jamontoast
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2008
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[size=small]I picked up this baby yesterday from the Sony Centre in Melbourne, Australia. It was the last 16 gig left in stock. Price was AU$199, which is AU$30 cheaper than a 16 gig ipod nano.[/size]
[size=x-small]I haven't found anything on this model on the forums, so I thought I'd drop down some initial impressions about this unit, followed by further impressions after I've used the player for a week.[/size]
[size=x-small]I'm upgrading from an older first generation S series s616, which I found to have exceptional good sound quality, soundstage and tone. It was a little muddy in the low end compared to my ipod through a lod into a cmoy. What I really loved about it before it was retired to car jukebox duty was its portability, ease of use and massive battery life. So far, the S755 is looking like a perfect upgrade from this initial version in every aspect.[/size]
[size=x-small]I'll go through a couple sections:[/size]
[size=x-small]Physical:
I've been pretty disappointed with the last few generations of S and E series Walkmans, they all look very plastic, cheap and toy like. The new S755 breaks this trend, thankfully. The player is mostly metal, with a plastic face and screen. They even have a screen protector already on the unit. This unit is quite a bit thinner than the s616, it's very slim and feels nice to hold. It has all the usually Walkman buttons, tactile volume and hold switch on the side, direction pad, pause /play, back and option on the front. Buttons feel solid and are big and easy to reach in your pocket. Luckily the headphone jack is on the bottom; my last pair of Yuin PK2 died from being twisted 180° when the jack was at the top of the player. The player looks classy and has a good weight to it. A very nice unit, probably the best I've seen so far.[/size]
[size=x-small]The screen is exceptional, bright and clear from lots of angles. This player definitely gives Apple a run for it's money in the atheistic area. The screen is glossy and the player is clean and attractive. It's probably been said a lot, but pictures just don't do it justice, this player looks great.[/size]
[size=x-small]Extras:[/size]
[size=x-small]For AU$30 less than its primary competitor, Sony chuck in a set of active noise cancelling 13.5 mm headphones, powered by the unit. The headphones are pretty decent quality, I'd say a couple steps above a set of JVC Marshmallows or CX300, but the active noise cancelling is the magic here. Popping the buds in and turning it on, the work AC just disappears to nothing, and while typing and talking noises aren't really blocked, this isn't really a bad thing in an office. I can't wait to try them out on a train or aeroplane, I can imagine they'd be pretty cool. I believe the buds are the same as the A series standard buds, which is a massive plus considering the new price. There's also a line input cable, and an aeroplane adaptor which allows you to still use the active noise cancelling function of the earbuds but with a game system or in-flight entertainment. A massive addition in value for money![/size]
[size=x-small]Interface:[/size]
[size=x-small]The new S series has received a massive boost in aesthetics and usability. While still remaining snappy and easy to navigate, there is a visual sheen to it which is definitely a big upgrade over the last S and E series. I believe it now shares the same interface as the new A series. Album art is big and colourful (I went through my entire collection and re-added album art), and the fonts are smooth and modern. I definitely love this interface over the bright white ipod interface. New functions include noise cancelling settings, bookmarking (fricken FINALLY), and a new coverscroll thing while not entirely useful, is definitely a fun way to find an album. If you're listening to a track, you can press up and down to instantly switch albums. The biggest and most awesome function of this player is the new Sensme™ random function. It reads all your music (which may take up to an hour, so just leave it for a bit or overnight) and categorises it by mood. It's pretty accurate and very, very intuitive. This is the new way that I listen to music for sure. Sony... an innovator? What? Coming from a Cowon D2 as well (which I had for 4 months, got sick of the bass roll-off and interface), the always on, instant music gratification of the Sony's standby function is just pure awesome. Loading music is drag and drop, because iTunes can just go suck a fat one.[/size]
more interface pics below...
[size=x-small]Sound:[/size]
[size=x-small]Better than the old S series 616 for sure. Cleaner highs, deep and clean lows. Better than the Cowon D2 hands down, in tone, soundstage and deepness. Sony's just have this weight to them, music comes across with authority and clarity. Pretty on par with my ipod video 60gig with OPA2227 opamp cmoy. I'll be getting a line-out dock for the Sony later, so I can enjoy the same extreme clarity, but it won't be a big upgrade over the internal amp. It sounds niiiiice! I'm running a set of Yuin PK3, KSC75, Westone UM1, Beyerdynamic DT880 (which is won't power very well) and Audio Technica M50s. All my music is in 320kbs mp3. I'm very, very happy with the sound quality of this unit. The EQ is flexible and clean, the bass boost is just as useful as it was before for adding depth to earbuds.[/size]
[size=x-small]Value:[/size]
[size=x-small]Currently, in Australia, you won't find a better 16 gig mp3 player for this price. Massive kudos for Sony for offering such a good, premium player with active noise cancellation and decent headphones for a knockout price. Why they aren't shouting about this player from the rooftops is beyond me, but hey, I got mine so I don't mind![/size]
[size=x-small]Conclusion:[/size]
[size=x-small]So far, a very, very good player at a very, very good price. If you're after a straight forward player and 16 gig is enough for you, you'd be crazy to grab anything else at the moment. I bought this as an upgrade, and Sony delivered big time. For some reason, Sony has just been bringing it in the mp3 sector, and they just took the nano to town. My partner recently got a nano, and while it's nice, it's got nothing on the Sony. And it's more expensive.[/size]
[size=x-small]I'll let you know how I'm settling with it in a week, but right now, I'm loving it to bits![/size]
Later!
- Jam
more interface pics:
It's got clear stereo (I cannot hear what it does for the life of me) and a dynamic normaliser which is sort of like a limiter for volume. It's also got DSEE which gives a bit of extra clarity to low bitrate songs.
