Sony has just unveiled a new Walkman. And unlike Sony’s other portable audio player models, the Sony NW-A306 comes with a surprisingly low price tag.
But that doesn’t mean that the device looks cheap. Sony designed it to fit right into the other high-end Walkmans within Sony’s range. So, what are you getting with the beautifully designed and affordable Walkman?
At first glance, the NW-A306 will look like a stripped-down version of the NW-WM1AM2 and NW-WM1ZM2.
Sony utilized a milled rectangular aluminum body for the rounded sides of the Sony Walkman NW-A306. Sony did not back down one bit on the build quality of the music player.
And like its older brothers, the NW-A306 comes with physical button controls and a touch screen. The screen is 3.6 inches in size and should let you access music and control the tracks quite comfortably.
The only difference that lies between the new stylish Walkman and the high-end ones is the semi-circular protrusions.
Those were present on the previous Walkmans that Sony unveiled before. But the new Sony NW-A306 does not have it. Still, its biggest selling point, the price, makes up for the absence of the protrusions.
But that is not the only thing Sony NW-A306 has to bring to the table. It is a hi-res player that can take on some of the current music players in the market.
And the fact that it comes with Android 12 OS makes it ready for the latest music integrations. There is so much more to the inside of the device too. Sony has combined the native DSD with the S-Master HX digital amp.
According to Sony, this combination will make the Sony Walkman NW-A306 offer less distortion and noise. In fact, it might be better than most of the flagship phones out there.
For serious audiophiles, the Sony NW-A306 offers a 3.5 mm input. But if you want to, you can pair your audio peripherals through the WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity modes.
Plus, the device comes with an improved DSEE Ultimate upscaling technology. That will make up for the audio quality that seems to lack when you go for a wireless connection.
In fact, Sony claims that the algorithms are so improved that they let the player offer higher acoustic subtleties and dynamic range.
However, that will only apply when you play CD-quality 16-bit/44 kHz tracks. And the experience will not degrade with lossless codecs.
And when you pair the Sony NW-A306 with the WH-1000XM4, you will be all set to enjoy the 360 reality audio the way it is supposed to be enjoyed.
Slava is a man of mystery and no-one seems to know exactly where he is at any point in time. When he isn't enjoying writing about all things audio and technical he can be found researching his next project of interest. The man never rests.