Sony NWZ-W273: specifications and reviews

Sony Walkman NWZ-W273 is the fourth generation of brand gadgets aimed at fans of outdoor activities and sportsmen. Not only the musical accompaniment became even more qualitative, but also there was an opportunity to listen to your favorite compositions even under water.

So, the hero of today's review - MP3 player Sony NWZ-W273: the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of the model, as well as the opinions of specialists along with the feedback of the owners of the gadget.

Main characteristics

The player has 4 GB of internal memory onboard (variational 8 GB models (W273S)) and supports most popular audio formats: MP3, AAC, WMA, PCM and WAV. According to the manufacturer's stated characteristics of autonomy, the gadget can work on full charge up to eight hours. The battery is charged relatively quickly from the USB port in about an hour and a little. The weight of the device is more than acceptable for wearing on the head - 29 grams.

Functionality

Functional controls are on both sides of the device, with the largest number of them located on the right side of the gadget. On the top of the right half of Sony NWZ-W273 you can see the power button, there is also a lock slider. A little lower are the swings for switching songs and working with folders, as well as a pause and play button. A reset button is conveniently located between these keys.

On the inside of the gadget is the LED indicator of the current status of the device (green color - regular work, flashing red - battery charging is required, red color is charging).

For the first time in the history of the Walkman series on the back of the Sony NWZ-W273, four contacts of aluminum and metal alloys were placed to synchronize and charge the device in docking stations. A bit earlier for such purposes used simple and simple USB connectors (mini / micro). This approach has allowed to get rid of extra stubs (and waterproof models, they do not need anything). But the downside is that charging and synchronizing the device with third-party cables has become impossible.

Many owners in their reviews lament such an innovation, as fans of other brands quite often need to synchronize the Sony Walkman NWZ-W273 with another device, which in this version, alas, can not be done.

On the left side of the player there are comfortable "swings" for working with loudness, buttons for switching on the selected modes and controlling the playlists loaded into the memory. If there is a need to support m3u format lists, then you will need to flash the gadget to the extended version 1.10. Software can be found on the official website of the brand.

Ergonomics

Exceptionally, all buttons are very tight, this is due to the waterproofness of the Sony NWZ-W273, so you can not blame the manufacturer for these moments. If you want a clear and responsive response, look and choose the older Walkman lineup. In any case, judging by the feedback of the owners of the device, after a few days of use, any discomfort in the management disappears completely.

Due to its well-designed design, the Sony NWZ-W273 player stays perfectly and confidently on the head even during active rest or performing complex exercises in the gym. Naturally, the gadget has perfectly proved itself in pools and in any other reservoirs: the designers have tried their best to make the device absolutely immune to moisture. Of course, in extreme cases it is not worth to rush, and diving from a high tower with a player will not lead to anything good, but nevertheless, all the characteristics stated by the manufacturer are observed.

Elements of fasteners

The handles that connect the two halves of Sony Walkman NWZ-W273 together are made of soft, durable and sufficiently resilient material. They will not lose their original form, even if you accidentally sit on the gadget.

Thanks to a well-made coating and a successful ergonomic shape, the player does not rub soft areas of the skin at all during active rest and long sports (jogging, training).

Control

The main functionality of Sony NWZ-W273 is not overloaded with unnecessary settings and menu branches, and therefore does not differ in wisdom and is intuitive to any owner over 12 years old.

The navigation buttons for folders with tracks are responsible for switching music tracks. To select the desired mode, simply hold the button down for a few seconds. The transition to the menu branches and folder management is accompanied by clear and pleasant comments by the female voice ("Next folder", "Previous folder"). To russify the assistant it is enough to install the latest localized firmware from the official Sony website.

Some owners in their reviews complain about the still missing possibility of rewinding the tracks, but the brand persistently continues to ignore these comments, referring to the positioning of the gadget: MP3 Sony NWZ-W273 is a convenient and quality player, not a multimedia center.

Sound

As for sound and sound quality, there are no revelations - everything is at a very high level, just like in the older Walkman series. Probably the only thing that will disappoint some fans of high-quality brand players is the lack of additional buttons, for example "Mega Bass" and all sorts of "improvisers" of tracks.

Along with other lines that have their sound processing chips (recovery, "crystal clear", bass pumping, etc.), this model does not have any equalizers in principle and differs in this regard in the ascetic treatment.

The sound that you hear can be described as smooth, calm and devoid of any color, characteristic for a particular composition. Here you will not hear ringing high frequencies and deep bass, so the sound can be called a monitor. But nevertheless dynamic drivers along with the range spread are quite enough to "understand" any musical genre. The only thing that the owners complain about in their reviews is the lack of saturation at low frequencies while listening to rock songs, the same can be said about fans of dance music.

This is what you absolutely can not fault, it's to transfer the smallest details. Sound does not develop into cacophony even in the most complex and intense moments of musical compositions. Also, the quality of sound will be appreciated by fans of vocal parts - this works best for the player.

Summarizing

The model, as expected, absorbed the best features of the older generations, becoming much more compact, lighter and getting everything else waterproof. Of the indisputable advantages, one can note the excellent sound quality and the successful ergonomics of the case. Any discomfort during active rest or playing sports together with the player was not noticed.

Among the small drawbacks, it's possible to include a branded case made in glossy stylistics, and a tight move of the function keys. But these moments are for the most part a matter of habit and taste, so the model has no critical remarks. The verdict is unambiguous - recommended for acquisition (price - 6 thousand rubles for the summer of 2016).