Sony Walkman NZW-WH303 review
This media player/headphone/speaker combo deserves points for innovation but its sound quality leaves something to be desired
The audio cassette is dead, but the Sony Walkman still lives on as a range of MP3 players. These come in a range of shapes and sizes, but the Sony Walkman NZW-WH303 is one of the most unusual, as the MP3 player is built directly into a set of headphones. This means you can just switch on the headphones and enjoy music without the need for an external device, such as a smartphone or iPod.
The NZW-WH303s also have a 3.5mm audio input so you can use them to listen to other audio sources if the MP3 player runs out of power. Another novel feature are the speakers built into the headband, as these allow the headphones to be used as a very personal speaker system when hung around your neck.
UNWIRED FOR SOUND
We’ve seen players with fully integrated headphones before, but these have always been built for sport rather than audio fidelity. However, the NWZ-WH303s weigh 290g, so isn’t best suited to the gym. They feel a little bulky and their unusually firm headband and ear cups pressed uncomfortably against our upper jaw.
Although they’re rather chunky, they’re no more so than many standard headphones that don’t have a built-in MP3 player. The power switch is located at the top of the left cup, as is a Mode switch that switches the operation of the headphones between speaker and headphone modes. However, these controls are inaccessible when you’re wearing the headphones because of the headband. At the base of this cup is a 3.5mm jack to which you can connect smartphones and external MP3 players.
Transport controls are located at the base of the right-hand cup, with a switch that lets you change tracks. There’s also a volume control and a handy switch lets you engage shuffle mode or select from playlists you’ve loaded on to the player. In our battery test, the NZW-WH303 lasted just under 16 hours through its headphones. This version has 4GB of internal flash storage and connects to your computer via micro USB.
Sadly, we weren’t particularly impressed with the sound produced the NZW-WH303, with audio having a fuzzy mid-range. The headphones also produced a closed, boxy sound that made all elements in a track sound as if they were coming from the same place. Although the bass is powerful, it’s not particularly detailed when it comes to reproducing subtle acoustic details. We found the NZW-WH303 is better suited to electronic music.
When used in speaker mode with the headphones slung around your neck, the speakers on the headband effectively produce a bubble of sound around your head, and sounded better than we expected. There’s a great sense of space to the sound, and a nice, clean treble. There’s not much bass detail, but you can at least hear it, and it’s certainly a fun way to listen to your music if you don’t need to keep it to yourself. Despite the somewhat limited detail, we actually prefer this sound to that of the NZW-WH303 in headphone mode.
GO MEDIA GO
The MP3 player’s internal storage comes pre-loaded with the installer for Sony’s Media Go software for Windows and Mac OS X. Media Go’s a simple media player and organiser that’s not too dissimilar to Apple’s iTunes. There’s even a store where you can buy music. Transferring files to the MP3 player is a simple matter of dragging them to its icon. It’s worth noting that files in formats such as FLAC and OGG will be transcoded to MP3 when you copy them to the player. Sadly, Media Go doesn’t support the popular Audible audiobook format.
Using Media Go to transfer your music will ensure that everything is neatly filed in clearly labelled folders, but you can just as easily copy files to the player with your computer’s file manager. Recent versions of Windows will even prompt you to convert incompatible files to MP3 format.
We really wanted to like the NZW-WH303 and it deserves credit for innovation if nothing else, particularly for its speaker mode. However, although our favourite electronica sounded good on these headphones they’re not versatile when it comes to other musical genres, particularly live instrumental recordings. If you want a device that provides a great deal of convenience and you’re prepared to compromise on sound quality then you should check out the NZW-WH303s. Otherwise, you may be better off with the Sandisk Sansa Clip Zip MP3 player and a pair of Soundmagic E10 in-ear headphones.
Details | |
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Price | £133 |
Details | www.denon.co.uk |
Rating | **** |
Specifications | |
Type | over-ear headphones |
Driver | closed |
Active noise-cancelling | no |
Power source | none |
Sensitivity | 108dB |
Frequency response | 7-37,000Hz |
Impedence | 32 ohms |
Plug type | 3.5mm headset jack plug |
Inline volume | Yes |
Weight | 250g |
Cable length | 1.40m |
Extras | soft carrying case |
Buying Information | |
Price | £133 |
Supplier | http://www.superfi.co.uk |
Details | www.denon.co.uk |