Tech Review: Sony Walkman NW-A25HN

The Sony Walkman was to the ’80s what the iPhone is to the 2010s.

So it’s only right that the tech manufacture relaunches its music player for the digital generation. This is a beautifully designed bit of kit. Small enough to slip into a shirt pocket, big enough to feel substantial while trawling through tracks. Stand-alone music players have been on a fast track to extinction, but the NW-A25HN offers a credible alternative to smartphones. Its high resolution audio tracks make MP3s and CDs sound like a bag of depressed cats. Bluetooth streaming is usually tinnier than Heinz beans, but the device’s wireless codec gives a healthy boost. It’s NFC enabled too, so you can hook up to speakers and wireless headphones with a tap.

16GB of memory is built in; 128GB more through a microSD slot. Throw in a 30-hour battery life for high res audio playback, and this Walkman is worth every cent of its €319 price