navsimpson Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sony-n...l?tag=cnetfd.mtI don't really get what the difference between the s61x and a81x is. Anyway, CNET like it but not love it, which is weird. Maybe the a81x will get a higher review.-Nav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Bazooka Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 I believe the s61X series come with stiff headphones, like the ones they supply with the PSP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Akai Kenshi Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 From the quick look I took on SonyStyle, the a81x is $20 more than the s61x and it looks like it has a few more sound enhancements and EQ options included. And a sexier design, in my opinion. Now if only it came in red! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 c0ldr0ses Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 lol i am certainly feeling buyers remorse now.i would kill for my sony nw a808 to work with wmp11 (my favourite player)but possibly there will be a hack to make it work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 navsimpson Posted August 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 Well, you don't really have to use Sonicstage except to transfer music - other than that, your player is the same as the new one. I actually prefer the a81x to the s61x personally ('course, I haven't actually seen the new one in person).-Nav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 c0ldr0ses Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 I agree that it really is nothing to complain about, but I am sort of a neat freak when it comes to computers, and I don't want to have any programs sitting on my hard drive that i dont need.when I used to have an ipod nano I used this progam with wmp11 called mtek dopisp or something that enabled me to transfer music to the ipod with wmp11. This made it so much easier than having to use itunes or in this case, sonic stage. There is something about wmp11 (especially with vista) that I really love in that it updates your library automatically and just integrates perfectly with the OS. Hopefully, though maybe the same people who made GYM will develop something like this for walkman integration with wmp11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 ceres Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 I agree that it really is nothing to complain about, but I am sort of a neat freak when it comes to computers, and I don't want to have any programs sitting on my hard drive that i dont need.when I used to have an ipod nano I used this progam with wmp11 called mtek dopisp or something that enabled me to transfer music to the ipod with wmp11. This made it so much easier than having to use itunes or in this case, sonic stage. There is something about wmp11 (especially with vista) that I really love in that it updates your library automatically and just integrates perfectly with the OS. Hopefully, though maybe the same people who made GYM will develop something like this for walkman integration with wmp11I know what you are saying. WMP11 starts up really quick and I like the way you have a single library for pix, movies (nice previews) and music. Also easy playlisting and logical context menus and user interface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 fugusushi Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 it's a pretty lousy review that says 'it remains to be seen if it'll work with iTunes...' - i thought that's the kinda info reviews reveal 'if' it does work with iTunes it'll be a real result - iPod's are..., well, we all know what they are - but iTunes is a good bit 'o kit.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 akasan Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 I plan to buy either one of these tomorow at the sony store in nyc (thanks for the b-day present sony) but I'm wondering if there is any difference in sound quality between the two. Leaning towards the a808 or whatever they call it now because it is the higher end model, but many people thought the cheaper s706 had better sound than the 808 so can't say for sure. Kinda want the newer model because it has a radio but then I'm thinking "when is the last time that I actually listened to the radio?". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 ceres Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 I plan to buy either one of these tomorow at the sony store in nyc (thanks for the b-day present sony) but I'm wondering if there is any difference in sound quality between the two. Leaning towards the a808 or whatever they call it now because it is the higher end model, but many people thought the cheaper s706 had better sound than the 808 so can't say for sure. Kinda want the newer model because it has a radio but then I'm thinking "when is the last time that I actually listened to the radio?".i´d say get the a808 or whatever it will be called in the us because this unit comes with very decent earbuds that usually retail around 50-60 usd. if they have both units on display i suggest you try them both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 ggoom Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 Are there any information about their sizes?I'd like to know whether one is bigger than the other.And, I also know whether it is bigger/smaller than other players like ipod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Weaves_ Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 I thought I read somewhere that WMP 11 is gapless. Is that true? If yes, could this player still be gapless (like previous ones)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 gotthat Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 NWZ-A8XX series is smaller than the S series, SQ is again very subjective, we had many posts regarding the NW-A800 VS NW-S700 SQ, it comes down to what kind of music u listen to, what kind of earphones that u have, enviroment whether it's quiet or loud, at this point, A series certainly has got the advantage, bigger screen, better design and better stock earphones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 mdsjack Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 aaah!! drag and drop, eventually!I like the controls of the S61x, but not the round shape and the smaller screen...The new A81x looks the same as its father, a pity they didn't add FM to it. I'm wondering if some chip actually changed inside or if it's just a disguised software upgrade... uhm...Also, why is S so much cheaper than A?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Ascariss Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 Well sonystyle canada has the NWZ S61xF models up for pre order now, due date is september 6th8 gig is 249 can4 gig is 179 can2 gig is 149 canb series prices2 gig is 99 candue date sept 11th, no word on the new updated a8xx series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Akai Kenshi Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 aaah!! drag and drop, eventually!I like the controls of the S61x, but not the round shape and the smaller screen...The new A81x looks the same as its father, a pity they didn't add FM to it. I'm wondering if some chip actually changed inside or if it's just a disguised software upgrade... uhm...Also, why is S so much cheaper than A??$20 is not a big price difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 RobA Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 I don't like this, I heard NOTHING about ATRAC support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 markey Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 I don't like this, I heard NOTHING about ATRAC support.That's right, Sony has dropped ATRAC and SonicStage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 mdsjack Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 (edited) I don't like this, I heard NOTHING about ATRAC support.LOL!@Akai Kenshi: it's 30€ actually. anyway, the smaller brother has an FM tuner and a new hardware. I can't explain why it's cheaper... Edited August 31, 2007 by mdsjack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 RobA Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 That's right, Sony has dropped ATRAC and SonicStage.Are you serious?! My entire music library is in ATRAC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 mdsjack Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 a tool is provided, to convert atracs to mp3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 RobA Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 a tool is provided, to convert atracs to mp3.That's not the pt. I don't want to convert my ATRAC tracks, I want to play them. I cannot believe sony would make a move like this, this is the first time I HATE the move they are doing. I liked Sonicstage and ATRAC, I finally found something that worked! I still can't believe there is no support in these players. Can't you still just run sonicstage and will pick them up? If not then sony is retarded. They should still support the codec and software, just not force it on their users, just leave it as an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Ascariss Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 Are you serious?! My entire music library is in ATRAC!I don't see how you didn't catch all the hints sony was dropping that they would be moving away from atrac and software to transfer music, we've known this for at least 2-3 months now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Akai Kenshi Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 LOL!@Akai Kenshi: it's 30€ actually. anyway, the smaller brother has an FM tuner and a new hardware. I can't explain why it's cheaper...Oh, well that sucks for Europe. Here in the states it's only a $20 difference. The nicer design and a few more sound enhancements and EQ settings are my guess as to why it costs more. As for the FM circuit, I never found that to work very well on an MP3 player and I hardly listen to the radio anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 gotthat Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 Sonystyle Hongkong has the NWZ-S61XF for pre-order right now, 8GB 238 USD, 4GB 177 USD, 2GB 127 USD, it all come with free carry case, wrist band and some other stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 akasan Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 (edited) I went to the sony store yesterday intending to pick up the a818 but they only had the 8 gig in silver so I picked up the black 816 instead. First impressions: on an engadget post they said these were chunky, if you consider these chunky you have a problem. They are almost the same thickness as the 816. control is tactile, buttons hidden under the surface. Sound quality to my ears, paired with shure se210's is great. I did not use the included headphones even to test them but they look cheap. Powerful bass, no distortion, sound is very clean. I don't plan to watch videos on this but they do provide a sample trailer for the upcoming cartoon movie with the penguins in the tropics and the picture is very clear and vibrant. I do not miss sonic stage at all. WMP11 transfers fast. Also can use with media monkey, only problem with media monkey is it will actually transfer over a wav file that can't be played on the player but WPM11 will automatically convert. You can also transfer by drag and drop in explorer. They do provide a software to batch convert atrac file into mp3 however it would be nicer if they allowed you to convert individual files, I have atrac files spread all over my computer. Edited September 1, 2007 by akasan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Ascariss Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 don't you mean the 600 series? the 800 series is the same thing as the older a800s and the buttons are not under the surface but on the surface.akasan, can you do a quick test on speed of transfer? take 100 or 200 megs of mp3s and transfer them over using windows explorer and time the process? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 akasan Posted September 1, 2007 Report Share Posted September 1, 2007 (edited) Still stuck at work, will try to do some time this weekend, but the tracks I transferred over last night transferred very fast.Yeah, I meant the six hundred series. Getting all these numbers can be confusing at times. Edited September 1, 2007 by akasan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 gotthat Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 it should transfer faster than the NW-A800, also it is not big and thick, it is very slim and compact to carry, those particular review sites never say the right stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 matty84 Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sony-n...l?tag=cnetfd.mtI don't really get what the difference between the s61x and a81x is. Anyway, CNET like it but not love it, which is weird. Maybe the a81x will get a higher review.-NavI think sony are a bit off the mark with this player. The Creative Zen is coming and the price is a lot better (hardly surprising) and is packed with way more stuff than the sony..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 ceres Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 I think sony are a bit off the mark with this player. The Creative Zen is coming and the price is a lot better (hardly surprising) and is packed with way more stuff than the sony.....That of course depends on how you define the mark. One can ask for touchscreen, large screens, voice recorder and so forth.However, none of this aids in having an ultra portable device that can be operated in your pocket. I prefer small flash devices with fast ui and operation.Companies tell you much just to justify the introduction of new hardware and the need to upgrade. They want to put the pressure on the consumer to always own the latest and greatest despite individual needs. Last time I was shopping for a cell phone I noted how I was looking for features I have absolutely no need for such as hsdpa connectivity, pop email and so forth.The only things that count for me are: sq, durability, fast and responsive user interface and warrenty support. i didn´t like the introduction of video in the a8 as that blows up the software on the player and introduces new potential glitches. i would have hoped for built in noise cancelling and fm radio but that didn´t happen. when i assess the market today the new az series is the device that best suits my needs. what else can be done to improve the device. that is the question. more storage capacity, fm and nc. then it´s perfect for me. anything else doesn´t grab my attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 aob9 Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 (edited) That of course depends on how you define the mark. One can ask for touchscreen, large screens, voice recorder and so forth.However, none of this aids in having an ultra portable device that can be operated in your pocket. I prefer small flash devices with fast ui and operation.Companies tell you much just to justify the introduction of new hardware and the need to upgrade. They want to put the pressure on the consumer to always own the latest and greatest despite individual needs. Last time I was shopping for a cell phone I noted how I was looking for features I have absolutely no need for such as hsdpa connectivity, pop email and so forth.The only things that count for me are: sq, durability, fast and responsive user interface and warrenty support. i didn´t like the introduction of video in the a8 as that blows up the software on the player and introduces new potential glitches. i would have hoped for built in noise cancelling and fm radio but that didn´t happen. when i assess the market today the new az series is the device that best suits my needs. what else can be done to improve the device. that is the question. more storage capacity, fm and nc. then it´s perfect for me. anything else doesn´t grab my attention.Cere's,I see you have the 808, are you tempted by the NWZ -81* at all. I have the 805 and as far as i can make out the 'drag and drop' audio feature is the only difference in the Z series.To be honest, I am kinda hoping against hope for a firmware upgrade to cover that. Edited September 2, 2007 by aob9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Stuge Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sony-n...l?tag=cnetfd.mtI don't really get what the difference between the s61x and a81x is. Anyway, CNET like it but not love it, which is weird. Maybe the a81x will get a higher review.-NavFrom the Specifications on Sonystlye site I found that S61x has FM ,but doesn't have Clear bass like a81x (It lacks in FM )Dispaly a81x =2.0" QVGA TFT display (240 x 320)Dispaly= a61x=1.8" QVGA TFT display (240 x 320) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Stuge Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 That's not the pt. I don't want to convert my ATRAC tracks, I want to play them. I cannot believe sony would make a move like this, this is the first time I HATE the move they are doing. I liked Sonicstage and ATRAC, I finally found something that worked! I still can't believe there is no support in these players. Can't you still just run sonicstage and will pick them up? If not then sony is retarded. They should still support the codec and software, just not force it on their users, just leave it as an option.aGREED ,I also feel ditched because now I will need to rerip my cd to Mp3 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Aevum Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 can someone confirm non WMP drag and drop for non DRM mp3 and WMA files ?i mean just dump them there trough explorer or any other file manager, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 antiipod Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 That's actually a pretty nice player, Sony has done it right this time also with drag and drop function. I really do look forward to the S players, maybe next time they will have NC function added to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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navsimpson
http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sony-n...l?tag=cnetfd.mt
I don't really get what the difference between the s61x and a81x is. Anyway, CNET like it but not love it, which is weird. Maybe the a81x will get a higher review.
-Nav
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