Sony Revives The Walkman In Two Stunningly Slick Android Digital Music Gamers
Certain, your cellphone performs music, however does it play music properly? These with audiophile leanings would possibly need to be aware of Sony’s newest moveable music gamers, the Walkman NW-ZX707 (above) and NW-A306. The product naming is fairly nebulous, and the characteristic units are perhaps a bit esoteric. They’ve FTCAP3 high-polymer capacitors, gold reflow solder, and different seemingly inconsequential options that audio fanatics will salivate over. These Android-powered music gamers additionally do not come low-cost, but it surely may be worse.
The Walkman NW-A306 (under) is the cheaper of the 2 units, however that is a relative time period. The NW-A306 nonetheless retails for $350, and it is positively tiny by right now’s requirements, with a 3.6-inch 720p LCD. It manages so much in a small bundle, although. It has a inflexible aluminum body, gold solder, and Effective Sound Resistors. Sony says this system has a brand new S-Grasp HX digital amp designed particularly for Walkman to supply “full-bodied sound.” It could play high-resolution audio in nearly any format you may think about, from FLAC to DSD.
The NW-ZX707 has the identical S-Grasp HX digital amp expertise because the cheaper Walkman, but it surely represents an enormous step up in audiophile pretentiousness. This $900 music participant has higher-quality FTCAP3 capacitors and an oxygen-free copper milled block on high of the digital circuitry for higher shielding. Sony claims the improved {hardware} provides the NW-ZX707 superior sound copy, which you’ll be able to take pleasure in by way of the usual 3.5mm jack or a balanced 4.4mm jack. This system is a bit bigger with its 5-inch 720p LCD.
Each units have the identical blocky Walkman aesthetic, with bodily playback buttons alongside one facet. They cost over USB-C, however battery life varies dramatically relying on what kind of information you are taking part in. The NW-A306 will run for over 30 hours taking part in MP3 and FLAC information, however the highest high quality DSD content material may drain it in simply 14 hours. The NW-ZX707 does not run fairly as lengthy, topping out round 24 or 25 hours with most music, however mega-quality DSD music over the balanced jack will run by way of the battery in simply 11 hours.
These units run Android 12 with all the standard Google apps and providers. So, you may obtain streaming music apps (or no matter else you need) when you do not demand the innate high quality enhance of native playback. Though, spending $900 on a devoted music participant to stream Spotify looks like a waste of potential. You possibly can choose up the NW-ZX707 and NW-A306 units from Sony’s on-line retailer or Amazon (NW-ZX707, NW-A306). Nonetheless, the dearer NW-ZX707 is exhibiting a 1-2 month wait proper now.
