iPod nano Vs Sony Walkman NWZ-A726

Rather than bore you with preliminaries, I think I’ll dive right into our shootout of the week. We shall pit the iPod Nano against the Sony Walkman NWZ-A726. We shall compare the design, features, performance, and price. For detailed reviews of the two players, click here and here.

Design

The iPod nano comes with a 2-inch (diagonal) screen and an aluminum-and-glass body, while the Sony Walkman boasts a larger 2.4 QVGA LCD.

The overall design scheme for both is pretty up to date, but the iPod is slightly sleeker with a new thinness and affected curve that you will like. However, Sony hasn’t done too badly either; it’s given the NWZ-A726 a shiny glass front. Both come with a proprietary USB interface, which sucks.

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The iPod navigation is better in many ways, thanks to the drop-down menu system that complements the click wheel. The Sony NWZ-A726 features a five-way navigation pad which is pretty responsive too, only there’s nothing new to offer. We timed the start-up times of the two players, and guess what… it was a draw.

I would say design is obviously Apple’s strength. It’s always delivered snazzy products, and the iPod is no exception. But then the Sony player has a form factor that’s highly practical.

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Features and Performance
The iPod nano wins this round too. It features an accelerometer to change the screen orientation, and a shake-to-shuffle option. The coverflow looks good as always, and there are games to keep you entertained. I would have counted the Genius feature too, but you can make it work only with songs bought from the Apple store. The Sony walkman has no such flashy stuff.

The Sony Walkman supports MP3, AAC, WMA and L-PCM, while the nano supports AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and yes, WAV. This means iPod’s format support is far superior, but here we come up against a very important factor…

It’s all drag-and-drop for the Sony Walkman, while you will need iTunes for the iPod. This is a key point in the former’s favor. Also, while the Sony comes with presets and a 5-band customizable EQ, the nano doesn’t (it has only presets).

The video player of the Sony player supports only AVC (H.264/AVC), AAC-LC, and MPEG-4, and the iPod too has a limited M4V, MP4, and MOV file formats. In both cases you’ll need to run your videos through a conversion software before you transfer. Both offer a comparable experience when it comes to watching videos.

The earphones bundled with the Sony Walkman are far better than the iPod’s. Their in-ear design brings the sound a lot closer to the drums. The bass is better and pretty level.

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Price and Conclusion

The new nano officially costs Rs 9700 (8GB) and Rs 12,500 (16GB), while the Sony NWZ-A726 costs Rs 8990 for 4GB. If you compare capacities, obviously the nano wins. It also supports WAV, which the Sony doesn’t. However, the nano lacks a drag-and-drop option, which is precisely what I need (I can’t stand iTunes). At the same time, you can’t ignore the accelerometer or Coverflow.

If you don’t mind the limited features and are primarily into sound, the Sony is right for you, despite its price. It’s a complete product with a good pair of earphones and a great on-the-go quality. The iPod is more suited for the stylish ones for whom looks and branding matter.