Sony NWZ-A15 Portable Player
The NWZ-A15 efficiently replaces the F886 and is far more streamlined, with measurements akin to the 4th generation iPod Nano. It's a 2.2in screen that is plenty large enough and simple to work via the four-way navigational control below the display Features kept from the F886 comprise an FM radio and Bluetooth connectivity for streaming to a speaker or headphones, with aptX and NFC additionally added. Another major addition is the supply of a microSD card slot, which allows you to expand the paltry 16GB built in memory to 80GB using a 64GB microSDXC card, albeit at additional cost.
Music transport is an easy drag-and-drop procedure using the supplied software and I'm in a position to transfer my hi res tracks up to 24/192 on to the microSD card without any hiccups. There is no provision for DSD playback, however which may be a bit of a stumbling block for a few music fans.
Using the player is simple and legitimate, and I am up and running in next to no time. Two small buttons below the display provide quick use of power options and your home screen. You simply browse up, across and down utilizing the click pad on the front and press play at the center. On the correct border are volume controls, a Hold slider switch and also the aforementioned SD card slot.
Sound quality
Comparing a 24/96 ALAC of Living For all augmentations switched off shows Stevie Wonder with The City by that the NWZ-A15 is virtually on a par with the Hidizs AP100. The bass guitar is a bit more augmented and thumpy, but this can easily be controlled if it occurs as it is for mine to be too much for your flavor by fixing the custom EQ settings. This brings the clarity of the higher frequencies more to the foreground, but without the awareness of sparkle that you get on the AR-M2 costing over five times as much.
The accompanying piano will unify together with the orchestral strings arrangement, and only here is the focus in the Sony clouded and shut in when compared with, say, the Acoustic Research. Otherwise it's an effortless performance in the NWZ-A15 that is quite easy to love and appreciate on longer listening journeys on public transport.
