[DSP]

@ aob9:

nice!!!! That cradle looks sweet. I once bought a cradle for my NW-A1200 but it was way too expensive.....

The expenses I have for purchasing the cradle are imho better spent if I'd purchase the 4GB walkman.

greetz

[LG1_]

I just purchased th BCR-NU3 charge cradle for my NW-A805.It is marketed as 'for the NW-S 6** and 7** series but the supplied adaptor allows the A-80*to be used also. A very neat compliment to my video walkman

Great dock how much did it cost

[DSP]

as you all might know, I did a comparison review between NW-A1200, NW-S703 and Creative Zen vision:M a while ago.

(http://www.atraclife.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3245)

I was wondering if anybody here would be interested in a comparison between, let's say, The Zen and The NW-A805?

NW-A805 is somehow similar to the Zen because it's a media player too. It doesn't have a HDD, but the idea stays the same, right?

I thought it might be interesting to see how sony has done with the NW-A80x series in terms of media integration and soundquality.

Especially since that comparison review didn't work out very pleasantly for sony's earlier NW-A series. And NW-S70x wasn't a really strong competitor to the Zen either.

just let me know, and I'll be happy to do a review.

greetz

Edited May 4, 2007 by DSP

[aob9]

LG1; the dock cost £29.99 at www.advancedmp3players.co.uk.

[Old skool D]

as you all might know, I did a comparison review between NW-A1200, NW-S703 and Creative Zen vision:M a while ago.

(http://www.atraclife.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3245)

I was wondering if anybody here would be interested in a comparison between, let's say, The Zen and The NW-A805?

NW-A805 is somehow similar to the Zen because it's a media player too. It doesn't have a HDD, but the idea stays the same, right?

I thought it might be interesting to see how sony has done with the NW-A80x series in terms of media integration and soundquality.

Especially since that comparison review didn't work out very pleasantly for sony's earlier NW-A series. And NW-S70x wasn't a really strong competitor to the Zen either.

just let me know, and I'll be happy to do a review.greetz

DSP

I for one would be interested in seeing a comparsion. Also today is the day for me purchasing my 4G 806. I'll be back with my views later.

[dura_]

Me too!

Absolutely DSP, I liked that comparison,

[DSP]

well, GQ Smooth and Dura,

I'll do a comparison with pics today. Since you're both nearby I can say it'll be here somewhere this evening.

Thx for the positive replys!

edit: I have posted the review. I hope you like it.

COMPARISON REVIEW

greetz

Edited May 4, 2007 by DSP