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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
Inhouse product
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Reviews & Ratings
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audiom3
08-08-2025I 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.
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Blue blue
08-08-2025Hardware 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.
Technical Specifications
About this item Wi-Fi compatible for direct download and streaming Made with a rigid aluminum frame and gold solder inside a precisely engineered chassis Up to 36 hours of 44.1KHz FLAC playback Supported by Android Connect to a PC to access your music collection Lightweight and designed for pockets NW-A300 series high-quality PCM conversion DSD audio formats up to 11.2MHz The NW-A306 lets you enjoy 360 Reality Audio. Rigid aluminum milled frame for improved sound quality Show more
