NWZ-A866 Quick Review

[EsEm]

Up until earlier this year I had been buying mostly Creative MP3 players but reading some good reviews about Sony players I decided to get one to try out.

I opted for an NWZ-A845 and although I liked the weight, size and build quality I thought that it was lacking a touch screen. I was also struggling with 16GB capacity and the sound quality wasn't as good as I was used to with the Zen.

I read an excellent review on the NWZ-X1060 and decided that this could be what I was looking for in an MP3 player. Sound quality is first class, and the touch screen is probably the best I have ever used. However I found it a bit on the heavy side, 96g compared to 59g for the NWZ-A845 and I didn't like the location of the controls on the top of the player. I was constantly switching it on by mistake and the battery life was not as good as I was expecting.

What I was really looking for was something with the best bits from both of these players......

Last week I bought an NWZ-A866. It weighs 75g, has a good touch screen, is the size of the NWZ-X1060 but only slightly thicker than the NWZ-A845.





I copied my music collection from the NWZ-X1060 and plugged in my Shure SE530 headphones. I selected the same settings I had setup on the NWZ-X1060 and I must admit that I was a little disappointed with the sound. I used it like this for a few days but yesterday I decided to have a play with the settings and switched on DSEE, Clear Stereo and Dynamic Normaliser and now I have a sound that I am happy with.

The size, build quality and weight of this player is excellent so I will probably be sticking with it for a while

However .....there are a few things about all 3 players I am not happy about.

I don't like that fact that it does not start up on the last song that was played if the player is idle for more than 24hrs or if the player is recharged.

I also think the players are too easy to switch on. Seems that if I touch any button the player switches itself on, even with the Hold button on hold

[CrowdAds]

[sjondenon]

clear stereo doesn't change anything about the sound (only for stock earbuds), just as DSEE (only when you listen to low bitrate stuff) so it's the placebo effect i think

[Just Some Guy]

Mind you, all those extra features drain the battery quicker.

Speaking of, how is the battery. Surely, you've had time to see how long it lasts by now.

[EsEm]

I only use the player for a couple of hours a day, 5 days a week and have not had to re-charge it yet.

Trusted Reviews have now published a detailed review of the player ....http://www.trustedreviews.com/sony-n...e-Audio_review

[Just Some Guy]

Originally Posted by Trusted Reviews

Physical buttons? Yay. No microSD? Boo.

I always find it funny when people look at anything Sony makes and complain about the lack of a microSD slot. No shit, really? Sony doesn't make SD cards, they make their own proprietary format called Memory Stick (and with the Vita coming out soon, they have another new format as well). Why would Sony offer a competing format on their gear?

Also, there are far more devices that don't offer any kind of external or expandable memory option than there are ones that do. People seem to forget that players like the Clip+ are the the minority.

[DjPhaze]

Originally Posted by EsEm

I only use the player for a couple of hours a day, 5 days a week and have not had to re-charge it yet.

Trusted Reviews have now published a detailed review of the player ....http://www.trustedreviews.com/sony-n...e-Audio_review

How do you like this player so far? Anything you dont like about it? I really like the look. Very sleek and sexy.

[uidroot]

I have an X series Walkman and the headphone socket seemed to have died. I can open it up and do something , but the battery is also bad since I used it for more than 1-2 years. I saw someone local selling the new A867 64gb for 171 usd. I am wondering how good is the sound compared to X-series?

[Just Some Guy]

Originally Posted by uidroot

I saw someone local selling the new A867 64gb for 171 usd.

WHAT?

That's gotta be a typo. 170 dollars US? That's like, half-price. You can barely even get the 8 GB model for that little.

I can't speak for the audio quality from the X-series to the A-series due to never having used any of the X-series players, but they should be reasonably comparable.

At that price, I'd consider getting that A867. It's a hell of a deal. Just make sure it works properly before paying for it. Get photos of it running from the seller or something. Make sure, because that price seems a little too good to be true.

[Big Sky]

Thanks for the review EsEm. You mentioned that there was no hold button on this model....bummer. That was one thing I like about Sony players but, not a deal breaker.

[uidroot]

Originally Posted by Just Some Guy

WHAT?

That's gotta be a typo. 170 dollars US? That's like, half-price. You can barely even get the 8 GB model for that little.

I can't speak for the audio quality from the X-series to the A-series due to never having used any of the X-series players, but they should be reasonably comparable.

At that price, I'd consider getting that A867. It's a hell of a deal. Just make sure it works properly before paying for it. Get photos of it running from the seller or something. Make sure, because that price seems a little too good to be true.

Hey

Yes, it is all packed and never opened, but the seller doesn't have receipt. So I am metting him and see. But I am very tempted at that price even without receipt. Any suggestions in case the stuff is fake or something.

[Just Some Guy]

You better be able to turn it on and try it out yourself before buying. If he refuses, then that's a sign that it may not work.

It might also be stolen from a store or something. But there's no way to be certain.

Just make sure it works before any money is exchanged, and make the meeting place public with people around, just in case.

[uidroot]

Thanks for the tips. I will make sure it is turned on and sounds. really appreciate your response.