Sony S-Series Walkman (second generation, 16GB, black)
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: NWZ-S545BLK
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- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Sony S-Series Walkman is a solid entry-level MP3 player thanks to its ultra-affordable price tag, easy-to-use design, excellent performance, and fair smattering of features--but those who are looking to upgrade from the previous generation will not be impressed.
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CNET editors' review
Sony S-Series Walkman (second generation, 16GB, black) price range: $106.87 - $155.21
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 09/01/2009
The good: The Sony S-Series Walkman is very inexpensive and easy to use; it offers support for multiple audio codecs as well as subscription music and Amazon video; photos and videos look great on the big, bright screen; audio quality is superb and the rated battery life is impressive; the unit features external speakers and an alarm clock function; the FM tuner and voice recorder work excellently.
The bad: The Sony S-Series Walkman no longer offers noise cancellation or upgraded headphones; there's no podcast support, SenseMe Channels, or on-the-go playlists; getting video onto the device can be a hassle.
The bottom line: The Sony S-Series Walkman is a solid entry-level MP3 player thanks to its ultra-affordable price tag, easy-to-use design, excellent performance, and fair smattering of features--but those who are looking to upgrade from the previous generation will not be impressed.
Sony had a major success with the launch of the S-Series Walkman in the fall of 2008. The company stepped up with a sleek and compact device that offered a bounty of useful features along with stellar sound quality and fantastic battery life. As might be expected, when it came time for a second-gen model, we waited with bated breath, expecting something equally impressive or perhaps even somewhat improved. Unfortunately, the exhalation of said breath has emerged as a disappointed sigh. Although the second-generation S-Series Walkman still offers top-notch audio and excellent rated battery life, Sony has hobbled the player by crippling its feature set. The upshot is that this was done in the name of rock-bottom pricing, which makes the S-Series one of the cheapest flash players on the market: you can pick up an 8GB model for $110 and a 16GB for just $130. This--combined with its excellent sound quality and battery life--is the player's saving grace.
Design and interface
For better or for worse, the second-gen S-Series Walkman is noticeably larger than its predecessor. The nice thing about this is it allows for a larger, more video-friendly screen, and the 2.4-inch QVGA LCD is every bit as crisp, colorful, and bright as before. The bigger chassis also allows for a pair of integrated external speakers that flank both sides of the display and pass through to ports on the back of the device for more air flow (something that generally equates to better sound quality). Of course, this means that the new S-Series is not quite as pocket-friendly as the previous iteration, measuring nearly 4 inches long and 2 inches across, though it is only a fraction thicker at 0.4 inch. Also, because of the speaker placement, the player strongly resembles a cell phone, a fact that may or may not deter some users.
Below the screen, Sony has built in its typical circular control pad: a standard four-way directional button surrounding a central play/pause key. This is flanked by two additional buttons--back (home) and option (power)--which are arranged in such a way that one can't help but picture Mickey Mouse. Still, the Disneyesque look doesn't hinder the navigation of the device, which is a breeze. A grid of icons for the main functions makes up the top menu, while the music submenu is handily divided into artist, album, genre, and so on. Playlists, however, are only accessible through a separate, dedicated section, which is a bit odd though not really a navigational hindrance. Unfortunately, the S-Series still does not offer an on-the-go playlist option.
Although the second-gen S-Series Walkman appears to be constructed out of a material similar to what was used for its predecessor, it has a more plastic-y feel that makes it seem a bit cheaper. However, it offers the same shiny, metallic topcoat--in a choice of red, pink, violet, or black--and the player still retains a somewhat sleek and sexy look. We also appreciate that Sony held onto the dedicated volume rocker on the left spine. Here, you'll also find two switches: one for locking the controls (hold) and another for toggling between speaker and headphone modes. The standard headphone jack along with Sony's proprietary USB port live on the bottom edge.
Feature subtraction
It would stand to reason that the second-gen S-Series Walkman is probably a few features short of its predecessor, namely because the entry price is significantly lower. We expected, for example, that this player would probably do away with the integrated noise-canceling functionality and the upgraded packaged headphones--both of those extras represent a cost to the company. What is baffling, however, is the fact that Sony also eliminated core interface-based features such as distinguished podcast support and the smart playlist creator, SensMe Channels. Podcasts are now lumped in with the general music catalog and thus have no bookmarking feature and will playback on shuffle--a glaring annoyance. You also won't find Rhapsody DNA integration, which, while a less surprising omission, is no less disappointing.
These deficiencies certainly mar the S-Series legacy, but the player still includes a fair amount of features for the price. You get support for MP3, secure WMA, AAC, and Linear PCM (Sony's version of WAV) audio as well as JPEG photo, but again a disappointment here: you can no longer set your own photos as wallpaper. There's also video playback for AVC, MPEG-4, and WMV, though this is crippled by the fact that the player is very particular about the size, frame rate, and container of video files. However, we do appreciate the support for videos purchased and rented from Amazon Video On Demand.
The S-Series Walkman also offers a built-in FM tuner with autoscanner and up to 30 preset slots as well as a recording feature. And there's a pinhole mic on the bottom of the unit for taking voice notes, for which you can choose from three quality settings. The external speakers afford a final bonus: you can use the Walkman as an alarm clock and wake up to the radio or a track of your choosing.
Performance to the rescue
Considering how much Sony managed to strip down the S-Series Walkman in its second iteration, it was with some trepidation that we approached the performance of the device. Luckily, it's going to take more than a severe price cut to infringe upon Sony's long history of stellar sound quality and long battery lives. The only area that isn't particularly stunning is the speaker playback, which is rather unsurprisingly tinny and anemic. It's clear and fairly loud, though, so it gets the job done, and the battery life of 17 hours for audio and 5 hours for video is more than decent.
Naturally, when you listen to the S-Series Walkman through a good set of headphones (the Klipsch Image S4, in our case), the sound quality enjoys a dramatic improvement. Music sounds rich, warm, and defined across genres, with sparkly highs and buttery mids. Bass is punchy and encompassing without being overpowering--it's just the amount of low-end oomph we crave. The best part is that the device provides excellent audio across a full gamut of genres, which means it would make a great "everyman's" MP3 player. (And there are plenty of EQ settings to toy with, though no SRS Wow settings here.) Plus, the rated battery life of 42 hours for audio and 6.5 hours for video is nothing to scoff at, and we expect to match or beat those numbers in our CNET Labs testing (check back soon for final scores on that).
Similarly, photos and videos look fantastic on the bright screen, with excellent color saturation, crisp edges, and little-to-no visible pixelation (depending on the original quality of the files). Viewing angles are also great, though you probably wouldn't want to share for long with such a tiny screen. Finally, FM reception is well above average, and our test voice recordings came through very clear with little hiss.
Final thoughts
The Sony S-Series Walkman offers excellent audio playback, a long battery life, a nice screen, a simple interface, and some decent extras for little money--it's obviously a great value. Indeed, it's easy to recommend this player to budget-minded people who are looking for an introduction to the Walkman line. But those who have experienced the previous generation S-Series will be very disappointed by the successor to the line. Although the new version is much cheaper, it represents a diluted version of its former self. In this case, newer definitely does not mean better.
User reviews
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Sony S540 vs Ipod Nano
by SabbirSyed on October 1, 2009
Pros: I love the sound quality...It has even better sound quality than previous S series..Also the battery lasts for long time
Cons: I don't like that I have to fix the view of the pictures manually...I wish it worked if you just rotated it..and I can't also select a picture as a wallpaper
Summary: I like this product because it has much better sound quality than all the Ipods out there...I actually had an ipod nano, but then I had to change it ...
Summary: I like this product because it has much better sound quality than all the Ipods out there...I actually had an ipod nano, but then I had to change it because of its WORST possible SOUND QUALITY with the white HEADPHONES..the battery also goes too fast...even if you just listen to music and watch any videos..but the new Sony S series has it all.. the new one has bigger screen which is very good to watch videos..eventhough the main function of this mp3 player is the built in speaker I don't use it much...because I feel that the button will get loose..
The bottom is that if you really care about the music quality then you have to use this mp3 player because this is the best one you have out there...and if you just like to show off with sound quality then pick up those ipod nanos1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Compromised yes, but still a great value for the SQ
by make_or_break on September 16, 2009
Pros: Superb sound quality that actually puts my new X-series to shame. Familiar, easy-to-use Sony interface. Built-in speakers (on back). Voice recording is nice.
Cons: No on-the-fly playlist generation (so what else is new with Sony?). Cheapish plastic feel, 'Mickey'-look control placement takes some getting used to. Awful video feeding experience, compromises with decontenting old features for iffy new ones.
Summary: I usually buy these things for their music performance, so that's typically my personal slant on things. And in this regard my wife's S545 doesn't disappoint. Music ...
Summary: I usually buy these things for their music performance, so that's typically my personal slant on things. And in this regard my wife's S545 doesn't disappoint. Music sounds truly fantastic on this thing, granted it's played through aftermarket cans (Senn PX-100, Senn IE-8 IEMs). IMO, from a audio fidelity standpoint this new player does music better than my X1061, at least before I attempt to tweak things around on the more expensive Walkman.
Sonically, this device is more than impressive; at least Sony has that part nailed. But functionally the S545 can't help but feel knee-capped. Like all other Sony PMPs present and past, getting video to the player is a real chore that seems hardly worth it given the intense hassle. Voice recording is a nice add, but the manner in which the interface works and allows you to actually LISTEN to said recordings is a sadistic joke; the S has to go off and basically reboot itself to 'rebuild' the audio library (the resultant recordings are MP3 files that apparently the S won't understand until said library is recompiled). The chassis materials are definitely a step down from what I've been accustomed to from Sony, though in truth I never had the original first-gen S-series for and actual generation-to-generation comparison. And the player IS big for the capacity, thicker than my old A829 Walkman from a couple of years ago; the price paid for going to a plastic housing, I suppose.
But the price is hard to beat; we picked this one up at our local Sony Style store at the start of this past Labor Day weekend when there was a 20% off promotion going on with ALL of their MP3/PMP devices. A shade over $100 was definitely a sweet price for this sort of sonic nirvana, but even at the regular retail price the S545 is something of a bargain. You just need to lower your expectations on pretty much everything else you'd come to look for in a PMP device.
Flawed for sure, but still good enough to enjoy and be content with.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good Unit but Doesn't Like Large Playlists
by jdg717 on September 12, 2009
Pros: Powerful Speaker, Nice Screen, Good Computer Interface, Great Sound!
Cons: Long time to load playlist list, Reboots with large playlists, No expandable memory, Will not allow you to remove bundled software.
Summary: This unit boasts great sound, great sound enhancement options, a user friendly and robust menu and GUI. Linking with computer is fast and easy. However with 16GB (actually 14.8 ...
Summary: This unit boasts great sound, great sound enhancement options, a user friendly and robust menu and GUI. Linking with computer is fast and easy. However with 16GB (actually 14.8 usable) you have a lot of music and have a good chance of having a relatively large playlist (especially considering that you can sync by playlist in many computer music programs, i.e. Media Monkey, WMP 11, etc.). Well, this unit will not play large playlists, actually it will not even recognize them. When the unit loads after a sync it rebuilds the library, but apparently this library does not include the playlists. When you first go to the playlist menu, it takes forever to load (20-30 seconds easy), then when it gets to a large playlist, it locks up, clicks, then reboots. And even further, the reboot is a hard reboot, the unit takes about 3-5 min to turn back on because it has to reload the library all over again. Even after reloading, the unit will not recognize the playlists, and repeats the same problem. Bottom line, Sony made a great unit for a great price, but practically made the unit unusable with this issue. Small playlists work fine and load fast, large ones, no luck. The speaker is great, user interface and display are pristine, OS could use some work. I have synced the same playlists with many other MP3 players with no issues what so ever. Hopefully Sony will come up with a firmware fix in the near future, unfortunately at this point, there is no internet support in forums, etc. to find if this is a reoccurring problem because the unit is so new. Maybe I will try the unit again later when it has had a little more exposure on the market and the bugs have been worked out, but at this point, both units I tried (while hoping I got a lemon at first) are going back. Fellow non-Ipod users, use a your own risk.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Love it!!!
by cltinseattle on November 15, 2009
Pros: Easy to use. Very good sound quality.
Cons: Doesn't really shut off. Shutting it off puts it into stand-by mode.
Summary: I have had this MP3 player for a month now and wanted to give it a little time before I reviewed it. I love this MP3 Player. First let me ...
Summary: I have had this MP3 player for a month now and wanted to give it a little time before I reviewed it. I love this MP3 Player. First let me say that I don?t use it as a video player or for pictures, nor do I use the little table top stand or the headphones it came with so I am not going to give my opinion on those features. I use it as an MP3 player, that?s all, and for that it is excellent!
What I really like in an MP3 player is not having to use the software it comes with in order to transfer my music into the player like you do with the players made by the major computer monopolies. I am still a CD person and still like to actually buy my music on CD?s. I use Real Player to save the music to my computer and to edit the clip information, then I use Windows Explorer to copy and paste the music into the MP3 player. Yeah I know, I?m old-fashioned but I use my MP3 player as a convenient means of carrying around my own CD collection. On those occasions when I do actually download a song from the internet it is just as easy to use Windows Explorer to copy and paste it into the MP3 player.
The sound quality is probably the best of any MP3 player I have ever purchased. The built-in equalizer is nice in that you can customize your own personal equalizer settings as well as using the built-in settings. The transfer of sound quality into the MP3 input jack in a vehicle is the best of any previous MP3 player I have owned. It seems that all MP3 players will lose some sound quality when plugged into a vehicle MP3 input jack but this one does a very decent job. As I said I don?t use the little ear-bud ear phones, I simply have too many piercings to be able to use them, so I use good quality over-the-ear headphones and as I said, the sound quality is excellent.
The built-in speakers are a nice feature although they don?t give you much volume and are not something I would actually use for listening to music. They are more useful for those moments when you want to share what you are listening to with a co-worker who walks up and asks ?what are you listening to?? or when you want to ask ?who played guitar on this song??. You can simply switch over to the built-in speakers and share what you are listening to. It?s kind of a nice feature not found on other MP3 players.
The buttons and operation are easy and intuitive to learn to use. The one thing I don?t like is that you never really shut it off. Shutting it off just puts it in stand-by mode.
I made my own sleeve to carry it in and to protect it from scratching, etc. I can see how it might scratch easily if you are the kind who carries it in your pocket and it ends up next to your keys or your pocket change.
The bottom line, this is a great little MP3 player for the money. -
Nice , good priced large capacity player with speakers
by jrwt54 on October 30, 2009
Pros: Price, Price, Price. Large capacity. Pretty easy to use. Sound is great even from the Speakers. The screen is really bright and videos play really well.
Cons: I really don't understand the Content Transfer software. I can't get one of my videos to drag and drop from Windows Explorer.
Summary: I payed a lot more for my old 2G player (iriver Clix) and I couldn't find another large capacity device that I was willing to pay the price for (...
Summary: I payed a lot more for my old 2G player (iriver Clix) and I couldn't find another large capacity device that I was willing to pay the price for (that was after looking at almost everything). I really like this player for its sound quality. Even the speakers sound great. It was pretty easy to transfer my music with WMP, but I had one video that won't transfer so I tried Content Transfer but that didn't work either. The only reason I didn't give it excellent was its lack of really coolness. For such a nice player it could be better.
After using this player for awhile I have to say its really good for the price. I bought a care on Sony earbuds and I really love the sound. Best and most avoidable player I've seen so far.
Updated on Nov 9, 2009 -
Excellent sound - tiny photos
by Antonolbo on September 15, 2009
Pros: Sounds excellent. Fast and easy drag/drop songs from my computer. FM radio recording comes back sounding just like the original broadcast.
Cons: Photos are displayed across the width of the screen, so even though the pictures are sharp, they are very tiny, only using half of the available screen. The unit is "dead" while it's recharging/hooked up to the computer.
Summary: I bought this because of the FM recording sound quality. Very pleased with that. Easy to use for most features. Loading songs was quick and painless. The built-in speakers are ...
Summary: I bought this because of the FM recording sound quality. Very pleased with that. Easy to use for most features. Loading songs was quick and painless. The built-in speakers are functional, but nothing amazing, just an added bonus if you happen to want someone to hear something without passing around a set of headphones. I tried loading a video file, but it was apparently the wrong format (AVI not AVC) so I'll have to figure out how to change the format, if that's possible.
OK, I found out where to set the photo setting to display in the "horizontal" format of the screen instead of the "vertical" orientation, so the pictures are now twice as big. Much nicer.
Updated on Sep 21, 2009
Updated on Sep 29, 2009A couple more points on this unit... after you charge the unit up and disconnect it from the computer/USB port, it stays on... even if you had it turned off when you plugged it in. I had it plugged in and charged it up, then when I went to use it, the power was way down.. almost dead. The only thing I can figure out was that it was just own the whole time after I unplugged it from the charger and didn't realise it was automatically "on" at that point. It's also very easy to bump any button on the unit, and touching almost any button will turn it on. Very easy to inadvertantly have the unit on draining power that way as well. I found I have to keep the lock button armed just to prevent the battery getting drained.
The isn't much of a fast forward speed to go through recorded sessions. Better to just stop and retsart the recording at various points to divide up the recording into more managable sections.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: NWZ-S545BLK
- Description: Exercise your options with the slim and stylish 16GB S series Walkman video MP3 player. Featuring built-in stereo speakers, you can unplug your headphones and listen to your music out loud. In addition to superior sound quality, this S540 series Walkman player lets you enjoy to up to 42 hours of music playback or up to 6.5 hours of video playback before needing to recharge. Plus, you can even record lectures, meetings and radio broadcasts via the voice and FM recording function.
General
- Product type Digital player / radio
- PC interface(s) supported USB
- Flash memory installed 16 GB Integrated
- Digital storage None
- Weight 0.2 lbs
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 2 in x 0.4 in x 4 in
- Color Black
- Available body colors Red, Violet, Black, Pink
- Voice recording capable Yes
- Included accessories USB cable, Earbud headphones, Flip-out stand
- Software type Drivers & Utilities
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards AAC, MP3, WMA, LPCM
- Additional features JPEG photo playback
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display LCD
- Diagonal size 2.4 in
- Resolution 240 x 320
- Backlight display Yes
Audio Features
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Timer Sleep
- Additional features USB bus-powered, FM radio recording capability
Video Playback Features
- Video playback support MPEG-4, WMV, AVC
- Still image format JPEG
CD System
- Playback modes Normal, Repeat, Shuffle, Shuffle and Repeat, Repeat 1 song
- Digital audio standards supported MP3, WMA-DRM, AAC, L-PCM
Equalizer
- Equalizer type Built-in
- Equalizer factory preset qty 4
- Equalizer factory presets Heavy, Pop, Jazz, Unique
- Equalizer user preset qty 2
Radio
- Tuner type Digital Radio tuner
- FM station preset qty 30
- Tuner bands FM
- Tuner frequency range FM: 87.5 - 108 MHz
Remote Control
- Remote control None
Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone operation mode Mono
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural Ear-bud
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included External, 1 x USB cable -
- 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 42 hour(s)
- Power device type None
System Requirements
- Peripheral / Interface devices USB port
- Operating system Microsoft Windows Vista / XP
Accessories
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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