Coming in at around £60, the same price as Apple's latest iPod shuffle, Sony's cordless Walkman NWZ-W202 MP3 player offers half the memory, at 2GB, but a much more eye-catching appearance. The shiny, space-age design feels most at home in the gym but Sony also promises sound quality to rival higher-end players.
Positives
When not in use, the NWZ-W202's magnetic headphones connect to each other neatly, and you certainly won't suffer the age-old problem of tangled cords with this player. The NWZ-W202's tough build feels more than capable of standing up to intense workouts. The headphones are adjustable, and stay in place even on cross-country runs.
Sony has long been a fan of the jog dial and it proves the perfect way of controlling this small, screen-less player. One firm press brings the NWZ-W202 to life, and then you just flick the dial to pause and skip between tracks or activate the Zappin song-navigation feature (see below for more on Zappin). The volume rocker is stiff enough to avoid deafening yourself accidentally. The magnetic link between the headphones also functions as a power switch -- you simply snap the two together to turn the player off.
Taking a leaf out of Apple's book, there's a conspicuous shuffle-mode switch on the back of NWZ-W202, and the device can play AAC files, in addition to MP3s and DRM-protected WMAs.
The NWZ-W202 is charged and loaded via an unprotected mini-USB port and a stylish dock/display stand. Sony recommends Windows Media Player 11 for copying songs to the player, but it's just as easy to drag and drop files.
The NWZ-W202's battery deserves a special mention. While a full charge -- giving around 12 hours playback -- takes about an hour and a half, you'll get around 90 minutes' playback from a charge of just 3 minutes -- ideal when you're in a rush.
The NWZ-W202's sound quality is where the device really has an advantage over the shuffle. The bass is solid, the treble is clear and the mid-range is smoother than a freshly shaved Olympic cyclist. The headphones trounce Apple's own earbuds in every way, and are particularly suited to belting out power pop and dance tunes.
Negatives
The NWZ-W202's metallic styling could most charitably be described as 'eye-catching', and few people will believe you when you tell them that this over-sized player doesn't double as a Bluetooth headset.
Sony's Zappin navigation system is almost comically misjudged. It's meant to extract recognisable snippets from each tune to help you quickly find the song you're after. In fact, it just picks out random snatches of music to the accompaniment of a cheesy zapping noise and an American voice exclaiming 'Zappin in!'.
It's a shame that Sony decided to ditch the impressive noise-cancelling function found on earlier its earlier sporty MP3 players, and there are no EQ options or FM radio, either.
Conclusion
Whereas Apple's miniscule new iPod shuffle tries very hard to blend in, Sony's Walkman NWZ-W202 tries equally hard to grab your attention. If you don't mind its eye-catching, gym-geek appearance, its practical design, simple interface and superb sound quality will probably win you over.
Edited by Charles Kloet
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Natalie Lunar Mahoney 13 January 2011
Good: everything (almost)
Bad: Zappin
Comment: i disagree with the people saying its a bad fit, the fit is brilliant, i work at McDonalds and use the player every night at work which keeps me constantly moving, climbing shelves washing up, scrubbing floors and polishing stainless steal among other things and never once has it fallen out, it doesnt mould to your own head after time as my brothers are very fond of stealing it, and wandering around the house with it on, and it doesnt fall out, the sound on it is amazing and nothing i put on it has ever been distorted, in any way shape or form. the colours are great with such a range available, although i brought a lime green player some colour has been lost, but i believe its due to the fact that the only time it is not in use is when it is charging and ive had it quite a while now, its brilliant because i can play it through the speaker in my can using the usb connection in my stereo, which means i can play lots of songs without either changing the CD or creating various mix CD's there is one function that i was surprised and confused about because i accidentally turned this function on, is the hearing saver function or what ever it is which when turned on doesn't allow you to play music loud enough to damage the ear drums, i thought it was a brilliant idea although i thought it was broke for 3 weeks till i read the information properly lol, the zappin function isnt too much of a bother as ive never seen the need to use it, but one thing that annoys me is the fact you can't get external speakers for it as its great for songs brill sound sturdy and can be put in a pocket or simply left around your neck or over your ears when not in use its an amazing little mp3 player and i maintain its the best ive ever had.
ardycee1 8 December 2010
Good: The Sounds
Bad: The fit - really badly designed, unwearable if you're moving about
Comment: I was really excited about the prospect of a wireless mp3 to wear for running/ cycling/ gym use. I was then REALLY disappointed when I got this one and tried to use it. Don't get me wrong - the sound is great. But the concept for wearing it just doesn't work. The headphones flap around annoyingly when you try and walk/ run/ cycle. Unless you want this for just sitting down, I really wouldn't buy it.
R3J3CT13 7 October 2010
Good: Almost everything
Bad: Memory size:price
Comment: (This is my review, Its just i didn't register before comenting last time)
Excellent product with only 1 problem, the Memory size:Price ratio.
For £42 I would like to have more than 2GB of memory.
However I love the small, lightweight, one component design. No more week long missions of untangling headphone wires. I also adore the hours of usage from 5 mins of charging, Genius!
And the Zappin funtion is awesome!
It has major potential to be the best mp3 player i've owned, if only it had more space!
See all 5 user reviews