Music on the go

GIZMO GALLERY

after the much-publicised launch of Sports Walkman.

The included in-ear headphones on this model have a distinctive active noise-canceling feature. The player's controls and software integration, no better than the previous Walkman models, feel terrible in a player that makes you cough up Rs 11,990.

Of course, there's plenty more to like and dislike about the S703F. The 1GB model is available in pretty colours like metallic black, pink, and violet. Sony, it appears, does not believe in putting money on good flash memory prices, because there are no 4GB or 8GB models.

The Good The NW-S703F measures a diminutive 3.4 x 1.1 x 0.6 inches and thus a joy to carry around. This 1 GB flash player has a solitary controller, a jog shuttle on one end supported by a few tiny buttons thrown on the device.

The shuttle can be moved to two different positions "� in one, you twist to navigate individual tracks, and in the other, you use it to move through albums.

A tiny button on the back controls Sound or Play modes depending on how long you hold it down, while a three-way button on the front handles play/stop and volume.

Unfortunately, if you are trying to press the button on the back, you will almost certainly wind up pressing the button on the front of the player as well.

The flaws This capsule-shaped player is heavier than one expects but has all the works, topped with a super-bright OLED screen (that is troublesome to peer at in sunlight). The cable is a tad bit short but there is no denying that Sony has given a decent sonic performer. It goes well with metal (Guns'N'Roses, LinkinPark and the likes), acoustic bed-wetting (Jeff Buckley) and shambolic English jangle-pop (Menswear).

The only drawback is that Sony insists that user has to run not-so-cool SonicStage ripping/management software. When compared with iTunes, it's what Richard Blackwood is to Chris Rock. Even as SanDisk is not known for its stellar audio quality, its MP3 players at least ensure that one has a hassle free music manager at hand.

Comparison Those who have seen the 1 GB Sansa, part of the C-series, are bound to compare NW-S703F with it. The player itself is a stripped-down version with no album art support or an uninspired text font. The FM tuner, on Sansa C series, includes a recorder, an auto-scanner for 20 presets and a pinhole microphone that lets you record voice.

Sony hasn't bothered with the recorder. Sound-leaking earphones are the bane of most MP3 players, but Sony has done a good job. Noise-cancelling in-ear headphones successfully shut out a certain amount of external babble. Battery life is superb "� on a 10 minute recharge the player went up to 3 hours of music "� worth making a noise about.