For too long now the Walkman brand has sat back, allowing Apple’s iPod to take all the plaudits in the portable music arena. Not anymore, because Sony is fighting back with the X-Series – the Japanese company’s first OLED touchscreen-toting Walkman. And it’s awesome!
Available in 16GB and 32GB flavours, the Sony X-Series is also the world’s first PMP to sport in-built noise-cancelling technology, which works wonderfully well with Sony’s headphones keeping out most nasty noises, such as trains, planes and Madonna concerts. It’s a shame, then, that the noise-cancelling tech won’t work with your own headphones. That said, sound quality is – as you’d expect from a Sony product – exceptional, blowing the Apple’s ‘Pods off.
The X-Series’ three-inch OLED screen is also delightful, proving just as responsive as an iPod touch when you swipe through album covers in coverflow. There’s no multitouch or accelerometer, and it’s a shame that the screen ratio isn’t great for viewing web pages via Wi-Fi (while we’re on the subject of browsing, why do you have to type in http://www. before every URL? It’s a real pain on a touchscreen!). That said, watch video on it and it looks spanking.
Music-wise, the X-Series isn’t bothered whether it’s dealing with MP3s, WMAs or AACs (you can also use it with iTunes Store music now it’s DRM-free). And it’s simple to just drag and drop tracks onto the device – just don’t expect to be able to do it on a Mac!
Build-wise, the X-Series is a rugged, manly looking PMP, with its granite-esque styling. It may be smaller than the touch, but it feels tough. It’s also got dedicated buttons around the edges (such as a noise-cancelling switch) that are easy for you to flick without having to take it out your pocket. Handy if you’re walking down the streets of Lewisham!
A superb PMP, then, the Sony X-Series Walkman brings stunning sonics and an awesome OLED screen to the portable music table. There are still a few niggles (why doesn’t the noise-cancelling tech work with other headphones?), but the X-Series has definitely put Walkman back where it belongs.
