Vishalca

Hey everyone,

I am looking for an MP3 player for excersizing and running, and my research of usability and reasonable cost has come down to these two players: the iPod shuffle 1GB ($178 with my edu discount) and the Sony NW-E99 (with a recent price drop, $179 after MIR). Now, I have read numerous reviews about the shuffle, however, its 12 hour and non-user replaceable battery have been drawbacks for me. What intrigued me about the Sony player is its 70 (!) hour battery life. This is obviously amazing; however, I have heard negative reviews about Sony audio quality. So, if anyone owns the NW-E99, or any Sony MP3 player for that matter, could you please give me a short user review to help me with my decision? I am impressed with the Sony player, and now with the price drop, it makes my decision even harder! Thanks to all for their important information.

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Sony Clie TJ25, Apple iPod mini (4GB), Apple iPod shuffle (512MB), Palm Z22 and a Macbook.

Serotta

I own a mini-disk player that I'm happy with. Don't have any experience with the Sony NW-E99, but the few user reviews I've seen were positive.

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Vishalca

Serotta, if you don't mind, could you tell me where you found those user reviews? Thanks in advance!

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Sony Clie TJ25, Apple iPod mini (4GB), Apple iPod shuffle (512MB), Palm Z22 and a Macbook.

RMCF

Bear in mind that the NW99 has not got USB2 (why?).
The audio quality is likely to be equal or higher that the shuffle though. Where have you read about bad quality? Are you talking about 2x5 amp?

Serotta

http://www.dealtime.com/xPO-NW_E99_1_GB

http://www.itreviews.co.uk/forum/5508

Hope these help.

I'll plug my MD player too. I have the NH600 and really like it. 1gig per disk, so plenty of room on one disk, but yet it's expandable. Sound quality is great. Very small and portable.

__________________
"All the people of the nation let me hear you give a holler-
In God we trust, In God we trust" - Pillar
"I pledge allegiance to the Lamb, with all my strength, with all I am"
Ray Boltz

Vishalca

Actually, I don't think it was the audio now. Someone said that the backlight made a hissing sound that was audible only when the volume was between 1 and 5 (I believe it has a range of 32). Serotta, thanks for the links!

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Sony Clie TJ25, Apple iPod mini (4GB), Apple iPod shuffle (512MB), Palm Z22 and a Macbook.

Cyker

Yeah, I was gonna say! Sony Audio quality is usually very very good!

The hissing thing is possible, but TBH I've noticed this on a lot of other players (The iPod and iRiver range both have audible hiss at low volume levels, esp. when the hard disks are running - It seems to vary depending on the headphones you are using 'tho. With the stock ones it's very hard to hear, but with my Sony 'phones it's a lot more audible, but with the Sonys, the audio is louder at a given volume level than the stock 'phones.)

mr_gkyc

As luck would have it, I was faced with the same decision earlier this week... In my case, I was going for cheap so I was deciding between the 512Mb shuffle and the E95.



Yes, me too. Plus, I went down to the local Sony Store and handled an E95. That unit is a nice package: tiny, metal-body and a nifty display.



Note that this is with ATRAC. MP3 reduces it to 30-40h. Still amazing though.



I think others have said it already. But for what it's worth, here's some good reviews for the E75/95/99:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews83588.html
http://www.everythingusb.com/hardwa...ork_Walkman.htm

BTW, I ordered the E95 on Monday.

George

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The difference between theory and practice is much larger in practice than it is in theory.

JackAxe

I would go with the iShuffle period. Apple does not mislead, nor make it difficult in anyway or form to manage and play your music and this is regardless of the format. Sony is the complete opposite of this in every way. Sony is a major "pain in the arse" when it comes to all digital music handling.

Another factor, is that Sony uses a horrid interface app called "Sonic Stage." Compared to iTunes, it's absolutely awful, a hindrance and must have been designed by a monkey. This is where the iShuffle vastly outclasses the Sony. It's the "iTunes+Apple Hardware" integration that has made them the dominate leader. Ease of use is king in Apple's book.

With the iShuffle, you'll also get dedicated support. So your product won't be abandoned in a year like Sony tends to do. Apple will continue to provide software and firmware updates, even after your device's warranty has expired. And if you need tech-support, you can actually "call" someone.

The iShuffle is also a Mass Storage device. I could not find anything regarding the Sony being able to do this. What this means, is that the iShuffle can be used like a thumb-drive and does not require drivers to copy files to it.

USB 1.0 is also very slow when transfering large music files, or albums, 2.0 is better suited for this.

$178 is expensive for an iShuffle. They sell for $149 on Apple's site.
********
Sorry, didn't see you're in Canada.

<]=)

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NJL!2016

For once, I actually agree with JackAxe. SonicStage is awful. It's DRM taken to the extreme. I had a MZNF520D, and sound quality was poor, even with ATRAC3 at the max bit rate (I think 220kbps). There was a very noticeable hiss, even when using premastered MDs. Plus, it didn't even have USB 2!

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mr_gkyc

Agreed on this point up to Sony's release of "MP3 Music Manager". I have read that it gives you a drag-and-drop interface for loading music onto the NW-Exx. Given the price, I'm taking a chance there.



Agreed too but this is with ATRAC. With MP3, you use the MP3 Music Manager instead of SonicStage.



Yes. But what I judged to be shuffle's shortcoming is the battery. Given Apple's track record with the full-size ipods, the battery's gonna die in a couple of years and you're gonna be faced with a real dilemma: pony up the ~$50-100 for Apple to replace the battery or buy a new one. Buying a new one seems like an environmentally irresponsible thing to do. Plus, the Exx series of player is mighty sexy in the flesh... You gotta handle it. I prefer Sony's metal body to Apple's plastic.



I'm gambling that support will be okay for something that's relatively simple... I bought a CLIE, didn't I? ;-)



The Sony is also a Mass Storage device. However, the difference is that it needs a cable wheras the shuffle can plug directly in. But I wonder about the cap...

However, it should be pointed out that the shuffle's strength is that you can drag music onto it as a Mass Storage device. With the Sony, you have to use the MP3 Music Manager.

The most interesting feature of the shuffle is the on-the-fly-transcoding. This is seldom mention but makes the most of the shuffle limited storage. iTunes 4.7.1 supports an on-the-fly-transcoding to 128k AAC for the shuffle. This was the one feature that nearly made me a shuffle owner since I only use iTunes at home with the AirPort Express ripping everything to 320k MP3.



I've gotten used to this when my CLIE already so I can live with it. Plus, the shuffle isn't fast at even despite it being 2.0 from the reviews I've read.



Also in Canada, the shuffle is still not available. And with Sony's rebate right now, the 512Mb player is pretty cheap. I'm paying CAD141 for the E95 after rebate. The 512Mb shuffle is CAD149+tax=CAD170. I figure the difference will pay for a couple of sets of earphones for the gym. ;-)

George

__________________
--
The difference between theory and practice is much larger in practice than it is in theory.

JackAxe

That's good to know that it's a mass storage device. I was looking, but couldn't find anything. I wish my Clié was mass storage.*grumbles*

No doubt, Sony has great design. I really like my Clié's magnesium case and look. I just wish they would apply that same amount of care and thought to their software and overall quality now days. They seem to be riding their name right now. I've come this conclusion along with most of my friends. We've all bought Sony, they just seem to break faster now.

I hope my battery doesn't die. My iPod is just under 2 years now. So if I get another 1 or 2 I'll be happy, since that is the average life. The same is true for my Clié. (If not for Sony's poor support, it's just easier to get to during a replacement.) A defect would cause it to die sooner, but so far it's been good. And replacing a battery about once every 3 years, is certainly better then replacing a standard battery once or twice a month.

I hope the iShuffle can be opened, but I have instructions on how to do so for my iPod. So at that time, I can put in a longer lasting 2100mAh battery for $40, or a 850mAh for $26.

Sony says they understand what they've been doing wrong in this arena and plans on changing, but until that's in place, they're on my no list for digital music. I've arelady had enough with the poo that is Sonic Stage and Sony's dislike of MP3.

Can't you pop down to the US and buy a 1Gig iShuffle for $149 and then sneak it back in? It's really small.

<]=)

__________________

I be a hearty pirate that plunders many waffles.

The Dread Pirate Monkey Gizmo has scurvy! :)

Nintendo DS and Wii, me gaming machines of choice.

Vishalca

Well, JackAxe, I would LOVE to pop down into the States to pick one up! But....sadly, school interferes, and well, I am patient enough to wait for it to come here! But I really do want to see how small it is!

As for the iShuffle battery, my only concern was how long it would last, and how you would charge it. If I travel, I wouldn't have access to a USB port. Also, I don't keep my comp on overnight, unless I charged it while doing work. And I plan on having it last for a while; I have heard positive comments on the quality of the Sony MP3 Player, and the shuffle, but the battery might only last 3 years on the shuffle. But, alas, all my music is in iTunes, and I love Autofill! Decisions, Decisions.....

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Sony Clie TJ25, Apple iPod mini (4GB), Apple iPod shuffle (512MB), Palm Z22 and a Macbook.

JackAxe

I don't know this for a fact, but it should come with this power adapter;
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...nMore=M9837LL/A

Joel would know. The iPod comes with one, so I don't see why not.


And there's this option;
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...rnMore=M9759G/A

It uses AAA batteries. I would only buy something like that if, I were out camping or something.

3 years down the line to replace one battery will probably cost about the same as all the AAA batteries combined. Of course if you don't buy it through Apple.

Avoid the torment of Sonic Stage. It negates all the pluses of the Sony. If iTunes were even remotely as bad, the iPod would've failed.

<]=)

__________________

I be a hearty pirate that plunders many waffles.

The Dread Pirate Monkey Gizmo has scurvy! :)

Nintendo DS and Wii, me gaming machines of choice.