Certain, your cellphone performs music, however does it play music effectively? 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 function units are perhaps a bit esoteric. They’ve FTCAP3 high-polymer capacitors, gold reflow solder, and different seemingly inconsequential options that audio fans will salivate over. These Android-powered music gamers additionally do not come low-cost, nevertheless it might 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 this moment’s requirements, with a 3.6-inch 720p LCD. It manages loads in a small bundle, although. It has a inflexible aluminum body, gold solder, and Tremendous Sound Resistors. Sony says this gadget 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, nevertheless it 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 prime of the digital circuitry for higher shielding. Sony claims the improved {hardware} provides the NW-ZX707 superior sound replica, which you’ll be able to get pleasure from by way of the usual 3.5mm jack or a balanced 4.4mm jack. This gadget is a bit bigger with its 5-inch 720p LCD.
Each units have the identical blocky Walkman aesthetic, with bodily playback buttons alongside one aspect. 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 would 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) if you happen to do not demand the innate high quality increase of native playback. Though, spending $900 on a devoted music participant to stream Spotify looks as if a waste of potential. You’ll be able to choose up the NW-ZX707 and NW-A306 units from Sony’s on-line retailer or Amazon (NW-ZX707, NW-A306). Nonetheless, the costlier NW-ZX707 is exhibiting a 1-2 month wait proper now.
