Good Player

I just received this mp3 player today and already I have managed to transfer close to 400 songs into it. A lot of people said that the player was hard to use and non user friendly. I beg to differ. I found that when you took your time to read the basic instructions that come with the player you have no problem. During the installation of sonic stage (which comes with the player) my computer was searched for music files. Those files were then added to My Library and were ready to be transfered into the player. So my suggestion for anyone who wants to buy the player is go for it. Take your time to read the instructions and follow them word for word. It's also very good looking, small, very chic, portable. When you enlarge the picture of the player above, that's its actual size. So, so far I have no complaints. It deserves a try.

Rating:


Aweful product and aweful customer support

I gave this to my 14 year old in August, the hard drive went bad in October, we got it back from the repair shop December 5th, and the hard drive went bad again December 14th. $200 and he has been able to use it only weeks. The Sony Customer Support is useless, because they act like they have never even seen this model and have no clue how to troubleshoot it. I have spent hours on the phone with them to get no help. The repair service hours a terrible, so I have to call them from work to arrange any repair.

My Ipod is going strong after 3+ years. Go Apple!


Rating:


Good But Could Be Improved

This Sony is a solid player that like everything else, has some flaws but for the most part, does the job. I've had this for over a few months and here's an honest review:

Sony's Connect store has improved alot since from even a year a go. I've used I-Tunes, and Sony Connect and while I-Tunes I think is still the better store, Sony Connect is fast closing in. Of all the songs I've wanted to purchase, maybe about 10% of the time I could not find it. Usage is very simple and transfer from your computer to your player is simple as well. I have not had any problems importing the CD's I purchased to upload into my player. I think as time goes on and Sony gets its negotiations with the record labels (It HAS it's own of course), Sony Connect can really propell itself but it does currently have a large selection of songs for 99 cents.

The player itself is very good. The volume level is great and you can set your own base/treble settings to your liking - there are preset setting for rock, jazz, classical, etc. which aren't very good, so it's best just to preset your own to your liking and leave it. The screen as you've probably read is its greatest shortcoming. It is difficult to see in direct sunlight but I personally never been bothered much by it. So if you are going to be looking at your screen in the sun constantly, it could pose a problem for you. The buttons are good and it's difficult to turn the player on while in your bag (without you knowing draining your battery) and the hold button, to prevent your player from accidently turning on in your bag or purse, is placed perfectly at the top so never need to search for it. There are 2 ways to power your player either through your computer or a separate outlet power cord that's provided.

Accessories are a little hard to purchase. I've recently purchased a speaker stand (similar to the Bose you've seen for the IPOD all around) but I had to get it from a merchant online. I've noticed that this player has been in Europe, specifically the UK, longer than in the USA and I've seen much more accessories for this player in Europe. I am hesitant to purchase such accesories from Europe as things are configured different over the pond (ie. power plug). I don't know why Sony has not introduced the accessories in the US as of yet, but they are available online if you do a simple Google search.

The earphones that come with the player are ok but not great. I recommend buying the $40 Sony noise canceling earphones which work really well with this player.

The size of this player is great. It's small (about 2 inches x 4 inches) and about a quarter inch thick and isn't bulky at all.

For the price, I think this is a solid buy and most would be happy with it. It does not play videos and is strictly a music player - so if you're looking for something that plays videos, this is not the player for you.

Rating: