kwbarrett's Full Review: Sony Network Walkman NW-HD1 (20 GB) MP3 Player
I moved up to the HD3 from the MZ-RH910 HiMD player. The HD3 blows even that away on sound quality. I'm using Sony MDR-EX51. I never even unpacked the included earbuds. It also interfaces with Sonic Stage much better and quicker than my old NetMD or HiMD.
The size is the first thing you notice about the HD3. It is considerably smaller/thinner than an Ipod. My dad has the Ipod Photo 30GB and it looks and feels like a brick next to my HD3. Sound quality of the HD3 also blows the Ipod away even with my dad using his Bose QuietComfort headphones.
My main reason for moving from HiMD to the HD3 was I was at full capacity on my RH910 with all 450+ tracks converted to Atrac3+64K. Transferring these tracks was excrutiatingly slow. Sonic Stage recognized the HD3 quicker and transferred ~1000 songs (both Atrac and mp3) in about 7 mins with no conversion. There's even the option to auto transfer when the player is first plugged in--very convenient. I solved the capacity problem. I have used just over 3GB of disk space.
People say the Ipod is so simple to use, but side by side, dad and I found the HD3 to be at least as simple to use. Ipod gets the nod in the end for interface and the ability to rate songs on the player and create playlists on the go. The HD3 version of on the go playlists is called Bookmarks, which I was familiar with on my HiMD player. For me this is acceptable, but the Ipod's is better. In the end, the HD3 wins on price, sound, size, and looks.
I am not writing this review based on Sonic Stage or ITunes because the problems of Sonic Stage are well documented and because I've never used ITunes. I will say that, besides Sonic Stage being slow at times, I've never had a problem with it on my old NetMD, HiMD, or the HD3.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 205.00 Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
20 GB Digital Music Player stores 13,000 tracks Plays back in MP3 and ATRAC Audio Formats Up to 30 hours of playback Get 50 songs from Connect.com wit...More at Amazon Marketplace
Sony Network Walkman NW-HD1, the new music-only player powered by a 1.8-inch hard drive, enough RAM to provide 25 minutes of skip-free playing, and an...More at eBay
Sony Network Walkman NW-HD1 20 GB NWHD1 MP3 Player NEW BRAND NEW in SONY RETAIL BOX CONDITION: NEW and COMPLETE Thanks for visiting our auction.Please...More at eBay
Keep the music playing for up to 30 hours with the Sony 20GB Hard Drive Digital Audio Recorder/Player. Thanks to 20GB of built-in hard drive space you...More at Target
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.