Sony has been kicking up a storm among discerning digital audio fans with its range of players, and now offers a stylish, thumb-sized device with excellent features for audio control.
The Sony NW-S706 is presented in attractive silver/chrome with a fade-to-black screen that offers several display modes, each contributing to build a player that’s as high on class as it is on quality.
The excellent audio delivered by the NW-706 is in no small part down to the bud earphones supplied, which deliver sound directly into your ear while forming a seal to keep out ambient noise.
The result is beautifully crisp and clear audio alongside thumping bass, creating a totally immersive soundstage. There is a range of innovative shuffle features that sort music into random playlists based on factors such as most played, specific eras or most recent additions, making it easy to enjoy music in a variety of ways without having to build playlists.
You’ll also find a wide range of equalizer and sound-environment settings to fine-tune the audio, and an FM radio. All this is easy to configure with the unique shuttle switch design, which allows quick movement between menus, although it does also mean that the player requires two hands to use it.
Handy features such as the ability to upload and search by cover art for albums bring a bit of extra vibrancy to the sharp, full-colour screen. The player has no power switch – instead it manages activity by itself, switching off the screen and going into a power-saving sleep mode when it’s not in use.
This enables super-fast startup times that resume any music stopped mid-track. Considering the maximum battery life is touted as an astounding 50 hours, this would appear to work extremely well.
In the NW-S706 Sony has produced a beautifully stylish MP3 player that beats its rivals hands-down in terms of quality, audio control and style.
With a 4Gb version, there are rivals that offer higher capacities for less, but none are this enjoyable to use. Sony’s NW-S706 is highly recommended for anyone serious about portable audio. A combination of looks, quality and performance make this an instant favourite.
Price: €268
www.sony.ie
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers