Sony NW-A306 Walkman 32GB Hi-Res Portable Digital Music Player with Android, up to 36 Hour Battery, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth and USB Type-C – Black NW-A306/B, Black

I have, for decades, owned Android devices and never one thing labeled Apple. Not even an iPod. So reading the reviews and seeing people complain that this Sony WM is Android-based is what led me to purchase one. Having first bought a Shanling, I couldn't even get it to recognize the same 1TB memory that is working fine in the Sony. So I returned the Shanling without hesitation... I have used Roon ARC since release and before that, PlexAmp while on the go. I mainly use them in the car with a portable USB DAC. The apps work well "overall" - barring cell phone reliability. ARC runs into minor issues nearly once a day. It might pop up a 'Poor Connection' error or it will just pause what you're playing and then start to buffer. Can become very annoying... This is especially true in heavy traffic because I prefer all of my music files to be in their native format and resolution. So CD rips - 16/44.1 wav, SACDs DSD 1x (dsf) and hi-rez downloads, DVD-As and Bluray audio at their native bit rates and sampling rates. So this takes some bandwidth off my cellular provider and they fail miserably at times. PlexAmp is far more reliable but you're only getting mp3 quality. They transcode everything, as far as I can tell, when on cellular data. Such a shame... And so began my search for a capable but reasonably priced DAP. I am a hi-fi home audio guy, so I pick my battles. On the road, I just want everything to be there. A nice, tight thump when the bass drum kicks, clean midrange that isn't harsh and extended highs. I know I will never get the imaging and 'air' that my expensive home system provides, so I don't fret. It's not very complicated. And we won't even get into the 'you can't tell the difference between an mp3 and a DSD file in the car' rubbish. Before I get into the good and the bad, I will say that the complaints about Sony's Music app are very spot on. What a piece of horse dung. It is ugly, poorly implemented and slow as all heck. When I first mounted my memory card, I had to figure out how to get things onto it. And Sony said you had to add their Music app for Windows 11 to do this. Fine, I did it. Then I started moving files over (8800+ songs) and Sony was taking an eternity! It would have literally taken between 3 and 4 whole days to transfer all of them. I did not want to leave my gaming PC running for that long. My GPU alone would probably make my electric bill sky high this month! So I figured I would remove the Micro SD and put it in my old, slow-as-heck card reader and transfer the music that way. And slow it was. But it still happened sometime while I was sleeping. I would guess 8-10 hours compared to 48-72 for the Sony. That is just unacceptable. Anyway, here are some of the good and bad about it so far: The Good: - Android OS - Google Play Store - Compact chassis - Good function/button location (once you get used to them) - All the connections you should need - including Micro SD slot up to 2TB - USB C charge/transfer port - Sound Quality from top to bottom is good. Clear, extended highs, clean midrange and kick drums well, kick. - Sound great through car speakers or my IEMs. - programmable auto-off The Bad: - Volume, volume, volume. Where is it?? It is limited on IEMs. Sounds plenty loud in car stereo though, and that is the main reason for buying it. Can go to 120 in-car. - Can be a little slow to react. But not as bad as some of the reviews say. - Sony Music App - really, just get rid of it and use VLC player. You'll thank me. Can't think of anything else at the moment but will update if/when I find more. I can say it's a good buy if you love Android OS.

I really, really wanted to like this. The form factor is great. I can even get over the lag in boot time and app responsiveness, which really is not that bad. However, the volume limiting is a deal killer for me. To be fair, that's not Sony's fault, as the limitation is a function of EU regulations. The Japanese version of this Walkman does not have that limitation. It is possible to manually get around it, but there is no "one and done" setting to override the limit, which just ruins the enjoyment of the unit. The idea behind the limit is to protect your hearing, however like many regulations it fails to account for what happens in real life. If you're listening to an audiobook while running on a sidewalk with traffic beside you, you won't be able to hear the narrator. When I was sitting on the beach listening to jazz, I had a very hard time hearing over the sound of the water and people nearby. On an airplane just forget it--absolutely no audible sound comes through. It's like the EU only considered volume in a silent room rather than in outdoor situations. Bottom line: great design, but volume limit renders it unusable except in quiet indoor situations.

This is my third Walkman MP3 player; Walkman No. 1 and No. 2 each lasted about 5 years until the non-replaceable batteries failed. The two previous players worked fine without Android--gee, who knew there was once a time that Sony actually could write its own software? And who knew there was a time when Google didn't control 1/3 of the world, the other 2/3 being owned by Microsoft and Apple? (Incidentally, why should it be necessary to have password protection for something as simple as an MP3 player? ) C'mon, Sony--let's give the customer a choice of OS for your Walkman devices. Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I can say that this player works just fine. The way I roll, I put my audiobooks on a micro SD card (and I easily installed the micro SD card that was in my dead Walkman No. 2) and I put my music--for the most part, ripped CD's and my own concert recordings--on internal storage. I was able to do that with this device. Bluetooth works perfectly well with all three of my vehicles, just as it did with Walkman Nos. 1 and 2. The build quality of this player is Sony-excellent. The sound quality is Sony-excellent. And its small size, relative to some other Android mp3 players on the market, is a big plus--it isn't noticeably larger than my Walkman Nos. 1 and 2. And Sonyyis to be thanked for FINALLY ditching its proprietary cables, opting for USB. Final verdict: If like me you value simplicity in an MP3 player and already have a smartphone and several (for me, 6 at last count) laptops or desktop computers, this device rates four stars; I have deducted one star for its needless complexity. If on the other hand, you plan on surfing the net and reading e-mail on this device's Lilliputian screen, it rates five stars.

Brief: I use this device in the car while driving, while walking the dogs, hooked up to my home stereo, and while at my desk at work. If I had to replace it, I'd likely get another one. Pros: - Battery life is great, compared to the more high end audiophile devices this will last way longer. - Sound is great. Really it does sound nice. There's decent EQ support and a vinyl simulator that's nice too. - Size is smaller than your phone and super portable. About the size of a pack of playing cards, or a tin of Altoids for comparison. - Physical buttons so if you have the device in your pocket it's easy to skip tracks, pause/play or adjust volume. - No issues with a large collection on an SD card. - Has a place for a wrist strap. This might sound like an odd pro, but when I take this in the car I can put the wrist strap over the shifter knob and when I drive the player doesn't go flying across the car. It's the little things. If I'm honest - this is what I really want in a portable player. Cons: - Lots of Android phone residue on this. It annoyingly still feels like a phone. Demanding I connect to WiFi to update, notifications I can't suppress, etc. The FIIO M11 I have (also Android and at twice the price!) doesn't seem to have this issue. - It's Android, so if you have issues copying files to/from and Android phone this would be a big con for you. If you plug it into your PC you can't use command line tools (rsync/robocopy) to update your files (the FIIO M11 also has this issue). You'll have to pull the SD card and mount that as a drive if you want to do this. - My library as a number of files in formats that aren't supported (OGG as an example) I'll have to convert all of them to use in this player. - I can't seem to get any variation of CUE files to work. This is a shame as I have a few older gap-less recordings that use CUE sheets. Interface: - There are some other improvements here that could be made, but these would be personal preferences I think. For instance a larger view of covers as an option, with UI elements like the "..." for settings rendered over it. Tapping on the album cover does nothing, maybe using that to swap between song details or a larger view of the album cover would be nice. There are no swipe gestures I see where you can swipe the screen left/right to change tracks. Directional swipes instead take you to different app views (playlist, library, eq, etc.), would be great to have an option to change this behavior and bury that under the "..." UI element. Other: - Audio levels capped for US/EU: You can read up on this online if you think it's a huge drawback. Unless you have really high impedance audiophile headphones, this isn't an issue at all. Volume is great for all the places I'm using it.

I’ve literally spent months reading reviews of all manner of digital audio players and eventually settled on the Sony NW A306 which is the current entry level “budget” Walkman. I was sorely tempted by fancier audio players which cost four to five times what this one does. But in most cases those are built with a lot of power to drive expensive high impedance headphones. This isn’t really my use case. I’m more interested in using it as a source for other components: Bluetooth speakers, wired connection to the living room stereo hi-fi, and ultimately my insane PA system for when it’s time to rock all the acres. I haven’t tested the last one yet, but it’s coming 🙂 The quality of the Bluetooth connection is pretty decent, well in excess of 50 feet outdoors. Less inside but good enough for streaming to an amp in the next room. The wired connection from the 3.5mm jack to my stereo sounds excellent. No complaints. There is a built in EQ in the native player app as well as other sound filters. I haven’t played with these very much but it’s nice to know they’re there. The Android OS may be a little sluggish compared to what one would find on smartphones, but I’m going to avoid using extraneous apps as much as possible. I will experiment with a few streaming platforms and network WiFi features (nugs dot net, Tidal, Roon, etc…) but I’m not too worried if the results aren’t ideal. I still have my phone if needed. If you pick up this model, make sure the firmware is up to date. Supposedly there was a low bass response issue with the original software. Also, those sold in the US and Europe have a capped volume level- a safety regulation thing. If you want the full power version look for a Japanese import. You’ll have a louder player but will likely forego any warranty protection. I almost went this route but decided against. Again, I’m not interested in driving headphones and figured my components can push the volume as loud as needed. So far this has been the case. For my purposes I feel this little player offers fantastic bang for the buck.

I've been using my Walkman for almost two years now, and I feel ready to provide a comprehensive review. I approached this device as a middle aged Millennial looking for a replacement for her old iPod that lasted fifteen years. If this describes you, or you're Gen Z or younger getting into the "single purpose device" revival, this review is for you. I feel this product suffers from the Swiss Army Knife conundrum. If you ever need a screwdriver, you get a screwdriver, not a Swiss Army Knife. If you need a pocket knife or tweezers or a corkscrew, you buy those items. Not a Swiss Army Knife. I feel this product is a digital Swiss Army Knife that happens to have an MP3 player in it. First of all, unlike iPods of old, this device doesn't have its own operating system. They just slapped the Android for phones onto here and made some minor adjustments. The device even refers to itself as "your phone" in places. Already not off to a great start. Speaking of starting, the device takes two to three minutes to boot up, including the time to load the Music Center software, which you must do manually (two minutes, forty-five seconds to be exact). That feels unnecessary, especially that a majority of what's on the Walkman are just fancy bells and whistles – other tools in the army knife – that I'll literally never use. Of all the programs to auto start upon loading the Walkman, the music player itself isn't one of them? Because of this, I had to all but completely disable the battery saving shut off option, setting it to only shut down after twelve hours of battery use. There’s nothing worse than when you’re running late for work and all you have to do is connect your headphones to the player and head out the door only to find out you’ve got to wait three minutes while the device boots up because it shut down from the battery saver function thirty minutes ago. On the topic of headphones, we have to talk about the Bluetooth. This device has the worst Bluetooth I’ve ever experienced, to the point where I’d say this is not a Bluetooth device. When using wireless headphones, the music either distorts significantly or skips like an old CD player, depending on the headphones. I tried buying a completely different pair of Bluetooth headphones just to make sure it wasn’t the headphones causing the issue, and the newer pair was even worse. Both headphones work just fine when playing music from my phone, so it has to be the Walkman. It will work when I use a Bluetooth speaker, seemingly because the Walkman isn’t in motion and right by the speaker itself. When out for a walk or exercising though, keeping the Walkman in my pocket is enough to completely disrupt the signal. Literally the only way around this problem is to not use Bluetooth at all and use wired headphones. If your Bluetooth can’t transmit through a denim pocket, it doesn’t work. Sometimes even holding the player up directly by my headphones would still disrupt the signal because there appears to be a “death grip” way of holding it that just kills the Bluetooth connection. Was this product not tested in a real world setting? We’re still only getting started, because now we need to talk about the Music Center software for PC itself. This program is a sad imitation of the original iTunes. You can’t just sync your library to the device; you have to manually drag and drop each new file, album, or playlist to the device. Worst of all, the device won’t auto delete old files. For example, if you have a lower quality recording of a song from a live concert that you’re replacing with a newer HD version, you’ll have to open the device up with the file explorer functionality of Music Center as if it were a USB jump drive and delete the old file yourself. That may not sound like much, but when you’ve been collecting MP3s for as long as I have (over twenty years), with a library of over 10,000 songs, these little, honestly baffling inconveniences start to add up. Then there’s what I can only call the “miscellaneous” problems with the device. For example, I get volume warnings at seemingly random times? I could have the volume as low as 50%-60% and it will pause my music and start chiming a little alarm bell sound until I dismiss the warning that my volume is allegedly too loud. Then other times I could have the audio at 90% for hours at a party or something and absolutely no warnings come up. Then there’s just the confusing volume scale, which when using an AUX cable goes up to 120%? At risk of sounding geriatric, what on Earth does 120% even mean? Another problem as baffling as it is frustrating is you can’t loop albums with this device. You can loop playlists, but not albums! Was that an oversight? If so, that’s a pretty big oversight! Lump it in with the Bluetooth being entirely thwarted by denim. I also can’t help but be disappointed by what’s not included in this product. There were two features missing from my original iPod that I’d have liked to see included in an upgraded version that just weren’t in this Walkman. It doesn’t have a built-in speaker, which no matter how low quality it would have been, it still would have been better than nothing when my car stereo went out. Additionally, there’s no way to make playlists on the fly from the device itself. The only way to make playlists is to make them in the aforementioned lackluster Music Center for PC and import them. These are super small complaints overall, but when you look at what they did include in this player I can’t help but be disappointed. I don’t need to read my email on a Walkman, I don’t need loads of audio mixing options, and I certainly don’t need two-factor authentication. It’s a digital audio player for God’s sake; it wouldn’t need two-factor authentication at all if you didn’t force me to log into my Google account to use the device! I just need a device that can manage a large, private music library and play music. That’s it. Which is why I ultimately came to the conclusion that if you have the option to buy an old iPod classic, or refurbish your old one, even if it’s hundreds of dollars, it’s a better deal than this device. Yes, the Walkman does have a few strengths, primarily that it’s got great battery life, and works well with speakers, but that’s it. As charming as the retro cassette tape idle screen is, none of that is worth $400. And the $600 and $1000 models are just insane. I’ve not used them, but I literally cannot fathom a damn music player having that much value in it. I fear all of that “value” comes from even more pointless add-ons like streaming movies in 4K or the most detailed and complex audio mixing software in the world. God knows they’ve probably found a way to cram AI into this thing to do little more than drive up its price. As bad as all of that is, sadly, this may still be one of the better options on the market. Not because it’s a good product – it’s not – but because Sony is just about the only company actually making music players these days. There are some on the market that can hold a whole of twenty songs, or others that are clearly just cheaply made phones with music playing software on them that will maybe last a couple of years. I just did a search to see what’s available now and there’s somehow a $2200 digital audio player on the market. I just can’t with this anymore. If you’re looking for a device to manage a large MP3 library, definitely just get the $400 model, along with a good AUX cord and some wired headphones. You will need them. Then again, if you’re fine with wired headphones and have that much cash to spend I’d encourage you to search for a refurbished iPod classic. I honestly regret not using my money towards fixing my iPod’s battery and AUX jack. You can even buy a little dongle for those old iPods that give them Bluetooth. I used to use one with my old iPod, and let me tell you, that Bluetooth was way better than the Walkman’s.

The machine seems pretty good, however you have to load the music through the machines USB port even if using a MicroSD card in the machines slot. I loaded up a micro SD card before the machine even arrived, but the machine ignored the SD card until I deleted everything on it and reloaded it while using the machine connected directly to my computer. Shipping from this particular seller was very disappointing, it arrived in the manufacturer's box in an unpadded FedEx envelope. The machine wasn't damaged but the box was a little bit crushed. Very disappointing considering how expensive this device is. Also, it uses Android as an operating system, which is okay but not dedicated for a digital audio player. Sony should have come up with its own firmware more dedicated to playing music and putting out high audio quality. It does come with a Sony app, and it will play all kinds of music formats, obviously including mp3, but a lot of which your phone may not play. I don't buy expensive cell phones, this thing costs less than they do. There is a serious limit to the volume output when using the MP3 player with an unpowered corded headset. I bought the Sony WH1000 XM6 headphones ($450.00) before buying the MP3 player. And they can be used wired or wireless. When using them wired with the power off this MP3 player is not loud enough, plain and simple. It's unfortunate that it is made in Japan, and it is unfortunate that companies follow stupid regulations like the EU volume limit. Anyone with one brain cell knows that a legalized volume limit on an MP3 player simply isn't going to work. There's too much background noise in some situations, and too many people with hearing loss. Sony should have told the EU to stuff it up their nose. However, when using the Sony headphones in Bluetooth mode (or another pair of bluetooth headphones I have) or when wired with the power on, there is plenty of volume. The sound quality is definitely an improvement over my phone, but there is a lot of music I will re-rip in WAV format to really experience the improvement. Even in MP3 format, when Bluetooth connecting it to my car stereo there is an improvement in sound quality over the mp3s loaded onto a thumb drive in the stereos USB port, and over the mp3s that are in my phone. The machine is a little bit too small to use easily with the touch sensitive screen, I know Sony was trying to make it as small as possible which does have some benefits, but if it was a little bit bigger, they could have improved the battery life even more, and it would be easier to use. It does have power, volume, and track buttons on the side, and they are real buttons. That part is nice. You can set it so that it won't turn off for up to 12 hours I believe, I can't remember if you can set it so that it will not turn off unless you turn it off. But if it actually turns off to save the battery, then you have to press and hold the power button and wait for it to boot up. It takes a little bit of time, but a lot less time than a cell phone. That is a little bit disappointing. If Sony had made their own firmware it might be better. Also, the interface is a little bit slow. Not terrible, but when you press something on the screen you may have to wait one whole second or so for it to respond. Much like a Garmin gps, they could have given it a little bit more computing power so that it would respond in a reasonable amount of time. This isn't 1992. Overall I consider this to be overpriced, and I'm still learning how to use it so I'm not 100% sure that it's excellent. I do think it's pretty darn good, and I've been looking for a dedicated music player ever since I got tired of apple. I think the iPod Classic is great, but iTunes is a train wreck, and I had a lot of problems with iTunes requiring hours and hours of work every month or two to restore it. This is an Android based system which works well with Windows 7, and it's folder format, so I shouldn't have problems like that. As far as the volume limit goes, you'll probably have to get powered headphones if you want some real volume. I've only had it for a week, so I can't speak about the longevity. I had a Surfans digital audio player a few years ago, once the return policy expired it started having problems. After about 9 months it just died.

The sound quality is awesome. I have a SanDisk MP3 player and the Walkman blows it out of the water. It pairs nicely with my Sony wireless earbuds. Makes it easy to do my walks without the cord interference. Setup was easy enough for those who are familiar with Android OS. It might be a challenge if you aren't. Keep in mind it might have the some issues that come with Android OS. The touch screen works fine but could be a bit more responsive. I do like that I can lock the screen with a passcode. I heard it can import Itunes library but you will need to download Sony Music Center to do it. However that software didn't work for me due not being able to open on my computer. I ended up using a 3rd party software and manually dropped the songs onto the device. You will need to enable File Transfer on the device when you connect it to your computer. The only other knock I have against it is not able to listen to songs on it through my car stereo when it is connected. This Walkman is a solid device. It is a little pricey but for the quality, it's hard to beat unless you move up in price. One of the best MP3 players for under $400.

good on looks solid built quality but android music app keep failing and freezes , downgrade from NW-A55 music app, has no bluetooth transmiter and does not support for hi-res 5- pole noise cancelling earphones, and its doesnt transfer music from mac os directly, needs 3rd party paid apps.

First thing first. The quality of sound reproduction is exactly what one expects from Sony- crystal clear & pure with a nice DAC and EQ and a lot many other sound improving capabilities . This player was a nightmare initially to understand it's functions, especially the necessity of providing a full-fledged bunch of mobile Android apps. The biggest drawback is the inbuilt memory, which at 32 gb barely adequate for Android apps . It could have been made atleast 128/64 gb. However, slot for external SD card upto 1 TB is a big saving grace. A slightly bigger battery for longer playback would have also added an extra attraction at this price point. However, the quality of reproduction of music more than compensate these shortcomings. Earlier I rated it 4*, which I must revise to 5 after a few months of use - reason being it's musicality from my own FLAC / MP3 Stored music as well as high fidelity Amazon prime music. I have not listened to lossless music from Tidal or any other such platforms. Although, a bit expensive by Indian standard, for serious music lovers in India, I would recommend that instead of spending good money on high powered amplifier, CD player, record player, passive speakers etc. (which incidentally I have already done), better by a set of nice quality Active speakers and this Sony walkman player and your ears will feel blessed, because even most of expensive mobiles do not have DACs Good enough to bring the real thing out of streamed music.

Great value for those that use music players. Sounds great and easy to use too.

Tiene un buen sonido, los materiales se sienten de buena calidad, el software deja mucho que desear, va muy lento, los audífonos que cuentan con control de volumen en el cable no funciona el control, hay que subir y bajar directo desde el reproductor. Encontrar una case original és complicado

As a weekend audiophile, I'm 100% satisfied with the device. I previously owned Fiio M3pro which was ok, but lagged like a 2000s smartphone. Sony's sound is significantly better, well known tunes sound like the first time. Android allows to use streaming servises which also sound amazing. Seems like most cons in the feedbacks are exaggerated. It does lag at times, but not enough to bother. It does heat during charging, library update, software update, but never when used as a player, not an android device. Considering its music playback features, I definitely recommend it.