wowie11
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2005
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I just received my Pocket Vaio today (purchased from eCost at $239 - brand new...not remanufactured!), so I can't really say much about it yet. I loaded a few songs in mp3 format (with the latest firmware update, most sony portables are now able to play mp3's natively) using at 192-256kb/s CBR and 128-320kb/s VBR and I have to say that the sound quality is superb...definitely much better than my ipod (I have a 40 gb ipod photo) and almost, if not right, at par with my deceased Rio Karma (RIP 2002-2005, hard drive failure). I wish the Sony Pocket Vaio had the same parametric EQ that the Karma had which gave it a lot of flexibility, instead Sony provides a few but pretty adequate presets to work with. It may not play all of the file formats out there or have a built in FM player or even be ultra portable, but it is solidly built (dare I say even better than the iPod
), has a huge hard drive in relative comparison to players around it's price range (40gb), has a battery life of at least 20 hours (I've read reports of bat life ranging from 17 hours to 25 hours), and it has a really nice color screen that can show off your photos pretty nicely.
Some quick cons - not so portable (still pocketable and definitely not as big as it looks on photos, but still larger than the iPod photo), the GUI is a little different, but once you're used to it - it does the job (so not really a con i guess), you can't file transfer without the docking station (which is included and although not huge, it would be an extra hassle to carry around in case you want to off load some digital photographs), although it now plays mp3's natively Sony manages to mystify its users by putting on a DRM of sorts (turning it into an OMA file) preventing free music transfer from computer to vaio to another computer, no thumbnails provided for photos (like iPod photo) so you have to put up with it cycling through each photo, and it doesn't come with a case...not even one of those dustbags that Sony usually includes with most of their portable electronics and the cases that I find online are friggin' expensive!
Some quick pros: Nice GUI once you learn it, beautiful color screen, excellent battery life, super solid built, superb sound quality, relatively inexpensive, decent remote control, get "What is that?" looks from iPod users, one of a few players at this price that allows picture viewing, and oh, before I forget, one of a very very very very very few portable MP3 players out there to provide the very elusive GAPLESS playback!!!
I would recommend anybody looking for a portable unit with a large storage capacity and a color screen to take a look at this player. A very solid DAP deserving serious consideration IMO.
Some quick cons - not so portable (still pocketable and definitely not as big as it looks on photos, but still larger than the iPod photo), the GUI is a little different, but once you're used to it - it does the job (so not really a con i guess), you can't file transfer without the docking station (which is included and although not huge, it would be an extra hassle to carry around in case you want to off load some digital photographs), although it now plays mp3's natively Sony manages to mystify its users by putting on a DRM of sorts (turning it into an OMA file) preventing free music transfer from computer to vaio to another computer, no thumbnails provided for photos (like iPod photo) so you have to put up with it cycling through each photo, and it doesn't come with a case...not even one of those dustbags that Sony usually includes with most of their portable electronics and the cases that I find online are friggin' expensive!
Some quick pros: Nice GUI once you learn it, beautiful color screen, excellent battery life, super solid built, superb sound quality, relatively inexpensive, decent remote control, get "What is that?" looks from iPod users, one of a few players at this price that allows picture viewing, and oh, before I forget, one of a very very very very very few portable MP3 players out there to provide the very elusive GAPLESS playback!!!
I would recommend anybody looking for a portable unit with a large storage capacity and a color screen to take a look at this player. A very solid DAP deserving serious consideration IMO.