Full Review

Ask anyone about digital music today and chances are you will come up with very different opinions about it. Lets face it, digital music has changed the way we procure, listen and store our music. Gone are the days of bulky media with moving parts that are vulnerable to shock, heat and overuse. Yes, digital music has come a long way. Today’s weapon of choice is arguably the Apple IPOD. However it is not without its detractors. First is the cost averaging about 300 bucks for an entry-level 15GB model. Then there’s the upkeep with replaceable batteries at upwards of 80 bucks to replace every 2 years.

Sony has found a niche in this argument by offering an old staple, the Diskman, ever re-inventing it to be current with its competitors. This is not to say the Sony DNF-400PS is remotely in the same league as the IPOD; no, this is simply about a product that offers much of the benefits the IPOD brings to the table with it’s own unique twist that is no surprise from Sony.

Nutz And Boltz

The Sony SNF-400 PS is Sony Diskman capable of playing MP3, Wave, CDR/W files as well as expanded capability to record MP3’s in Sony’s proprietary format ATRAC with the bundles Sound Stage software.

The unit itself is not much larger than a standard CD. On the face of the case are laid out the bulk of the controls and display window. Those controls include
· FF,REV AMS Music Search & Preset. tiered)
· Radio On, Band Memory (tiered)
· Pause
· Playback Mode
· Hold (on side of Unit)
· Headphone Jack (on side of Unit)
· Volume Control (on side of Unit)
· Open Latch (on side of Unit)
· Display
· AC Adapter receptacle (ac adapter not included)

Sony has done a good job getting the features onto this unit although I strongly protest their choices on control ergonomics. A good choice was to include a HOLD function, which temporarily freezes all your controls so you can put the DNF 400 in your pocket or backpack without disengaging your controls, making this unit a go at the gym. G Protection assures skip free play and the claim holds true to the product.

What I Like About It

The Sony SNF-400 PS is a good place to listen to MP3s fresh off your hard drive. I like to store all music in MP3 format on a disk and then rip selected files into Wave files for burning. On an IPOD you either keep all these files or are destined to store the ones you don’t want to keep on the IPOD on a disk or lose them.

You can arrange your files in folders, which neatly organizes your files. Scrolling through folders can be tedious however, often changing a tier forcing you to backtrack in order to play a file on another tier. In addition you are capable of adding bookmarks on files you want to reference at will.

The Sony DNF400 has included a TV mode for your local VHF channels making it indispensable on the beach and listen to the news or favorite programs while away from the television. AM/FM is a bonus and it delivers in spades here as well.

I especially like the ability to program your listening up to 64 tracks.

The Sound Stage Software is easy to use and compresses your mp3files to the point of having the capability to record 490 songs on 1 CD! That is a big plus, although it is a proprietary system,
And as such can only be utilized on the DNF 400.

What I Don’t Like About It

The Battery compartment houses two AA batteries under the CD surface inside the unit. In addition to which you have to unscrew the lid to remove it, making it little more difficult to replace o the go. Fortunately you only have to replace your batteries every 80 hours.

This player has few controls, which mean there are tiered controls for certain functions, going through folders an example. The controls are very small and uncomfortable to use for many medium to large users, that it becomes exasperating at times to find files. In addition, a dimly backlit display is all but useless in well or dimly lit areas.

The display delivers information about Band, Track number G=Protection circuit, Sound mode of the 4 available presets, AM/FM/TV or Weather modes. Preset numbers, Play Mode, AVLS mode, Bookmark, Playing Time Battery remaining and Program…whew! Imagine that all in a 2-lined screen about 1 inch square. Needless to say a larger easier to read screen might make those users with less than perfect vision happier. The matrix display does recognize text on your CD’s and files which, in good light is useful navigating your disks. One of the most annoying functions is OFF. It requires you to sometimes engage the off control for about 10 seconds to engage. If you cheat the function it will wear your batteries down quickly.

The Bottom Line
In spite of all the misgivings of the Sony DNF 400 (and there are many), I still like it. It gives me the ability to dump downloaded music files that come at a premium and allows me to have a place to preview them for a week or so until I get to choose the ones I actually burn. I don’t have to worry about replacing expensive batteries or pamper it. If it breaks or gets lost, I am out 60 bucks not 300. It is a familiar product with admittedly some unfamiliar changes but as is the case with technology, sometimes evolution doesn’t involve revolution and we sit patient in the interim if we cannot find a more suitable alternative. In the meantime we listen to all the digital music our little heart desires!