sony nw-a3000 review

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By RJWilkins on 14th Mar 2007

RJWilkins's Ratings

Time MP3 Player Owned	Over 1 Year
Sound Quality	8/10
Battery Life	10/10
Features	7/10
Memory	20gb
Value for money	7/10
Overall value	8/10
RJWilkins's recommendation

Good Points

Looks Good
Good Sound
Large Memory
Sony (reputable)
Range of features

Bad Points

Initially very quiet
Turns on easily when not in use (in pocket for example)
Sunlight makes text on screen invisible.
Volume buttons stick
Software

General Comments

First off, this is my first mp3 player so I have nothing to compare it to other than my experience of friends' players. On the whole i am extremely pleased with the Sony NW-A3000 player and I would recommend it to others. First impression are important and this is a great looking piece of gadgetry. The colour is deep and doesnt scratch easily (still no visible marks except finger prints, even after over a year). The screen looks excellent and the information on the display is clear and bright (when indoors). The headphones fit snuggly into the ear and are inkeeping with the sleek design of the body. The fact that it is a sony product should, quite rightly, draw you towards this reasonably priced mp3 player and this brings with it a host of benefits such as good customer services and a range of appliances compatable with the product. However, the software which comes with this is terrible and even got to the point with me where it wouldn't even load on the computer. BUT don't let this deter you. Sony have realised this problem and supply a link on their website for the download of SonicStage which is a reliable, trustworthy replacement, and works well with the NW-A3000.

On first purchasing the player I noticed that the sound was quite quiet, in comparison to the Creative range, for example. However, you can get instructions on the internet which guides you into the internal workings of this mp3 player enabling you to turn off the volume limiter. Simple search google for "sony volume hack" and follow the instructions on the necessary site.

There are two main disadvantages for me with this mp3 player. The first is that it turns on extremely easily if you're carrying it in your pocket (by the push of any of the buttons) and this often causes the battery life to mysteriously deplete. Sony could do with addressing this problem in future models, allowing users to "hold" the buttons even when the product is turned off. The second problem is that when the sun shines on the product it is impossible to read the display, which is slightly frustrating. You can look rather undignified scrolling through your music with the player up your jumper, shading from the sun. haha.

Anyway, I think this is an excellent mp3 player, has its plus points, and it's negative ones, but has never let me down and is a vital companion for me particularly when on the train.

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