Walkman Series X: Sony’s Still a Contender

Remember when the Sony ruled the portable music market? It seemed like everyone and their mama had a Walkman or a CD Walkman. Fast forward to the present, and oh how the mighty have fallen. With the advent of MP3 and MP4 digital music formats, Sony has lost its footing in the portable music market in favor of more stylish, cooler options. While Sony might never regain the crown from Microsoft’s Zune or Apple’s juggernaut, the iPod, the X-series Walkman is a step in the right direction.

The X-series (NWZ-X1000 model) is Sony’s new high-end MP3 player. Taking some cues from the competition, the X-series features an 3-inch OLED touchscreen that lets users scroll through music and video selections with ease. But rather than be an Apple copycat, Sony pulls an ace out their sleeve, offering integrated digital noise canceling (DNC) technology, making it the first MP3 player to offer the technology. The built-in DNC software blocks audio interference from the outside world, leaving crisp, high-quality sound. The headphones packaged with the player has a built-in microphone that listens for ambient noise and compensates accordingly. The noise-canceling software has a few different modes that allows it to adjust to whatever the environment throws at it. Modes include bus/train, plane, and office settings.

The NWZ-X1000 also has Wi-Fi capability for quick and easy web browsing. It also includes complimentary content provided by YouTube and Slacker Radio. Using Slacker Radio, users can select up to three radio stations. The songs from the the chosen stations will get pushed to the NWZ-X1000 free of charge. Refreshing the stations in a Wi-Fi area will cache new music on the player. And if you’re still looking for fresh content, the player also comes with a built-in FM tuner. Users can also add non-DRM files from iTunes and other online music services.

Priced at $399 and $299 for the the 32GB and 16GB respectively, the NWZ-X1000 has firmly put Sony back in the running for the portable music player throne.

About the Author
Sherri is a freelance writer that has a love of all things fun and geeky including gadgets, gaming, anime, and comics. When she isn't writing or out on the town living it up, she loves doing 10-12 hour marathon sessions on her Xbox 360 or one of her older consoles. It's not an addiction, it's a way of life!
See all posts by Sherri L. Smith.