Sony NWE394/R 8GB Walkman MP3 Player (Red)

After 35 years of owning Walkmans, some thoughts on the Sony E394 compared to earlier models mentioned in comments and questions.I many ways, this review mirrors the one that I wrote for the E395 (a black, 16GB model – pictures which I am using again) that is no longer available from Sony and whose product page is no longer on Amazon. There were numerous comments suggesting failure of the front buttons. Sure enough, after a year, the front controls on mine began to become unreliable as well. For example, pressing the play/pause button to pause a song would send one into a completely different section of the menu hierarchy. I still use that one in my vehicle where the Walkman’s controls are turned over, via usb, to the vehicle’s touchscreen. Anyway, those, it seems, have been ditched, by SONY and let’s see how this 8GB red model holds up.Playlists and transfer of files:There are many of us that prefer to organize our pictures and music manually by creating folders and via the “drag and drop” of files, rather than depending on an app such as iTunes or Windows Media. I put my files in folders and use the “folder” option at the “very” bottom of the Walkman’s music menu. It plays all the songs in that folder and you can rename the files with a number in front of the file name if “forcing” a particular song play order is important thus, no lost playlists and no proprietary software required. The Sony Walkman is a master at simply appearing as another drive on the computer. If you so decide, create and put your own individual folders, which now can also serve as playlists, in the music folder of the Walkman. Just another option.Reduced features:Sony has, indeed, removed many features from the Walkman. Most of these features, along with the video ability probably will not be missed on a bike ride, jog, or exercising.Menus:Navigating the E394 is simple and intuitive. The new E394 seems a little slower moving through menu functions and between songs. Sony decided to add a “browse by album cover” feature. The album art is not displayed very well. Unless you have memorized, visually, the album art itself or you have less than, say, a dozen or so albums, this, it seems to me, is not a useful feature.Build quality:The build quality is certainly less “jewel” like, but I think its lighter weight might just make it less susceptible to damage if dropped. The controls are sensitive, but the return of the outside “hold” switch is nice. Power it down and set the hold which prevents it from accidentally being turned on. To turn it on, it’s one step, just release the hold switch, the unit turns on immediately (no more long double press and wait). Sadly, unlike its immediate predecessor, the front controls on the E394 are now flat (lack relief) again making it difficult to find the controls by feel.Volume:The volume control is now back out on the side. I like this as you can adjust the volume while songs are playing and you are browsing other menus. The volume with the enclosed earbuds is fine. In fact, at higher volumes, it is uncomfortably loud. It also works fine with my BOSE noise cancelling headset as well. Your volume, of course, will depend, in part, on the impedance of your headset. Turn off the Bass Boost. Play with the equalizer settings including the custom function.Vehicle use:Using it in the car has two options. On my vehicle it is recognized via usb and I can use the vehicle touchscreen or steering wheel, etc.. If your vehicle does not recognize it, use the 3.5mm headphone jack to enter the vehicle’s aux input. This also allows you to use all the menu functions of the actual Walkman as well however, no longer hands free. If you want to charge your Walkman simultaneously, use the vehicle’s 12v power outlet and a USB power converter with a usb A to micro usb cord. (I’ve attached photos of both setups). The latest Walkman has the Android type micro usb. Buy a 12v usb power adapter, a short male to male 3.5mm headphone cord, and, if needed, a usb A to micro usb charging cord (I often use a muti function retractable unit).https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Dual-Port-Charger-Adapter-Android/dp/B072C7R4CD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3LX3WSZ7D8WL5&dchild=1&keywords=12v+usb+adapter+car&qid=1623378704&sprefix=12v+usb+ad%2Caps%2C151&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExRDZDQjdXWjk4RENVJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTgzNTMyTzQzVkdHT1RXQVlIJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1NzE4NjFVTE9XOTVMMkxRV1Amd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVlhttps://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Male-Micro-Cable-Black/dp/B07232M876/ref=sr_1_3?crid=VMVR1BHUUP0Y&dchild=1&keywords=usb+a+to+micro+usb+cord&qid=1623378877&sprefix=usb+a+to+micro+usb+cord%2Celectronics%2C150&sr=8-3https://www.amazon.com/ASICEN-Retractable-Lightning-Charging-Blackberry/dp/B074CW4QTQ/ref=pd_ybh_a_23?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JJ842ZFMMZD96R60VG3Whttps://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-3-5mm-Stereo-Audio-Cable/dp/B00NO73IN2/ref=pd_sim_23_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00NO73MUQ&pd_rd_r=9fc115b9-a661-11e8-a85b-ad9aadebc9ee&pd_rd_w=2Gfj4&pd_rd_wg=UOtpa&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=a180fdfb-b54e-4904-85ba-d852197d6c09&pf_rd_r=BN7ADAD5G9D3TSDY1S7J&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&refRID=BN7ADAD5G9D3TSDY1S7J&th=1All my old Walkmans are still operational, though some barely, and the new E394 suits its purpose for me if one wants a unit with physical controls, rather than a touch screen, and prefers “flash drive” type file management to carry around working, exercising, etc. rather than risking damage to a $1000 (or more) phone, and also wants to pass on the battery killing bluetooth with the sketchy connectivity and poor sound generally found in this price range. There is still a market for low cost mp3 players. There are plenty of them out there but, though cheaper, all seem to have reviews for functionality or reliability no better or most of them worse than this SONY.Hope this helps.

The Sony Walkman is awesome, you can adjust the eq settings, the sound is very good, and it will play for up to 28 hrs, at least mine will as I left it on until it died to get the playtime. Easy to load music and it’s super light.

My 14 ye old kid keeps losing his iPhone costing me thousands of dollars so I had to settle on this. If he doesn’t lose it, then maybe I’ll buy him one that is a little more expensive and then maybe when he gets to be 25 I will get him another iPhone.

I’ve been on a quest to find an inexpensive manually managed MP3 player that works well. I’ve tried 8 different brands. (This is the 8th) Most of them have a very clumsy interface and I’ve rapidly discarded them. This Walkmen is the best so far. The controls are intuitive and work well. It loads the music or podcasts quickly via a cable. You don’t need an SD Card reader to transfer music, just drag and drop. I’m very happy with it! My one beef is that the volume controls don’t work when the unit is locked. So you have to unlock it prior to adjusting the volume. That is a hard maneuver when it is in your pocket. You aren’t locked into using Apple Music, just drag and drop the content into the unit and use it.

Replacement for my old one I enjoyed for many years.I haven’t actually gotten music on it yet. But I enjoyed my old one. So I will enjoy the new one.