Sony NWZ-A828

The Bluetooth earphones are the most important features of this MP3 player, simple yet functional in its design. After some revisions to previous models, Sony finally got it right. Considered the best MP3 player of 2008, the brilliant, sharp and crisp 320×240 resolution screen can easily be comparable to the fourth generation iPod Nano.

Sony Walkman NWZ-A828 features

The menus are completely user friendly this time around, and the navigation pad consists only of four buttons, with the back and option button at both sides of the device, slimmer and bigger than its predecessors. There’s also a button for activating/deactivating the Bluetooth feature.

The headphones that come with it will still require more revisions, though. It looks as if Sony hasn’t paid enough attention and dedication to the quality of the sound, which would have made this model even more outstanding.

BUT, if you buy a pair of extra headphones you will really appreciate the quality of the sound, so it’s not a lost cause at all.

Keep in mind that this MP3 player comes with a proprietary USB cable, so in case you lose it, you’ll have to find the original again at a specialized retailer. As for the supported formats, they still continue to include MP3, WMA and AAC, while the video supports MPEG-4 and H.264. You can also see pics of album formats without any difficulties that other models have.

Sony Walkman NWZ-A828 downsides

One considerable problem with the video formats, though, is that it’s really picky when recognizing the H.264 format, because of the strict properties limits established for files.

Unless you use a very specific and proved converter, it’s not going to work, unless you already have the videos is that pure format. A bit of a turn-off, but you can work it around.

You can create your playlists with Windows Media Player and sync it with the MP3 player, but not exactly on the interface itself. Other good option is that you can manage your feeds through the synchronizing feature with your PC, be it podcasts (you can hear them in good and clear quality), pictures and/or videos.

Despite not having FM radio, voice recording or gapless playback as in other models, this is definitely a step up since Sony concentrated on having the best basic main features, rather than having many random ones that don’t work in a competitive way. The battery lasts a good 36 hours of audio and 10 hours of video.

Overall, it’s a good MP3 player but maybe too expensive for what it offers, given the fact that despite the improvements, there’s not really much to play around with. iPods are still more competitive in that sense.