Jump to content
  • 0

SONY NW-808 : DISAPPOINTED.

Rate this question

ROADRUNNER

Asked by ROADRUNNER,

 Share

Question

ROADRUNNER Newbie

ROADRUNNER

Posted
Posted

I've just bought a Sony NW-808 in the States to replace my I-River, and I'm afraid I have to say I'm really disappointed.

Quite apart from a distinct lack of bass & 'punch', I'm astonished at the lack of volume in the unit - its permanently on 30, ie max, with lots of experimentation with EQ settings.

My question is this - in the absence of an available 'volume hack', should I upgrade from my existing Shure E2Cs to the E500s, and should I consider a small headphone amp. If so, any recommendations for the amp ?

Looking forward to replies / help - I love the interface and 'feel' of the unit, so I'm reluctant to give up just yet !

www.fluidimages.co.uk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0
dura_ Newbie

dura_

Posted
Posted

Strange...I get very acceptable volumes on my Shure E4, Senn Px 100, some Aiwa earbuds and everything else ment for portables I connected.

Usually I do not go above 15.

A comment often heart is that the 80x seems more powerful then former sonyplayers.

Either your music is recorded very soft (try "dynamic normalizer" ), or you got AVLS on (in common settings).

Either that or you listen too music way to loud to be healthy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
Shinji Ikeda Newbie

Shinji Ikeda

Posted
Posted

Here I was expecting something earth shattering. I keep the volume between 12-18, and find 20 too high.

The volume can seem low in noisy environment such as train station, and in traffic. These are the only situations that I can think of. My recommendation is to get a set of noise cancellation head phones from any manufacture. This would allow you to lower the volume and save your ears. Another option would be a closed ear headphone such as the Sony MDRXD300 Studio Monitor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
Old skool D Newbie

Old skool D

Posted
Posted

I've just bought a Sony NW-808 in the States to replace my I-River, and I'm afraid I have to say I'm really disappointed.

Quite apart from a distinct lack of bass & 'punch', I'm astonished at the lack of volume in the unit - its permanently on 30, ie max, with lots of experimentation with EQ settings.

My question is this - in the absence of an available 'volume hack', should I upgrade from my existing Shure E2Cs to the E500s, and should I consider a small headphone amp. If so, any recommendations for the amp ?

Looking forward to replies / help - I love the interface and 'feel' of the unit, so I'm reluctant to give up just yet !

www.fluidimages.co.uk

Where in the States did you buy this? I thought you couldn't get this in the US?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
juli_ Newbie

juli_

Posted
Posted

I didn't think it was available in the US either. As for volume, with the stock buds I listen around 22 if I want it 'loud' and around 18 for casual listening. With my Shure SE310s, it's set to around 17/30 for casual - and anything above 20 is painful. Are you sure it's genuine???

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
markey Newbie

markey

Posted
Posted

Quite apart from a distinct lack of bass & 'punch'

If you want more of a kick when it comes to bass, you should have a look at the NW-S7xx range. If there is one thing the NW-S7xx beats the NW-8xx at, it's bass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
ROADRUNNER Newbie

ROADRUNNER

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I didn't think it was available in the US either. As for volume, with the stock buds I listen around 22 if I want it 'loud' and around 18 for casual listening. With my Shure SE310s, it's set to around 17/30 for casual - and anything above 20 is painful. Are you sure it's genuine???

Yes, its genuine, although made in China, not Japan.

Do you recommend the Shure 310Ss over the 500s ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
juli_ Newbie

juli_

Posted
Posted

Yes, its genuine, although made in China, not Japan.

Mine's made in China too, I think the 808s made in Japan stay in Japan, and the rest are made in China and shipped off elsewhere. I can't understand why you'd be having a problem with the volume though. It really does play loud. I'm listening to 'Dark Side of the Moon' (256kbps atrac) right now with the Shure SE310s and 20/30 is the loudest I would ever have to set it to achieve the loudest I would ever want to hear it. It's really loud (and has no distortion) but it's much louder than I would ever need for any musical style. If I use the stock buds, I'd have to go to 30/30 to get the same loudness that I get with the 310s at 18/30. Your E2Cs should be fine with the 808, unless there's something wrong with the player. . .

As for the E500 vs SE310, I don't know what your listening preferences are. Obviously the E500 is considered to be far superior to the 310, but the truth is I did not enjoy them on my 808 or 706. 'Appreciated the detail', yes - 'enjoyed', no. Like I said, it depends what you're looking for

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
Zizone_ Newbie

Zizone_

Posted
Posted (edited)

Mine's made in China too, I think the 808s made in Japan stay in Japan, and the rest are made in China and shipped off elsewhere. I can't understand why you'd be having a problem with the volume though.

I don't think Walkmans are made in Japan anymore. All of my recent Walkmans purchased in Japan are made somewhere else, like Malaysia or China. My recent laptop, VAIO TX series is made in Japan though. It seems like Sony is trying to lower down the price by shifting production of products from Japan to other countries, much like PSP and PS3.

Personally, I'd rather have products made in Japan and pay extra money... But that's just me.

Seeing workers getting fired in Japan, "a company for life" no longer applies.

Edited by Zizone
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
juli_ Newbie

juli_

Posted
Posted (edited)
I don't think Walkmans are made in Japan anymore. All of my recent Walkmans purchased in Japan are made somewhere else, like Malaysia or China. My recent laptop, VAIO TX series is made in Japan though.
Oh yeah, I think you're right. Didn't someone mention something about 808s made in China had better sound than ones made in Malaysia? (or maybe it was the other way round). Either way, my made-in-China one has no volume problems at all Edited by juli
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
juli_ Newbie

juli_

Posted
Posted

I'm a Bass head myself, but feel that all my needs( Bass & Volumne wise) are met with this beauty.
Yes yes yes, I agree. . . but I still miss my 706 though. I loved the bass on that, well, I loved the whole sound of it better than the 808, but I'm getting more used to the 808 the more I use it. 706 is my most favourite player in the whole world and the 808 is my second most favourite player :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
juli_ Newbie

juli_

Posted
Posted

Then it looks like I may need to experiment with earphones - the Shure E2C's are known to be lacking in bass response, so the question is what do I upgrade to ?
i haven't tried the E2Cs, but I read that the 210s are a very worthy upgrade to the E2Cs with more bass response and more clarity. Plus they're half the price of the 310s. The 210s are really good and that's what I was using until I was given the 310s. But if you're coming from an E2C, I'm positive you'll notice a huge huge difference, and they sound beautiful with the 808. I can't say theres a noticeable difference between the 210s and 310s and definitely not enough to pay twice as much for them. And the 210s are a nice match with the 808.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
cool_rock Newbie

cool_rock

Posted
Posted

hm i think that u r unit is malfunction try turning of the dnormalizer bcoz it may some time also lower the volume of higher bit rates to normalize the output. well i have nwe005 and 12 is enough for me and use only sony headphones supplied with the unit to get the best results its not the unit its theother low headphones which u r using

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
Old skool D Newbie

Old skool D

Posted
Posted

I think that a change in head phones may well be the solution. I have the Sennheiser CX 300's(http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-CX-300B-CX300-B-Earbuds/dp/B000E1FYQA/ref=pd_bbs_3/002-0424997-0722453?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1185225418&sr=1-3) , which are a really great product, for a great price.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
juli_ Newbie

juli_

Posted
Posted

try turning of the dnormalizer bcoz it may some time also lower the volume of higher bit rates to normalize the output.

I find the opposite is true. If I turn off the normalizer, all the songs are much quieter, when it's on, everything is a lot louder. My ears don't hear any decrease in quality so I keep it on. If it's off, I have to turn the volume up by another 3 or 4 notches

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
juli_ Newbie

juli_

Posted
Posted

It's louder because it's artificially boosting the volume at the quiet parts - and vice versa. All the dynamic range of the track is lost, though the volume stays constant.
If it's artificially boosting the volume at the quiet parts, wouldn't I hear distortion? I still don't quite understand the normalizer, I've turned it off for now just to see if I can hear a difference, but so far I've only noticed I have to turn it up a bit more - I don't want to lose the dynamic range even if I can't hear that I lost it, it's my dynamic range and I want it back! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
ROADRUNNER Newbie

ROADRUNNER

Posted
  • Author
Posted

If it's artificially boosting the volume at the quiet parts, wouldn't I hear distortion? I still don't quite understand the normalizer, I've turned it off for now just to see if I can hear a difference, but so far I've only noticed I have to turn it up a bit more - I don't want to lose the dynamic range even if I can't hear that I lost it, it's my dynamic range and I want it back! :)

All great advice - many thanks. I've already noticed a small improvement in quality by swapping the Shure's tips for the orange foam type, and I think the next move may be to upgrade to the E310s. I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, any suggestions on walkmen amps - this poor little unit is making hard work of driving my home system (Naim pre & power amps).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
Shinji Ikeda Newbie

Shinji Ikeda

Posted
Posted

If it's artificially boosting the volume at the quiet parts, wouldn't I hear distortion? I still don't quite understand the normalizer, I've turned it off for now just to see if I can hear a difference, but so far I've only noticed I have to turn it up a bit more - I don't want to lose the dynamic range even if I can't hear that I lost it, it's my dynamic range and I want it back! :)

That was an over simplification. Using the dynamic normalizer increases the volume in one of the ranges without causing any distortion. As you have noticed the tracks sound louder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
juli_ Newbie

juli_

Posted
Posted (edited)

That was an over simplification. Using the dynamic normalizer increases the volume in one of the ranges without causing any distortion. As you have noticed the tracks sound louder.

They certainly do. Do you know if the normalizer only works for tracks within the same album? I have one Jean Michel Jarre album, 'Aero' that is about twice as loud as everything else. I have to reduce the volume from around 18 to 10 just for that album. I have taken it off for now as it's too much of a shock on my ears, is that because only individual albums are normalized? And can anyone explain how the dynamic range is lost when the normalizer is on? I thought the range was lost if the tracks were actually recorded using volume levelling, not just if the normalizer on the player was activated. Have I confused anyone? I have confused myself. . .

Edited by juli
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
GusG Newbie

GusG

Posted
Posted (edited)

I use it with the senheiser cx-300 and normally its quite rare to go beyond 10-12 in the volume, considering the situation.. And the bass... Mine has plenty of it.. so I don't know.. and the bass in the EQ isn't even very high

Edited by GusG
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
aob9 Newbie

aob9

Posted
Posted

There is clearly something wrong with this unit. Having the volume set at 30 is ear splittingly dangerous on the NW-80* series. Either the unit is faulty or the sound data has been ripped with poor normaliser settings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
mugendc5 Newbie

mugendc5

Posted
Posted

Holy shit, you guys need to check your hearing. I use Shure E3Cs, I listen at 8, 9 on my NW-A805. If I really need some extra punch in the bass I listen at 13, 14 max.

I'm a DJ and audio engineer, I know the importance of protecting your ear., if you still want to be able to hear when you're 40, turn that shit down!!! 30 all the time with Shure E2C? You'll be deaf before you hit 40. You're listening at 3 times the volume I listen at. If you stick your Shure headphones further in you can live with 10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
dita Newbie

dita

Posted
Posted

ummm..if you have the volume on 30 i would probably think you are already completely deaf or your device is defective....i keep my volume between 13-14 for a maximum punch and about 15-16 maybe while i'm in the car....for the bass part maybe your equalizer settings are a bit off...try this setting which is what i use cb+3, 0, -1, +1, +2, +3.....I found this the perfect balance for me with an amazing bass punch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
Shinigami Newbie

Shinigami

Posted
Posted

Maybe you need better IEM's!

I can't handle the volume on my 808 above 15 with either my Shure E4c's or my Shure SE530's,

13 is my normal setting when in a plane or on a train. The other day I was standing on the JR platform at Kakegawa with my SE530's and my 808 set to 14 listening to some Steely Dan when the Nozomi Shinkansen went by at full speed. Never heard a thing- would not have even looked up if I had not felt it coming.

Even with the stock buds, 20 is as much as I can stand. And with a set of cheap MDR-G74's 20-21 is max for me.

With that said, my NW-S706F does have a slightly warmer sound. But the 808 isn't lacking at all in audio volume or quality in my opinion.

By the way, I have only seen "made in China" units at Yodobashi stores in Tokyo and Osaka. Never seen a made in Japan example. Do these actually exist?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
Zizone_ Newbie

Zizone_

Posted
Posted (edited)

By the way, I have only seen "made in China" units at Yodobashi stores in Tokyo and Osaka. Never seen a made in Japan example. Do these actually exist?

As far as I know, all the productions of Walkman have been moved out from Japan to foreign counties.

Edited by Zizone
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
6u0W Newbie

6u0W

Posted
Posted (edited)

I bought a NW-A806 a week ago, and although the unit looks good, and all that, I am a bit disapointed of the bass response too.

I dont usually use the equalizer to gain more bass response, but it seems like the way to go with this walkman.

I've tested with senheizer hd 202, and although the sound is ok, its lacks a bit of punch with the bass i was used.

Using the clear bass setting, is something i would rather avoid. (I think when you turn this on the bass gets distorted some).

Maybe doing this to extents the battery life?

In that case I rather lower playing times and better sound quality.

This is something to add to the cons of this player (read the software, sonicstage stinks), the non standard cable, and the (mentioned in some review) "menu quirks" (... ... the buttons are too close to each other, and sometimes.. when you mistap several buttons you end up somwhere else.. somewhere you shouldnt be able to reach with 2 clicks.. like you were at "now playing" and end up in the pictures... O_O maybe sony included "rocker gestures")....

Also would like to recommend a better way to generate playlists.. ENQUEUE FTW!!! (PLEASE), and the bitrate to be displayed in the main view.

(oh and where you get better screensavers ??)

Lets hope some firmware upgrade fixes this.

PD: mine is made in china.

Edited by 6u0W
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 0
ppau0822 Newbie

ppau0822

Posted
Posted

Mine's made in China too, I think the 808s made in Japan stay in Japan, and the rest are made in China and shipped off elsewhere.

i imported mine from japan and it says that it is made in china but i havent had any problems with it. it seems like sony has shifted most of their operations to china now and i doubt that there would be a real difference between the ones made in china and japan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Answer this question...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
 Share
Go to question listing
×
×
  • Create New...