Sony Walkman Bean NW-E205 (512MB) review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: Rick Broida

Reviewed on: 25 November 2005

Tags: Sony, Sony Walkman Bean NW-E205 (512 MB), menu system, portable, WMA files

We like:

Excellent FM reception and battery life; retractable USB connector.

We don't like:

Poorly designed USB cover; awkward controls; tiny screen muddles interface; noticeable hiss during playback; music-store support limited to Sony Connect; slow file transfers.

You might also need:

Good headphones.

CNET UK judgement:

Sony's half-baked Walkman Bean tries hard to be hip, but bad design elements and hissy audio make it one square audio player.

Full review:

Sony is working hard to re-establish itself as a leader -- or at least a competitor -- in the portable music market. First, it added native MP3 support to its players. Next came the ubersleek E400 and E500 series players, followed by lower prices across the board -- an effort to compete more aggressively with Apple's iPods. Now, with the arrival of the Walkman Bean NW-E200 series, Sony tackles the iPod Shuffle head-on with hip design, lots more features, amazing battery life and an affordable price. Sony also wisely banished the awkward, off-putting word Network from the product's branding. Unfortunately, these positive moves can't overcome the player's poor controls, awkward interface, hiss-filled playback, and steadfast reliance on Sony's weak SonicStage software. Continue Reading...