Sony NWZ-A815 (2GB, black)
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"Be Careful...Sony Service Stinks" on by J Traina
Pros: Unbelieveable Sound
Cons: Repair costs beyond 3 months... no receipt are huge
Summary: I received this unit as a Christmas gift. Since it was the first MP3 player I have every owned, I was amazed how good it sounded and to boot, only using it only in my car. Until...
I connected it to my computer and the "Connection" circle graphics stalled. It would not connect. After numerous attempts at trying to get it get the unit to work, I 'chatted' with a Sony service rep that told me the unit needed repair and since it was a gift and I do have the receipt, (other than I know it was purchased at Best Buy) it would cost $77 plus tax on their 'Flat Rate Program' to repair the unit. (warranty 1 year parts, 3 months labor) So I raised the bar and spoke with customer relations. I got nowhere except 'my input was greatly appreciated'. So my dilemma, $77.00 + tax to repair a $99 unit that lasted only 5 months. If the unit at least lasted 1 year, you could toss it in the trash and say well it cost me less than $10 a month to own it. However, when I added up the time I spent trying to revive the unit, the time speaking to people at Sony that were sympathetic and sorry that my I was having problems with my MP3 player, not too mention the loss of the data on the unit... I would look at my $99 twice before buying another Sony NWZ-A816. A $99.00 MP3 player is not worth this much time in a busy consumer life.
It does have unbelievable sound. The features and interaction with Windows Media Player is flawless. Now... if the thing worked longer than 5 months... (2 months longer than the end of the labor warranty) it would get a rating of 9 from me. If you buy one... make sure you figure in the cost of a third party service contract. Caveat emptor! -
"great all round player" on by titangreatness
Pros: Support ipod formats (Mp4, m4v, unprotected aac)
Great 2 inch screen
descent headphones
eq and other sound options
Mate finish(doesn't contract finger prints)Cons: no on the go playlist
wierd hold switch
no fm or memory expansionSummary: Great mp3 player
for gym and view short clips
but doesn't offer thrills like fm or on the go playlists -
"no Mac support, poor computer interface" on by tjanus
Pros: nice Fm though
Cons: no Mac support, poor computer interface
Summary: forget it, no wonder Sony as a corporation is in the tank
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"wonderful player" on by zahmbee
Pros: easy to use, solid feel, great sound
Cons: none to think of
Summary: Sony really went to work and created a wonderful new breed of media player. This thing actually sounds really good. They put enough whack into the sound to delight the eardrums with enough sonic range to please the most picky tastes. The viewing screen is clean and bright and provides a beautiful picture for videos and photos. It my not have the sex appeal of an iPod but it sounds a whole lot better. The EQ section is great, offering several pre-programmed modes along with 2 custom modes. The unit also loads songs way faster than the iPod Nano (gen 3). Videos do have to be in the mpeg4 format in order to work with this player. No problem, there a lots of free converters online as well as 3rd party vendors willing to sell their software to you. I actually loaded a free mpeg4 converter from the CNET website. If you're looking for a really great sounding player try this one. One note, I did replace the earbuds with my personal favorite, Phillips earbuds (bass boost model). The metal case makes this unit feel strong and solid. Not too light or heavy.
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"Spectacular little credit card sized MP3" on by Garyblakley
Pros: Spectacular sound quality
Cons: Head phones will fall out of your ears while working out
Summary: A great MP3 player for $123.03 after tax. Its worth every penny. Within 15 minutes of getting it to my computer I had it loaded with music and within 2 more hours it was charged. I have had it for a week and the battery is half full. I would recomend buying it if you want to save money and not buy an iPod.
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