Sony’s new X-series Walkman has been reviewed by T3, with the author saying that it “isn’t just an iPod rival. It’s a Walkman saviour.”
The Walkman gets thumbs up for the gorgeous OLED screen and outstanding audio quality (thanks to built-in noise canceling) and thumbs sideways — but not down — for a touchscreen that’s “a tad basic compared to the [iPod] Touch’s” and an average interface.
There’s also no Mac compatibility, which seems odd considering tracks can be added to the Walkman via a simple drag and drop method. Coded support is good, with MP3, WMA, and AAC files all being playable. Overall, the review gives the initial impression (to me, at least) that the X-series Walkmans are about to take over the digital music scene but by the end it becomes clearer that the device is simply a really good offering from Sony that’ll at least get the company back on track as far as its portable media players are concerned.
This is a superb PMP. Things like a poorer interface and lack of Mac compatibility put it at a slight disadvantage to the iPod Touch, but its screen and audio quality really shine. After numerous false starts and a general drubbing from the iPod, the X-Series puts the Walkman right back in the game.
So if you’ve been eying these new players, you’re probably safe to go ahead and pull the trigger on one.
Sony X-Series Walkman MP3 player exclusive review, pics, video [T3 via BBG]