<!else3>Sony has announced new Hi-Res Walkman products during the IFA 2016 event in September. The top-line NW-WM1Z that is priced more than US$3000, the premium-line NW-WM1A that is about US$1200, and the entry-level NW-A30 series.

<!๒>Features
<!1>– touch screen operation
<!3>– supports concurrent internal storage and micro SD storage access when plugged in to computer
<!3>– supports DSD file format, which is converted to PCM for playback
<!3>– 35mW power per channel means it can drive more demanding headphones
<!3>– able to operate music using the hardware buttons without turning on the display
<!3>– able to delete songs and folders
<!3>– able to manage M3U playlist (up to 999 tracks)
<!3>– music auto pauses when headphones is removed from the audio port
<!3>– dedicated Language Study screen
<!3>– does not play video files
<!3>– does not open photo files, and no option to select wallpaper
<!3>– does not have option to transmit sound effect over Bluetooth
<!3>– does not support aptX audio codec
<!3>– songs cannot be analysed for SensMe channels on the A30 unit. It requires the songs to be analysed using Media Go software
<!3>– slightly shorter battery life, ranging from 22 hours (DSD + noise cancellation) to 45 hours (MP3)
<!3>– no auto power-off feature
<!2>– existing music files cannot enable dance/karaoke/language mode

<!๒>Getting Started
<!next>Out of the box, the Sony NW-A36HN does not power up, I guess due to the flat battery. Upon plugging to a charger, the screen display starts up after about 10 minutes. First-time on-screen guide helped me to familiarise with the brand new UI.
<!else3>The player comes with 3 pre-loaded Hi-Res digital audio in DSD and FLAC format to demonstrate the highest-quality audio the A30 can achieve. To prep myself for a listening experience, I plugged the A30 unit using the enclosed proprietary cable, which is the same for all Sony digital Walkmans, into the computer. The internal storage mounts as a drive and I simply dragged my files into the player. And yes, I can copy any files in it.

<!๒>Hardware Control Buttons
<!next>At the sides of the A30, there are a row of buttons to access the device. The power button turns on the display, followed by the volume buttons, the next-forward button, play-pause button, previous-reverse button, and lock switch. To power down the A30, hold the power button until an on-screen prompt appears. Hold it for 8 seconds and the device will restart.
<!else3>When operating the playback buttons, the display does not turn on, which is great for saving battery as well as preventing accidental touches when operating in the blind.

<!๒>Touch Screen User Interface
<!next>The first screen that appears when the device boots is the Library screen. This is where you search for the songs to listen to, by artist, album, or folders. After selecting the song, the Playback screen appears with the album art and song information. You can re-arrange the items on display or remove them.
<!else3>The Playback screen is the centre to the rest of the screens. Swipe down and you will return to the Library Top menu screen. Swipe up and you will access the Sound Quality Settings screen, from where you can browse all the available sound settings (like Equalizer, DSEE HX, VPT, Clear Audio+) by swiping horizontally.
<!else3>Back to the Playback screen, swipe left to access the Bookmark List. Swipe right and you will come to the Lineup view. This is basically the list of songs that you have played and will be playing. This list is dynamic and changes according to what you select for the play options. For instance, if you choose to play by artist, then the list will show the sequence of the songs from the artist. If you choose to play the tracks in random, you will see the list changed to reflect the new sequence.
<!else3>On the whole, the touch screen has a response lag in everything you do. It is also not highly sensitive like what you expect from premium smartphones. I think this is done on purpose. Even the hardware buttons at the side does not react as instantly. When pressing the play-pause button, it takes a heartbeat to stop the playback, but resuming play is instant. Similarly, the fast-forward and rewind is less predictable compared to the A10/A20. Fortunately, it is easier to jump to the desired time by using the on-screen timer bar. Drag the bar to the desired point before releasing.
Notice there are 4 small icons at the bottom of the screen. They are the Back, Playback Screen, Library screen, Option menu. The icons may be greyed out when selection is not valid. The Option menu provides various options to access and manage features related to the screen.