Sony NW-E005 2 GB Flash Digital Music Player (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I first got a Sony MP3 player back with the Mini-Disc player and them moved on to the 1gig MP3 player because of the promise to hold 695 songs (4min songs compressed to Sony's Altrac3 at 48bits).Sure enough I was able to get just over 600 songs on that player (hey, I had about 12 songs that were 10+minutes).It was easy to use and even the Sony software was pretty easy to use once I figured it out.

So when this product came out with the promise of 1350 songs on a 2gig HD, I thought - why not, only $130.Even a 4gig Ipod couldn't hold that many songs and those run around $250 dollars.

Pros:

I found that this had the same high quality sound even at 48bit Altrac3 compression.Friends with IPODs could not distinguish any noticible difference in sound quality.

This thing is even smaller than the 1gig Sony I previously owned and I was able to get 1244 songs on the unit.(again, I've got a slew of 10+ minute songs which would limit me getting anywhere close to 1350 as the unit stated).

I also liked the fact that there was no additional cable to charge the unit.If the battery runs down just plug it into any computer USB port and it'll recharge in about 10-15 minutes fully.I even have a USB adapter for my car so I can charge while I'm on the go.

The unit also includes a 5-band equalizer and an FM radio that gets great reception.They also improved the headphones just a bit.It's still that quirky earbuds where one side is clearly longer than the otherside; however, they added a few feet to the length so you don't have to worry about using an extender if you want to toss your Sony in your pocket and head out.

CONS:

Sonic Stage is still a bit quirky to use; although now having owned Sony MP3 players of some sort for 3+ years.When you have 6000+ songs uploaded into your system, you can't just push songs over on your MP3 player from the list.You really need to create the groups first and then transfer.

Controls:I have no problems with the controls but they are tiny and could be a problem for anyone who has any kind of problems with manipulating small buttons

Display:WHERE THE HECK IS THE BAND NAME??!!!The other quirks I could live with but why the heck is there no band display available to view.I have plenty of songs on my MP3 player from lesser bands not normally recognized.It would be nice to see the band name on the display.Hopefully Sony will put out a firmware update to fix this problem.It's the main reason I gave it 4stars instead of 5.

Carrying Case - there is no carrying case for this player, not even a velvet bag.There is an armband carrying available for purchase but sony isn't releasing it until Sept 15th.I would have rather paid an extra $10 for this device just so I would have a carrying bag.

Personally, I think Sony has some great products in the MP3 market and with Altrac3 compression, they can give you smaller product with less storage space and STILL allow for more songs to be loaded on it.Why would I want to spend twice as much for a 4gig Ipod that holds 1000 songs when I can get a Sony for half that price and have 1300 songs instead

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Product Description:
Weighing less than 1 ounce and featuring a built-in FM tuner with programmable presets, the Sony NW-E005 is the prefect MP3 player for the gym, the daily commute, or traveling. The unit, which offers 2 GB of built-in flash memory, stores up to 1,350 of your favorite tracks--more than enough for most applications. Listeners who already have extensive music libraries can use the included software and hardware to play back their collection of MP3s, while newer listeners will find plenty to like in Sony's ATRAC format, which provides higher sound quality while taking up less space on the flash memory.

Memory stores up to 1,350 of your favorite tracks. In addition, the NW-E005 supports the playback of WMA and AAC (non-DRM) audio files, a great feature if you have a large catalog of audio on your PC that was ripped from personal CDs.
Navigation is straightforward thanks to the player's one-line, rotating OLED display, which shows the song title, song length, and remaining battery power while swiveling to accommodate both right- and left-handed users. Other display details include a multilingual interface, support for CD text and ID3 tagging, a wide viewing angle, an internal clock, and a calendar. The built-in FM tuner, meanwhile, delivers accurate, drift- free tuning of all your favorite FM stations, with 30 station presets making it a breeze to quickly switch from one favorite to another. And when it comes time to transfer data from your PC to the NW-E005, simply remove the end cap and insert the MP3 player directly into your computer's USB port--no cable required.
The NW-E005 comes with a copy of Sony's SonicStage music management software, which lets listeners manage their music, create playlists, burn CDs, import digital files, and easily transfer songs from one location to another. It's also a breeze to customize the sound, with a five-band equalizer that includes heavy, pop, jazz, custom, and manual modes. Additional features include a skip-proof design (the MP3 player has no moving parts), a quick battery charge function that delivers up to three hours of playback with just a three-minute charge, a stylish black housing, a USB connection support cable for desktops with hard-to-reach USB ports, and compatibility with Sony's Connect Music store.
The NW-E005, which provides up to 28 hours of continuous playback per full charge, measures 3.11 by 0.96 by 0.53 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a 90-day warranty on labor and a one-year warranty on parts.
What's in the Box
NW-E005 MP3 player, headphones, SonicStage 4.0 software CD-ROM, quick-start guide.

A skip-proof design and quick battery charge function allow you to take your music on-the-go.

This ultra-portable Sony MP3 player comes in a variety of stylish colors.