The Sony NWZ-A845 has stepped into the portable music arena. This week, we get down gauging whether this innovation strikes right chords or broods far beneath its familial standards. Read on the review to find out more about this new Sony creation. If we dig into the history of portable music devices, one system which instantly crosses our mind is the popular Walkman. Throughout the 80s and mid-90s, Sony devised several iterations of the solution which transformed from a brand into a generic name for the segment itself. From the bulky blue and silver metal case, TPS-L2, to the audio cassette player – Stereobelt, CD Walkman or Discman, the electronic giant dominated the harmony of the sphere with its wide assorted offering. After a long spell at the peak, the company’s theatrical suffered a setback as Apple introduced the iPod which rapidly penetrated into households and the trend tweaked fashion into a sleek structure. Since then, competition has been stiff and Sony outdistanced itself from heavy crates, introducing its first range of Walkman MP3 players. Over the years, there have been varied models which garnered success while others faded under the shade of competitors. So what about the NWZ-A845?
On a particular morning, the Sony product swayed into our workspace in a rectangular paper box. The transparent plastic sheath on the front panel of the package showcased the music player at the forefront with other accompaniments in the background. As we unraveled the components cruised in with the box, a list of items flooded the desk. We found ourselves in the midst of a quick start guide, AG warranty card, a display precautionary leaflet, earphones and two pairs of supplementary earbuds. The box also swooshed in an optional cradle, a USB and audio input cable along with an airplane adapter. In the midst of these items, the player was seated in a plastic holding just above the earphones and glinted in a composed avatar. Unpacking the device from its cover surged up a gleeful premonition as the Black Noir apparel of the music player has been carved out for a slim outfit. This dark splash knocks down its construction which appears like a camera roll. Holding this paper-thin gadget in our palm brought a smirk on our faces. This assured us that the first note was played out just right and glued us to our seats for the rest of the orchestration.
Most of the configuration has been housed in a metal coat with matte finish. Sporting a 2.8-inch OLED display, the upper surface of the Sony Walkman NWZ-A845 has been embedded with four circular metal buttons, encircled by a semi-rounded metallic plate with a Walkman logo imprinted on the right end of the design. The small key on the left can be used for jumping to the home page or the previous page. The one on the right will come handy for switching the device on and off as well as to organize options. The piece at the centre plays and stops the flow of acoustics whereas a four-way navigation tab binds them all together. The right side curve has been entrenched with volume adjustment buttons and ‘hold’ key, both made out of plastic. Switching the latter key upwards helps to keep a steady flow of music. The underside of the player hosts an earphone jack and a port for the airplane adapter whereas the back profile boasts of an embossed Walkman logo and some other trademarks.
The quick guide has been affixed with a colorful sticker which reads ‘judge for yourself true premium sound’. Well, that really got us going and we started the analysis of the one thing which allured us the most in this package, the NWZ-A845. We plugged the earphones to the player and started the system. As we floated along some of our favorite tracks, it was time we delved deeper into the configuration of this 7.2mm device. Offering options such as Videos, Music, Photos, FM Radio, Settings, Podcasts, Song playback and Video playback, the innovation extends a multitude of capabilities in its tiny cloak. The dynamic interface of the player is vivacious and allows smooth navigation but it has again been drenched in a black hue which was a bit of a letdown for us. Furthermore, it doesn’t render the touchscreen ability which several other offerings are enveloped with these days. However, the elevated quality of graphics through its vivid attributes brush off such negatives.
Sifting through the assortment of its features, we looked into the nitty-gritty of its varied options. The structure of the solution enables users to browse songs as per the genre, artist, album and other categories. While you groove along the music, it is easy to fine-tune the play mode, the range of the song, equalizer, DPC and more. Besides, those who love a particular portion of any track can simply mark it on the screen. This will wangle the device to repeatedly play that very part of the song. Additionally, if you wish to rush through a song or hold it for a longer duration, manage the speed via the Settings option. Coming to the sound quality, Sony impressed us with the in-ear designed audio solutions which aided the delivery of refined acoustics. The texture of the aural fabric has been balanced finely with pleasing bass and treble waves while the volume scale encompasses a wide range. The innovation streams out superior music at low and medium ranges though the higher ends lead to some distortion.
The Digital Amplifier S-Master construction makes way for direct conversion of digital signals without analog transformation. Whether it’s a song in the MP3, WMA, AAC-LC, AVC format or a MPEG-4 video, the gadget has been capacitated to support them all. Conversely, the company has missed out on other popular formats such as DivX and Xvid. The integrated Virtual Phone Technology facilitates the creation of diverse atmospheres such as Studio, Live, Club, Arena, Matrix and Karaoke. To enhance the audio further, the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine can be turned on for restoring the quality of compressed files while the normalizer strengthens the level of volume. For reproducing crystal clear bass devoid of distortion, the offering has been infused with Automatic Level Control. What irked us through the gamut of features is the Digital Noise cancellation ability incorporated into this NWZ model. The noise cancellation ability falls short in fending off external sounds and you’ll need to up the volume for the desired result. This does not really manage to satisfy the purpose of the DNC and the company needs to tweak this fraction. Nevertheless, while we were junketing through crowded streets, the bus/vehicle mode seemed extremely effective.
Next up are the FM radio, Video playback and image quality extended by the player. The FM Radio delivers precise and clear quality sounds whereas the picture quality is quite striking as the solution has been designed to display up to 4096 x 4096 pixels JPEG photo. Those who love watching dance moves performed on Hip-hop numbers or grooving along the rock star from the latest hit can derive an immersive experience from the video quality. Moreover, the battery life is good as well, enabling users to employ the device for 24 hours on a single charge. In case, it runs out of battery, you will need to part away from the offering as it does not support playback while being charged. To top it all, the 16GB memory garnishes the platter for a delicious treat though the price tag awakens us of its expensive nature. Its Rs. 11,990 price tag seems heavy for this ensemble as many other feature loaded music players offer the same if not more for a lighter rate card.
The Sony Walkman NWZ-A845 music player makes for a decent quality portable audio solution. It tenders finely braced acoustics and flashes splendid graphics while the FM radio comes through in a robust form. The absence of a touchscreen interface interrupts the party but does not affect its functioning in any way. However, some aspects of the design and the noise cancellation feature hammer its near-perfection. It flaunts a pricey label, especially since the tech market is inundated with variants for a lesser charge. After evaluating all its components, the device has earned a rating of 8 on 10 from us for its superior performance.
