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More…Sony's NWZ-A818 flash-based MP3 player holds up to 8GB of music and video with superb audio quality--without requiringany advanced adjustments. Built with style and function in mind, the NWZ-A818 competes directly with Apple's iPod Nano.
Sony Sony NWZ-A818 Walkman
Pricing
$139.99 From 1 Vendor Get Best Prices »
- Spec Navigator
- Battery
- Display
- Features
- General
- Included Hardware
- Included Software
- Interface Connections
- Software
- Storage Included
- Storage Media
- Supported Audio Formats
- Supported Image Formats
- Supported Video Formats
Features
| Equalizer Settings | 5 |
| FM Recording | No |
| Plays For Sure | Yes |
| Replaceable Battery | 0 |
| Video Output | No |
| Video Support | Yes |
| Voice Recording | No |
Interface Connections
| Firewire | No |
| Headphone output | Yes |
| Line Out | Yes |
| Microphone input | No |
| USB | Yes |
| USB Host Adapter | No |
Storage Media
| Compact Flash | No |
| Memory Stick | No |
| Memory Stick Micro | No |
| micro SD | No |
| mini SD | No |
| SD card | No |
| Smart Media | No |
| xD Picture Card | No |
- Lab Tested
- How We Test MP3 Players »
Pros
High quality headphones come bundled
Small and incredibly sleek design
Cons
Proprietary connection for PC hookup
No expandable memory slot
Bottom Line
A smartly designed flash based MP3 player that performs well enough to give users a great alternative to Apple's iPod Nano.
Sony NWZ-A818 Walkman Flash-Based MP3 Player
Sony NWZ-A818 Walkman Review, by Greg Adler March 21, 2008
The NWZ-A818 has a 2-inch QVGA (240-by-320-pixel) TFT color display, comes in either a black or a silver case, and weighs 2 ounces. Supporting .aac, .mp3, .wav, and .wma files, the unit can play music for about 30 hours on a full charge. Instead of using its own software for advanced management of music and playlists, the NWZ-A818 syncs perfectly with Windows Media Player 11 (a copy of the program is included with the player). More-advanced users will enjoy the players' ability to accept music and videos introduced by dragging and dropping.
Though Sony bundles a brief instruction manual with the NWZ-A818, navigating the A818 with the four-way main control button and dedicated 'option' and 'back' buttons is intuitive. The menu interface is straightforward and responsive, too. With just one hand, you can easily shuffle songs and search for photos or videos. However, putting the hold button on the back of the player wasn't the most inspired design decision.
In our PC World lab tests, the Sony NWZ-A818's signal-to-noise ratio (where a higher number means a cleaner signal) was 75 dB, landing it just behind the Samsung YP-P2 (76 dB) and the Creative Zen (77 dB), but well behind the 89 dB turned in by the SanDisk Sansa Connect--the best fit for audio purists.
In true Sony fashion, this MP3 player uses a proprietary 22-pin connection to establish a USB link to your computer. I wish that the company had used a standard USB connection, as many of its rivals do.
Another design flaw is the short length of the headphone cord. The headphone cable is about 18 inches long but comes coupled with an adapter that provides another 21 inches, for a total of 39 inches. In comparison, Apple's iPod headphone cord is about 46 inches long. Though I found the cable-and-adapter arrangement annoying, the audio quality that the supplied earbuds produced was superior to any bundled headphones I've tried. When I tested the player on a flight, I could drown out the sound of the plane's engines by cranking up the volume.
Overall, the 8GB Sony NWZ-A818 delivers impressive sound quality through its excellent (though strangely short) supplied earbuds. Navigation is intuitive, and the battery life is long. Customers looking for an alternative to Apple's iPod Nano should give this Sony MP3 player serious consideration.
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
-
80
-
72
-
85
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar MP3 Players
80
94
87
89
Performance
| Crosstalk, Average (dB) | -47 |
| Frequency Response Deviation, Average (dB) | 1.3 |
| Maximum Usable Output Level, Average (dBV) | -7.6 |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Average (dB) | 75 |
| Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Average (%) | 0.03 |
User Reviews
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: barkerdt
Strengths: Plays WMA, WMA DRM, AAC and MP3
Weaknesses: Discontinued model
Overall: (09-Mar-08) This is a discontinued product and discount pricing is widely available. After just a few months, Sony has already replaced it?s top-of-the-line video mp3 players, the NWZ-A815, A816 and A818 series. Subject to availability, existing stock of 2, 4 and 8 GB A-series players is available from sonystyle for $100, $130 and $170, respectively. The big box retailers are also offering generous discounts, but have limited selection. Sony?s new video mp3 players, which are still in pre-order at this time, have no discernable pattern in the model numbering. The A-series models all increase screen size to 2.4 inches (from 2.0 inches) and have altered the navigation controls. Beyond that, new features offered on various models include 16 GB capacity, noise reduction and/or Bluetooth. Prices have not been trimmed with the new models. The entry point is now 4 GB capacity, which is still $150. The series then ranges up to $320 for the 16 GB size with Bluetooth. Sony continues to be elusive in talking about format compatibility, as they were throughout their ATRAC era. (Who can forget the infamous ?supports WMA and MP3? language, which translated to the formats being incompatible with their players but that they supplied conversion software.) Currently, Sony buries specifics regarding DRM support in its user manuals, which are not linked from the product pages, so you have to find these in the separate Sony support website. These new players likely support WMA DRM for both purchased and subscription content, unlike their compact B-series players, which only support purchased content. If this is important to you, verify before purchasing. Although the pace of technological change is ever-faster, if Sony maintains its current pace, it will overtake iRiver for short product life cycles. Based on personal experience, this does not bode well from the perspectives of continuing enhancement and support or the availability of accessories and parts. This is (was) a good mp3 player. My 2 Star rating is because you soon will not be able to purchase it.
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Reviewed by: lgoodman
Strengths: Great sound, vivid screen, not an IPOD
Weaknesses: Expensive accessories, does not support OGG files, proprietary USB cable
Overall: Sony finally has a winner in its MP3 lineup!! This player has excellent sound and video quality. The screen size is small yet vivid and readable. Battery life is very good. No software is required to drag-and-drop files to this player; one can use Windows Explorer. Its weaknesses are: -expensive accessories -does not support OGG files -a couple of interface quirks -position of the hold button -proprietary USB cableIt is definitely a great player!!
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Reviewed by: siripink
Strengths: -great design-good quality in both picture and sound-easy to use
Weaknesses: when I play the music, there is no remaining time display as how long the song is. There is only a time counting on how long I have been playing.
Overall: It is so easy to use. I got it to work less than 10 minutes without looking at the manual. I like the design, pictures and sound. This is so awesome. I love it.
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- Before you buy
- How to Buy an MP3 Player
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