A great (if now slightly dated) mp3 player (Sony Walkman NW-HD3 20 GB)

Member Name: Trengot

Product:	Sony Walkman NW-HD3 20 GB
Date:	10/03/09 (44 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use, stylish, well made and sounds good.

Disadvantages: Awful software, can't play wma, no longer available.

This was the first mp3 player that I owned and I listened to it almost constantly until it died. The sound quality is superb and more than adequate for the majority of the population's hearing. The controls are straightforward and easy to get used to and there are not too many buttons (as on some mp3 players) to make it confusing.

The 20Gb storage capacity is enough for most of most people's music collections and definitely enough to carry the music that you listen too most frequently. If you do want to change it it does not take too long either, provided that your music is in the correct format.

This brings me on to the main flaw of the HD3. The software package that comes with it. It is awful. I don't know how a company like Sony who make such stunning hardware can be so incapable of writing software. It is awkward to use and the few features that it does have are too hard to find. The ATRAC format does what it says on the tin - reproduce the same sound quality at a fraction of the size - but means that you have to use sonicstage to listen to it. It plays mp3 but not wma which would be useful.

The battery life is good enough to last commuting to and from work/school for a week between charges.

The build quality is stunning. Mine was bounced countless times without even interfering with the playback. It did eventually die though. I have no idea what caused it but the screen lit up but no more. It wasn't recognised by the PC either.

Overall, a great player that was let down by the software and inability to play wma.

Summary: A good player if you can still find one for sale somewhere.

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