Sony NWZ-S515

by Julian Prokaza
on Mon 01 Oct 2007 7 Comments

Sony NWZ-S515Although Sony’s previous MP3 Walkmans have generally been pretty capable music players, they’ve been hamstrung by the clunky SonicStage software — the only way to transfer songs onto the device. The NWZ-S515 is, however, Sony’s first player to let you drag-and-drop files as if it were a USB drive.

The NWZ-S515 is a pretty nifty player, too. It’s tiny and weighs almost nothing, yet is solidly built and has a bright, crisp screen. The intuitive menu is similar to that used by the Sony’s predecessors and features some neat touches like the Time Machine Shuffle, which chooses a year and plays all the tracks from it.

All you need to do is ensure that your MP3s are correctly tagged. The only quirk that takes some getting used to is the Option button, which not only brings up a context-sensitive menu, but also confusingly doubles as the on/off switch.

The Walkman can play MP3, WMA (as well as copy protected WMA-DRM) and unprotected AAC files, but there’s no ATRAC support. This high-quality format was one of the strengths of previous models, but few will mourn its absence in light of the NWZ-S515’s support for the new Windows Media Player.

You can also drag or synchronise your JPEG photos onto the player and despite the screen size, slideshows aren’t painful to watch. The 2Gb capacity of the model we tested limits the number of songs and photos you can carry at once, and even if you do fill it with files, there’s no expansion slot. A 4Gb version is available for £99, though.

The bundled earphones are basic and aren’t particularly good quality, but Sony certainly hasn’t skimped on ways to tweak the sound. As well as Clear Bass and Clear Stereo (both of which proved effective) there’s also a customisable equaliser and preset environments. Upgrade to a better set of earphones and you won’t be disappointed.

But with the new 4Gb iPod nano costing £99 and an 8Gb version just £129, the NWZ-S515 begins to look less attractive. The iPod is easier to use, can play video and is just, well, more desirable. Ultimately, the choice is too easy.

Sony NWZ-S515Sony NWZ-S515Sony NWZ-S515

Specifications

2Gb, 1.8” LCD screen (240 x 320) Battery life 30 hours Size 80 x 42 x 12mm Weight 50g

Originally published on www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk, now incorporated into Broadband Genie
© Dennis Publishing

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Comments

  • neutral

    by deadcat at 14:50 on 20 Jan 2008Report abuse

    you seemed to miss the fact that the S515 has absolutely stunning sound quality (comparable maybe even to COWONs X5 or D2) surely THE MOST important factor in a music player. The Nano, by any standards is the worst sounding player on the market today.As for the iPod being easier to use...well maybe for a novice like yourself. That the Sony supports drag and drop is a huge bonus, making it very versatile. Oh and yes it supports video. Missed that did you? Its also cheaper than the nano (in Ireland at any rate) ?129 vs ?159. So basically your review is completely wrong. Sorry to trouble you.

  • neutral

    by Wonder land at 03:42 on 13 Apr 2008Report abuse

    Yeah I tried one today and it's super.Very much easy to work with than the Ipods and Creatives, and we can even select REAL directories at the mp3 list.30h battery time also a bonus.I loved it. And for 79?!!!

  • neutral

    by jm71968 at 13:46 on 30 Apr 2008Report abuse

    I have had this model for several months now. It was a replacement for Sony NW-E013 which could only play Sony's ATRAC format. As I mainly use the player for listerning podcasts, the ease of importing new files was critical. This model passed with flying colours. The sound quality is excellent. The images are just an extra for me.

  • neutral

    by mimosablue at 10:53 on 18 Sep 2008Report abuse

    Got mine duty free for £45. Absolutely superb sound quality, and luxury 30 hour battery life. Not constantly tied to a charger every few hours, returning like a fish gulping for air.Fantastic interface. Great build quality. Surprisingly scuff proof so still looks good after two months in my pocket.

  • neutral

    by loritobby at 00:41 on 22 Nov 2008Report abuse

    i have this mp3 player for 3 months now,the battery is very good.and i think that 2 gb is very eficient.the only disapointment i have with this player is the hold button.it turns on with every button(just like with the Ipod)several times turned on during the night,or whatever,and it ran for 10-12 hours,so that proves that the battery is very efecient.other words it's solid,thin,easy to use,good sound quality,drag-drop,very good battery.the only minus is the hold button:D but don't let that not to buy this mp3 player

  • unhappy

    by andrei at 00:36 on 12 Aug 2010Report abuse

    what is this, commercial for ipods? :)))))
    come on, sound quality is way superior and you don't even bother mentioning. Yet you give detailed infos on nano's price and available models. Really worth reading..

  • neutral

    by andrei at 14:16 on 23 Aug 2010Report abuse

    Nice commercial for Ipods, to say the least.
    Come on, how can a reviewer miss facts like sound quality and presence of video playback..? And "Ultimately, the choice is too easy"..? Pathetic..

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