Help needed with Walkman

[elvisa]

Hi all........my Discman have given up and I need something new to take my music on the walk. I almost decided for this Sony player http://store.sony.com/8gb-walkman-mp3-player-zid27-NWZE384//cat-27-catid-All-MP3-Players?vva_ColorCode=000000&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

I understand that I can put in it my cd`s from Windows media player "WMA", but what does DRM mean?

WMA: 32-192 kbps (incl. VBR) at 44.1 kHz (WM-DRM not supported) (Will that be a problem with my Elvis cd`s?)

[The Pirate]

Hi all........my Discman have given up and I need something new to take my music on the walk. I almost decided for this Sony player http://store.sony.com/8gb-walkman-mp3-player-zid27-NWZE384//cat-27-catid-All-MP3-Players?vva_ColorCode=000000&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

I understand that I can put in it my cd`s from Windows media player "WMA", but what does DRM mean?

WMA: 32-192 kbps (incl. VBR) at 44.1 kHz (WM-DRM not supported) (Will that be a problem with my Elvis cd`s?)

It stands for Digital Rights Management. It's sort of an anti-copying code that's built into the file, so if you had bought a song from a site and they'd put an anti-copying code on it, you wouldn't be able to use that machine to play it back. But if you are ripping your own CDs, don't worry about it, it'll be fine.

I have a couple of Sony Walkman players and they're both excellent. The sound is very good, and it's easy to add music to them. Much easier than it is on an iPod, for instance.

[elvisa]

Thank you so much The pirate.......The music I want to put in it, is my own cd`s, so that`ll be great to be able to do so. Just wasn`t sure if the "DRM" would cause any troubles. I have a whole lot of music on cd`s and don`t want to have to buy it all again....

Thanks again.....looking forward to my new Sony player.

[elvisa]

Well, well, well......I now have my new player What can I say......It holds a whole lot of music, it`s very easy to add music and it`s easy to handle. BUT.......(Tried with different sets of headphones) The volumen is not to high, and the bass is not the best(Full)almost flatt.......I sure would have liked it to be much better(When I know how good it can actually sound) .......out of 10, I`ll give it only 6. My old Discman delivered much better I`m sorry to say .....it was 10 out of 10.
All in all.......this player is not quite good enough for listening to good music.

[The Pirate]

Well, well, well......I now have my new player What can I say......It holds a whole lot of music, it`s very easy to ad music and it`s easy to handle. BUT.......(Tried with different sets of headphones) The volumen is not to high, and the bass is not the best(Full)almost flatt.......I sure would have liked it to be much better(When I know how good it can actually sound) .......out of 10, I`ll give it only 6. My old Discman delivered much better I`m sorry to say .....it was 10 out of 10.
All in all.......this player is not quite good enough for listening to good music.

What headphones are you using? I don't have the model of Walkman that you have just bought, but I have two others and neither of them has poor sound so I'm a bit surprised. A Discman quite often will be louder, I don't know why, so I'm wondering if the 'phones that you're using can't be driven by the new player. You might need something else.

Have you been through all the settings on the Walkman? There might be something you can adjust in there to improve things. I'm sorry this is all a bit vague, it's gone midnight here and I'm about to switch off for the night, but I'll see what I can find out over the weekend. Just let me know what those headphones are, please.

[The Pirate]

Had a quick look and found this.

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/mp3mp4/sony-walkman-low-volume-problem-0

I was aware of the EU volume limit - my 160GB iPod Classic is limited, and it's much quieter than my older 30GB model - but I still get a good enough sound by using the correct headphones. And as I said, both my Walkmans are fine, so I really think the headphones (or earbuds?) are the answer. But more interesting in that piece is the bit about removing the volume limit by using software supplied by Sony. Maybe you could contact them and do the same thing? I'm thinking about looking into it myself, just for the hell of it.

[elvisa]

Hi again.....I`ve tried with different headphones....some better than others, but the best sound I actually gets with the ones that came with the player(Earbuds). Bad thing though, is that those are not very comfortable....solid plastic(Goin`to find some better ones). About the settings for music.......Play mode, Equalizer....what should get the best sound?(I don`t really hear much difference in switching.......maybe no is actually best, but I really miss some bass) , clear stereo(On), Dynamic normalizer(On),....that`s it, no other options.

[The Pirate]

Hi again.....I`ve tried with different headphones....some better than others, but the best sound I actually gets with the ones that came with the player(Earbuds). Bad thing though, is that those are not very comfortable....solid plastic(Goin`to find some better ones). About the settings for music.......Play mode, Equalizer....what should get the best sound?(I don`t really hear much difference in switching.......maybe no is actually best, but I really miss some bass) , clear stereo(On), Dynamic normalizer(On),....that`s it, no other options.

That's a real shame, like I say I have two Sony players and both are very good so I would have expected this to be the same. If you are going to get some new earbuds, maybe try the kind with foam or silicone tips which push into your ear. They give a good seal and keep out noise, which means that the lower volume is less of a problem. Soundmagic E10 are good, (not the newer E10S, there seems to be some question about the build quality), although buying them will set you back about £30.

[The Pirate]

There is another option, which I doubt you are going to want to try because of the cost, but I'll mention it just in case. Get a headphone amp and a lead which takes the sound from the lineout socket at the bottom of the machine. It will improve the sound quality immensely. The one I use on my iPod is this one.

http://m.fiio.net/en/products/16

[elvisa]

Hi again.....I`ve tried with different headphones....some better than others, but the best sound I actually gets with the ones that came with the player(Earbuds). Bad thing though, is that those are not very comfortable....solid plastic(Goin`to find some better ones). About the settings for music.......Play mode, Equalizer....what should get the best sound?(I don`t really hear much difference in switching.......maybe no is actually best, but I really miss some bass) , clear stereo(On), Dynamic normalizer(On),....that`s it, no other options.

That's a real shame, like I say I have two Sony players and both are very good so I would have expected this to be the same. If you are going to get some new earbuds, maybe try the kind with foam or silicone tips which push into your ear. They give a good seal and keep out noise, which means that the lower volume is less of a problem. Soundmagic E10 are good, (not the newer E10S, there seems to be some question about the build quality), although buying them will set you back about £30.

Yes it is a shame, but I think you are right about getting some good earbuds. I found the Soundmagic E10 on a Danish site, and I like that they actually write about a powerfull Bass and musical detail in the key selling points.

https://www.dustinhome.dk/product/5010603298/e10#specifications

I will buy a pair of these.

Thank you so much for all your help......

[elvisa]

Well, now my sister gave me some earbuds to try that she got with her Samsung phone(She don`t use them)......and they are actually not bad really. They are nice to wear, and the sound is surprisingly good. I will try them over the Christmas and see if they do the job in the long run.

[rjm]

That's really unfortunate, about the sound. If you use cheap ear(buds/phones), you get a better sound . . .

I have a Classic, and I don't have a problem, but my portable, collapsible Sony headphones can't take the wind. (If I'm on a bike, that's a problem. The wind kills the sound.) But otherwise, it sounds fine to me, but sounds better connected to my mini-component system: that's definitely true. It doesn't have what you would call a "DAC," but it's from around ten years or so ago, perhaps more, and it has a Digital Audio Tape connection. I stick the line out from the IPod dock (an old dock from my first player in '06) into that that, and press the right buttons, and I can wake up the neighborhood! Little bitty wooden speakers, and the sound is magnificent - either CD or iPod Classic.

I still haven't decided about that Walkman. It seems so many people notice the volume that you'd need the amp. I can't use earbuds. Ear problems - I can't use those things. And an amp kinda takes away the portability. (You did mention the Fiio players, so that's likely where I'll go after the Classic starts to give up the ghost. I was going to do it right away, but there's no hurry.)

rjm

[The Pirate]

Well, now my sister gave me some earbuds to try that she got with her Samsung phone(She don`t use them)......and they are actually not bad really. They are nice to wear, and the sound is surprisingly good. I will try them over the Christmas and see if they do the job in the long run.

I remember when I got my first iPod, I had no issues with the sound quality using the supplied Apple earbuds. Of course, everybody in every article I ever read said that the Apple 'phones were worse than useless, and so despite me being perfectly happy with what I was hearing, I went out and bought a cheap set of Sennheiser earbuds. I noticed the difference, but the downside is that it set me off on a quest for 'The Ultimate Headphones....' I figured that "If paying ten pounds for a set gets me better quality, what would happen if I paid TWENTY pounds? It'd be like being in the room with the musicians!"

Twenty became thirty, which became seventy, until eventually I owned a ziplock bag full of earbuds worth a couple of hundred, plus at one point ten sets of headphones with a combined value of...eugh... I don't want to know. Anyway, my point is, get a pair you like and stick with them. I would avoid anything which says "Super Bass!", as many do now. Maybe find some low end Sennheisers if the Sound Magic ones I mentioned earlier are a bit too expensive. If you can examine the boxes, then the higher the sensitivity the better because that means they're louder.

[elvisa]

I`m still tempted to get the Sound Magic ones you mentioned(Just to see if it can be even better).....they are quite fair priced IMO. I also have a pair of JVC earbuds I bought about two years ago about the same price, but sound vice they are absolutely worth "0", so the price is not always answer. That said, now I have had time to really try out the Samsung ones my sister gave me and I must say I`m ok for now. They are much better than both the ones that came with the player, my old Sony headphones(They were super with my discman), and my JVC ones.

[The Pirate]

Earlier on you said that the best sound (at that point) came from the included earbuds, but that they weren't very comfortable. I don't know why I didn't pick up on that before, but could you not get some covers for the earpieces? They are usually a standard size, and you can buy packs of foam covers, or even silicone. This kind of thing.

http://goo.gl/7imtZ8

You can buy them in stores too.

[The Pirate]

Well, well, well......I now have my new player What can I say......It holds a whole lot of music, it`s very easy to ad music and it`s easy to handle. BUT.......(Tried with different sets of headphones) The volumen is not to high, and the bass is not the best(Full)almost flatt.......I sure would have liked it to be much better(When I know how good it can actually sound) .......out of 10, I`ll give it only 6. My old Discman delivered much better I`m sorry to say .....it was 10 out of 10.
All in all.......this player is not quite good enough for listening to good music.

I'm just dragging this back from the dead, because of a development. (For European readers only).The original post refers to a Sony NWZ-E380 Walkman...



...which, and I know this to be true because I've had experience with that line of machines, was too quiet to drive any decent headphones. Well, although I don't have an answer for that, I do have an answer for anyone who has some of the later Sony models. I just bought one of these...



...which is one of the newer Hi-Res versions, the NW-A35. Sounds great, has a micro SD card slot so you can expand the capacity, but the volume is total cack. Worse still, when you get to the half way level, the music cuts out and a message appears on screen slapping you on the wrist and asking if you really want to listen to it that loud. It's like being back at nursery school. The reason for this is that some years ago the European courts decided that, for our own safety, we shouldn't be allowed to listen to music at high volumes. And while I applaud their concern, what with me being only 56 years old and totally unable to make my own decisions - it's a wonder I made it this far, with scissors and stuff knocking about - at the same time it does make life difficult when you want to play music in anything other than a soundproofed room.

So, I've found the solution.

https://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SonyNWDestTool#Changing_destination_settings_and_sound_pressure_regulation

There is a list at the top of that page showing which machines can be altered (I've done two and it was easy on both occasions) and what it involves, in effect, is telling the machine that it is no longer European but is (for example) from the USA where no volume caps are in place. It works a treat. No more low volume, no silly messages. Anyone who tries and has a problem then just ask, although it really is simple.

[elvisa]

Hi The Pirate......thank you so much for this It seems a little complicated for me though , but I will have my nephew to help me trying it out.....he is a genius on a PC .

[The Pirate]

Hi The Pirate......thank you so much for this It seems a little complicated for me though , but I will have my nephew to help me trying it out.....he is a genius on a PC .

You do know that this won't work with the Sony you originally purchased, don't you? There is a list of models that can be altered, at the start of the linked site.

[Rich_TCB]

Thanks for the heads-up on the Sony Walkman. I may try to get one eventually.

[The Pirate]

Thanks for the heads-up on the Sony Walkman. I may try to get one eventually.

I'll just point out a couple of annoying little niggles with the NW-a35. First one is the length of time it takes to turn on, which is maybe half a minute or so. Obviously it's not a deal breaker, but it feels slow compared to some machines I own. Secondly, it seems like it's a bit of a circuitous route to pair up a Bluetooth speaker. Now, to be fair I haven't owned a lot of bluetooth players, but compared to my phone for example, there are at least a couple of extra clicks that need to be done.

Again, it's a first world problem, but I thought I should note it. But as far as the volume goes, when I bought it I had to turn it up full to drive my headphones. Now, after the alteration, it's on about 80 - and unlike other models which go to 100, this one goes to 120. ("It's... 20 louder.")

[elvisa]

Hi The Pirate......thank you so much for this It seems a little complicated for me though , but I will have my nephew to help me trying it out.....he is a genius on a PC .

You do know that this won't work with the Sony you originally purchased, don't you? There is a list of models that can be altered, at the start of the linked site.

Oh.......well , no I didn`t realize ......but thanks a lot for you`r INFO.......just too bad.

[The Pirate]

Hi The Pirate......thank you so much for this It seems a little complicated for me though , but I will have my nephew to help me trying it out.....he is a genius on a PC .

You do know that this won't work with the Sony you originally purchased, don't you? There is a list of models that can be altered, at the start of the linked site.

Oh.......well , no I didn`t realize ......but thanks a lot for you`r INFO.......just too bad.

It's a shame, because other than the volume issue the Sony range is pretty good. Reliable, easy to operate, pocketable...

[FatherJack1980]

If you don't want the phone feature, then how about iPod Touch?



Here's a small tutorial on how to transfer music onto the player: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I31YuJI4g6Q However, sadly, it doesn't play WMA files so those song files would need to be converted, but that should be easy with the right program such as this one: http://www.syncios.com/ipod-audio-converter.html (I haven't tried that program but I have tried and often use Syncios Manager with my iPhone 4 - my first and as of yet still only smartphone I've owned)

[The Pirate]

I wouldn't have an iPod Touch, personally. My friend asked me what MP3 player he should buy, and I told him anything by Apple simply because (a) they work, and (b) they're straightforward to use. But if he had been a bit more technically minded I would definitely have steered him away. This was when they still did the Nano, which is what he ended up getting, but if all they'd made was the Touch I might have had to tell him to get something else after all. The sound quality is acceptable, so nobody is going to buy one and be disappointed, but there is much better out there. The storage space is limited to what you are given, there's no micro SD expansion, the volume level is average and so you're limited to which headphones it can drive, and most of all they cost far too much for what you get. Unless you want a pretend phone that just so happens to not make calls, but will let you play games.

I have, for several years now, sworn by Fiio products. And now I'm sold on the Sony HiRes player, not because I want the HiRes function but because it's cracking value for money just so long as (in Europe) you know how to unlock the volume cap. Fiio make a player for £99 (plus the cost of an SD card) with Bluetooth, a card slot, and excellent sound quality. Where it falls down is on the scroll wheel, which can be a bit jumpy, and the difficulty of making playlists. But if you can get past that, once the music is playing there is no comparison. If you have £180 to spend you can get the Sony. Add in a card for about £20 and you have over 64GB of music at your fingertips. How much would the equivalent iPod be? £280 I think, and the Sony will take even bigger cards than that. £40 will get you a 128GB card.