Click here for more information When searching for a new mp3 player the trail always leads me back to Sony. Its more about overall quality then brand loyalty. Over the years Sony's Walkman line has gone the distance and more. The all new Sony S Series Walkman adds to the legacy.
The S-545 16gb Walkman brings it on with a crisp, color enhanced 2.4" LCD screen that is easy on the eyes. At 2" x 4" x .4", it comes in a bit larger then its older cousin. A larger body undoubtedly is required to provide support for the external speaker system. The speakers won't get confused with my home system anytime soon but they do provide an excellent source. With headphones on, this mp3 player delivers a cornucopia of sound. Missing but not that noticeable is the noise reduction feature. The on board equalizer can be tweaked to one's own preferences or users can choose one of the six presets.
The Navigation pad located directly under the screen is a breeze to operate. Three controls are located on the right side of the unit. One locks in the controls. The second one allows for easy switching from speaker to headset. Volume is the third control. The standard headphone jack and a USB port can be found on the bottom of the unit. The detachable flip out stand is an okay feature that allows for easy standing on my desk or shelf top. I would have preferred that it was permanently mounted.
The S-545 supports mp3, mp4, AAC, AVC, WMV, WMA, and PCM. PCM is Sony's version of WAV. It pairs well with Napster To Go. Its hit and miss with Rhapsody To Go. Sometimes its a smooth transfer, other times its not. Downloading my playlists from Windows Media Player was a breeze without the usual hiccups associated with older mp3 players.
Amazon video is a new option that is also supported. Video can be synced from my computer as well. I've never been big on downloading video to my player. I did download a couple of photographs on this model. The display was outstanding. Unlike my older Walkman, this model doesn't offer the wallpaper photo display option.
The built in FM tuner picked up all ten of my stations. With auto scanner functionality, thirty preset slots are available. The FM radio is crystal clear when using the headset as an antenna. The alarm and timer features are a nice add on. This model also has an impressive on board microphone located on the bottom of the unit. There are three voice settings. Voice playback quality was excellent. Battery life has always been biggie with Sony. On a full charge, I got almost a full thirty five hours of music.
The Sony Walkman S-545 16gb Mp3 player comes packed with a USB cable, flip stand, ear buds, installed operating manual and the standard one year warranty. Body finishes include; black and red in the 16GB model. Pink and violet are additional choices in the 8GB model.
Economically priced, this latest edition to the Walkman line is a durable and reliable product that delivers. Easy to use and loaded with features, the Sony S-545 is a prime time performer. Sony Walkman NWZS545BLK 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)
Great sounding and easy to use MP3 I have owned. I have had a Philips GoGear (froze and had to format all the time) a creative Zen (stopped working after 6 months) and a Zune 120 GB (great storage but not the best sounding MP3, plus a little to bulky when jogging). This is the easiest MP3 to use and the sound is great. For people who exercise, especially joggers, this is the perfect size and at 16GB holds quite alot of music. The screen size is only 2.4 but is very clear and once you use the transfer feature that comes with the player is easy to transfer photos and videos.
The speakers won't blow you away, but I got it for when I work outside in the garden and didn't want to haul out my speakers to plug in. Plus, when I am at work I can use it at the lunch table and not be rude when people sit with me and cannot listen to music. They do sound pretty good for the size, just an extra bonus on the player.
Last, a great price for an 16GB
I'm not exactly an mp3 player expert, so maybe I have unrealistic expectations. I really like (but not love...) this mp3 player, but there are a few things that I would have done differently if I had been the designer.
Video: This is advertised as being video capable (very nice screen), but I was surprised that this didn't play .wmv files. They play on Windows Media Player (and every other player I know of - Nero - Winamp), but not on the Sony. I thought .wmv was very popular, and am surprised that it can't play them.
Fast Forward: when you push and hold the "forward" button, it slowly "fast forwards" through the song 4 seconds at a time. It would be nice if after a few seconds, it kicked in the "turbo" and really zoomed through the file at a quicker rate - maybe 10 or 15 seconds at a time or something. If you want to fast-forward 40 minutes into an hour-long mp3 file (ie: radio program on mp3), you're going to be there for a long time while it slowly pokes through at 4 second intervals.
Playlists: you can't create a playlist on this mp3 player, which seems kinda odd to me. You have to do it via Windows Media Player 11, and then import it. I'm not familiar with how other mp3 players do it, but it would be nice to make playlists independently without having to be hooked up to Windows Media Player 11.
Screen: I was disappointed at how fast the screen scratches. Don't put it in the same pocket as your keys (or even a plastic thumb drive), or you'll be sorry. (I also have an old Creative Muvo that was as durable as a watch crystal. I expected this to be a bit more scratch resistant.) They sell little screen protectors, but I didn't know about this until AFTER my screen got scratched. If you buy this, get screen protectors before you use it!
Clock: I think it's great that this has a clock, alarm, and sleep timer! What neat features! And it's a cool looking clock which includes date as well. I wish the clock would display somewhere on the screen along with the song info - not just when the "clock" menu item is selected. Not a biggie - just a preference.
By the way, being able to wake up via a pre-selected .mp3 file is one of my favorite features. I use it for waking up to Bible reading or Rosary or verses that I'm trying to memorize (that I've "read into" the Sony using the voice recorder). What a great feature, and a great way to start the day!
"Folder": Here's a big issue for me - The "arrange by folder" doesn't work like I expected it to. I have an mp3 Bible on my computer, and using Windows Explorer (not media player), I organized each book of the Bible into it's own folder (ie: Genesis, Exodus...). Yet, when I moved these folders over to the Sony, and browse by "folder" - they do NOT appear under their "folder" name (ie: Genesis), but on the "contributing artist" or something like that. The Sony somehow thinks that it belongs in a folder labeled "Eric Martin" (the name of the narrator.) It looks like I need to go into Windows Media Player and re-arrange "folders" through that application. That's gonna be a big job. It seems to have totally ignored my "organization" via Windows Explorer.
Windows Media Player: I use Windows Media player, but am not a guru, so I was disappointed to see this Sony relying so heavily on it (folder organization, as well as playlists). Now I need to figure out Windows Media Player in order for my Sony to work properly.
One more nitpick - maybe I'm being too critical, but I think the volume control is too small hard to use. I would have made separate "up" and "down" buttons, and made them a bit bigger. My old Creative Muvo has 2 large, easy-to-use buttons, and it is much smaller than the Sony. The Sony has room for bigger buttons - why didn't they make them bigger?
Other than that - I really appreciate the long battery life, the beautiful (albeit scratched) screen, the speakers, the "alarm clock" feature, etc. etc. etc. This has a LOT of really nice features. Overall, I really like it, but thought a critical review might be more helpful for future purchasers. From what I saw, this is one of the best values (with the best features) for the money.
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