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-off The Bad: - Volume, volume, volume. Where is it?? It is limited on IEMs. Sounds plenty loud in car stereo 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.

I really, really wanted to like this. The form factor is great. I can even get over the lag in boot time and app responsiveness, which really is not that bad. However, the volume limiting is a deal killer for me. To be fair, that's not Sony's fault, as the limitation is a function of EU regulations. The Japanese version of this Walkman does not have that limitation. It is possible to manually get around it, but there is no "one and done" setting to override the limit, which just ruins the enjoyment of the unit. The idea behind the limit is to protect your hearing, however like many regulations it fails to account for what happens in real life. If you're listening to an audiobook while running on a sidewalk with traffic beside you, you won't be able to hear the narrator. When I was sitting on the beach listening to jazz, I had a very hard time hearing over the sound of the water and people nearby. On an airplane just forget it--absolutely no audible sound comes through. It's like the EU only considered volume in a silent room rather than in outdoor situations. Bottom line: great design, but volume limit renders it unusable except in quiet indoor situations.

This is my third Walkman MP3 player; Walkman No. 1 and No. 2 each lasted about 5 years until the non-replaceable batteries failed. The two previous players worked fine without Android--gee, who knew there was once a time that Sony actually could write its own software? And who knew there was a time when Google didn't control 1/3 of the world, the other 2/3 being owned by Microsoft and Apple? (Incidentally, why should it be necessary to have password protection for something as simple as an MP3 player? ) C'mon, Sony--let's give the customer a choice of OS for your Walkman devices. Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I can say that this player works just fine. The way I roll, I put my audiobooks on a micro SD card (and I easily installed the micro SD card that was in my dead Walkman No. 2) and I put my music--for the most part, ripped CD's and my own concert recordings--on internal storage. I was able to do that with this device. Bluetooth works perfectly well with all three of my vehicles, just as it did with Walkman Nos. 1 and 2. The build quality of this player is Sony-excellent. The sound quality is Sony-excellent. And its small size, relative to some other Android mp3 players on the market, is a big plus--it isn't noticeably larger than my Walkman Nos. 1 and 2. And Sonyyis to be thanked for FINALLY ditching its proprietary cables, opting for USB. Final verdict: If like me you value simplicity in an MP3 player and already have a smartphone and several (for me, 6 at last count) laptops or desktop computers, this device rates four stars; I have deducted one star for its needless complexity. If on the other hand, you plan on surfing the net and reading e-mail on this device's Lilliputian screen, it rates five stars.

good on looks solid built quality but android music app keep failing and freezes , downgrade from NW-A55 music app, has no bluetooth transmiter and does not support for hi-res 5- pole noise cancelling earphones, and its doesnt transfer music from mac os directly, needs 3rd party paid apps.

First thing first. The quality of sound reproduction is exactly what one expects from Sony- crystal clear & pure with a nice DAC and EQ and a lot many other sound improving capabilities . This player was a nightmare initially to understand it's functions, especially the necessity of providing a full-fledged bunch of mobile Android apps. The biggest drawback is the inbuilt memory, which at 32 gb barely adequate for Android apps . It could have been made atleast 128/64 gb. However, slot for external SD card upto 1 TB is a big saving grace. A slightly bigger battery for longer playback would have also added an extra attraction at this price point. However, the quality of reproduction of music more than compensate these shortcomings. Earlier I rated it 4*, which I must revise to 5 after a few months of use - reason being it's musicality from my own FLAC / MP3 Stored music as well as high fidelity Amazon prime music. I have not listened to lossless music from Tidal or any other such platforms. Although, a bit expensive by Indian standard, for serious music lovers in India, I would recommend that instead of spending good money on high powered amplifier, CD player, record player, passive speakers etc. (which incidentally I have already done), better by a set of nice quality Active speakers and this Sony walkman player and your ears will feel blessed, because even most of expensive mobiles do not have DACs Good enough to bring the real thing out of streamed music.

Great value for those that use music players. Sounds great and easy to use too.

Tiene un buen sonido, los materiales se sienten de buena calidad, el software deja mucho que desear, va muy lento, los audífonos que cuentan con control de volumen en el cable no funciona el control, hay que subir y bajar directo desde el reproductor. Encontrar una case original és complicado

As a weekend audiophile, I'm 100% satisfied with the device. I previously owned Fiio M3pro which was ok, but lagged like a 2000s smartphone. Sony's sound is significantly better, well known tunes sound like the first time. Android allows to use streaming servises which also sound amazing. Seems like most cons in the feedbacks are exaggerated. It does lag at times, but not enough to bother. It does heat during charging, library update, software update, but never when used as a player, not an android device. Considering its music playback features, I definitely recommend it.