Nearly all of my transportable music listening is finished by way of my telephone. It is an Apple iPhone 12, and I exploit each Apple Music (nice playlists, music discovery) and Tidal (nice higher-quality Masters tracks) for on a regular basis music streaming. Whether or not I am commuting to work, choosing up groceries and even simply sitting outdoors for a quiet second, music will get pumped into my ears from my telephone by way of Bluetooth into wi-fi earbuds.
However there are too many distractions from my telephone to actually consider simply the music. Enjoyable apps, textual content notifications, cat movies, doom scrolling, the temptation to maintain checking in on the most recent information or trying to find the subsequent songs I is perhaps within the temper for… My eyes are all the time glued to the display and taking in different data, with the music taking a again seat. And my iPhone would not play high-res audio, both.
I want a devoted transportable audio participant
A devoted transportable music participant is what I actually need, which focuses on doing only one job: taking part in music. It additionally means I can ditch my very handy AirPods/Sony earbuds in change for a ‘correct’ pair of wired headphones due to all transportable music gamers providing, on the very least, a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Astell & Kern’s fleet of extraordinarily succesful hi-res digital music gamers is the apparent alternative right here. Each single participant we have examined has provided real transportable hi-fi high quality and obtained five-star critiques, to not point out stunningly crafted designs and glossy efficiency in use. Its stripped-back interface additionally meant you might hearken to albums in full, with out skipping or any distractions, very like you’d get with the vinyl expertise. It’s, in some ways, such a pure and private listening expertise.
However as a lot as I’ve loved listening to my small however curated library of hi-res albums on the A&Okay gamers like the most recent A&norma SR35, I am all the time frightened my clumsy fingers will drop it, or the attractive display will get scratched amongst my keys and different random stuff I carry in my bag. It is moderately costly and really expensive-feeling for my private on a regular basis use; it is one thing I am all the time conscious of when utilizing it. These gamers may also be moderately cumbersome; neglect even making an attempt to suit one into the pocket of my skinny denims.
Sony’s new Walkman might be a winner
Enter the brand new Sony NW-A306 transportable music participant. This Walkman will not be solely extra inexpensive but additionally performs all of the hi-res audio codecs you may dream of. Costing £349, it is greater than half the value of the SR35, which is A&Okay’s present ‘entry stage’ participant at £799. The Sony additionally has a modest design that prioritises a safe, grippy maintain over high-fashion. It is compact, straightforward to carry in a single hand, and has no sharp edges. In my time with the evaluate pattern we had for What Hello-Fi?I used to be by no means frightened about dropping it or getting it scratched. It was sturdy, sturdy and was begging for use in my day by day life.
I liked with the ability to plug within the terrific Grado SR325x or the tremendous comfortable Shure SRH1540 wired headphones to totally immerse myself in my digital music assortment. And because the Sony NW-A306 can deal with full-fat hi-res audio recordsdata (we’re speaking 32-bit/384kHz PCM/FLAC, DSD256, MQA – the exact same file resolutions because the SR35), I might hearken to hi-res albums by way of a participant that provided larger decision, ample precision and even-handed steadiness, with an openness and readability that you just simply do not get with a smartphone. Even one as good-sounding as an iPhone.
However there’s one slight challenge
However there’s one downside. The Sony would not simply play music. It additionally acts, moderately disappointingly for me, like a telephone. The NW-A306 comes with a full Android 12 working software program baked in, which means it really works identical to your regular app-heavy Android smartphone. Which is strictly what I needed to get away from when searching for an iPhone different with a devoted music participant.
Not solely does the Android OS bathroom the Sony’s interface down considerably (menu swipes aren’t as easy and deciding on music to play is a tad delayed in comparison with utilizing my telephone), but it surely additionally takes up a lot inside house (practically half of what is out there). Area that ought to actually be given as much as storing as many hi-res, CD high quality and even MP3 music recordsdata as attainable.
All of the distractions I used to be making an attempt to get away from in my iPhone are current there within the Sony. Sure, you may merely flip off each single notification, flip off wi-fi and never obtain any new apps, however the truth that they’re there, ready, able to spring an unsuspecting app replace on me is all the time on my thoughts. Swiping down on the display reveals hidden notifications and updates, even when muted. There is no escape.
I can perceive why Sony felt the necessity to embody the entire suite of Google apps and the Play Retailer with this Walkman (extra alternative is healthier, proper? Not all the time…) – it appears apparent to supply extra options and at such a good value. However we have loved the extra fundamental and practical interfaces of earlier Sony fashions just like the Sony NW-A55L (£160 in 2020) and NW-A45 (£180 in 2019), which did not supply any smartphone-aping options that took away from the primary job of taking part in your music. Each these fashions have been five-star Award-winners.
My husband makes use of a good older Walkman mannequin (NWZ-E585) which is completely devoid of any fancy working software program, it would not actually have a touchscreen (or perhaps a backlit display) and it would not do hi-res. However it has zero apps and nil notifications to distract him, he will get the total use of the onboard storage, and, regardless of wanting very worn and used (and liked), it truly nonetheless sounds fairly respectable. As a lot as I benefit from the really feel, the sound high quality and technical capabilities of the newer NW-A306 participant, I did envy his distraction-free music expertise.
Astell & Kern will get it proper
You do not get this distraction (or the space-hogging OS challenge) with the Astell & Kern gamers. There’s merely no room for it, and there is a magnificence to that limitation. It permits you to swap off, offers you a beautiful sense of calm away from fixed doomscrolling and display use, and presents the unbridled pleasure of listening to albums (Agnes Obel’s AventinesTom Waits’ Closing TimeThe Dismemberment Plan’s Emergency & I) in full.
That is the expertise I longed for with the Sony A306, which is such an in any other case brilliantly designed and ideally priced (and specced) participant. It is a proficient and mature performer and is straightforward to advocate. When you can stay with the smartphone-like distractions, that’s…
MORE:
Learn the total Sony NW-A306 evaluate
And the Astell & Kern A&norma SR35 evaluate
The place can you purchase hi-res music? Listed below are the high obtain websites
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