RobA Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 (edited) Sony Network Walkman NW-HD1Sorry for the blurriness, I have a crappy camera. But here is my NW-HD1.ReviewBuild Quality/Overall Look: Perfect, doesn't get much better. Compared to my stolen HD5, which was all aluminum, it had to be of equal or great build quality. And the brushed magnesium alloy tops it! All metal is perfect as it is built like a tank and cannot be scratched, and the brushed silver magnesium looks perfect! The HD1 is easily the best looking DAP ever made, makes my old HD5 looks like a childish gameboy. And the magnesium is super light compared to the HD5's aluminum, and I find it stronger as well (HD5 could dent easier). It also feels great in the hand, very smooth and durable. The unit is setup perfect for right hand usage. The screen is clear in dark and daylight, and the reversable green monochrome display looks excellent (I prefer green text on black background).5/5Size/Weight: Speaks for itself, to date it's still the smallest and lightest 20GB player ever made, period. Under 3.9oz is amazing, especially since my HD5 was (what seems hefty now) 4.8oz. 5/5Sound Quality: Great, sounds right in line from what I remember with my HD5. V-Sur effects are also cool too (I love arena mode), and customizable EQ is fantastic. All my songs are encoded in HiLP (ATRAC3plus 64kbps) and sound great. And line out is a must for me (I hook my player up to portable speakers alot) and it's great to have that option, line out sounds so crisp and clear compared to standard headphone jacks that must be used for other DAPs out there. 5/5Battery Life: Fantastic, 30 hrs is top of the industry. Sony always gets it right here, although I may miss not having a removable battery of the hd5, but having a charging cradle is awesome! I think that is a huge plus. Long lasting battery life and a beautiful charging cradle to boot, something I really wanted with my hd5. 5/5User Interface: The HD1 is a breeze to use and navigate. However, if you have Track Shuffle enabled, then decide to search by Artist, it will only shuffle tracks from that Artist (not all tracks as the track shuffle mode should be doing) and that could get annoying. To fix it, you must go back into the menu and change shuffle to unit shuffle, then back to track shuffle each time you want to shuffle all tracks after choosing a song through Artist Mode, this can get frustrating. 4/5Overall Pros- FANTASTIC Build Quality/Look- Smallest and Lightest- Charging Cradle- Long Battery Life- Great Sound Quality- V-Sur effects- Customizable EQ- Line Out- Screen- Easy UI NavigationOverall Cons- Shuffle mode bugs- Tracks not automatically alphabetized after transfer (hd5 did this)- Non removable batteryOverall I'm very satisfied. I do miss the shuffle mode of the HD5 and how it automatically alphabetized my tracks, but besides that it's a great unit. And other pros that the HD5 didn't have really make it worth it (sexier brushed metal look, charging cradle, etc.) I give it a 9.5/10. Edited June 1, 2007 by Rob A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stuge Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 thanks for the review Rob@Sound Quality:I know sound quality is a presonal preference ,but if you listen to Sony DAPs of NW-S7xx series etc .You won't have given 5/5 to HD1 for SQ . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markey Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 (edited) Nice review and an attractive looking unit, though a little dated. The brushed alluminium finish sets it apart from the rest. Did you say it was brand new? Edited June 1, 2007 by ANGRYBADGER Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dura_ Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 IMO the most beautiful HDD-player Sony ever made; solid, compact, stylish and long batterylife.I too liked the smooth SQ. It's different from my A808, which is more detailed and dynamic, but I'm not so sure what I prefer; for me a DAP is about musical pleasure and the HD1 delivers, so I can agree with the 5/5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trondis Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 Hi!I also recently bought a NW-HD1. I bought it from eBay. Actually, I ended up with both an NW-HD1 and an NW-HD3. I had been bidding for a week on different players, only to experience that they were snatched right before my nose in the last 5 minutes. So I gambled when I bid on two. I am not terribly sad about it, since it could be useful to have a reserve in case something happens. But I also have a HiMD minidisc.Since the NW-HD1 came first, that is the one I am using. I think it looks better than the HD3, and it is a bit smaller and lighter. But I don't really care about how it looks, since I use it for listening to music, and then it is in my pocket inside a pouch. I have ripped my CD's to 64 kbs bitrate too, and I think it sounds nice. I recently also bought MDR-NC22 noise cancelling earphones. I am going from Norway to Mexico soon for my holidays, and I am looking forward to some comfortable music listening on the plane. I still haven't managed to fill up the player, although I must have ripped close to 700 CDs. Last time I went to Mexico I only had an old minidisc player and 15 disks, which meant 15 CDs. So this is definately an improvement.Regarding SQ, I do notice some hiss on soft music, and there is more hiss when I turn on the noise cancelling on the earphones. But I can get used to it after a while. On loud music I can't hear anything. I am not an audiophile, however. I think my ears are too old for that (I am 50).Trondis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobA Posted June 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 (edited) thanks for the review Rob@Sound Quality:I know sound quality is a presonal preference ,but if you listen to Sony DAPs of NW-S7xx series etc .You won't have given 5/5 to HD1 for SQ .I was comparing it to what I remember from my HD5, and the HD1 seems to play the same. I have no interest in the NW-S700 series or any small flash players right now. I think compared to the HD5, the SQ is the same. When you compare your HD3 to your HD5 do they sound the same to you? (my understanding is that the hd1 and hd3 sound the same). Edited June 1, 2007 by Rob A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stuge Posted June 1, 2007 Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 Yup ,They both sound same to me and for sound quality of both of them ,I would give 3.5/5.(again liking sound quality of one player and another is a personl thing ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobA Posted June 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 (edited) Yup ,They both sound same to me and for sound quality of both of them ,I would give 3.5/5.(again liking sound quality of one player and another is a personl thing ).Okay good. That pretty much proves what I said that the HD1 = HD5 in SQ. As far as the NW-S700 series, I obviously can't compare, but that's ok as I have no interest in flash players right now and noise canceling, etc. For things where I like to have a player of smaller capacity, I use my HiMD units. Edited June 2, 2007 by Rob A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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