CNET Editor's rating: 8.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Jasmine France
Review date: 09/25/07
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.
Here in the CNET offices, there's no doubt that the death of SonicStage will allow Sony's Walkmans to move a significant step up in the MP3 player market share competition. The company's new devices support AAC and protected WMA, offer excellent battery life, and sound fantastic. The latest Walkman to cross the review desk is the NWZ-A810, a video-friendly flash player available in 2GB ($119.95), 4GB ($149.95), and 8GB ($199.95) flavors. We're pretty impressed with this model, and we think you will be too.
The Sony NWZ-A810 is a pretty slick player. It has a high-quality, metallic build with the main body decked out in the brushed color of your choosing--black, pink, white, or silver. A chrome-like strip surrounds the edge of the device, and accenting of the same style surrounds the buttons and makes up the logos on the front. The overall look is more elegant than flashy, so it may not turn heads, but users with an appreciation for understatement will like the style. Actually, the most eye-catching feature is the excellent, 2-inch QVGA display (320x240)--it's bright and crisp and can be used in landscape orientation for viewing photos and videos. The main menu screen is well-organized, with icons that highlight and magnify as you scroll through them, and the playback screen displays album art and a wealth of information. You can even set a screensaver to display the time and date while you're not actively using the player.
Luckily, Sony has learned its lesson about emphasizing form over function and the NWZ-A810 is as easy to use as it is pleasant to look at. Of course, getting rid of SonicStage was a major help, as you can now use all the new Walkmans with WMA jukeboxes, such as Windows Media Player (WMP) and Rhapsody. Once you get some content onto the NWZ-A810, navigation is handled via three circular controls on the front of the player: a power/option key, a back/home button, and a four-way control pad surrounding a central play/pause key. A dedicated volume rocker--always a nice touch--sits on the right edge of the player. The only two design aspects we're not too keen on are the proprietary dock connection and the hold switch, which is placed inconveniently on the back of the device.
Somewhat surprisingly, 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. Other features include photo (JPEG and slide shows) and video (MPEG4 and M4V) playback, as well as support for protected WMA files. The NWZ-A810 also plays MP3 and AAC tracks, and it offers a plethora of EQ options and sound enhancements for tweaking the sound. Finally, there's the unique and fun Time Machine Shuffle, which plays all songs from a randomly selected year.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Sony NWZ-A810 is its performance. Not only is the battery life of 35.3 hours for audio and 8 hours (rated) for video exceptional, but the processor speed is snappy and photos and videos look very good on the bright color screen, with nice detail and excellent color saturation. But, as should be the case for any music player, sound quality steals the show--namely because you don't even need to replace the headphones to enjoy good audio playback. Still, we decided we might as well pop in a pair of Shure SE530s to really put the player to the test. We were not disappointed. Although bass was impressively present through the MDR-EX082s, it really thumps with the SE530s. Similarly, mids were warm and enveloping, and the clarity on the high end was not sacrificed. Sound really sparkles--if excellent sound quality is a must for you, definitely give the NWZ-A810 a try.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular The Best Sounding MP3 Player ever
I waited for the prices to start dropping after Christmas before I purchased my second MP3 Player.
My first being ...
I waited for the prices to start dropping after Christmas before I purchased my second MP3 Player.
My first being a Creative Labs 256, Great work out player but small capacity. Still use it almost daily.
Did hours and hours of research on all the MP3 Players out there, My first thought is get onboard the ipod train. Well let me break it down to you. I picked the ipod first and the sony second. The reason behind that was i have loads of files that itunes can help me keep track of. But when i listened to ipod owners I was suprised to find alot of them where mad that Apple changed nothing with sound quility or interface usage of Itunes. So i borrowed my buddys ipod Nano and my 4 year old creative labs MP3 player sound about the same. Plus the menus where everywhere. I almost needed a index to find the EQ and it didn't change anything.
And i also liked Sony because i owned a sony mini disc (The grandfather to the MP3 player) seven years ago. And loved it for its open source editing and recording.
Well needless to say the Sony 816 4GB MP3 player is the best in my mind for the money and size. The first day i had it i was blown away by the sound. You can control the sound so much that I am still messing with the four different sound options menues and the EQ is great when listing to it in my Element.It is just hard to explain. Lets just say imagine being able to hear all the instruments in the track. I find my self listening to the bass guitar and the purcussions from songs i never really cared about before i purchased the Sony 816. The Video is a little tricky, but i have video editing software that helped with the converstions. The only thing i would suggest to those that are thinking of buying the Sony 810 is if you want to use this for video viewing then you would be better off buy the 8GB for the space.
If you are looking to cut the Itunes leash and do it right and not be tied to software to load and unload your MP3 player then this it the one.
Oh i almost forgot, the battery life is 30+ for audio and around 8 hours for video. That's almost double the ipods stats, and the Sony can show video in different formats.
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by bub9000 (see profile) -
January 8, 2008
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Great player, but with some unusual drawbacks
I previously owned a Creative ZEN V Plus 2GB, and while it was cute and rather usable, I was very ...
I previously owned a Creative ZEN V Plus 2GB, and while it was cute and rather usable, I was very disappointed with the so-called video playback, photo viewing and stupid little joystick ("Hear, hear." says thumb). I decided to get a new one, and after weeks of research, I narrowed it down to the iRiver Clix, the 4GB Zune, the Cowon D2, and the Sony NWZ-A816. Out of those 4, the iRiver Clix I thought was just plain stupid, and the Cowon was a little impractical. After some hands-on time with the Zune and the Sony, well...the Sony was in my hands the next day. First let's talk about the good things: an awesome screen capable of playing REAL videos and REAL photos and READABLE text; amazing earphones, both comfortable and great-sounding with just the right amount of bass; very easy-to-use controls and intuitive menu screen; a whole world of sound enhancement options; and just darn good-lookin'. As with any MP3 player, however, there are drawbacks, and these ones might be really annoying depending on your needs. 1) WHY, oh WHY IS THE EARPHONE CABLE AS SHORT AS IT IS?????? 2) Maybe it's just because I'm used to the ZEN interface, but every time I get into the Now Playing screen, to get to the screen I came FROM, I have to first get out of the place the song is located in the browser (such as in an album or a playlist) and THEN find where-the-heck I was before. I'd like the Back button to take me back to the previous screen, not into some deep abyss of albums and artists and genres and playlists and whatnot... Overall, this MP3 player is about as basic as it can get: no radio, Bluetooth, WiFi or any of the fancy stuff...and that's good in most ways. If you want more features, you might want to go for the Zune (beware of a skippy interface), or if you want something cool but not too expensive (COUGHipodtouchCOUGH), consider the Cowon D2.
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by rick940216 (see profile) -
March 3, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Best MP3 Player I've used.
This mp3/video player works great, especially for the $99 price tag. It plays nearly all types of music files, ...
This mp3/video player works great, especially for the $99 price tag. It plays nearly all types of music files, excellent interface, etc. Only negatives are the relative lack of accessories, the fact that it has a proprietary USB cable, and will not handle all video downloads (ie., video podcast).
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by roke4181 (see profile) -
June 18, 2008
7 out of 10 - Very good Great sound solid player Recommend over Zune Ipod and Creative
I bought this player for my wife and now that I got her a new pair of Sennheiser CX300 earphones ...
I bought this player for my wife and now that I got her a new pair of Sennheiser CX300 earphones she is happy with it. The sony buds did not fit her ears correctly and cord was very short also. After buying this player for her I decided to take a listen with my e500's and this player sounds great.
I was looking to replace my Zune 30 and the sony 8 gb was now in the running but the lack of an expansion slot and no fm radio kinda ruined it for me. After a zune 80(big mistake) I decided on a cowon D2. I like the user interface on the sony better than the cowon but the cowon better matched my needs.
If you are looking for a mp3 player I would recommend this player over any compareable products such as the Zune ,Ipod and Creative. But not over the cowon unless you dont need anymore storage space or want radio.
In case you want to know why over these other product Zune has no music sound settings, smaller screen, less battery life and generic earbuds. Ipod has itunes(good and bad but mostly a bad thing) and generic buds Creative seems to have quality problems. generic buds
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by styleline52 (see profile) -
February 29, 2008
10 out of 10 - Perfect A Great Player!
I purchased this for music and audio books prior to a long plane trip. It works with Windows Media Player ...
I purchased this for music and audio books prior to a long plane trip. It works with Windows Media Player and it is very easy to rip CDs and load onto the player. I also used it to rip audio books from our local library (using their Over Drive Media software)....that worked very well. It performed flawlessly. Listened to about seven hours of audio book plus a few hours of music. Awesome sound quality. I did not find the earphone cable to be too short as noted in the CNET review (with the extension it is about 34 inches from the wire "Y" split to the player). If you want to listen to music and are not concerned about having a radio or microphone, this is an excellent product. Fits in the palm of your hand and easily in a shirt pocket. The placement of the hold button is not a problem...it's on the back...not hard to find nor use. Super product for the money.
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by glenn_n2gadgets (see profile) -
February 4, 2008
10 out of 10 - Perfect Fantastic. I just love it!
This is my 4th MP3 - I had another Sony, an Ipod 30G and Creative Zen V Plus, and this ...
This is my 4th MP3 - I had another Sony, an Ipod 30G and Creative Zen V Plus, and this is the one I enjoy the most by far. I was looking for 4 specific features: long battery life, instant response when you press "Power" (it took forever with the Creative), ability to control the volume on the device (you don't need to take it out of your pocket when it rains or snows) and above all, no problems with the firmware, the software or any other ware! I did a lot of research on the Net before making my decision and I came across this one almost by accident (Sony was not on my list when I started my search). This is the one that met all my requirements! And on top of that, I really liked the design (not flashy) and the quality of the finish - it feels so sturdy. And needless to say, it is a big plus to get very good earbuds right out of the box. This player is not in front of the pack in terms of innovation or number of extra features (voice recording, radio, touch, etc.), but it does what an MP3 player should do: play music that sounds good, for a long time, and without any fear that it's going to crash or break.
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by tibiscuit (see profile) -
February 2, 2008
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Sony has a winner MP3 player here!
Great player overall. Sound is great and the features are amazing. Getting rid of Sonicstage was a good move. The ...
Great player overall. Sound is great and the features are amazing. Getting rid of Sonicstage was a good move. The player can also display foriegn language text (eg: chinese, korean, etc.) The only thing that would be better is if the cord on the headset was longer and didn't use that extender but it's functionable. Well done Sony! =D
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by karaoke008 (see profile) -
January 23, 2008
7 out of 10 - Very good Reliable Alternative to iPod
Overall, this is a satisfying MP3 player for the audiophile. Do not look for the extra "bells and whistles" though. ...
Overall, this is a satisfying MP3 player for the audiophile. Do not look for the extra "bells and whistles" though. There is no FM tuner or bluetooth capability here (although a module can be purchased for this). The included ear buds are exceptional. I have been hearing many more nuances in my music with this player. Being a musician myself, I appreciate the attention Sony has paid to sound quality. There is a five band equalizer (six if you count the ?clear bass? feature), but I have found the equalizer unnecessary for the most part. My only complaint with the equalizer is that it only has a spread of 400Hz-16kHz thereby missing adjustments for the top and bottom end.
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by velojay (see profile) -
January 15, 2008
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Quit shopping around and just buy the darn thing!
I'm picky. Let's just say that this is my 5th mp3 player and that I've taken the ...
I'm picky. Let's just say that this is my 5th mp3 player and that I've taken the first four of them back to the store. This one is a keeper! After taking it out of the box, giggling at how cute it was, charging it, and then loading a couple of hundred songs to it off my Napster account, it was time to take a listen. Let's just say that at first I was a little freaked out. I had it on the user EQ setting with the "CLEAN BASS" setting at "MAX" with the volume turned all the way up. All at once the volume started to "breathe". The "CLEAN BASS" feature seems to not only boost the bass but to cut the interfering frequencies around it to allow the bass frequencies to cut through cleanly. When the setting is too high, and the volume is at max, the volume of the surrounding music goes up and down to the beat of the kick drum (or synth, bass guitar, whatever). I can't believe none of the reviews I read mentioned this! However, once I learned to back off on the volume a bit, to use the "CLEAN BASS" feature sparingly, and also learned that the .4 setting on the EQ was 400 hz and not 40 hz (it's a little misleading being on the left side of the EQ), the sound quality is just freaking amazing. The signal is just so clean and the bass just cuts through to where you can follow any bass line when it would normally be cluttered on another player. I'd be proud to hook this player up to any super high quality set of speakers (EQ flat) and just rock the house. The supplied earbuds sound better than my old aftermarket ones which is just another reason to buy this player. With other players you just have to buy new earbuds or you are just wasting your time (and money)! As far as no FM tuner goes, THANK YOU! What a waste of processing power that would be. This thing is quick. If I wanted a radio I'd go buy one. I really have no intention of watching movies on this thing but the screen looks wonderful, clear and colorful. All in all, it's all I could ask for in a player. Go spend the money, you won't regret it!
Updated If you're smart enough to have already purchased the NWZ-816, a good way to get extra bass is to take a pair of those squishy memory foam type earplugs, cut them down to between 3/8 and 1/2 inch long (the rounded side that goes in your ear), and then bore a hole through the center of them with a hot soldering iron tip. Now use those instead of the silicone earpieces. WAY BETTER!! They will be a perfect fit to your ear canals which results in better bass, not to mention way more comfortable. I think this should work with any type of in ear canal type earbuds that use silicone rubber tips.
Updated Just take a pair of those squishy memory foam type earplugs, cut them down to between 3/8 and 1/2 inch, then take the rounded sides and bore a hole through through the center of them with the hot tip of a soldering iron. Now use these instead of the silicone rubber tips on your earbuds. WAY BETTER! They fit the ear canal perfectly which results in better bass, not to mention being more comfortable!
8 out of 10 - Excellent Good sound quality, nice screen
This is my first mp3 player ever. Before this I was an MD proponent just because of one reason: sound. ...
This is my first mp3 player ever. Before this I was an MD proponent just because of one reason: sound. The Mini Discs have a great sound quality with ample amount of bass. I used my Sony MZ-N1 for about 5 years. (I bought it when it first debuted in Asia) So honestly, I'm not too impressed with the sound quality. Compared to other mp3s my friends have, it does have a superior sound quality. I am greatly impressed by the video playback and the battery life though. MDs never had video playback capabilities. It has a small and sleek design. With the crystal case added to it, it looks even better. All and all, this is another great product from Sony. I just wish it had the amount of bass equal to my old MD.
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by killrforehand (see profile) -
January 5, 2008
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