Just bought a Sony Walkman NW-A45

I just bought a Sony Walkman NW-A45 on Amazon, it was $40 off the original price, so I decided to jump on it. I should've bought a good tape deck, but I've been looking for a hi-res player or DAC for a while, and I'd rather not lug an extra thing around being hooked to my phone all the time. The headphones I'll be listening to the most with this are my Bose QuietComfort 25s, and I'm aware they aren't the most audiophile thing out there, but a family member has a pair of Grado headphones he'll let me use for a few days, so I know I can pull good sound out of this. I was originally going for a Fiio X1, but I've read lots of bad things about the UI. Anyone have any experience with this Walkman? I'll be getting it in two days, so I'll try to post a follow up when I get it.

 

I don't have one, but checked them out on numerous occasions. Please let us know what you think when you get it!

 

If you're checking one out and thinking of getting it, it's $40 off with Amazon Prime. Great deal in my opinion, from $220 to $179 is a big difference in my book, especially for something Sony.

 

I'm sure it will be good. The main thing to be aware of with that Sony is that the headphone output is only 35 mW at 16 ohms. At 32 ohms the power output will be less. That's not a lot of power. About typical of the output power of a mobile phone. So any headphones you consider for it need to be very efficient and low impedance, or be self powered (amp built into the headphones, and a battery in the headphones). You'll want to stick with mobile friendly headphones and generally ignore the desktop crossover headphones that are kinda efficient but do prefer more power.

Your Bose QuietComfort 25 headphones will be good in noise canceling mode. In noise canceling mode the headphones are using the amp built into the headphones. You'll have plenty of power. In passive mode (noise canceling off) I don't know. Bose doesn't publish useful specs so I don't know what its impedance and efficiency is in passive mode. You'll have to listen to the headphones in passive mode and determine by listening if the power is adequate to drive them well.

If you're OK with putting earphones in your ears you can consider some IEM earphones. IEMs are efficient and low impedance and 35 mW will be plenty of power. The IEM market has been exploding. Lots of good low cost (under $100, and even under $50) IEMs available now. Massdrop has also been getting into the IEM game with some lower cost IEMs. If you are OK with the ritual of putting an IEM in your ears and getting a good seal the IEM earphones will be a good thing to consider with players like the Sony.

 

I've had the Bose headphones for several months, and I will say, they are much quieter without the noise cancelling turned on, but sound a little more free flowing if that makes sense, more natural, but quieter lows and highs. Much higher midrange presence, though. And as much as I'd want a good pair of earbuds, and I've tried tons, they aren't comfortable to me, and many seem to fall out with ease, no matter how I stick them in my ear. I guess I'm genetically cursed .

 

IEMs are tricky to get a good secure fit. There are different tip designs and sizes. You need a good design and size that fits your ears. And you need to insert them properly. If you use the wrong size and don't insert them properly then they are uncomfortable and will fall out.

There are two types of IEM tips. Foam tips and silicone tips with flanges. And within each group are different sizes and designs.

With foam tips you roll up the foam between your fingers to compress the foam. Then insert them into your ears. The foam will expand once they are in your ears.

With silicone tips you need to do what I call the reach around. You reach around the back of your head with your opposite hand and grab the top of your ear and lift up the ear to open up the ear canal. Then insert them into your ears. Here's a video that explains and demonstrates how to do it:

 

Ummm...not sure if the connotations are on purpose, but the reach around has always been a dirty phrase to my mind, lol. This procedure needs a different name.

 

My double entendre is intentional. The challenge when talking about IEM fitting in public is to say it with a straight face and deadpan the delivery.

 

I have an NWA45. Like it a lot. EU versions have an annoying volume cap which can be defeated with a bit of firmware tweaking. With the volume cap off it drives my Oppo PM3s (impedance 26 ohms) to impressive volumes. My HD600s work, but absolute volume is limited and quiet recordings may not be loud enough.

With AptX HD Bluetooth cans (I have Bowers and Wilkins PX), it is excellent.

Re UI: slow to start up from power off but otherwise no problems IMHO.

 

I've heard AptX HD is pretty good. Wish the codec was accepted on my family's Jeep stereo. Sometimes SBC just doesn't cut it, sounds anemic or something sometimes. My phone is capable of it, but every time I tried to change it, it'd change to the default codec.

 

I am impressed with it on the PX headphones, which get disturbingly close to the SQ of my wired Oppo PM3 headphones.

 

It'd have to take a couple more years for me to be a buyer of headphones compatible with AptX HD, if I can leave the device I'm listening to in another room and it doesn't go in and out, that's when I'll be a buyer of Bluetooth headphones. But for now, and for SQ's sake, I'll keep my wired. I'm sure others have had better experience with it, though. I'll use it if I ever upgrade my headphones someday, maybe.

 

Some very good deals to be had on the NW-A45 at the moment (Amazon UK were offering them for close to £100 a few days back) so worth keeping your eyes open if you're after an iPod classic replacement or just a decent DAP in general.

I was in Hong Kong last week and I see that the NW-A55 has just been released over there, so presume they are trying to shift stock ahead of the new model hitting US and European stores (some time early next year, I would imagine).

New model offers a slightly slimmer and more rounded casing, Bluetooth receiver functionality and a few new DSP options (including a "vinyl processor filter") but from the brief play I had seems otherwise identical to the A45 - so well worth jumping on any deals you see, unless any of those new features sound like "must haves" to you.

 

We got one for my wife to replace her expired Creative Zen as a car player. My only grumble is that I have never found a "smart volume" type setting so the volume can fluctuate a fair bit on random play. We loaded a 128gb card and got a load of tunes on and it sure beats the radio. I have listened to it for personal review purposes with a set of Bose phones and it sounds fine.

 

UPDATE: I got it in the mail today. Right off the bat, I'm surprised by the weight and build quality of this thing. It's really a solid device. But, I didn't realize how small it was till I picked it up. I got a Samsung 128GB EVO microSD card for it, so I think that'll be plenty enough space for now. The UI is a little clunky, but I think I'll learn it in no time. I'll update what I think of the sound quality after about a week or so.

 

Plays cassettes?

 

Micro SD cassettes...

 

What those little dictaphone types ?

 

Sorry, poor quality British humour misleading you there. The NWA45 Walkman plays music off micro SD memory cards, not cassettes of any type. The unit itself is probably half the size of an old cassette case. It also has a 16GB internal memory.

 

Ah( bisto), I see.

 

I have the Sony NWZ-A17. I've had zero issues except the clunky software you have to use to place files on it. I am using HiFiman earphones and they work great. I've also used both Grado and KEF headphones which also sound great. Personally, I like the small size which is helpful if I'm listening while working out or washing the car, etc.
Jon

 

The “dynamic normalizer” should accomplish what you’re after - swipe up to access the DSP settings from the now playing screen, then swipe left a few times to bring up its settings page. Not as effective as ReplayGain, but it does noticeably cut down the volume difference between tracks, particularly on shuffle.

(Though if you’re using Bluetooth to listen in the car this is all moot as none of the DSP/EQ options will work over BT - only with a wired connection).

 

I own one of these, but now I’m into discs, so mine is just inside the box. I liked it, it sounded great.

 

Right off the bat, there's a minus for me. I have tons of CDs that were ripped and put into a .cue file. The Sony can read M3U files, but can't read CUE. Meaning I have to use a Cue Splitter, or convert the tracks to FLAC. Great.

 

Can you say what kind of charger works with these players if you want to charge them without being connected to a computer? Thank you!