35% off Dell's Most Popular LaptopsSony NWZ-S616F (4GB, red)
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: NWZ-S616FRED
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Sony NWZ-S610 series Walkman doesn't bring anything striking or new to the table, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a quality MP3 player with nice extras and a killer battery life. Plus, Sony got rid of SonicStage--the best news ever.
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CNET editors' review
Sony NWZ-S616F (4GB, red) price range: $139.87
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 08/30/2007
- Released on: 08/31/2007
The good: The Sony NWZ-S610 series features a compact design with a high-quality feel and an ample screen. The user interface is intuitive, and there are plenty of features to choose from, such as an FM radio and photo and video playback. No more awful SonicStage software: this Walkman is a PlaysForSure device supporting subscription tracks as well as unprotected WMA, MP3, and even AAC files. The player offers good sound quality and an excellent rated battery life.
The bad: The Sony NWZ-S610 series doesn't offer any exceptional new technology, and there are cheaper competitors that offer the same features.
The bottom line: The Sony NWZ-S610 series Walkman doesn't bring anything striking or new to the table, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a quality MP3 player with nice extras and a killer battery life. Plus, Sony got rid of SonicStage--the best news ever.
Simple, sleek, and understated
The newest series of Walkmans comes in a variety of capacity/color combos. You can go with a 2GB ($120) S-615 version in black, pink, red, or silver; a 4GB ($160) S-616 model in the same choice of colors; or the more capacious 8GB S-618, which comes only in black and will set you back $210. It's not the cheapest player on the block--the Creative Zen V Plus, which offers roughly the same features, runs 30 to 40 bucks cheaper. However, the NWZ-S610 offers a more sophisticated design with a larger (1.8-inch) screen and a higher-quality feel. It's also a little larger overall, measuring 3.1 inches by 1.6 inches by 0.4 inch, though whether this is a good or bad thing depends on the user. It's certainly pocket-friendly.
Below the ample screen, the NWZ-S610 offers a similarly well-proportioned control pad. A central play/pause key is surrounded by four tactile directional arrows, which are used for skipping tracks and navigating menus. Happily, volume is handled via a dedicated rocker on the right spine of the device. The front of the player also houses the ever-handy back/home and power/option (contextual menu) buttons. A hold switch can be found on the left edge of the device, while the top and bottom contain the standard 3.5-millimeter headphone jack and proprietary USB port, respectively.
Easy navigation and easier syncing
In general, the Walkman is a snap to use. This is in large part due to a lovely, icon-driven main menu on the device itself, but we can't forget the absence of the requirement to load music via SonicStage--that's a huge help on the software/transfer side of things. Transferring songs, including subscription playlists from Rhapsody, is a breeze, and the NWZ-S610 plays oh-so-nicely with Windows Media Player for syncing any content. Supported formats include MP3, WMA, and AAC for audio; AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profile and MPEG-4 for videos; and JPEG for photos. If you get tired of your own content, you can tune into the onboard FM radio, which offers an autoscan feature and 30 preset slots.
Delving into the various content menus proffers different results, all of them straightforward and easy to navigate through. Oddly, playlists cannot be accessed through the music menu, but have their own icon on the main menu screen. Within music, you can sort by album, artist, and so on--navigating by album is particularly nice as there's an option to do so by cover art. Once you dig down into the tracks, there's a useful twist-like interface feature. You can navigate down lists using the up and down keys, but press the right or left ones and you're taken through sections, such as 0 through 9 and A through D. This is quite handy for getting quickly through long lists. The photo menu offers a lovely 3x4 thumbnail grid, and videos are listed with their titles and a handy thumbnail still shot. It's a polished interface overall, and it makes browsing pleasant.
Sound and settings
In addition to the various features mentioned previously, the Sony NWZ-S610 series offers various audio and display settings. For example, you can flip the screen orientation in order to view photos and videos in landscape mode ("wide-screen")--a convenient feature. You can also choose to view full-screen album art while listening to music, rather than a thumbnail with song info on the playback screen. The player also has the standard playback modes (shuffle, repeat, and so on), and there's a snazzy EQ section that offers a graphic representation of the presets (five in all, plus two user-defined modes). Then, of course, there are the various sound-enhancement tools--Digital Sound Enhancement (DSE), Clear Bass, and Clear Stereo--which honestly don't do much, but they do offer a little improvement. Finally, there are the surround sound effects, for those who want to feel like their listening in an arena or at a rave.
Sony has never had trouble with MP3 player performance (except if you include the performance with its software)--the NWZ-S610 is no exception. As we've come to expect from Walkman players, the rated battery life is fantastic: 33 hours for audio and 8 hours for video. CNET Labs was able to eke out a slightly less impressive 25.2 hours for audio, and a pretty appalling 1.9 hours for video. Photos look very good on the bright color screen, with nice detail and excellent color saturation. Video is similarly impressive, though we wouldn't want to watch more than 20 to 30 minutes on this size of screen. Sound quality for music was fine through the included headphones, but much better through a pair of Shure SE530s (any high-quality earphones should do the trick). The NWZ-S610 series offers nice, tight bass; rich, enveloping mids; and clear, sparkly highs--what more can you ask for, really?
User reviews
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Terrific sound
by balakubakshampoo on October 3, 2007
Pros: All around good product
Cons: Head phone does not fit my ears.
Summary: Better than Ipod. Sound is very good, even if the earphone does not fit perfectly. I am very happy to have bought this. I had an ipod 20 Gig that ...
Summary: Better than Ipod. Sound is very good, even if the earphone does not fit perfectly. I am very happy to have bought this. I had an ipod 20 Gig that did not last for 2 years. I hate the itune part of it (the sound was not that good either). This,with the window media player is very easy to use. If you want ease of use, great sound this is it. There are cheaper players out there but they do not sound as good.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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worst experience with this mp3!!!
by lpinni on August 16, 2009
Pros: good music sound for few months
Cons: no warranty after 90 days
product no working after few months
terrible customer support everSummary: DO NOT BUY A SONY!
my mp3 lasted 7 months and if I want to repair it it was costing as buying a new one
it just stopped working suddenly ...Summary: DO NOT BUY A SONY!
my mp3 lasted 7 months and if I want to repair it it was costing as buying a new one
it just stopped working suddenly and when I tried to take my music out of it, it turned off completely
I never had such a terrible experience, it was supposed to work 1 YEAR!!! there warranty is unuseful after 90 days instead!!!
the worst customer support ever!!and the product is just crap! -
works for few months only
by laurapi on August 4, 2009
Pros: the sound is good of course, cause it is sony
Cons: the earbuds stopped working after less than 6 months and after another month the mp3 also...
Summary: I would not buy again something that lasts only few months!
Summary: I would not buy again something that lasts only few months!
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Sounds Great and Feature Rich. Definite thumbs up.
by prateekmi2 on June 21, 2009
Pros: Super Easy Navigation - 5/5 for this
Good design, looks sleek.
Easy File Syncing.
Great sound, with an excellent (cutomisable) equalizer. 5/5 for this too.
Good Screen Clarity
Good Battery Life
Good Shuffle, never repeats a track.Cons: No memory expansion slot :(
Not many video formats supported.
Out of the box earphones, though good, might be uncomfortable for some.
No bookmarking, song rating, saving equalizer settings for individual tracks.Summary: The player lives up to expectations. Other than the non-expandable memory and lack of support for some video formats, I have no major complaints whatsoever. The interface is easy to ...
Summary: The player lives up to expectations. Other than the non-expandable memory and lack of support for some video formats, I have no major complaints whatsoever. The interface is easy to use and navigate, which makes life quite simple, and lets you concentrate on listening to music instead of finding music. The sound quality is great and the equalizer works perfectly fine. A good deal for the money.
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Sansa Fuze 4gb video/mp3 is a better product
by gilda444 on May 27, 2009
Pros: please see below
Cons: stopped working in 4 months, there's only a 90 day warranty.... check out my summary below.. and then check out the Sansa Fuze!
Summary: I bought 2 MP3 players at the same time: This Sony Walkman 4gb and Sansa Fuze 4gb for the same price. Both were video players. The Sansa is better looking ...
Summary: I bought 2 MP3 players at the same time: This Sony Walkman 4gb and Sansa Fuze 4gb for the same price. Both were video players. The Sansa is better looking and easier to use. Unfortunately both stopped working at the same time as well, so I can comment on the warranty and tech support. I was able to get a replacement, new Sansa for free without any hassle. The tech support picked up fast and although they were unable to fix the problem over the phone, they were able to send me a new one FOR FREE (1 year warranty) without me having to do ANY paperwork.
SONY, on the other hand, didn't have a toll free number, took a long time to pick up, while the customer tech was polite and professional, she wasn't able to fix it over the phone and because it was only a 90 day warranty, I would have to pay $77 to get it fixed -
in a word, awesome
by Yadavindrian_forever on April 9, 2009
Pros: excellent sound quality, the fm feature is pretty good, video display is excellent.
Cons: making a play list is quite difficult, i haven't been able to do that till now
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VERY VERY SEXY
by TEJRAV on February 3, 2009
Pros: GOOD PICTURE QUALITY AND GOOD SOUND QUALITY
Cons: I LIKE EVERY THING BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE CAMERA
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Great Small MP3 Player
by nhergert on August 21, 2008
Pros: Battery Life, Small size, Sharp screen, h.264 playback, NO software
Cons: None that I have found
Summary: This Sony MP3 player is light years ahead of the Ipod nano. The sound is by far the best that I have heard from a MP3 player. My favorite thing ...
Summary: This Sony MP3 player is light years ahead of the Ipod nano. The sound is by far the best that I have heard from a MP3 player. My favorite thing about this is than you do not have to use any software to load music on to it. No Itunes, and you dont even have to use Windows Media Player. The screen is super sharp, and video playback is smooth. This is so much better than my Ipod nano, I should have bought this the fist time around.
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garbage!!!!!!!!!!!!
by dtaks1 on August 21, 2008
Pros: easy to download music
Cons: battery took a dump after only 6 months!
Summary: Sony wanted $77.00 to replace the battery. still under warranty and it's was guna cost me $77.00. they ask for the serial number off my player and ...
Summary: Sony wanted $77.00 to replace the battery. still under warranty and it's was guna cost me $77.00. they ask for the serial number off my player and I explained to them the the little sticker fell off a few months ago. How long did they think that it would stay on?
would I buy or do I plan on buying another Sony? NO! I would rather flush my money down the toilet! -
Excellent Quality MP3 Player
by wobble on August 17, 2008
Pros: CD Quality listening pleasure
Cons: None I can think of
Summary: After reading numerous reviews on many MP3 players I settled on Sony. Why? Sound quality kept popping up! Some professional reviewers, including CNET personnel can get over critical, like movie ...
Summary: After reading numerous reviews on many MP3 players I settled on Sony. Why? Sound quality kept popping up! Some professional reviewers, including CNET personnel can get over critical, like movie critics. As long as this unit will accept the MOST popular MP3, WMA music codecs, this is all I require. This also applies for the video limited format codecs which I don't think most would want to watch video on this small screen for very long anyway. As long it has the most popular codecs for the novice, this is good enough for me. My preference in choosing this player was first, CD quality, second w FM, and third Photo, and 4th - battery life. I liked CNETS review as stated was so easy to navigate which made my selection a plus too. I am a tech person at my SR age and read before making a purchase. I have had this player for about a month now and CD listening PERFORMANCE is confirmed! The FM radio is picking up stations within a 50 mile radius - Perfect! The navigational layout is extremely easy to use! I up graded the earbuds to $50.00 Denon found at Target. For serious listening at home, I use my AKG K240 Studio headphones. I purchased this W at Walmart for $89.00 and could not be happier with the CD Quality and distance range of FM stations! One fine machine.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: NWZ-S616FRED
- Description: Sony S610F-series Walkman offers a very portable audio and viewing solution with the added bonus of open platform filing and drag-n-drop functionality. The new S610F-series Walkman supports the open audio formats of MP3, non-secure AAC, security-enhanced WMA and the secure format of WMA. To help manage digital music libraries, the new Walkman model comes with Microsoft Windows Media Player 11. Alternatively, consumers can simply select music, video or photo files from a computer then drag and drop them into their corresponding folders in their new S610F-series Walkman.
General
- Product type Digital player / radio
- PC interface(s) supported Hi-Speed USB
- Amplifier total output power 10 mW
- Flash memory installed 4 GB Integrated
- Digital storage None
- Weight 1.8 oz
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 1.7 in x 0.5 in x 3.1 in
- Color Red
- Available body colors Black, Silver, Pink
- Included accessories USB cable, Headphones, Extension cord
- Software type Drivers & Utilities, Microsoft Windows Media Player 11
Carrying Case
- Case type None
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards AAC, MP3, PCM, WMA, Protected WMA (DRM 10)
- Playback modes Continuous, Repeat all, One track repeat, Random play / shuffle
- Response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Additional features JPEG photo playback
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display TFT
- Diagonal size 1.8 in
- Resolution 240 x 320
- Backlight display Yes
- Display illumination color White
Audio Features
- Amplifier output channel qty 2
- Sound effects Clear Bass
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Amplifier response bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Additional features 3 clear audio technologies, Time machine shuffle, Slide show
Video Playback Features
- Video playback support MPEG-4, M4V
- Still image format JPEG
CD System
- Playback modes Repeat on/off, Continuous playback on/off
- Digital audio standards supported MP3, WMA, AAC-LC, Linear PCM
Equalizer
- Equalizer type Built-in
- Equalizer factory preset qty 5
- Equalizer factory presets Pop, Jazz, Heavy, Custom, Unique
- Equalizer band qty 5 bands
Radio
- Tuner type Built-in FM tuner Radio tuner
- Station preset qty 30
- Tuner bands FM
- Antenna form factor Headphone cord FM
- Tuner frequency range FM: 87.5 - 108 MHz
Remote Control
- Remote control None
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural Ear-bud
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included External, 1 x USB cable -, 1 x Headphones extender -
- Connector type 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x USB
Battery / Power
- Battery Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
- Mfr estimated battery life 33 hour(s)
- Recharge time 3 hour(s)
- Power device type None
System Requirements
- Peripheral / Interface devices USB port
- Operating system Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later
Manufacturer info
- Sony
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.sonystyle.com
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790
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