Sony NW-A306 Music Player Review: A Wireless Powerhouse | Moon Audio
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- čas přidán 23. 06. 2024
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Sony proves to us that when we think the Walkman can't be revolutionized any more - it is! Yet another milestone in the evolution of the Walkman, the NW-A306 digital music player is the newest iteration of the NW-300 series.
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CHAPTERS
0:00 | Sony's Smallest DAP Ever
0:20 | Design
1:47 | Inputs & Outputs
2:37 | Features & Specs
4:22 | Sound Impressions
9:22 | Comparisons
11:07 | Verdict
13:00 | Learn More
#sony #musicplayer #dap #portableaudio #audiophile #headphones #mp3player
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➡️ creativecommons.org/licenses/... - Věda a technologie
They use a Class-D amplifier basically. They're using a proprietary chip, CXD3778GF. All of their players starting with the NW-WM1A/Z used this chip, except the DMP-Z1 (which used something from AKM) and the TA-ZH1ES amp. The amp integrates the CXD3778GF into an FPGA, capable of going up to 768 kHz. Normally, the CXD3778GF goes up to 384 kHz (and DSD 11.2 MHz).
The chip itself doesn't act like a DAC, it's basically a digital signal amplifier. Basically the audio never leaves the digital domain (PCM)
"Class-D amplifiers work by generating a train of rectangular pulses of fixed amplitude but varying width and separation. This modulation represents the amplitude variations of the analog audio input signal. In some implementations, the pulses are synchronized with an incoming digital audio signal removing the necessity to convert the signal to analog. The output of the modulator is then used to turn the output transistors on and off alternately. Since the transistors are either fully on or fully off, they dissipate very little power. A simple low-pass filter consisting of an inductor and a capacitor provides a path for the low frequencies of the audio signal, leaving the high-frequency pulses behind."
The battery on these players can last so long when only playing music (not using Wi-Fi, and using the screen as few times as possible) because of this high efficiency of the audio part.
Is the sound quality compromised due to that efficiency?
only if you listen in a quiet environment imo
Thanks a lot for this review. In love with this product, will get it as soon as i can, i'm using the NW A55 and it last 40 hours with 320 kbps mp3's which is great for my needs. The thing about Android is that it takes too much power to run the stuff where is installed into. But does look really good and the portable size helps a lot to keep it discret!
You can use separate dac wired or wireless through your phone .. many out there like Fiio and others
Thanks for the review. I recently placed an order for this as I'm upgrading from the Walkman NW-A55/b. I needed something a bit hefty and faster.
You're welcome! Hope you enjoy your new A306. 🙂
If only apple would make a vintage iPod version. Usbc Bluetooth Apple Music. Siri
Are replacement batteries available for when the original inevitably depletes and if so how much $ and how difficult or not is it to replace?
Great production, however I feel that you haven't done the NW-A306 justice here, only selling it's wireless capability, where sound quality is dependant on the DAC & AMP in the actual headphone and the wireless CODEC rather than the actual player. Don't get me wrong the NW-A306 runs rings around the A&K SR35 in terms of Bluetooth quality, stability and connection strength. What about mentioning how well it performs with IEM's? When paired with Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk, Thieaudio Oracle MK2 or Sennheisser IE600 the sound clarity, technicalities and warmth are almost indistinguishable from an iBasso DX220 + Amp9. That's a pretty impressive feat for such a tiny player with all of these not needing more than (70 80 / 120) on the volume control to immerse you in the music.
I like these videos, they're always fun to watch even if I don't plan on buying the devices LOL
Thanks so much for watching! 🙂
I've got one after owning the 105 and a fantastic upgrade. Love it, brilliant DAP 👌👍
Hi its much better a306 than a100? It does improve in terms of sound quality and overall performance?
I want to use my HD 660S with the Sony walkman . Will the headphone volume will be low or sound good? Is this is a high impedance headset?
Question, was this review post the 1.01.04 update that fixed the low-range frequency for wired play?
All I wanted to know was if it had a decent default music player or do I need to download one ? A brief look at the user interface of the basic music player would have been most helpful.
Does this player bypass android src when playing through Apple Music, or what about tidal?
Got this a few days ago. I was choosing between this and the 707. The 3.5mm jack have minor differences. I only stream music so the price and thw portability made me decide on this one. I have the FA-A5000, Hexa and the Titan-S makes a better pair to the A306
thanks for the review, was great. if I use an app por music streaming, I can only listen it by wifi or can I get a chip for a company to get the internet or can I share my celphone's internet?
Wi-Fi or running a hotspot from your phone will work. The A306 is not compatible with SIM cards.
Thnx for a great review as always. One thing I wondered about which u didn't address is whether there is much difference in sound/audio quality between the 306 and the 707 using a wireless connection. I presume the 707 must represent a step up in sound quality even with a wireless connection ? Thnx
The 707 is an improvement over the a306 even via wireless in our testing. The two are both very impressive, we recommend going which one best fits your budget/use case. The a306 is very small in comparison to the ZX707.
How good match is this DAP with Ath m50x and local files for mostly Metal and classical music?
Can i transferred file music from my android handphone to this a306 via bluethooth?
I'm finally pulling the trigger on upgrading and getting this walkman 👍
I can't wait to just download for offline use with tidal.
I love my ipod classic but after upgrading to 512gb I no longer had to swap music as ofton but when I did it takes ages 😢
So ordered one of these and 1tb MICROSD.
I would use download for offline use on my phone but I listen to so much music i have to charge my phone twice a day 😅
Thanks for the clear video 👍❤
Gotta question: what's the most you've filled your 1tb sd card? Want to know if there's a read limit on it but can't get a definitive answer...
@@NoBodyO2TheG
Tbh I went back to my ipod.
Ipod OS on classic depending on generation had a limit you can shuffle depending onlibrary size hence mine was only 512gb (I dont like rockbox)
But tidal for offline use is junk and Android has some battery saving in place that sort of decouples the sd card making tidal freak out in offline mode and always has to look for if not even redownload songs for offline use.
I tried using youtube music, and its better than tidal but this defeated the purpose seeing youtube music is not high quality.
I shoved about 820gb of my own music onto the Sony and it worked, but it's battery drains so fast.
Like even if I don't use it I have to charge every other day.
(320kbps mp3 like I had for ipod)
So I'm back on ipod classic "7th" gen the thin 160gb one seeing it can shuffle like 50k songs and with flash modded storage it's battery lasts for days even with heavy use.
Edit : I would limit to 512gb for mp3 maybe more for lossless but Tbh I would avoid this thing all together I'm sorry I want to love it but can't price/performance is to bad.
can I download music from my Mac? will work in car? looking fwd to your reply; thanks... :)
Hello, if price is not a factor which would you recomend, the 306 or SR-35?
Both players have advantages and strengths. If price was not a factor the Astell and Kern SR35 has considerably more power for driving headphones like the Sony MDR Z1R in the video. Overall the Astell and Kern SR35 is the more capable player. If you'd like to discuss the products further don't hesitate to get in touch with us at: www.moon-audio.com/contact-us
Here is the link to the NW-A306: www.moon-audio.com/sony-nw-a306-walkman-music-player.html
Here is the link to the SR35: www.moon-audio.com/a-norma-sr35-dap-music-player.html
So I do have a question.
Even if it's redundant, i think.
If I connect an A306 (A) to a another dap (B) via bluetooth. And use the B as endpoint.
Is the A306 doing anything to change the sound signature of the B? Since both are using LDAC right.
Does the things A does in the background replicates to the experience it has when wired?
What if I Rather listen to audio with classic Panasonic or original Sony Walkman headphones?
Very well presented video! I got mine a couple of weeks ago and although this is not the most capable DAP in the market, this definitely fits my need. Very portable size, handling is easy, Android 12, streaming services and offline listening, enough power to drive IEMs and low impedance headphones (powers my HD 560s) and lot of sound processing and EQ option is one is into all that. If someone is looking for a device solely for the ease of portability and great listening on the go, this would satisfy very well.
How do I make my mind going to college with closed back headphones and walkman
How does the battery hold up when using Apple music/streaming service? I don't do downloaded files, use apple music hi-res, but they do drain my phone battery. So, a separate DAP sounds good, but only if the battery holds up. Also, I have IEMs, but will this also power up Senns HD660s2 cans too without an issue? I see a Hiby M300 with android 13 as the main competitor - not sure if there are any similar price range products out there
@@Maheshutube I do use Apple Music extensively with A306 and it does hold up pretty well. Although the marketed 20+ hours is a far cry, I am easily getting around 14-15 hours of playback before needing to charge the player. But I do prefer offline playback with Apple Music files saved on my SD card. Streaming might reduce the battery a bit, but I won't expect a drastic difference. I haven't tried with HD660s, but I have driven my HD560s with these, you'll have to crank up the volume. I would prefer using IEMs exclusively with these on the move. They do drive my planar, DD and BA driver IEMs pretty well. I am happy with the device for my use. Hiby M300 also seems like a good product that is cheaper as well, but I haven't tried.
@@VishnuPadmanabhan thanks a ton for the detailed reply. Will read up, look up, reviews of both (hiby and this) and decide. Personal bias, purely on nostalgia, is with Sony. Though I do have the splendid Hibyfc6 dongle;they do produce quality stuff. Will screen reviews and decide. Thanks
@VishnuPadmanabhan , With streaming, I am fine even with 10 hours of play time. One full day of listening without charging basically. Can charge it in the night. With the phone, though, it's matter of few hours. Annoying, as you can imagine. Somehow, i have got used to the streaming that downloading files doesn't come naturally. Even if i do that, not that the phone has a SD card these days. But if I continue with phone, I should atleast download the regular music i listen on to them I suppose - and over and above that streaming. But yeah something like the Sony or M300 would be ideal. Don't want to spend too much also - as I can buy an IEM or two rather in that price and enjoy different sound signature.
Can we download any apps in the app store like maps, games, etc. ?
like others will this over heat ? when vol is high
many mp3s over heat and lock up , info place i may get this soon
does anyone know if this sony NW-A306 will work well with my audio 64 Ut6 IEMs? or do i need a better DAP instead? i dont wanna spend too much on a DAP so im considering if this sony model will be a decent choice for a better sound.
It will work very well with IEMs in general including 64Audio IEMs. You can invest in a better DAP overall if you want other features, but the a306 will work well with what you already have!
Can the power issue with wired headphones be mitigated with an external amp and dac? I have a Schiit Magni amp and a Schiit Modi DAC.
Potentially yes, depending on your headphones. Please reach out to us here and we'd be happy to give you some recommendations: www.moon-audio.com/contact-us 🙂
Hello everyone! I have a question about the device. With streaming services can users download songs or podcasts to the mini-card for offline listening? Thanks!
It's android based, so any google play based podcast app should work including Spotify!
I'm coming from a 6th Gen Ipod Touch. Would you reccomend this as a suitable replacement? Or would you have one in mind that would be a better upgrade? Bluetooth connectivity to car is a big pro I just haven't heard a ton covered on most DABs (I am new to diving Into the DAB world)
Yes, this is a great entry-level DAP and the A306 has the Bluetooth connectivity you're looking for!
🔗 www.moon-audio.com/sony-nw-a306-walkman-music-player.html
Please reach out to us here for more assistance in choosing the right DAP for you: www.moon-audio.com/contact-us 🙂
Now I don’t know which one to get. 306, 707 and wm1am2😮 love the portability of this one
Wait don't rush .. they will release wm soon then you will comfortable with the purchase.. i feel new zx is just make up for nw high flagship fail sales numbers but crazy expensive.. wait
@fa6151 which one are they releasing? Link??
dap nowadays are really cool
I've got the nw a55 and love it. I had the nw a45 before that and found no difference in sound quality. I really don't want the Android feature. I'm wondering if the sound quality is a step up from the a55, or did they just add android to the a55?
It is good to search, listen or download a song or score music that is all. However, if they built dac just for phones and walkman operating system or app that is would by great like bringing the old sony Ericsson walkmn era in early 2000s 💔. This what many wants .. especially with new flips phones 😂
The hold switch does mot work when the screen is on. Most of the sound enhancements do not work with Bluetooth. I'd like a music player not an Android device with a tiny screen. Also why oh why does it not remember what i was playing before i turn it off to resume later?
Hi guys ! I was wondering. Is it recommended for metal music ? Will I clearly have a better sound than using my smartphone ? Will it work with my Focal Bathys head phone ? Thank u !
The Sony NW-A306 will provide a large upgrade in sound if you're coming from using your phone. This DAP will play all genres well and is compatible with your Focal Bathys! If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to contact us!
www.moon-audio.com/
www.moon-audio.com/sony-nw-a306-walkman-music-player.html
Does it play hi res though Bluetooth
I had Sony classic walkman in my childhood hearing MJ music on it. In those days things where cheap and sounded amazing. You didn't need any dac adapter or charger. Just 2 rechargable batteries. That's so simple.😊
Ya Sony needs to build a new cassette walkman 👍
I think that the comparison is between a capped A series and non capped ZX ..
Mentioning the volume warning .. it is definetly a capped unit
Is this still on android 12 or was it updated to 13?
Hi, Hope you can help with this one. i subscribed to Tidal/ 1st month free/ in Tidal i down loaded to a "Play list" 1400+ songs, which i can play, but i want to down load the "Play list" via usb to my new sony NW-A306 Walkman via Tidal app both ends, and file transfer or usb dac, erm but carnt ?. I down loaded to my computer for speed and ease of use, as the Walkman is small and slow. Idiots guide please.
My biggest concern as an iPod user since 2006 is about music that continues across tracks. There's nothing worse than listening to a long classic piece broken up into several tracks when there's a half second pause between tracks. With material I've ripped from CD at ALAC, everything plays smoothly on the iPod. With many formats, there's a sound bump. How's the Sony going for people with classical pieces or radio plays?
That's apple's problem. Windows and android have no problem with gapless playback.
@@privacyhelp Yeah, I've bought an A-306 since I posted the above and I love it! I put in a 512GB micro-SD card and - although it took a few days to iron out the kinks - it's been brilliant. Funnily enough, on the Amazon UK sales page, Sony say the device doesn't support gapless playback, which is manifestly untrue. :) The only thing I don't understand is why Sony haven't released a proper case with front cover. It's available in Japan, but nowhere else and no third party has stepped into the breach.
@@DomH75 I’m a huge iPod classic user, from one To another I’ve been eyeing this player. Any comparison you’d like to share?
Thanks for the review. I got this dac a week ago. I am very disappointed but I got around my issues for the most part. FYI in the video you said you can't download streaming apps. Not true. You can download any app that supported for android 12. That is what really saved this for me. The natic sony music player is not good and the audio bells and whistles aren't really noticed like they said. Maybe for certain songs and genres. To be honest I feel if they allowed the native music app to pump out some power maybe the bells and whistles would stand out more. I don't stream music and like it loaded up on my ad card. So I added a 512gb sd card. I then installed the poweramp app to be my music player and then the wavelet app. I then configured the eq on the poweramp and then wavelet. Then I turned up the gain on both apps and that made it loud and sounds very well. Like they said. If you use the 3.5 headphone jack it is very under powered but these 2 apps can help. This Dap is best used with good Bluetooth headphones or buds. I am using Status Audio Between pros. They sound great and super bass. Just my 2 cents. I almost sent this back to sony where I bought it directly. I saw online people say the japan version has a high gain option and is not crippled in power output. I will say the battery power is very good and I only wish the cassette Screensaver thing would be able to show while using other music player apps like poweramp.
The comment made about not downloading streaming apps was about if you set up and you didn't set up the Google Play account you wouldn't have full access to the app store, so you couldn't download music streaming apps that way. We are happy to hear you were able to find Apps that worked for you!
Poweramp was my choice of app maybe 10 years ago when it was much more common to be playing your local music library on a phone. I still prefer my local music over streaming.
The main issues about slugging interface and overall clunk, how is it when running Poweramp? I'd like to upgrade from a Hidizs AP 80 Pro as it's just a bit too small to use easily, especially when needing to seek longer files, audiobooks, etc.
can you access social media (like FB or Instagram) on the Sony NW-A306? I can't find this answer anywhere!!!
Yes
We have not tested this, but it may be possible. Sony's Android-based OS allows downloads from the Google Play Store, but not all apps may be compatible with the NW-A306. IF you get any social media apps to work, please let us know! 🙂
What is the recommended micro sd cards? and what is the max size of card?
Sony doesn't list a recommended microSD card model or maximum size. Any brand microSD card should work, as long as it's been properly formatted in the player first. Regarding maximum size, our customers have had success with 1 TB cards, but it could very well handle more. We can't guarantee that, however. Hope this helps! 🙂
@@moon-audio I put in a Sandisk 1T extreme and works great. Cheers
@@HiFiFoFum Thanks and Cheers.
Hello MA team, thanks for the awesome review, I’ve a question, do you think the A&K SR35 sounds better than Sony a306
Most likely. It's a QUAD DAC and has better build than the sony(albeit at the cost of portability)
@@Jacob1451_Kapnobatai actually the cost is the only thing here
@@SRL1996 in regards to?
@@Jacob1451_Kapnobatai can’t afford an SR35 bro
And battery life when playing music from the sd card? Mine drain like every sec you look at it or use it. And its brand new. I have a nw-a105. Ill be back to a mobile phone for use as a mp3 player
Battery life of the a306 is very impressive! We don't carry the NW-A105 so we are unable to compare the battery performance between the two.
what is the maximum capacity of sd card the nw a306 can used? i currently using sandisk 512gb and already almost full, thinking of upgrade it to the new sandisk 1.5tb sd card? can it be read?
Sony notes that microSDXC cards with a capacity of up to 1 TB can be used in NW-A306. More than that, we're not sure at the moment! If you get a card with that capacity to work, please let us know! 🙂
currently using 512gb and memory now almost full, i will try upgrade to 1tb and let u know
i use 1.5 tb sandisk and that works well. Sony states the support is actually up to 2tb.
Can it play Dolby Atmos files?
Hello, I have a question: which player is better?Sony nw a306 or Hiby R6 III
We really like the NW-A306 and find it to be an excellent DAP, especially at its price point! We do not carry Hiby products at this time, so we aren't set up to compare the two right now. We might look into comparing it in a future video. 🙂
What is USB dac and how to use ? What's required to use USB dac
I think it means it will play out the usb into an external dac. Im not sure, but im hoping thats what it means.
How much max external memory card support
Sony doesn't list a recommended microSD card model or maximum size. Any brand microSD card should work, as long as it's been properly formatted in the player first. Regarding maximum size, our customers have had success with 1 TB cards, but it could very well handle more. We can't guarantee that, however. Hope this helps! 🙂
I had the nw-a105 and the battery was terrible 😢. Hopefully there’s an improvement in this new generation
The new NW-A306's battery life varies from 11-36 hours, based on the quality of music you're playing. The 11-hour measurement only applies to DSD 256 listening. We find 20 hours to be a good average, and more than enough. Hope this helps! 🙂
www.moon-audio.com/sony-a306-dap-music-player-review
I'm glad I found a good sale on this on Amazon, I didn't want to take the chance on buying budget Chi-fi and have something bordering less than 'okay.'
How many expandable storage
Hey there! Our customers have had success with 1 TB cards, but it could very well handle more. We can't guarantee that, however. Hope this helps! 🙂
Wait… I cannot download Spotify on this thing?
You definitely can download Spotify on the NW-A306 if you so choose!🙂
I can't find a definitive answer on this: Will it take a 1tb sd card and read ALL files on it when its all full or near to full? Because some players have a read limit.
Yes mine is nearly full and it reads everything on it
@dorkasaurus_rex FINALLY, someone answered lol. Thank you.
Can it play the Apple Music app?
it's android, so no
Yes, it can. I downloaded Apple Music from the Google Play Store on my a306 and use the app daily.
Don't these DAP that run Android have the same issue of Android always down sampling any hi res file to 44.1khz
You can choose downsampling or upsampling in these players. The 'Hi-Res Streaming" option will upscale everything to 192 kHz instead of downsampling to 48 kHz.
Did I heard it right? You cant download music streaming app? Then why does it need playstore?
Sorry for the confusion! You can only download music streaming apps like Qobuz, Tidal, and more when signed into the Google Play Store. If that doesn't work for you, we may have a solution. Feel free to reach out here: www.moon-audio.com/contact-us 🙂
@@moon-audio do they have apple music?
Will they play fine with Skullcandy headphones (Crusher Evo)?
So where is the hi-fi stereo sound in all this? He said a lot about the sound quality coming out of this thing but nothing was said about hi-fi stereo. In addition, and if you recall back in the day, Japan made mini CD disc players that can play and record with superb hi-fi stereo sound. Is the Sony NW A306 as good as a mini disc player? For $350 you would think it should.
Sony does it again. They're like Apple with the iPhone, you never know when the last generation of a product will be ROFL...but I'm here for it.
Yeah, MP3 Players are very boring now because most companies already gave up on them years ago so there is a lack of innovation in the MP3 Player market these days.
Does anyone know how to disable the lock screen? So that I don't need to press my pin every time.
Because the NW-A306 is Android-based, you can go to Settings (gear icon) > Security > Screen Lock > Screen Lock Type, enter your pass code, and then select None. We would recommend keeping a passcode of some type on it in case the unit is lost. Thanks for your question! 🙂
they didn't said a word about meze advar with this device 😢
IEMs sound really awesome with these. I am using a couple of IEMs and in my experience sound better than connecting via bluetooth. But I haven't tried with Sony headphones. Absolutely lovely sounding on IEMs and even on my HD 560s open back headphones.
The A306 is powerful enough to efficiently drive the Meze ADVAR IEMs without needing to crank the volume past 70. The bass is pleasant but lacked some of the heft and "oomph" bass lovers may crave. Check out our blog for more impressions on the A306 and ADVAR together: www.moon-audio.com/sony-a306-dap-music-player-review 🙂
I’ll stick with my iPod 5.5 it sounds good and doesn’t run Android.
Hey, you do you! We're here for the iPod nostalgia. 🙂
Gah if this thing was $100 cheaper.
I think $150-$200 is where this should be proced at AND it should come with lossless capable wired earbuds.
I have the US version and the wired headphone power is lacking, however I read the volume is purposely decreased in the US and EU version. Many are buying the Japanese version and are saying it is a drastic difference in volume while using wired since it is uncapped.
@@whatgaca For the older Walkmans running their own proprietary os you can modify them using a tool to remove those BS volume restrictions by tricking your US Walkman that it was sold in Japan.
Definitely not enough power in this device
But if wireless convenience is your thing, the A306 can be a great ultra-portable pick. Just saying! 🙂
So its useless 😑 if its only good with Bluetooth then i might as well just use my phone, other reviews say the same thing it does not have the power to drive quality headphones only trash earbuds sony has been failing for years expensive garbage rip sony do better
Not useless at all. Battery life is stellar. You're never going to get 36 hour playback from your cell phone.
They keep the chip set secret? That's unacceptable.
Sony NW-A306 is Output too low! I bought a separate headphone amp. Just buy the expensive ones!