Sony is a name you can trust (Sony Walkman NWZ-E436F 4 GB)

Member Name: Ghumphrey

Product:	Sony Walkman NWZ-E436F 4 GB
Date:	07/10/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ease of use and functionality

Disadvantages: Radio could have been better

Sony Walkman 8GB

I used to have an iPod and I have to admit I loved it at the time. Sadly it wasn't built to last and died for no apparent reason about a month after the warranty wore off. This not only happened to me but also a whole bunch of friends and family who also had iPods. It seemed to be too common for it just to be a coincidence and as a result I don't really trust apple products anymore. (On a side note just last week a colleagues iPod shuffle had stopped working after only six months. I googled it and lo and behold it's a common problem.)

So when I decided it was time for a new mp3 player I decided to avoid iPods and look for something a bit more reliable. One product that immediately stuck out was the Sony walkman. After a bit of research and reading a few reviews I took the plunge and bought one.

First impression

I bought the black 8 GB walkman. Its cost £80 in Argos (June 2009) and this included a wall charger for those times you can't get to a computer to charge it. I was immediately impressed by the size and weight of the product. It's about the same size and weight as a small milky bar. The black is more of a dull black as opposed to a shiny cover like the back of an iPod.

Initial set up and usage

The initial set up for this product is a breeze. The device is plug in and play. I simply had to just plug the device into the usb cable supplied and connected it to my computer. The computer recognised it instantly and to get music on the player it was simply as case of drag and drop. The player ships with a copy of windows media player also which can be used to synchronise the device. I have used the method as well and found it to be pretty straight forward.

Sound quality

The sound quality on this product is excellent. I have a pair of great headphones (Bose) and along with the player they make it a joy to listen to absolutely anything. The headphones supplied are also really good. They are the in ear type and look almost as if they are broken when you first pick them up. It soon becomes clear they are not and that Sony has taken the time to develop a set of the most comfortable in ear headphones ever built.

The player has and equalizer which is excellent too. I enjoy playing around with this on different songs and its easy to switch between options such as rock, acoustic, live etc.

Video quality

Quite simply this was a feature that I was not expecting and when I first seen it I was blown away. The player comes pre loaded with about eight videos including one by Leona Lewis. The picture quality is excellent and prior to owning this I wouldn't have even considered watching a show on something so small but after seeing the quality of the screen I would easily watch a show on this player.

Battery life
I would be a moderate user of the Mp3 player and I could easily get over 25 hours of listening in one charge. I have never let the battery go flat and charge it more out of habit than need.

Sense me technology

One great feature of this product is the sense me technology. The mp3 player automatically groups songs into modes or categories. Should you choose to use it you can then select music to suit your mood. Options include relaxing, energetic, acoustic and many more.

Other functions worth note

I liked the fact the Mp3 player can also be used to store photos. I have a few photos and when in use and no button have been pressed the photos appear as a slide show. They like the rest of the product are of great quality.

The radio is about the only downside to this product. Ok it does work but I think it must be too sensitive or perhaps I haven't got it set up correctly yet. It seems to crackle a bit when listening to it and you have to move the player about trying to point it in the direction of the best signal. It's ok but just not as good as the rest of the product.

My opinion

Overall im delighted with the product and would be happy to recommend it to anyone. I noticed another reviewer mentioned about the lack of a clip for the gym. I bought a cover off Amazon for this which has a space for a clip/band so it would be easy to sort this out of you wanted to use it like that.

I use mine a lot in the car where I plug it into the radio. The sound here again is brilliant and it makes my commute feel a lot easier. All round this is a brilliant product from Sony and well worth purchasing.

Summary: Brilliant product

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