Sony X Series Walkman
The Zune HD is Microsoft’s highly credible response to the iPod Touch. But Microsoft and Apple aren’t the only two consumer electronics giants in town. Who could forget Sony, the inventor of the original Walkman portable audio cassette player? No-one, and sure enough since April 2009 Sony has had a touchscreen competitor to the Zune HD and the iPod Touch: the X Series Walkman.
So what about the X Series – did Sony ‘come to play’ with this device? In short, yes. But let’s go through and take a look at the X Series step-by-step.
First up, the physical packaging. The X Series comes in a 3.87 x 2.13 x 0.38 inch metal slab with a 3 inch screen. That puts it behind both the iPod Touch and the Zune HD in terms of screen real estate, but on the other hand the device overall is more pocket-able than either of those, and 3 inches of screen is still pretty good, especially when it’s as good as this one – bright, clear and razor-sharp.
External controls include play/pause and track shuttle buttons and a volume rocker and hold switch. Those who don’t like touchscreen devices where everything is controlled via the touchscreen will like that these tactile controls are included, and it’s true that they make blind operation (for example when the device is in your bag or pocket) a lot easier.
Physically, the X Series is above all a glossy, sturdy and weighty device that leaves you in no doubt as to its design pedigree when you handle it.
Onwards and upwards. One of the best features of the X Series Walkman is the way that it uses its built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. It has a basic web browser, so you can simply surf if you want to, but for some internet applications you don’t have to as they’re built-in. YouTube is one, but the more interesting application is Slacker. For those who don’t already know, Slacker is an internet music service where (after opening an account) you can choose from over 100 expertly put together ‘virtual radio stations’ for your device. Then, every time you wander into a Wi-Fi hotspot, the radio stations automatically refresh their content (and are cached on your device). New, free music? It’s a great option to have on a portable music device, no question.
If you don’t want to use Slacker or want to listen to your own music as well don’t worry, because the X Series supports a variety of formats including MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV.
More good news arrives in the form of the sound quality that the X Series produces. Audiophiles will find the clarity, definition and balance here that some think are lacking in the iPods, and that may be reason enough alone to tempt some people away from an Apple product. The icing on the cake is that the X Series Walkman includes built-in noise-cancelling with the supplied headphones, and the cherry on top is that the headphones are actually pretty good, unlike almost every other pair of headphones that are sold with portable music players.
Rounding off the X Series Walkman package are an FM radio tuner, podcast support, sound enhancement options, great battery life, a great navigation system and easy content transfer.
If the Sony X Series Walkman is at this point starting to sound too good to be true, don’t worry, because here’s something that brings it back into the realm of the possible: the price. The current retail price for the 16GB is around $262, and for the 32GB model it’s a frankly painful $338. Still, that puts it on par with the iPod Touch, and for what you get that’s only fair. For those who are more interested in media (particularly music) playback as opposed to having a ‘do-it-all’ device, the Walkman X Series is an excellent choice.
