The NWZ-W202 is a wrap-around headset that combines a digital music player with its ear buds so that the entire assembly rests comfortably inside your ears. Just as cool as its design, the wearable device is also packed with a couple of equally cool and user friendly features.
First, when you pull the headset off, the two pieces come together via a magnetic assembly, leaving you with an interesting heart shaped unit. You can place this unit on the docking stand that comes along, which connects to your computer through the USB for charging and synchronizing.
As there is no display involved, most of you would think that surfing through this device can possibly be a difficult process. But just as always, Sony has helped you overcome this with a new Zappin function. With the function, when you click and hold the dial, the player enters a special mode where it will play a snippet from each of your songs. Bearing the fact that the opening bars of most tracks can sound the same, the Zappin function is smart enough to play 45 seconds straight into the song's playback to make them more identifiable to you. This way, when you hear the song you want, you have to simply hold down the dial button to end the mode and resume regular playback. You can also hold the dial down to change the length of clips from 15 seconds to as short as 4 seconds in case you want to sort through your songs at a faster pace.
The player supports MP3, WMA, WAV. ATRAC and AAC files, so you can sync them through the Windows Media Player and transfer them by simply dragging-and-dropping them onto the player from your computer. Moreover, Sony has included a special content transfer application that can be added to your Vista sidebar. Once installed, you can drag songs from ITunes or Windows Explorer onto the Walkman application on your sidebar to transfer them to the player
When you browse through the tracks one by one, using Zappin, the player, you will have a unique listening experience. Unique, because most players generally have a peculiar sound that emphasize a lot on the mids and highs but unfortunately lack on the lower end, which make them sound Incomplete. But the Sony Walkman sounded full with equal emphasis on all the essential parts of the audio spectrum. While the lows possessed a rounded bass, the highs had a nice effervescent tail. Most importantly, the mids were strong and dominant, which made the vocals sound very crisp and clear. The adjustable ear- cups are convenient to wear and after some easy adjustments will sit comfortably in your ears.
Bottom Line
The Sony Walkman Is indeed an effective player for its audio quality as it gives you a complete listening experience which most players In this category cannot pull off so well. Also, the Zappin function makes the W202 quite a user friendly player. Besides that, its advantage lies In the fact that it is wireless and easily adapts to the ear, meeting all your travel requirements. With such interesting features, the only thing you could have possibly wished for is some more storage space. But that apart, there is nothing else that could stop the Sony NWZ-W202 from carrying your entertainment while on-the-go
