Sony Walkman NWZ-A829 review (16GB, black)

Bluetooth
Sony makes the whole Bluetooth pairing process exceptionally elegant on the NWZ-A820, both functionally and aesthetically. A push of a button sends the Sony NWZ-A820 into Bluetooth discovery mode and activates a blinking blue light on the top-right edge of the player. Once the Sony NWZ-A820 has been successfully paired with a Bluetooth device (headphones, stereo) the indicator light changes from a frantic flash to a slow pulse. During our informal testing, we were able to get a useful range of about 30 unobstructed feet between the NWZ-A820 and our Logitech Freepulse Bluetooth headphones. Access keys for previously paired devices are conveniently stored in the Sony NWZ-A820's memory, allowing you to pair your various Bluetooth accessories with a minimum of fuss. If you're just dipping your toe into the world of wireless Bluetooth audio, the 8GB version of the NWZ-A820 (the NWZ-A828K) comes bundled with pair of Sony Bluetooth headphones.

If you could care less about Bluetooth, the Sony NWZ-A720 series offers all of the features found in the NWZ-A820 series, with the exception of Bluetooth, at a reduced price.

The Sony EX earphones included with the NWZ-A820 Walkman series put Apple's white iPod earbuds to shame.

Performance
Year after year, Sony's MP3 players demonstrate some of the highest standards for audio quality. Even at its factory setting, the Sony NWZ-A820 radiates with fidelity that just gets better as each one of its many sound-enhancement features activate. Listening through the excellent pair of included Sony EX in-ear headphones, the rattling saxophones of Moondog's "Dog Trot" were vibrant and easy to pick out in the stereo soundstage. Renowned for its buttery bass performance, the Clear Bass enhancement EQ feature perfectly sweetened the rolling dub synth notes of Squarepusher's "Port Rhombus" with no noticeable distortion.

Videos appeared bright, crisp, and colorful on the Sony NWZ-A820. The Walkman's screen is 0.4 inch larger than the screen found on the third-generation iPod Nano, and it shares a similarly impressive pixel density and sharp picture quality. Videos can be rotated between landscape and portrait view on the Sony NWZ-A820, and audio and video files are automatically bookmarked when the player is stopped or shut down.

Sony rates the NWZ-A820's battery life at an impressive 36 hours of audio playback and 10 hours of video. We'll update this review with our CNET Labs battery results once testing is complete.