Typical price: £200
What is it: Sony's Walkman for the 21st century
What we think: While not quite ready to take on the iPod, the HD3 is a slim-featured but solid choice for MP3 addicts
What you need to know
Reviewed on: 16 March 2005
Tags: Sony UK, Sony Network Walkman NW-HD3 (20GB), imports, WMA files, songs
We like:
Supercompact and stylish, though not as much as the HD1; awesome battery life; basic operation; improved interface; natively supports MP3 files; clean, bright sound quality
We don't like:
No extra features; works only with bundled SonicStage jukebox software
You might also need:
Headphones; a wired remote control
CNET UK judgement:
Sony's 20GB HD3 may not have the HD1's looks and battery life, but its native MP3 support and flashy new colors make it a better choice overall
Full review:
Sony's £200 Network Walkman NW-HD3 represents more than just the next version of the beautiful but widely scrutinized HD1. This sleek 20GB digital audio player is leading Sony and its Walkman franchise into the 21st century - it's one of the first players from the electronics juggernaut to support native MP3 playback (the first digital audio player from Sony that actually played MP3s, the S23, was introduced late 2004). Following this flagship model is an army of newly announced and aggressively priced Network Walkmans that aspire to recapture some of the market share commandeered by the Apple iPod. Continue Reading...
Sony Network Walkman NW-HD3 (20GB) History
20 Sep 2005 in Reviews
So, you're in the market for a hard-drive MP3 player? Well, they might claim to be hard drives, but you're unlikely to catch any of them tearing themselves out of their Dixons packaging and rampaging about, smashing and terrifying the toasters in aisle three. There's a good reason for this: hard drives are actually mechanical devices that store your music on platters that spin at high speed -- like a really, really clever record player...
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