The Sony X Series Walkman is now available to order on Amazon. The NWZX1060B 32GB version is currently listed at £229.99. The NWZX1050B 16GB version is available for £179.99
Over the past year or so, I have found the MP3 Player/PMP market a little boring. There is just not a device out there that appeals to me. I currently have a fifth gen 80Gb iPod, and I have a 2Gb Sansa Fuze (provided from a review). I wouldn't say either device really meets my needs, I just can't be arsed with using iTunes to transfer my music, so I basically transferred 80Gb worth of tunes when I first got it and since then, nothing. While the Sansa is a good little player, it is a little basic for a nerd like myself.
I have also been very tempted to buy an Archos 5 as they do seem fantastic though maybe a little large, or a Sony NWZ as they are not too expensive (£95 on Amazon), and I have heard nothing but good reviews about them.
Well, Sony has now announced the Sony X Series Walkman, and I must say it certainly looks impressive. The NWZ rangeis well known for offering better sound quality and battery life than the iPod. Sony has now improved on this by adding a 3-inch OLED touchscreen with Cover Flow-style navigation which should offer higher-quality images, and I think better battery life compared to the old QVGA LCD screen.
Another very impressive addition to the Walkman is the built-in noise reduction feature which means you can dispense with battery-powered headphones. I think this is a brilliant addition as noise-reduction headphones can be expensive and look awkward.
The Walkman will also have direct video-recording from SONY Bravia TV’s
The X-series is will be available in 16GB and 32GB versions and will come in at just 50mm thick.
It is also believed to come bundled with some high-quality headphones which I think should be standard practice from expensive players but Apple keeps using cheap headphones which if you replace them can add anything from £20-100+ to the price of the player. I suspect the headphones will be the
Sony MDR-EX85LP (or similar), which retails at £30
Unfortunately, there is no working on price, though if it is the flagship model I would imagine it will be priced similar to the iPod touch which currently retails at £262.00 for the 32Gb version on Amazon.
If they could undercut Apple significantly and maybe offer it for £150-180 I would buy one without hesitation.
I am a UK tech blogger and have been in the industry for over 10 years now, running Mighty Gadget and its sister sites and contributing to other sites around the web. I am passionate about all tech, including mobile, wearables, and home automation. I am also a fitness fanatic, so I cover as much fitness tech as possible.