Sony's NEW WALKMAN hits me right in the feels 🥰 (NW-A306 review)
Darko Audio・19 minutes read
Sony has released the nwa306 portable audio player, known for its lightweight design and crisp sound quality, especially after a firmware update addressed previous issues but still falls short on battery life compared to competitors. Despite some sound quality limitations, the nwa306's distinctive cassette tape screen saver adds a unique touch to the listening experience, making it a worthwhile choice for further testing with different earphones.
Insights
- The Sony nwa306, despite its lightweight design and unique cassette tape screen saver feature, may lack bass compared to other players like the Shanling M3 Ultra, impacting its suitability for certain music genres.
- A firmware update for the Sony nwa306 significantly improved sound quality, addressing bass issues and circuit noise, but the battery life fell short of expectations, potentially affecting the device's portability.
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Recent questions
What are the key features of the Sony nwa306?
Lightweight, contoured back, Android 12, streaming apps.
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Summary
00:00
Sony nwa306: Portable Audio Player Review
- Sony has released a new portable audio player called the nwa306, which is smaller than an iPhone 13 mini and runs on Android 12, allowing access to various streaming apps.
- The Sony nwa306 is lightweight at 113 grams, features a contoured back panel, and includes control buttons for easy operation.
- In terms of sound quality, the Sony nwa306 excels in detail retrieval and top-end extension but may lack in the bass region compared to other players like the Shanling M3 Ultra.
- The Shanling M3 Ultra, priced at 480 Euros, offers a larger touchscreen and warmer colors but is bulkier and has a shorter battery life compared to the Sony nwa306.
- Sony's new Walkman utilizes digital amplifier technology called s Master HX, eliminating the need for a DAC chip and potentially contributing to its long battery life.
- The Sony nwa306's headphone output power is relatively low, requiring higher volume levels for certain earphones compared to other players like the Shanling M3 Ultra.
- The Sony nwa306 may exhibit circuit noise with sensitive earphones like the Campfire Andromeda, impacting the overall sound quality.
- While the Sony nwa306 offers crisp and clean sound with precise detail, it may lack richness and weight in the low end, making it less suitable for genres like rock or electronic music.
- The Sony nwa306's unique feature is its music player app, which displays an animated cassette tape on the screen based on the quality of the file being played.
- Despite its sound quality limitations, the Sony nwa306's distinctive cassette tape screen saver feature adds a unique touch to the listening experience.
16:37
Sony Walkman Update Enhances Sound Quality
- Playing a DSD file on a Sony Walkman music player app displays a cassette tape screen saver, which is nostalgic and appealing, but is only available for local files, not streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music.
- A firmware update for the Sony nwa306 addressed sound quality issues, particularly in the bass frequencies, resulting in a fuller sound and improved dynamics, while also fixing circuit noise problems with high sensitivity earphones.
- Despite the firmware update improving sound quality, the Sony Walkman's battery life fell short of its 30-hour rating, lasting only about 15 hours during CD quality playback, potentially affecting its portability.
- The Sony nwa306, post-update, is described as crisp and clean in sound quality, contrasting with a more voluptuous and richer sound from a comparative player, the Chord Mojo, which has a balanced output, leading to a decision to keep the Sony Walkman for further testing with different earphones.
