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PC Advisor Best Buy

November 21, 2007

Sony Walkman NWZ-A818 digital media player

Sony managed to impress us with the video quality of the first video-enabled portable music player it launched almost six months ago. Now the NWZ-A810s (also known as the A series), which range from 2GB to 8GB in capacity and include this model – the Sony Walkman NWZ-A818 – are equally impressive, but don't really add much to the mix.

The main upgrade is that A-Series Walkman video players such as the Sony Walkman NWZ-A818 dispense with Sony’s proprietary Atrac music format. These MP4 players integrate with Windows Media Player. This is a sensible move, as the Connect software of previous devices was a real opinion-splitter.

This range of players retains the navigation format of the previous generation. The Sony Walkman NWZ-A818's four-way navipad also lets you start and pause playback while directory listings are split into three chunks and you can then scroll quickly up and down to locate items.

The Sony Walkman NWZ-A818 has a squarish 2in screen on which to flick through listings in your music collection and view photos or video. The video quality on the exceptionally clear screen is an absolute joy to behold. We’re still stunned at just how crisply the tiniest detail is rendered. Apple has done a great job with the nano, but the Sony Walkman NWZ-A818's display beats it. Just.

Music playback comes with or without album art, while the equaliser functions are easily the best here. You can customise the equaliser and select the acoustic effects under the VPT (Surround) menu should you want to hook up the Sony Walkman NWZ-A818 to an external speaker.

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Independent customer reviews from

Sony Walkman NWZ-A818 scored:
9.0 out of 10 100% real reviews

The 2 most helpful reviews based on 25 reviews:

21 Dec 2007 Anonymous verified purchaser

10

Good Points

Great battery life Superb sound Ultra portable Good menu system

Bad Points

Display could've been better

12 Dec 2007 Ant, London

10

Good Points

If you care about MP3 sound quality then this is the product for you. The supplied Headphones are exceptional and suggest that Sony are still making products for people who care about sound quality rather than just appearance and gimmicks (like touch screens). Previous Sony MP3 players were good, but the download software was awkward and problematic, the use of drag and drop or Windows Media Player eliminates any issues and creates the perfect player

Bad Points

You need to use Windows Media Player to create a playlist.

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Best Prices

£70
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User Reviews

Wednesday, 13 February 2008

Reviewed by heepster

Star Rating: rating of 5

Duration of ownership: 9 months

Strengths:
This is a fantastic palyer. Video is crisp and bright, no glitches at all. Easy to use and audio is first class. I also have an iPod classic which is awful in comparison to the Sony.

Weaknesses:
None

Overall Evaluation:
First class machine, cant be beaten on price or quality

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Sony Walkman NWZ-A818

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