This one depends how you use it!
Written: Mar 16 '02
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Pros: Small, sleek/stylish design, portable, never skips!
Cons: 128kbps max recording, software is tricky, battery doesn't last too long
The Bottom Line: Find what type of music listener you are & the purpose! :)
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| aki1's Full Review: Sony Network Walkman NW-MS9 (64 MB) MP3 Player |
I have a good experience to share regarding this product. I wanted try a memory-based mp3 player for few reasons. I got tired of the bulky CD player that gives you the so-called Skip-free technology when it still skips during heavy use. Another reason was I have tons of mp3's I don't want to convert to a wave file & take the time to burn. The overall size & design added additional interest in purchasing this mp3 player.
The Player Itself:
At $299 it was a little expensive in my opinion. One thing I noticed about this unit is that it's fairly light but sturdy. The keychain feature was a bit annoying, wishing they had a clip-on type or more discreet way of carrying the player. The slot for the memory stick & the battery is located @ the bottom with two slots that pop open in opposite direction. Taking the memory stick was very simply. Just push it in slightly & pulls out about 1/4" automatically, no worries of dropping it or popping out like a toaster! The player uses the gum-battery which is another issue. To get the full battery potential, you must charge it completely & use the battery until the player basically stops. If you charge in between half-way or keep charging before it uses up the entire cell, the battery will have to be charged more frequently since there are now some wasted space. (this is for all lithium gum battery) The LCD display was very nice, it looks purplish color without the light while @ night, it glows green every time you press a button, very useful. The display seems small but gives you enough information about the music you're listening to & the battery level. The button used to stop, play, reverse/fast-forwards might be a little sensitive for people with bigger fingers. Overall, the design was very nice & I was pleased. Then it went downhill from there!
The Software:
Thinking I can download up to 2 hours of music, I installed the included software from Sony & proceeded to select my music. This is where I started to get confused & getting a little irritated. The software has a screen to select the mp3's and import to another screen. Once you have chosen your imported mp3's, you have to "check-out" in last screen. I have to say one thing before stating any other facts. The advertised "up to 2 hour recording" means if you have a mp3 ripped in 64kbps format. The standard 128kbps mp3 will take up the entire memory with 1-hour worth of music. Most of my songs are ripped at 192kbps for lower bass & higher treble quality. If you're picky about the way it sounds, this is not for you. The maximum format this player & software takes is 128kbps, not even close to a CD quality audio. Downloading the song to the unit wasn't too bad. It downloaded the entire music into the player in about 3 minutes. (Of course many CD writers are capable of doing the same thing) It directly connects to the USB port & plugs into the side of the unit which was hassle-free. Listening to the songs was nice, able to move around different songs without a pause like the CD does since it directly accesses the memory. For long term use, you either have to erase the memory stick (which can be done within the unit itself) and load new songs into it.
If you're looking for long-term use & don't want to load new songs in frequently or buy expensive memory stick (I believe the 128MB version is around $140, this model comes with standard 64MB), then I would not really recommend this player. But if you don't mind the 128kbps mp3 format and loading new music frequently is not a problem for you, it's definitely the choice, not only it's design but portability and ease of of use once the songs are loaded into the unit!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 299.95
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Epinions.com ID:
aki1
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Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 1 member
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