Sony NW-E005 (2GB, violet)
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"Don't see the point of complaining about it" on by tzatzikiii
Pros: Typically sony sound quality, great design
Cons: display hard to see in bright sunlight
Summary: As for myself, i'm really proud of my tiny and shiny nw e 005. I had a Sony MD player before, so i guess i pretty much got used to Sonic Stage, but i don't find it inconvenient at all. Besides, there are great applications available on the internet which allow you to avoid using sonic stage.
The player itself is small, easy to handle, great to look at, and last but not least it offers a uniqe sound quality. The average battery life is for me around 22-24 hrs, and the quick charge function (3 minutes for 3 hrs of playback) is incredibly convenient.
The only con is aesthetical: little dust particles from your clothes (when keeping it in your pocket, for example) may appear beneath the plastic cover, and it is not that easy to make them disappear.
Anyway, unlike the users posting before me, i vote 8 out of 10. -
"A high quality, pocket mp3 player with a nice price tag" on by Fafnir1337
Pros: long battery life, compact stylish design, fast charge, high quality sound, inexpensive
Cons: hard to read in direct sunlight, SonicStage may be hard to use
Summary: The NW-E005 is my first mp3 player, and so far I've been very satisfied with it despite a few minor problems.
The NW-E005 has a long battery life and a fast charge. The battery has lasted over twenty hours without needing to be recharged. It takes less than thirty minutes to fully charge (a three minute charge gives a three hour playback).
The sleek mp3 player- available in violet, green, and black- has a very desirable design. The only problem with the design is how hard it is to read in direct sunlight, although this problem can easily be solved by putting your finger over it to block the light.
The main complaint about the NW-E005 is using SonicStage to put songs on the mp3 player. People say that it is counterintuitive and a pain in the butt altogether. While I'm perfectly contempt with using SonicStage, there are many alternatives in case SonicStage isn't for you.
Being competitively priced, the NW-E000 series is a steal for just about eighty dollars. -
"Shame on Sony" on by w2kwong
Pros: Good looking, solidly built, long battery life
Cons: Forced to use SonicStage for file transfer, can't store music files with multiple language filename, expensive, slow file copying
Summary: This is among the worst MP3 players I've ever used, in terms of its restrictive functionality. Unlike most products from other manufactures, this guy prohibits playing any files copied directly by dragging on Windows Explorer, and all music files are forced to be transferred with its badly designed SonicStage instead, which converts file format to one which other computers wouldn't read as part of Sony's anti-privacy policy at the expense of users' convenience that serves us no purpose. The software seems to not support UNICODE also, meaning it will not copy music files if their filename/tags are in multiple languages.
When used as USB thumb drive, its file transfer rate is as slow as 2.5MB/s, pretty bad if you buy it for file storage function.
As said by the name of product, it's Sony Music Player, never a MP3 Player. If you're looking for one that plays MP3 files directly as most similar products do without harass, STAY AWAY FROM THIS. -
"CNET review is bang-on but 7.3/10 is too high" on by gdposner
Pros: Great size, FM tuner is handy, fine sound
Cons: Dreadful screen, unusable software, apparently lousy battery
Summary: I actually read the CNET review of this unit before opening it and I was undeterred. Unfortunately, although the unit is sleek, light, and perfect for exercise, SoundStage is a deal-breaker. I figured I could shield the screen from the sun while running, but it is completely invisible outdoors. I tried to be different and buck the iPod/iTunes trend, but I'm returning this unit tomorrow and buying a 2nd generation Nano. I won't own it long enough to test the battery.
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"Battery life is exaggerated greatly" on by beanish1
Pros: Good flash capacity and radio
Cons: Very poor battery life
Summary: I bought a Sony NNW-E005FV on Aug 12th/06 because I had a problem with my other Creative MUVO. I use it to listen to the radio on my bus ride to/from work. My old MP3 player would last for its expected hours of play and I bought The NW-E005 because it advertised up to 28 hours of play. I found that it lasted less than 7 hours of radio play and it would run out of power on me while I travelled within a week. I thought there was something wrong with it so I took it back for an exchange on Sept 15th/06.
I decided to try an experiment. I got the new one and charged it for a full 12 hours without touching it. I then turned it on and configured it for "Super power save" mode. I put it to "radio", tuned in a clear station and left it running at a volume of 14-15, while not playing with buttons. It lasted less than 10 hours!
I wanted to be called by a manager who could explain to me how this is not false advertising and I have not been duped into buying this product based on battery life criteria. I was sent a typical blanket e-mail back telling me to check my battery. I am very disapointed.
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