[CENTRAL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis_1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you compared you're X series with the E series without EQ? I might purchase the newest E series which includes the clear audio technologies...that is if it sounds the same as the new S series.

Oops, this was for me, I'm sorry...

Well the X has very few hours of playback and the IEMs are still burning in...So, I will be very careful here...

The E436 is a very lightweight player that fits in the smallest pocket and its value makes it a good partner for my everyday transport to the city center where I walk and use the bus & metro.

The SQ is much in favor of the X...(as expected).

The X is more "airy" and detailed with greater ambience and detail. Voices and textures are more accurate and especially the higher frequencies are much better on this player. They sound more lively and present with more texture and greater duration.

The bass is quite different. Upper bass is more on the E, which benefits rock & metal, but on the X the bass is more pulpable and "real" this is really felt on jazz tracks that have wooden rather than electric bass. Piano also reveals this quality.

Well, one cost me 270 and the other 50 euro...in that respect I enjoy what the E has to offer. For the price I have no regrets.

Mind you, that the new E series E4XX has new sound enhancements to it so the gap with the X must be even smaller, and I really think that Sony has always offered great sounding portable gear whether tape, cd, minidisc or mp3...

 

[penartur]

Quote:

Mind you, that the new E series E4XX has new sound enhancements to it so the gap with the X must be even smaller

It is possible that A84X will have the same sound as X does.

 

[CENTRAL]

Well, you must be right, I heard that they will employ the Smaster amp, which will bring them to the same level sonically...

 

[shenchen2006]

I heard NWZA series all have big screen, big flash storage and sounds better than other series, but I'm not sure. I don't like the EQ on it

 

[CENTRAL]

What do you mean?

Would you prefer not to have EQ or are you comparing to another make's EQ which might be more effective?

 

[stevenjchang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by righteousball /img/forum/go_quote.gif Steven, I think it's natural that a lower-end product could have more battery life, because it might be simpler. Better sound and many other features often require more power. Let me try this... the last number in the name denotes capacity, but the value gets reset between different models. Last Year's Model: B130 = non-Sony chipset, slower interface, less battery life (compared to the E020) E020 = Sony chipset (Virtual Mobile Engine), clear audio technologies. Japanese version doesn't have FM E430 = no clear audio (clear bass/clear stereo/VPT), looks and feels cheaper S630 = better construction, low noise floor, has the clear audio technologies, SensMe S730 = the S630 with active noise-canceling earphones A720 = larger screen (2.4"), sound slightly fine-tuned (new capacitor) A820 = The A820 with bluetooth, and noise canceling in some regions This Year's models (US and JP lineup) B140 = facelift of the B130; has zappin E040 = Japan only, facelift of the E020; Japanese version now has FM tuner E340/440 = replaces the E430 but has the clear audio features, no DSEE, basic phones. E440 records FM S540 = 2.4" screen, speakers, otherwise same as the E340?? S640 = updated interface, may be Japan-only, lyrics ecosystem in Japan S740 = S640 with noise-canceling, may be Japan-only A840 = 2.8" screen, S-Master amp, digital noise-canceling, may be Japan-only X1000 = 3" screen, touch interface, S-Master amp, digital noise canceling, web browsing and youtube. The X uses the same processor as several other walkmans, which is most likely why it can't/won't have apps like the ZuneHD or the ipod touch. Personally I think the S-master amp sounds better, so the E wouldn't be sonically equal the the X.

thank you for the time invested in the write up, it's well appreciated (though i'm just as confused, if not more so)

and thank you for taking the time to prove the validity of my opening statement
Quote:

Originally Posted by stevenjchang /img/forum/go_quote.gif honestly Sony needs to hire someone to name their products, cuz right now, its just purely... dumb

seriously, this is not how you win the mp3 marketshare, just goto the ipod section at bestbuy and listen to what questions people have.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pott /img/forum/go_quote.gif Otherwise that's right. A is non touch flagship, X is bells and whistle touch screen, S is if you probably don't care much about movies and want a really, really good DAP mostly for music, and E is the very low end of Sony players.

Colour me fanboy - I have the X-1060 and the NWZ-S738, and neither has a single vid beyond the little demo files. Disk space is too precious, and I would have bought the new Touch if I valued vids over tunes. Music comes first, and everything else a very distant second for mine.

 

[Pott]

Yep same with my A729. I used to have a couple but only music on it now. Same even on my Cown D2.

As for fanboy, I wouldn't say so really, I only ever tried/have the A729. My other players aren't Sonys (Sansa Clip and Cowon D2+)

 

[estreeter]

I have Cowon, an iRiver, two Samsungs and two iPods - all of that has made me more of a Sony fanboy by virtue of the fact that they got the UI right (epic fail Cowon and Samsung) and the SQ is sensational, IMO - I'm not ashamed to tout a product that stands out from the pack. Did I mention that Grados rock my world ?

 

[Pott]

Ah ok sorry I thought you were saying negativelly that I was a fanboy, hence why I got a bit lost


Fact is, Sony players are perfectly useable and bug free out of the box. I love my D2 but I stopped using it since the UI is just so annoying. None of it makes any sense. The A729 hasn't let me down yet.

 

[righteousball]

I'm actually the number one anti-sony person right now. Because right now, the way they're doing business in this part of Asia at least, is to feed on the old reputation they had from the Trinitron era, and they try to present themselves as superior so they can mark up the prices, even when the actual products are just mediocre. They will say, oh our netbook is inspired by the macaroon, and the Japanese will believe that and flock to buy the thing. Where I live the X series gets a serious $200 mark-up over the US price, way out of proportion with exchange rate and operational costs. Note that where Sony no longer has the mindshare or market share, like in the US, they wouldn't DARE do this. And still people will flock to Sony and look condescendingly down upon the Korean and Chinese products. Long before people started buying iPod cases, they were buying $500 Sony PDAs that needed proprietary $150 proprietary wifi adapter and a $100 Sony leather case... because those products are supposedly so, uhm, "precious". Don't just criticize people like apple...

I don't mean to break down the flow of discussion in this particular thread, and I feel that I do give them recognition where it's due. I seriously appreciate the emphasis Sony put on their interface, and durability (relatively speaking), and making sure nothing's too kooky for the average joe. I enjoy Sony products when they do provide lasting relevance or they're just superbly seductive, like the S700 or the MS70/90D. But I'd want to call them out when they're throwing in an underperforming web browser just so it would appear on the features list -- the ipod touch's got a web browser, so do we, so that'll enable us to charge $400 while Samsung and Cowon can't! This is the year I finally started seeing Sony as just a tiny bit shady, and I'm refusing to buy anything Sony again because I don't want my money to go into supporting this. I'll go down with Cowon's interface if I have to, even if that's rather comically pouty, as you may have noticed.

 

[Jack Mono]

Yeah, that is all fine, however the players sound good. I also think that the UI is really good, it seems they thought of almost everything... yet simple. The EQ is good. Dynamic EQ is bad (it is a feature I would suggest to avoid as it butchers the dynamic of the music). My player is small (639) and has a great battery life with hd 485 (huge cans with 32 ohm), also the volume is nice too. The desktop software isn't too bad either if you have a speedy pc, and does handle podcasts automatically. I don't use it for video.

 

[estreeter]

Dont get me wrong- I dont enjoy paying the Sony tax any more than I enjoy paying the Apple tax, and Samsung are very close on SQ while giving much better VFM, but I have to give Sony credit : their DAPs are not all marketing spin. The Clip/Fuze is still available for those who dont want to pay for all that marketing and elitist hooha.

 

[WalkGood]

If the NW-A847 came to the USA, I'd buy one for sure, 64GB ftw ^_^

 

[tds101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalkGood /img/forum/go_quote.gif If the NW-A847 came to the USA, I'd buy one for sure, 64GB ftw ^_^

I'm w/you 100% bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!