Sony NW-A306 Walkman 32GB Hi-Res Portable Digital Music Player with Android, up to 36 Hour Battery, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth and USB Type-C – Black NW-A306/B, Black

I have, for decades, owned Android devices and never one thing labeled Apple. Not even an iPod. So reading the reviews and seeing people complain that this Sony WM is Android-based is what led me to purchase one. Having first bought a Shanling, I couldn't even get it to recognize the same 1TB memory that is working fine in the Sony. So I returned the Shanling without hesitation...I have used Roon ARC since release and before that, PlexAmp while on the go. I mainly use them in the car with a portable USB DAC. The apps work well "overall" - barring cell phone reliability. ARC runs into minor issues nearly once a day. It might pop up a 'Poor Connection' error or it will just pause what you're playing and then start to buffer. Can become very annoying... This is especially true in heavy traffic because I prefer all of my music files to be in their native format and resolution. So CD rips - 16/44.1 wav, SACDs DSD 1x (dsf) and hi-rez downloads, DVD-As and Bluray audio at their native bit rates and sampling rates. So this takes some bandwidth off my cellular provider and they fail miserably at times. PlexAmp is far more reliable but you're only getting mp3 quality. They transcode everything, as far as I can tell, when on cellular data. Such a shame...And so began my search for a capable but reasonably priced DAP. I am a hi-fi home audio guy, so I pick my battles. On the road, I just want everything to be there. A nice, tight thump when the bass drum kicks, clean midrange that isn't harsh and extended highs. I know I will never get the imaging and 'air' that my expensive home system provides, so I don't fret. It's not very complicated. And we won't even get into the 'you can't tell the difference between an mp3 and a DSD file in the car' rubbish.Before I get into the good and the bad, I will say that the complaints about Sony's Music app are very spot on. What a piece of horse dung. It is ugly, poorly implemented and slow as all heck. When I first mounted my memory card, I had to figure out how to get things onto it. And Sony said you had to add their Music app for Windows 11 to do this. Fine, I did it. Then I started moving files over (8800+ songs) and Sony was taking an eternity! It would have literally taken between 3 and 4 whole days to transfer all of them. I did not want to leave my gaming PC running for that long. My GPU alone would probably make my electric bill sky high this month! So I figured I would remove the Micro SD and put it in my old, slow-as-heck card reader and transfer the music that way. And slow it was. But it still happened sometime while I was sleeping. I would guess 8-10 hours compared to 48-72 for the Sony. That is just unacceptable. Anyway, here are some of the good and bad about it so far:The Good:- Android OS- Google Play Store- Compact chassis- Good function/button location (once you get used to them)- All the connections you should need - including Micro SD slot up to 2TB- USB C charge/transfer port- Sound Quality from top to bottom is good. Clear, extended highs, clean midrange and kick drums well,kick.- Sound great through car speakers or my IEMs.- programmable auto-offThe Bad:- Volume, volume, volume. Where is it?? It is limited on IEMs. Sounds plenty loud in carstereo though, and that is the main reason for buying it. Can go to 120 in-car.- Can be a little slow to react. But not as bad as some of the reviews say.- Sony Music App - really, just get rid of it and use VLC player. You'll thank me.Can't think of anything else at the moment but will update if/when I find more. I can say it's a good buy if you love Android OS.

Hardware and OS are very snappy and responsive. However, if you're looking for a music player, look elsewhere.It takes over 1 minute to boot and another 10 seconds for the music player app to load. This is a full blown Android smart device like a phone but without phone features. Depending on certain features or desire to install productive apps like Tasker, you need to log in with your Google account.The volume automatically adjusts itself back to 50 out of 120 upon boot.I just wanted a music player with fast startup, high quality audio, fast and responsive operating system, long battery life, high quality hardware, and durability. This does not fit the bill for the price Sony is asking for. Returning device after 2 days of function testing.

I’ve literally spent months reading reviews of all manner of digital audio players and eventually settled on the Sony NW A306 which is the current entry level “budget” Walkman.I was sorely tempted by fancier audio players which cost four to five times what this one does. But in most cases those are built with a lot of power to drive expensive high impedance headphones. This isn’t really my use case.I’m more interested in using it as a source for other components: Bluetooth speakers, wired connection to the living room stereo hi-fi, and ultimately my insane PA system for when it’s time to rock all the acres. I haven’t tested the last one yet, but it’s coming 🙂The quality of the Bluetooth connection is pretty decent, well in excess of 50 feet outdoors. Less inside but good enough for streaming to an amp in the next room.The wired connection from the 3.5mm jack to my stereo sounds excellent. No complaints. There is a built in EQ in the native player app as well as other sound filters. I haven’t played with these very much but it’s nice to know they’re there.The Android OS may be a little sluggish compared to what one would find on smartphones, but I’m going to avoid using extraneous apps as much as possible. I will experiment with a few streaming platforms and network WiFi features (nugs dot net, Tidal, Roon, etc…) but I’m not too worried if the results aren’t ideal. I still have my phone if needed.If you pick up this model, make sure the firmware is up to date. Supposedly there was a low bass response issue with the original software. Also, those sold in the US and Europe have a capped volume level- a safety regulation thing. If you want the full power version look for a Japanese import. You’ll have a louder player but will likely forego any warranty protection. I almost went this route but decided against. Again, I’m not interested in driving headphones and figured my components can push the volume as loud as needed. So far this has been the case.For my purposes I feel this little player offers fantastic bang for the buck.

El reproductor cumple muy bien con su tarea, reproduce muy bien la música de alta calidad como flac, wav y streaming como tidal y hasta el mp3 en 320 lo reproduce bastante bien.El reproductor no es de alta impedancia, no alimenta auriculares que exigen mayor energía, el volumen se puede ajustar y obtendrás un buen sonido pero con los auriculares adecuados, (yo por ejemplo uso los fiio fh3 y tiene buen volumen y la música es superior).Hay que hacerle ajustes para obtener la calidad y volumen que se requiere (puedes usar una IA para ecualizarlo a tu gusto)Es algo lenta y la batería le dura poco pero es buen reproductor y cumple, la música suena mucho mejor que cualquier smartphone convencional, si buscas fidelidad intacta y máxima este no es para tí, si eres exigente con la calidad, velocidad y duración de batería, este reproductor no es para tí. Es accesible, si. Es ideal para tu primer equipo audiofilo principiante y barato, si.