New Sony NWZ-A818 is Sony’s new Walkman that is a potential iPod killer. The version I am reviewing is the 8GB black version, but it is also available in pink or white, with 2GB (no pink), 4GB and 8GB versions. What’s particularly special about this Walkman unlike the previous A800 series is that it does not use the SonicStage software to transfer files. Instead it uses drag-and-drop which can be done with Windows Explorer.

13.jpgMost Surprise to get that, this Sony Walkman doesn’t have some key features we expect at this price point. Namely, there’s no FM tuner or voice recorder–no memory expansion, either. Still, the NWZ-A810 has several desirable extras, not the least of which is a pair of MDR-EX082 headphones in the package, making this one of the few players that sounds great right out of the box–no earbud replacement required. On the downside, the headphone cable is extremely short–even with the extender attached–so unless you always keep the player in a pocket (it can just reach comfortably to a pants pocket), plan on supplying another extender

Cnet Reviews that We need hardly add that the Sony Walkman NWZ-A818 is a player of rare beauty with quality Walkman-branded earphones adding to the appeal. Its black brushed metal is less shiny than its predecessors and we wish Sony had sorted out somewhere other than round the back for the Hold button; other than that, it’s hard to fault.

Summary

 The good:  The Sony NWZ-A810 offers a slim design with a lovely, ample screen. It’s also easy to use and comes with high-quality earphones. Audio quality is excellent, and there are plenty of sound enhancement options and two custom EQs. The player supports photo and video playback as well as subscription WMA files, and it has a fantastic battery life.

The bad: Even with the included extender, the Sony NWZ-A810’s earphone cable is very short. The placement of the hold button on the back of the player is neither convenient nor ergonomic. There’s no FM tuner, voice recorder, or memory expansion slot.

The bottom line: The Sony NWZ-A810 offers a fantastic display, a sleek design and interface, and a stellar battery life–plus, it’s one of the few MP3 players that sound great right out of the box. Users looking for the whole package (sans radio) will be pleased.

Cnet rating-          8.0/10

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