FLAC and WAV formats offer better depth though. Whichever way you look at it, 11,289,600 Hz is plenty more than 384,000 Hz, meaning you get a lot more detail in your audio. The specific DSD format the NW-A306 plays is up to DSD 256, or DSD 11.2 Mhz. While technically you do not lose too much audio artifact through 32-bit FLAC and WAV formats, you still lose some artifact thanks to limited sampling rate at up to 384 KHz. DSD Audio PlaybackĪll the NW-A306’s hardware goes into supporting one of the best lossless audio formats you can get. You can install other media players for it if you want alongside Spotify and Tidal. You can install Netflix and Prime Video, but you watch movies at HD resolution and on a miniscule screen, we do not recommend it. But they are there, like a regular Android. You will not be able to customize too much in terms of your back, recent apps, and home button too. You still get Bluetooth and WiFi, but that is about it for connectivity. Even if it is not the most updated Android 13, it is familiar and simple to work with. Everything is intuitive and where you expect to find them. Android 12 InterfaceĪndroid is a familiar interface. If you can, you want DSD format audio for it. You want FLAC or WAV format in the NW-A306 to get the best out of it. You can upload MP3 files in the thousands, which would be a waste. For that, Sony has several effects processors inside for better audio reproduction and immersive effects. Sony does not mention the sort of processor inside the device. We would go so far to say that the Sony NW-A306 is meant to be subtle and stealthy. It is not meant to attract attention though. You can only get the NW-A306 in boring ol’ black. The entire device speaks quality and feels rigid, durable. There is also a ‘hold’ toggle to prevent accidental presses. On the right side of the device is where all your media and volume control buttons are. The sides are also aluminium like the back plate. We reckon that a cheap silicon case would do a better job.

The ridge is meant to improve grip, we think.

The camera-less ridged back plate with a Walkman badge carved into it is aluminium. The front of the device is a glass plane protecting a 3.6-inch LCD panel and Sony branding at the bottom. Unlike a smartphone though, this has more buttons than the usual on/off an volume rocker buttons. Thanks to Android 12, it feels like an actual smartphone. It looks like a rather compact and thick smartphone.

Sony music center for pc review