Tech Review: Sony MP4 NWZ-A845

The new Sony A Series Walkman NWZ-A845 model with noise cancelling ear phones is amazing! I had it for Christmas and it hasn't been out of my sight since.

At first I was using it with my Sennheiser CX 300 II ear phones, which are awesome, because I didn't realise that the headphones that came with the MP4 generated the noise cancellation. So I swapped them over. Those earphones are ugly, but they do the trick. Unfortunately, if your bus goes over a bump in the road, they fuzz a little, but this is more than made up for by the fact that you cannot hear the screaming children behind you or the woman having an argument on her mobile next to you. They really do cut out all extraneous sound. Remarkable. And even forgetting the noise cancellation properties, these ear phones make your music sound great, heavy in the bass and clear as a bell in the treble.

The noise cancelling on the A-Series is the same as that available on the X-series. There are three modes available: aeroplane, bus/train and office, each one cutting out more extraneous sound to deliver better quality music to the listener.

Screen

At 2.8-inches on the diagonal, the Sony's screen is excellent for watching videos and the wide viewing angle makes this easier than ever. Shots are far clearer than on previous models, with gorgeous detail and bright colours.

Memory

A whopping 16gb as standard makes this Walkman unbeatable value. A better size and quality screen, massive solid-state memory, noise-cancelling earphones and a slim fit all make this product significantly better than the iPod nano, Walkman phones or, indeed, most other PMPs in terms of quality, quantity of music and adaptability.