Sony Walkman NWZ-A829 16GB MP4 Player Review

Since Sony dumped its horrific SonicStage software and opened its door wider to the world, its player productions were nothing less than a super hit. Sony NWZ-A829 is a model of the Sony NWZ-A820 series, which is the successor of the NWZ-A810 series that was enjoyed in the year 2007. The NWZ-A820 series is better than the A810 in a lot of ways which includes a bigger display, built-in Bluetooth, increase in the style and availability in capacities of 8GB and 16GB.

Change in design:

Gone are those curvy designs, circular buttons and matte black finishes of the previous models. These curves have been replaced by a more angular, that has shiny glossy surfaces and these looks are great on the Walkman. Its refreshing square design measures 2″ x 3.75″ x 0.4″ (H x W x D). Though it is slightly larger than its predecessor, it has maintained its slim profile. Just below the 2.4″ QVGA LCD
display is the four-way navigational pad, that has been turned from circular to a solid feeling square shape. There are only two buttons on the front other than the navigational pad which are, the option and the menu buttons. And, despite the fact that the buttons on the Sony Walkman NWZ-A829 16GB MP4 Video Player have been redesigned and rearranged, there is actually no change in the control method either. All the other buttons are available on the right side of the player which are, a volume rocker, Bluetooth activation key and hold switch. Headphone output and a proprietary USB connection are available in the bottom of the phone.

Formats supported:

The supported audio formats of Sony NWZ-A829 MP3-MP4 Player are, MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, and DRM-protected subscription music files. Unfortunately, the video formats supported are limited to just MPEG-4 and H.264 at a strict 320×240 ratio. Thanks to iPods and video pod-casts that have peaked the popularity of the MPEG-4 format.

Features:

There are heaps of features included in the Sony NWZ-A829 walkman Digital Video Player such as, music, video, photos and Bluetooth. The jaw dropping design of the music playback screen will make you forget the excellent music enhancement technologies hard works behind the screen. The enhancement technologies used include 5-band EQ, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, DSEE high-frequency restoration, and dynamic normalization. The 2.4″ QVGA LCD display and long battery lives makes NWZ-A829 walkman a great device for videos too.

The absence of the basic features like FM radio, voice recording, and memory expansion that its rivals offer, is disappointing.

Though the player is highly priced, you will have to still pay for the Sony’s ‘Pro’ software to get video conversion software bundled.

Bluetooth:

Working with Bluetooth in Sony is a breeze. Just by pressing a button, you get the Bluetooth in the discovery mode which activates a blinking blue light on the top of the device. Once a connection has been made with another Bluetooth compatible device, then the blue light that had been flashing in frantic plus reduces. The access keys for all the devices that were paired previously are stored in the player conveniently. This allows you to pair with your various Bluetooth devices without any dilemmas. The 8GB version, NWZ-A828 comes with the a pair of Sony Bluetooth headphones.

Performance:

The MP3 and MP4 players of Sony show excellent standards of quality performance and same is the case of Sony NWZ-A829. The audio is a pleasure to listen in this MP4 player with all the enhancement features working just perfectly. Distortion is completely off. Audio and video files are automatically book marked in case the player is stopped or shutdown. The included pair of headphones are nothing less than excellent. Videos are crisp and bright and the colour levels are excellent. It has a wider display than that of the iPod Nano and also has a similar pixel density with a sharp picture quality. Portrait and landscape viewing modes are available.

Sony NWZ-A829 is having a very commanding battery life of a whooping 36 hours of audio and 10 hours of video playback.

Verdict:

Sony NWZ-A829 16gb MP4 Media Player offers you high quality audio, video and photo playback. The performance of the built-in Bluetooth is excellent and the headphones provided… you will not be able to find a better one. The battery life as you can see is phenomenal. The only few faults that wee could find with this MP4 player is that, the basic features like the FM radio, voice recording, memory expansion, and a standard USB connection. If you are not cared about the Bluetooth, then you can opt for the Sony NWZ-A720 series that gives you all the features found in the NWZ-A820 series except the Bluetooth at a reduced cost. But looking for a player with Bluetooth, this is the top choice.

You may also be interested in Sony NWZ-A826K 4GB MP4 Player, Sony NWZ-S638F MP3/MP4 Player Reviews.

Sony Walkman NWZ-A829 Media Player – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Sony
Model Name	NWZ-A829
Media Player Type	MP4 player
Dimensions ( H x W x D)	93.6 x 50.2 x 9.3 mm
Weight	58 grams
Display	2.4 inch QVGA display
Display resolution	240 x 320 pixels
Backlight	Yes
Body	Aluminium
Colours available	Black, white, pink and golden yellow
Memory Capacity	16GB
Supported digital audio standards	MP3, protected and unprotected WMA, unprotected AAC, WAV, and DRM-protected subscription music files
FM radio	No
ID3 tags support	Yes
Playback modes	Random play, One track repeat, All tracks repeat, Program play/repeat, shuffle
Recording feature	No
Supported image formats	JPEG
Headphone type	3.5 mm
Equaliser type	Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo
Compatible Operating systems	Windows, Mac
Additional features	Stereo Bluetooth Drag and drop file management Album art
Battery type	Lithium ion
Battery life	Audio:36hours Video:10 hours
Charging time	Three hours
Included cable	USB
Software bundle included	Windows Media Player 11 MP3 conversion tool Media Manager
Accessories included	Earphones Bluetooth earphones- DR-BT21G AC adaptor Stand