Sony NW-HD3 Review

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Sony NW-HD3
3.8 stars
Average rating for this product is: 3.8 out of 5

From 4 ratings and 22 reviews

Thumb up 73% of users recommend this product

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aleein8's Review of Sony NW-HD3 MP3 Player

14th Jul 2005

Overall Rating

4.5 stars
  • Value for money
    5 stars
  • Sound Quality
    5 stars
  • Features
    4 stars
  • Time MP3 Player Owned
    Between 1 - 4 Weeks
  • Battery Life
    5 stars
  • Memory
    20gb
Good Points

Build quality. Sound quality. Value for money. Atrac3plus.


Bad Points

Atrac.


General Comments

Sony NW-HD3: Unfortunately the previous reviewer had software trouble. I on the other hand have been using SonicStage for about 1 1/2 years and have run into no trouble yet. This software is fine for music management. I personally feel it is quite easy to use and straight forward. I actually have more trouble with iTunes! Most of my music is transferred from original CD's and from legal download sites. As such I haven't run in to many troubles with DRM. The NW-HD3 has a very simple to use interface. There is little complication here. This unit does what it was built to do, it plays music, and does it well. The sound quality is excellent, even at 64 kbps (atrac3plus). When listened to on a good stereo it is obviously compressed. But while in the car, or on a train it sounds great. Sony does have a lot to answer for when it comes to it's use of proprietary formats. I will say in their defence though that when you download from Connect the artist receives more money than from Apple. Sony is definitely protecting their content, at some level I cannot really blame them. All of that being said I have downloaded 'free' music many times before. All of this music transferred to the device with no problems, and plays back in its original MP3 format. Overall I would say this unit is very well executed. Build quality is up to Sony of Japan standard. And this thing is small, about the size of a cassette tape, if anyone remembers those. Now is the time to buy, the NW-HD5 has just been released and new units are going on Ebay for $178.00. I even have seen retail as low as $209.99.
The only people who may not appreciate this unit are die hard iPod fans. That I can understand, this unit is quite different to the iPod, but excellent none the less.

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