Sony NWZ-A820 Walkman DAP (Bluetooth in, SonicStage out)

February 21st, 2008

Filed under MP3 Players

USB 2.0 is already the de facto standard on MP3 players, but it can only at most handle data sync and recharging. For anything wireless, Bluetooth is here to fill the void. Sony's latest DAP - the NWZ-A820 - is the latest addition to the company's Walkman lineup. The most notable addition to this particular model however is the inclusion of Bluetooth or AD2P profile to be more specific. Audio (read: stereo) now can be streamed from the NWZ-A820 to a Bluetooth-enabled headphones, HiFi, speaker system or even in-car audio. A 'one-touch' button on the player allows you to pair the DAP with other compatible wireless devices. This should be a big plus compared to iPod nano and other DAPs that require Bluetooth add-on.

The Sony NWZ-A820 now has double the capacity (max. at 16GB) than its predecessor. The dark sides unfortunately are the 2.4" QVGA screen, boring button layout and interface, all of which have remained the largely unchanged since as far as we remember. The battery life is significantly improved as well, offering 10 hours of video or 36 hours of music playback. Ever you have Bluetooth turned on at all times, playback still stretches to 7 hours of video or 15 hours of music. Last but not least is the DAP being Certified for Windows Vista, meaning SonicStage is completely out of the picture now.

Sony Walkman NWZ-A829 (16GB, black)

$319.95