Good music quality with practical usability, even for a situational gadget.
Good music quality with practical usability, even for a situational gadget.
As a standalone headset with integrated storage space, the Walkman NW-WS413 strives to be a reliable music player in places where smartphones dare not venture. Sony made this device with an IP65 rating – more specifically, it’s resistant to water up to two meters’ depth for up to 30 minutes. The mattelooking device has a rubbery feel to the touch, and it values practicality in sporty situations, over looks.
In the box are two extra sets of normal ear buds, and three pairs of for-swimming ear buds in different sizes – how thoughtful. With them, are the gadget’s charger and a short USB 2.0 cable for charging and file transfers.
Transferring song files into its built-in 4GB storage is a simple process of dragand-drop. It did not force us to use a roundabout proprietary program when we transferred songs to the NW-WS413 from the computer. This music player supports the common audio file formats – MP3, AAC, WMA, and Linear PCM. What it lacks is Bluetooth support, so it doesn’t support pairing to smartphones.
Controls are rather complete – besides the typical play/pause, song skipping, and volume buttons, the WS413 has a Mode button that lets you repeat or shuffle songs, and a light-gray button that toggles Ambient Sound Mode. The latter uses builtin mics to allow you to listen to audio cues from your surroundings when using the headset, so you’re never deaf to your environment. Altering the settings without looking at the Walkman takes getting used to, but it’s possible.
The NW413 has good sound quality. Nuances in songs, like timber and soundstage, are decent but not complex, and playback is crystal clear. It features a clean sound signature that doesn’t emphasize too much on bass. Hotel California by The Eagles showed that it handles acoustic guitars excellently, with average performance in the mid-range tones found in backing vocals and percussion. It’s excellent for house and electronic music, but lackluster for whiny punk-rock songs (but that’s more of the genre’s fault).
While the WS413 is highly situational, it is great for the purpose it serves – providing good quality music in challenging places, such as the pool or on a rain-soaked bike ride.
At A Glance
Compatible Software: Mac Os X 10.6 Or Later Windows 7 Or Later
Storage Size: 4gb
Playback Time: 8 Hours (With Ambient Sound Mode)
Weight: 32g
Price: $149
