Sony NW-HD3 (full review)
Dec 16, 2004 at 9:03 PM Post #61 of 860
Quote:

Originally Posted by mavis
Yes, as I mentioned in the review, I too found a full English version of SonicStage 2.3, that was available on Friday evening. However, it DID NOT WORK. Believe me, I know how to search for stuff on the internet, and I DID find SS2.3, but that version DID NOT WORK. When I plugged in the HD3, I received an error message telling me that 'this atrac player is not compatible with this version of SonicStage.' I was very clear about this in the review. I'm not sure why people insist on beating a dead horse, as I've said NUMEROUS times, the SonicStage 2.3 that I was able to download last Friday DID NOT SUPPORT THE HD3.

That was my experience. If you'd like to write a review detailing YOUR experience with the HD3, by all means, do. In the meantime, what I have offered is MY experience with the HD3. What part of this is difficult to understand? I received a defective HD3 (apparently?) and the SonicStage 2.3 that I was able to download didn't support the HD3. That is exactly what I wrote in the review, because that is exactly what happened to me.

rolleyes.gif




Hi Mavis , i had exactly the same probleme as you , but i found a way to send mp3 to HD3 , try this , you open your device from explorer and you cut/paste everything in an other place ( on your desktop for example ) , your device must be empty , then you open SS 2.3 & you shouldn't get the error message ! Hope that works for you too
bye
ps: the screen is very good , it's not blue lighted , but you can inverse the light ( ie black on white or white on black )
 
Dec 17, 2004 at 4:23 AM Post #62 of 860
Hi. I don't know the HD3, but I have been using the HD1 for three months now and I was actually surprised the first time I read about the 5mW output. My HD1 sounds definitely louder than my previous Rio Karma (which is much more powerful, as far as I know) when using the exact same Shure E3. The sound may not be better than the Karma's, but it's equivalent, and in a certain way it's more pleasant. I also notice a faint hiss sometimes, but I need to be in a very quiet environment, and I can notice it only with certain songs. It's certainly less noticeable, and annoying, than the hard-drive spin up and static noise I used to hear with the Karma, and that seems to be a problem also with the newer iPods. By the way, I liked the Karma, but its hard-drive died.

In any event, Mavis's review is a good one, though some interface issues mentioned are just lack of experience with the player. I tell you, I have never toyed with the iPod until recently (lack of gapless playback makes it useless for me), and when I did, I had a hard time finding my way around. One of my problems was exactly how to go back to the now playing screen, which I find so easy with the press and hold mode button of the HD1. (The Karma's interface was even easier.)

But I agree with Mavis that there's no excuse for the player not working with a different language software, and much more for the support people not being able to deal with that type of question. And SonicStage definitely needs improvement.
 
Dec 17, 2004 at 5:21 AM Post #63 of 860
Quote:

Originally Posted by ChE
Hi Mavis , i had exactly the same probleme as you , but i found a way to send mp3 to HD3 , try this , you open your device from explorer and you cut/paste everything in an other place ( on your desktop for example ) , your device must be empty , then you open SS 2.3 & you shouldn't get the error message ! Hope that works for you too
bye
ps: the screen is very good , it's not blue lighted , but you can inverse the light ( ie black on white or white on black )



cant help but ask, cut and paste what? mp3 tracks? from the folders to the device or wat?

did you get your hd-3 from japan too?
 
Dec 17, 2004 at 10:58 AM Post #64 of 860
Quote:

Originally Posted by mirage
cant help but ask, cut and paste what? mp3 tracks? from the folders to the device or wat?

did you get your hd-3 from japan too?



yes i got my HD3 from Japan ,
you cut EVERYTHING in the device & you put it anywhere else of the device ( ctrl+A , ctrl+X & ctrl+V on desktop for example ) then sonicstage stop his annoying error message & you can transfer mp3s or whatever
 
Dec 17, 2004 at 11:13 AM Post #65 of 860
I am currently working on a command line tool to transfer MP3s to and from the Walkman without using SonicStage. It is still some way down the road, though (think maybe 1 week for an early testing release). As far as playlists are concerned, the data structures allow for multiple references to the same file, so creating groups with arbitrary content is no problem in theory. In general the structures _seem_ somewhat more flexible than SonicStage allows for.

If I may, I'd like to ask for some help
wink.gif
I've attached an archive of 151 minimal mp3 files (~220ms silence each). If some people could copy them to a fresh(!) database (just rename the OMGAUDIO folder) on their NW-HD3 or upgraded HD1 or HD2 and send me the resulting .OMA files from the 10F00 directory, I'd greatly appreciate it. I currently have only one player for testing, so I don't know whether each player generates its keys in a different way.
My Email address can be found at: http://nukunuku.yamamaya.is-a-geek.org/~ikari/email.txt

Please delete this posting if attachments are undesirable.

@sekigahara: I'm from Hannover, Germany
biggrin.gif
 
Dec 17, 2004 at 6:26 PM Post #66 of 860
Quote:

Originally Posted by Shattered
Thanks for the detailed review Mavis. I've pre-ordered one and should hopefully get it Monday (20th).

Whilst I'm waiting for it, I thought I'd download SonicStage 2.3 and start importing my MP3s. Now I've never used SS before and if it wasn't for the fact I have to use it I wouldn't be now. If there are any experienced SS users, could you answer the following please?

I have all my MP3s in the same folder (eg MP3). I've imported them into SS and everything is fine. However, if I add say 10 new albums to the MP3 folder and import from this folder it starts duplicating everything. Do I really have to individually import each album folder or am I missing something here? Can I create MP3\New and put them in there, then move them back to the original MP3 folder once imported, or will SS lose track of them because they've moved?

Also, if try to get the album info from CDDB (or whatever it uses), SS tells me that it cant as the album wasn't created from a CD. Well it was, but not in SS as that only seems to allow atrac creation not MP3. Is there any way round this or do I have to buy a Vaio to get the SS MP3 add-on?
rolleyes.gif


Thanks.



where did you preorder it? only ehte NW-HD1 is on the sony website and I think i'm going to get that because there is a good deal if you buy it before dec. 31st.
 
Dec 17, 2004 at 9:36 PM Post #68 of 860
Quote:

Originally Posted by Shattered
Pre-ordered it on Amazon.co.uk - it says it's due to ship on 19th Dec but I'd be surprised if I actually receive it Monday. I did next day delivery for an extra fiver.


grrrr too bad i live in the us, thanks
 
Dec 18, 2004 at 12:36 AM Post #69 of 860
Quote:

Originally Posted by Spex
I'll pre-qualify my statements by saying that my agency do a lot of work for Sony UK & that's how I managed to get hold of a (Japanese) NW-HD3 on Friday. In fact, I'm writing an article outlining my intial experiences for the Sony UK website.
...
The NW-HD3 I am testing has no background hiss - at least not that I can hear. I tested with the phones that came with it as well as some in-ear phones I bought from Radio Shack last year that have mouldable sound isolating foam plugs to seal off outside noise. The NW-HD3 sound was definitely better on the Radio Shack phones - the same is true of my iPod - but there was no background hiss with either pair.

I won't go through a full review of the NW-HD3 because I'm sure that given my business links to Sony, people would read it with a degree of cynicism.

Cheers,
Col




Actually, I would go through your review just as I would any other. I have one question for you though: You are putting together an article that will be publicized on a fairly high level... using Radio Shack earbuds?

Quote:

Originally Posted by doomlordis
Third , it sounds better than an ipod (it has bass)



Are you suggesting that the more bass, the better the sound?


Quote:

Originally Posted by doomlordis
and no hiss on mates - just my opinion.


Searching back on your previous posts, I see that you are listening through a pair of Sony E888s. As has been explained by Talonz, it is highly probable that the hiss mavis experienced resulted from the inherent sensativity of the E5. In other words, I would not so quickly discount his report on grounds of a defective unit. In fact, if a few more members with higher-tier IEMs surface with similar complaints, I would be rather concerned. Hiss can be a rather aggravating with upper-class IEMs, and as such, may rule out the NW-HD3 entirely as a feasible DAP option.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dura
But Aeriyn is an ipodowner, and with that machine seems to automatically come a strong negative opinion about the Sony, even if one hasn't even used it.
A psychologist might explain this strong feelings as a need to rationalize away a feeling of insecurity about one's own thingy.




While it is important to always keep such a possibility in mind, Aeriyn did make some valid points concerning the Sony player. It would be rude to dismiss her observations so quickly as being part of a psychological reflex, in my opinion.
 
Dec 18, 2004 at 1:04 AM Post #70 of 860
Are you suggesting that the more bass, the better the sound?

No, but it should be there if present on original recording.

Searching back on your previous posts, I see that you are listening through a pair of Sony E888s. As has been explained by Talonz, it is highly probable that the hiss mavis experienced resulted from the inherent sensativity of the E5. In other words, I would not so quickly discount his report on grounds of a defective unit. In fact, if a few more members with higher-tier IEMs surface with similar complaints, I would be rather concerned. Hiss can be a rather aggravating with upper-class IEMs, and as such, may rule out the NW-HD3 entirely as a feasible DAP option.

I agree , i havent listened to my hd1 or hid hd3 with shures but i have tried quite a few others and there was no hiss, others were on hd1 - er-4p , ex71 , pxc250 , ed21lp, px60, mdr-cd2000, i only tried e888lps and my mates ex71s on the hd3 but i didnt notice any hiss.
 
Dec 18, 2004 at 2:10 AM Post #71 of 860
Quote:

Originally Posted by ikari_01
I am currently working on a command line tool to transfer MP3s to and from the Walkman without using SonicStage. It is still some way down the road, though (think maybe 1 week for an early testing release). As far as playlists are concerned, the data structures allow for multiple references to the same file, so creating groups with arbitrary content is no problem in theory. In general the structures _seem_ somewhat more flexible than SonicStage allows for.


Wish u the best of luck with this m8, the minute the NW HD3 gets the playlist function is the minute i go out and buy one
smily_headphones1.gif
 
Dec 18, 2004 at 6:43 AM Post #73 of 860
Quote:

Originally Posted by doomlordis
No, but it should be there if present on original recording.


The iPod will present you bass if it is in the original recording. It is not as if it cuts off the lower frequencies just for kicks. I will not pass judgement on the NW-HD3 because I have yet to experience it, but regarding the quantity and quality of bass, this excerpt from bangraman's review of the NH1 may prove to be pertinent:

But as we know, technical quality isn’t the be-all of sound, especially for portable devices. The Sony NH1 as remarked offers inferior quality but a pretty agreeable sound out of the headphone socket, which is warm and could be terms as lush, which many non-audiophiles will undoubtedly proclaim is of a higher quality than current Sony MD's or other HDD DAPs including the iPod Mini, which lacks a truly working 'phat bass boost'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by doomlordis
I agree , i havent listened to my hd1 or hid hd3 with shures but i have tried quite a few others and there was no hiss, others were on hd1 - er-4p , ex71 , pxc250 , ed21lp, px60, mdr-cd2000, i only tried e888lps and my mates ex71s on the hd3 but i didnt notice any hiss.


I don't quite understand what you're trying to tell me here. The earbuds you have listed are hardly ones I would use to test for hiss.
 
Dec 18, 2004 at 8:32 AM Post #74 of 860
Quote:

Originally Posted by AuroraProject
For your sake, I really hope the build quality of this is better than that of the PSP!


Interesting point. It really does seem that for the past couple of years, the quality of Sony electronics has been going rapidly downhill. I've never been a fan of Sony, but now I wouldn't touch their products with a ten foot pole.
 
Dec 18, 2004 at 1:06 PM Post #75 of 860
Blue Onion , i have owned an ipod for a few weeks and i listen to quite a varied range of music, i found that music with pronounced bass (house music, electronica etc ) sounded very empty on the ipod, there was very little difference between the highs and lows - it was somewhat flat. Now i am no audiophile but this is how it sounded to me. I am not the only person in the world who has found this either.
 

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