What Hi-Fi? Verdict

It’s not perfect, but this affordable Sony Walkman player delivers a mature, even-handed performance at an attractive price

Pros

+
Clear, detailed, composed sound
+
Pocketable size
+
Excellent hi-res audio support
+
Wi-fi and Bluetooth supported

Cons

-
Android OS is cumbersome and space-hogging
-
Interface can be clunky
-
Internal music storage space is only half of what’s available

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When Sony announced a new Walkman earlier this year, we rejoiced. The Sony NW-A306 model packs in hi-res audio playback and multiple additional features that in essence marks it as a scaled-down version of the flagship, high-end Sony NW-WM1ZM2 player (£3299 / $3699 / AU$4999).

And then there’s the tantalisingly affordable price tag. At £349 / $350 / AU$499, the A306 is one of the more affordable hi-res players we’ve come across in recent years, and undercuts by a large margin the stellar Astell & Kern models that have dominated this category of late.

In fact, it was a much cheaper model, the Sony NW-A55L (£160 / $220 / AU$339 in 2020), that last set our portable music player world on fire on the affordable side with a 2020 What Hi-Fi? Awards win, so we’re keen to see if this feature-packed new Sony Walkman can deliver a similar winning performance.

Build & design

Portable music player: Sony NW-A306 — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

As a portable music player, the NW-A306 fits the brief perfectly. The player is compact and fits in palms and pockets alike with no fuss. We love the scalloped textured back that gives us a good grip, and how it doesn’t feel too expensive to feel like we need to be handling it with white gloves. It feels like a music player that’s meant to be used more than admired.

We spent a good month or so with the A306 sharing space with our keys, cables and mints in our bags and in our pockets, and the Walkman didn’t pick up any scratches or knocks. We would still take care not to drop it or dunk it in water, but this Walkman feels pretty sturdy in everyday use.

Whereas the more premium Astell & Kern players can need a bit of careful handling thanks to their fashionably sharp edges, the Sony’s curved edges and lightweight feel are far more forgiving and more friendly. The 3.6-inch touchscreen that dominates the front is crisp and sharp and shows album artwork in full colour, with a decent-enough contrast even in bright daylight.

The connections are minimal: you get the standard 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port for charging and transferring files (a short USB-C cable is provided), a microSD card slot, and a slot for adding a lanyard loop. We like the simplicity.

There are multiple buttons on the side for power, volume changes and playback options (play/pause and skips). All buttons work responsively, although it does take us a while to get used to pressing the right buttons intuitively without looking every time.

Features

So far, so practical. But turn the Sony NW-A306 on and it suddenly becomes a bit more complicated. Because when you first turn the Sony music player on, you’re greeted with the rather cumbersome process of setting up an Android device. This NW-A306 runs on an Android 12 operating software, and much like in our review of its flagship sibling NW-WM1ZM2, we still don’t see the value in offering the full Android experience in a dedicated music player. You can, if you take the time, turn off every notification and alert that might distract you from enjoying your music on the Sony Walkman, but we wish that Sony had kept to a purer approach here. It feels at odds with the initial, beautiful simplicity of the A306 player.

The inclusion of a full Android OS and its Google apps has two real-world side effects on the A306, though. One, it makes the interface rather sluggish to use. There are intermittent stutters and delays when switching between apps, menus and selecting songs – it’s nowhere near the buttery smoothness we experience in current Android smartphones. In comparison, the more focused Astell & Kern players are far more seamless in use, responding more quickly and slickly to taps on the screen.

Sony NW-A306 tech specs

Max file support 32-bit/384kHz, DSD256, MQA

Storage 32GB (expandable by 2TB via microSDXC)

MicroSD slot? Yes

Battery life 32 hours approx.

Headphone outputs 3.5mm

Dimensions (hwd) 9.8 x 5.7 x 1.2cm

Weight 113g

Finishes x2 (blue, black)

Secondly, the Sony NW-A306 claims 32GB of onboard storage. But a closer look at the technical specs states “actual available memory 18GB”. When asked about this, Sony told us that the "Android OS system and pre-installed Google apps including Sony original music app occupy around 18GB". That means more than half of the available storage space is given up to software that is not entirely necessary.

Before we load up any music we check the player’s settings and see it’s largely true: 14GB out of the supposed 32GB is already used up, with 12GB occupied by “System”. Considering we normally find players with even a full 32GB storage not enough to store a decent hi-res music library (we estimate that 32GB will hold roughly 1,000 CD-quality songs), the 18GB of internal storage on offer here is disappointingly measly.

Sony NW-A306 storage — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

After we’ve loaded up the player with about 20 albums and a dozen additional tracks (the majority in hi-res 24-bit FLAC and 16-bit CD quality, a handful of MP3s, two DSD tracks) we’re left with just 4GB remaining. That’s rather poor. There is a microSD card slot for expanding this storage (by up to 2TB thanks to SDXC card support), but this is an additional cost.

Now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way, there is an upside if you listen to music from a variety of sources. Access to wi-fi and the Google Play Store on the A306 does mean you can download any music app – Tidal, Apple Music, Qobuz – to stream your favourite tunes alongside your hi-res files. You can also use the player as a DAC in your system, and connect it to your laptop. Hi-res file support is extensive for a player at this level: the Sony can handle playback of up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM, DSD256 and MQA file formats.

Elsewhere, it has Bluetooth 5.0, with aptX HD and LDAC codecs supported alongside the standard SBC and AAC codecs. This lets you connect wireless earbuds such as Sony’s WF-C700N or Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 to the A306, although be warned that any hi-res file will be downsampled considerably using Bluetooth.

Sony NW-A306 with Sony C700N buds — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Battery life varies depending on the file type and which app you’re using to play, but as standard you should get up to 32 hours if you’re playing 24-bit hi-res FLAC files (this plummets to 14 hours if you’re playing DSD256 files exclusively). We find this to be true in real life use, with the A306 lasting a good few days without us having to reach for the charging cable.

You even get the very same sound modes as the flagship NW-WM1ZM2 model, including the Vinyl Processor (which tries to emulate the ‘warm’ analogue sound), DSEE Ultimate (which upscales and enhances low-res compressed files to hi-res quality) and a Direct mode, which disables any extra processing and keeps the original file playback as pure as possible. We end up using this mode for the majority of our testing, but it’s worth trying each mode to see which you prefer, alongside tweaking the 10-band equaliser, to suit your tastes.

Sound

So how does the Sony NW-A306 actually sound? With the excellent Grado SR325x headphones plugged into the 3.5mm jack, we’re treated to a performance that’s admirably clean and composed with edges of notes neatly drawn. Elliott Smith’s guitar strums and soft vocals on Either/Or sound delicate yet stark against a low-noise background. Frances Quinlan’s raw, shimmering vocals rip through in Hop Along’s breezy, jangly indie-pop tunes such as How Simple.

There’s an even balance across the frequencies, with no spikey edges or flabby bottoms in sight. It’s an easy listen. We could do with a bit more wallop to the brooding undertones in The Dark Knight Rises soundtrack to keep us on tenterhooks, though.

Play songs with a more complex arrangement (Radiohead’s In Rainbows album) or that could easily become too aggressive (Disturbed’s epic Down With The Sickness), and we find the Sony player doesn’t get confused at all. It’s easy to follow each instrument’s path and interplay with each other, and the lack of any hardness means it’s comfortable to listen to over long periods of time.

The Sony is adept enough to turn its hand to various genres and even discern the differences in file qualities, but it doesn’t make a meal out of it at all. In fact, there’s a familial throughline from the high-end NW-WM1ZM2 to the A306 in terms of just how mature and capable it’s able to sound. We can spot the same sound signature, even if the detail resolution is at vastly different levels. Where the A306 differs (and has the upper hand) is with volume: it had no problem driving the Grados, and we found it played more than loud enough for our needs.

As with the NW-WM1ZM2, though, we find ourselves yearning for an ounce more dynamic punch and drive. We think the Sony A306 could sound a whole lot more fun and immersive if it let its metaphorical hair down and stayed up past its metaphorical bedtime. It’s a polite, undemanding listen that could become an absolute barnstormer with just a bit more bite, fluidity and insight.

Verdict

On the whole, there aren’t too many viable options at this end of the market if you’re after an affordable but decent portable music player. So it’s great to see that Sony has stepped up with a likeable player that can handle hi-res audio (even DSD).

Ultimately it stops short of getting the full five stars due to a culmination of usability issues and a lack of sonic verve, but overall the Sony NW-A306 is worth considering if your budget doesn’t stretch to the more premium Astell & Kern SR35.

SCORES

Sound 4
Build 5
Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MkII

Also consider the Astell & Kern A&norma SR35

Read our FiiO M11S review

Best portable MP3 players: budget to hi-res music players

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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10 Comments Comment from the forums

mlknez

I am very confused. What does this give me that my 2020 LG V60 phone doesn't? Or for that matter, my 2017 LG V20?
Reply
Navanski

mlknez said:
I am very confused. What does this give me that my 2020 LG V60 phone doesn't? Or for that matter, my 2017 LG V20?
As an owner of an LG V30, I would say absolutely nothing.
Watch out though because that Snapdragon 8 series processor might be just too quick for you. If that's the case then the Sony (unknown processor) might be an alternative.
You could even use the LG as a phone. Whatever will they think of next!!
Reply
Rodolfo

As the owner of 3 V series phones, I'd say one huge difference is in battery life: the Vs don't compete with this player, nor would they with most any other player, even if music-listening is/was all you do/did with your V. For portable devices, few features are more important than battery life, and when I'm enjoying my music, I don't want to be monitoring how long I have left. The article ignores specs, but I'd guess that the Sony DAP has a power output advantage that would allow/enable it to drive more impressive headphones, etc. more effectively. The author(s) only refer to testing the Sony with a single set of low-impedance Grado headphones.

The Sony and the LG Vs are importantly comparable in offering SD card slots to store your hi-res files, which all DAPS offer for huge usability reasons. Yet, the article author(s?) spent three paragraphs bemoaning the limited built-in memory, and thus the limited space to store music, trivializing the SD card slot feature, noting that "this is an additional cost". I'm guessing authors and editors are iphone or pixelphone users who aren't used to thinking of the enabling capacity of SD card slots. This winds up being the only "usability" issue they write about, but which affects their verdict.
Reply
Navanski

Rodolfo said:
As the owner of 3 V series phones, I'd say one huge difference is in battery life: the Vs don't compete with this player, nor would they with most any other player, even if music-listening is/was all you do/did with your V. For portable devices, few features are more important than battery life, and when I'm enjoying my music, I don't want to be monitoring how long I have left. The article ignores specs, but I'd guess that the Sony DAP has a power output advantage that would allow/enable it to drive more impressive headphones, etc. more effectively. The author(s) only refer to testing the Sony with a single set of low-impedance Grado headphones.

The Sony and the LG Vs are importantly comparable in offering SD card slots to store your hi-res files, which all DAPS offer for huge usability reasons. Yet, the article author(s?) spent three paragraphs bemoaning the limited built-in memory, and thus the limited space to store music, trivializing the SD card slot feature, noting that "this is an additional cost". I'm guessing authors and editors are iphone or pixelphone users who aren't used to thinking of the enabling capacity of SD card slots. This winds up being the only "usability" issue they write about, but which affects their verdict.
Agreed.
Also not mentioned is the Sony's capabilities with album art. The predecessors of the NW306 were notoriously picky when it came to displaying album art. That, and the, to my ears, harsh treble, was the reason for me returning my NW55 and opting for a FiiO.
Reply
Gnik_Nus

mlknez said:
I am very confused. What does this give me that my 2020 LG V60 phone doesn't? Or for that matter, my 2017 LG V20?
It gives you a smaller form factor and Sony probably didn’t know you had an LG V20. Lol. By the way, not everyone has an LG V20 already. Those LG’s are now aging phones and if you are mainly using them for music playback, then that means you are probably also carrying a modern smartphone for other needs. Two cumbersome devices. Yep, that makes a lot of sense.
Your point would have been better conveyed if you had asked what does this offer you that a modern smartphone doesn’t offer. The answer is, very little. Most people use their phones for music playback, and are presumably very happy with that, given that the Portable media player market now only caters to an increasingly shrinking market.

This is a reasonably priced music player which you can use for streaming music, playing your own media files, and it takes up very little space in a jacket or trouser pocket. I also got WhatsApp on it, and use it to browse the internet as I play music on it. Offline music playback provides ample battery life which saves most people from draining their mobile phone battery, and it looks way cooler and slicker than those ugly LG’s. For okayish sounds you are carrying a whole lot of phone, so most peopepnint he market for a music player would probably prefer something funky like this. You can slip this in a shirt pocket. I use mine with the NW-A100’s 50th Anniversary case. Not only does the player sound really good, it is so much fun to use and I have lost count how many people told me it is really cool.
Also, some people always carry enough things with them when they go out, so a small device like this is probably better to carry than a V20. If you are not using the V20 as your main phone, it is utterly pointless to carry one in 2024, in addition to your main phone.
I had one in the past and to me, it did5 sound any different from a typical iPhone. Most people won’t be able to distinguish any supposed sound improvements the LG V20 offers over their phone, and even if they did, they would happily do without it, and obviously did otherwise everyone would have a V20, won’t they?
All those dumb audiophile arguments about carrying a DAP with a powerful DAC miss the whole point of listening to music for fun and almost any modern drive gives you good playback. Most people don’t want nor need a music studio playing in their headphones so when it comes to a portable music device, whether it is your LG or this Sony Walkman, the market is very small anyway. I use mine because I like a small Android device which gives me access to Apple Music, all my offline music and also allows me to occasionally use the internet and watch movies on this tiny screen. It is easy to use one handed, it takes a SD card and allow me to mange all my music outside of my phone which I only use to make calls, read emails and use the camera.

There is nothing cooler than using something this small for things most people use way bigger and more expensive devices for. If you don’t find that appealing, you won’t buy it. That is fine. Not everyone is the same and neither are their needs.
Sony has a great history in making music products and I like to have this device which gives me continuity with their great history in Thai product category. I have used Sony Walkman cassette players, portable CD players, Minidisc recorders, iPods, and now this. Is it the best? It doesn’t have to be, it plays music, it sounds good and it also allows you to use streaming apps, use other apps, and it is a great little toy. I love it .
Reply
Gnik_Nus

Navanski said:
As an owner of an LG V30, I would say absolutely nothing.
Watch out though because that Snapdragon 8 series processor might be just too quick for you. If that's the case then the Sony (unknown processor) might be an alternative.
You could even use the LG as a phone. Whatever will they think of next!!
This is obviously smaller than a phone. That might be one reason people would want this, and you don’t need a lightening fast processor on this Sony player because the one it has is more than ample for its primary use. This is pocketable. The V20 is old so unlikely that many people would want to use that as their main phone so if they are also using another device as their phone, that is too fairly big devices that probably make anyone doing so look like a dork, especially when the LG offers significant audio playback improvements to the average phone anyway.
Reply
Gnik_Nus

What Hi-Fi? said:
Sony’s hi-res A306 Walkman player is affordable, good to use and nice to listen to, but there are some issues that don’t let us enjoy its full potential.

Sony NW-A306 : Read more
That is not true for everyone. Some people will be happy with the player as it is. There is nothing wrong with it. You want something specific to your taste and liking. That does not mean everyone wants the same thing as you. It plays music, it sounds good. That is what most people will care about. The few who not pick are a minority and they never seem to be happy with anything anyway.
Reply
Gnik_Nus

Rodolfo said:
As the owner of 3 V series phones, I'd say one huge difference is in battery life: the Vs don't compete with this player, nor would they with most any other player, even if music-listening is/was all you do/did with your V. For portable devices, few features are more important than battery life, and when I'm enjoying my music, I don't want to be monitoring how long I have left. The article ignores specs, but I'd guess that the Sony DAP has a power output advantage that would allow/enable it to drive more impressive headphones, etc. more effectively. The author(s) only refer to testing the Sony with a single set of low-impedance Grado headphones.

The Sony and the LG Vs are importantly comparable in offering SD card slots to store your hi-res files, which all DAPS offer for huge usability reasons. Yet, the article author(s?) spent three paragraphs bemoaning the limited built-in memory, and thus the limited space to store music, trivializing the SD card slot feature, noting that "this is an additional cost". I'm guessing authors and editors are iphone or pixelphone users who aren't used to thinking of the enabling capacity of SD card slots. This winds up being the only "usability" issue they write about, but which affects their verdict.
The other thing is that most people who use the LG phones are probably using them to play music specifically so they are probably also carrying a separate phone. If not, they probably will actually as the LG hardware ages and they become less suitable to be used as their main phone.
This means carrying two large devices, and I doubt the average person would even notice any difference between the LG phones and their main smartphone. I mean, audiophiles are not actually audiophiles, they know no more about what constitutes good sound or decent music playback because like everyone else, they only talk about what they think sounds good. It doesn’t necessarily sound better. I have owned those LG phones because I also thought maybe they would sound better but my iPhone Mini sounds just as good with the same headphones and I can’t even tell a difference and neither can other people I asked to compare them. I think some people just assume because they have a supposedly better piece of tech, they can enjoy music more than the folks who just have a smartphone. Today, most streaming applications offer hi-res audio, and any mid-priced headphones will give you excellent playback. To think that something like an aging LG phone would give you superior sound quality is just placebo.
When it comes to personal media players, their only advantage now is that they help you save battery life and organise your music on a separate device from your phone. When it comes to sound quality it depends mostly on the headphones, and that would be different for everyone, depending on what kind of sound they prefer.
For the home stereo, as long as you have a decent source, the only thing that will matter is the quality of your speakers and maybe an amplifier that would allow you to tweak the sound to your preference.
Reply
Navanski

Gnik_Nus said:
To think that something like an aging LG phone would give you superior sound quality is just placebo.
When it.......
Absolutely and definitely not.
I've used both devices using a variety of full sized headphones from AKG, Phillips, Grado, Sennheiser and Monoprice Monolith. Both dynamic and planar drivers. I've also used them with IEMs from Basso, Tinman, Trinity audio and OneMore.
To my ears, and I acknowledge that audio quality is somewhat subjective, the Sony produced a harsh, metallic, very digital sound in the top end. The LG is, in comparison, smoother, more analogue but without any loss of detail.
What on earth makes you think that an aging audio device can't be as good as a more recent device?
Reply
Gnik_Nus

Navanski said:
Absolutely and definitely not.
I've used both devices using a variety of full sized headphones from AKG, Phillips, Grado, Sennheiser and Monoprice Monolith. Both dynamic and planar drivers. I've also used them with IEMs from Basso, Tinman, Trinity audio and OneMore.
To my ears, and I acknowledge that audio quality is somewhat subjective, the Sony produced a harsh, metallic, very digital sound in the top end. The LG is, in comparison, smoother, more analogue but without any loss of detail.
What on earth makes you think that an aging audio device can't be as good as a more recent device?
Firstly, I did not say that an aging audio device can sound better, and was talking specifically about the LG phone. Most modern smartphones are software based, and even if the audio playback is acceptable, in all other aspects the device will get outdated and present security risks for those who connect to the internet for streaming services.
I have also used the LG devices with several different headphones and I have noticed nothing that different or special, and I have also asked other people to compare them, and they didn't notice any appreciable difference either. At least not enough to go out and buy one.
At the point you made your original comment you hadn't even played the Sony device and you were already saying the LG is better, so clearly you had already made your mind up? You hadn't used the NW-A306 and were arguing that there is no point in anyone with an LG phone getting it.
The Sony is cheaper than a flagship phone so most people who will buy it probably won't use it beyond a few years and the devices will probably continue to get security updates in the period most people will use them for streaming.
Apart from vintage music formats, most modern digital music devices probably aren't even purchased for superior sound, and I personally don't think this Walkman sounds better than some of the phones I have used.
Some people might buy it because it allows them to manage and curate their music on a separate device, and saves them from using their phones battery. Maybe they don't want to spend so much as an A and K device, but still want a well known brand?
They might enjoy the legacy of Sony's music players, and the novelty of seeing the cassette animation. The vast majority of people with streaming subscriptions can probably already use their phones for pretty decent playback, and I have also used many different phones over the last few years, and practically all had gimmicks like Dolby Atmos, and sound specific features. I might not have liked some of the phones for one reason or another but the basic sound playback was good on almost all of them.
The problem with discussion like this is that some people think they have special hearing or are such music enthusiasts that only they can appreciate good sound. I make no such claims, and think many regular smartphones can produce sound most people will find more than acceptable, especially since most people stream music, and many services now offer lossless or high res audio by default. Most people also upgrade their phones within 2-3 years which also means that they don't have to worry about security vulnerabilities with their older phones. Apple phones and many Samsung devices provide many years of updates anyway, and by the time they don't, the phone has probably already been replaced or is past its useful life.

The basic quality of audio files available on most streaming services now is so high, and the hardware so capable, that with decent headphones most people won't even notice any minor improvements you get with your old LG, and even if they did, the device is a phone and most people won't carry an old phone for music and a new one for other purposes. If someone is using the LG as their main phone at the time of writing, then it might make sense to continue using it as a music player, but for how long? Most people have given up carrying more than one device and even the compact digital camera market is dead. I remember the time when I used to carry Nintendo DS, an iPod, a compact camera, my phone and various accessories. Today hardly anyone does and it is not because phones are better but they do the basics, even gaming, and it meets most people's daily needs without them have to carry a bag full of extra gadgets or every packet stuffed with a cumbersome gadget. Will you carry two phones one day when your main phone will give you more than adequate sound quality? At least the Sony is small enough to be put in a shirt pocket, or in a jacket without becoming noticeable. With your chunky LG and your other phone, and maybe a powerbank and other things to carry, wouldn't one day you will say let's leave the LG at home? Would you say the same about the tiny Sony which can be put in a shirt or jacket pocket without it weighing you down?

The Sony is small enough and will play all your music files for many years to come and streaming services will also be available for years probably (I can still get Apple Music on my iPhone 4s, though not Hi-res). Many people would never use any web based service on an old device that no longer has security patches coming through. Some don't care so potentially both the LG and Sony devices could be used to stream for years, as long as the battery doesn't die. My iPhone 4s still has the original battery and it still works. I would love to use the camera because it is good and produces smaller files which are easier to save and archive, but I don't because I carry my main phone and my Walkman with me most of the time so I don't want a third device.
There are many, many practical considerations people have to make when they go out and take a device or two with them. Besides, let's be realistic, the LG is not going to be most people's first choice of a music player today. LG don't even make smartphones anymore and neither are the vast majority of people looking for a music player going to buy a vintage phone which in every other respect is outdated. The average consumer is not so interested in vintage stuff, for better or for worse.

People interested in buying the Sony will do is because it is newer, which gives you a full warranty and is not very expensive and anyone who buys it will know that it is an entry level audio player so their expectations would be in line with what they paid. There are many more costlier devices, but then it is a case of diminishing returns.
How many well known audio companies of old, with the legacy of Sony, are making a tiny Hi-res music player at the price point of the NW-A306? There are many cheap Chinese devices but do they have any resale value? Old Sony MP3 players can still fetch a respectable price. I remember buying one of my all time favourite X Series Sony Walkman around 2009. I wouldn't even mind owning one now. It doesn't even support Hi-res audio, and you can't replace the battery (which is why I sold mine all those years ago, knowing it will eventually die). The few I have seen in good condition still command high prices so Sony music players do tend to have some resale value as well, and they are still better known than the Fiio's and Hiby's, which may serve their purpose today but would not have any real value for collectors in the years to come because none of these companies have any real audio legacy or history. At least not at present. Some people might collect them, I don't know. I have a 2011 Sony A-Series player which doesn't do high res either but when I listed it on eBay it got so much interest, I ended up not selling it because I realised it was still useful so I plugged into my stereo at home with my favourite tunes. Sounds good to me!
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Sony NW-A306 review

An affordable Sony hi-res music player that’s appealing and infuriating in equal measure Tested at £349 / $350 / AU$499