Product Reviews

Just opened. Charged, but can't get the bluetooth to work with iphone. Will not work with either Mac systems. I will try a few more attempts and if they fail. RETURN.

I Brought the Walkman series in a duty free shop in Bangkok airport. The expectation from Sony was really high for me. Even the shop guy convinced me to buy Sony. But now I feel there are three major issues with it... 1) The inner ears start hurting so badly that after maximum an hour its a battle to wear it for more longer time. mostly like Pain vs need kind of a scenario. 2) The battery capacity of the Walkman is quite poor, hardly 2.5-4hrs backup.... depending on the mode... if on Bluetooth its just 2.5hrs otherwise it might go up to 4 hrs. 3) The sound output is not that great.

I bought model WS623 in August 2019 and after only a few months of using it in the pool the Walkman would randomly keep turning off, and would do this more often in the next days. Then within a week time after the first faults started the Walkman stopped working completely.. I emailed Sony Tech Support and they listed a few steps on how to reset and recover the Walkman. However, the Walkman does not respond to anything and is totally dead, also during charging the light does not turn on. It has been a month since I replied this to Sony Tech, but I have not received any response for steps on fixing the device. I checked the warranty and find out that this particular Walkman has only a 3 month warranty! Which is already a RED FLAG.. Keep in mind that I washed and dried the device every time after use, and charged the battery once it started blinking orange to keep it in good condition.. Still the Walkman went bad after 4 months in use only. Be aware this is their newest model and it only comes with a 3 Month Warranty.. Furthermore, I see that kamar01(USA) posted a similar experience on 31/07/2019 for his NW-WS625. I find that ridiculous.. Save your money!

I'm getting regular use from the Head phones. I take great care of them. Handling carefully and seperate carry pouch. Battery life is good. Got to tweak the ear buds so they feel nice and sound is good under water. I fit the strap from my swimming goggles lower over the ears so they hold the Mp3 player in place. I can swim hard and make fast turnaround without them falling out. I only charge it with my computer, I'd love to know if I can charge it with my phone usb charger.

Really great for exercising, don’t move around or fall off when running or at the gym. Super easy to use, only complaint is that after wearing for a while can start to make the inside of your ears hurt from the pressure of the way they sit.

I bought it because these are waterproof. And that is the main reason.

I bought model WS625 from Focus Camera on July 2018, after couple weeks on use in the pool the Right channel began cutting the sound off and on, I did use it for 3 weeks last year and 2 weeks this year before the Right channel stopped completely.. After resetting the unit several times according to the manual I succeed to contact Sony tech support only to be informed that this particular Walkman has a 3 months warranty Only .. and it is my responsibility to find a Sony Repair store to fix it.. Keep in mind that I washed and dried the unit every time after use, and charged the battery every couple of months during last year, even without use, to keep the battery in good condition.. Still the player went bad after less 5 weeks in use.. Moreover Sony Tech Support informed me that this model is the newest model (2017) but still get a 3 months warranty if I buy another one.. Ridiculous Save your money..

I purchased this purely for its ability to swim with however the sound is so low that this item becomes useless...….returning the product.

It is easy and useful to use Walkman nw-ws623 especially in the pool, there is some problem loading music, difficult to hear in order, the content transfer software does not work well with Mac Please there is another way to transfer music from your Mac

I've had this particular model about one year. I have swam with it a couple times and found the waterproofing to be superior to previous models. The drivers they use in these seem to be prone to be crackling. After using them about three weeks, I noticed that I would get intermittent cracking when listening to certain songs. This is something I'm hoping the sill address on the next iteration. I don't feel like putting up with Sony's subpar customer service to get it fixed. The Bluetooth connectivity is seamless. It syncs well when I'm watching Netflix and transfers to calls with ease. The battery life seems to be all that they claim. I haven't been able to kill the battery without going multiple sessions without charging. The ambient listening mode is great, but only works at lower volumes. It seems the microphone and or speakers doesn't adjust sensitivity for the volume you listen to music at. Still a great idea and nice to have the option. The charging cradle is simpler and much more durable than pervious models. Glad they seem to have fixed it. Overall great product with some minor issues I can live with until the next model.

It is o.k. could be better. It is a bit complicated

Wanted something I can use when I am sat in the pool and these were perfect. You can use them for swimming using the MP3 player by changing the earbud fittings or use it as a bluetooth headset while not swimming. Wish I had known about these earlier as they are just what I need for the beach and pool. I am very pleased with the audio quality considering the price and the ruggedness / waterproof capabilities of the unit. Battery life seems to give around 5/6 hours from a charge which is fine but I am unable to see what the remaining charge level is so best charging them after prolonged use. Sony instructions were a little poor, had to resort to the internet and youtube to get the information I needed. Overall very impressed with these, solid, stay in your ears and good quality sound.

I purchase this product about a month ago and must say I truly love this product, I use this product on my daily walk and love the fact that I can listen to my music without having to carry my phone with me

I bought this about six weeks ago and think it is great. Good sound quality, even underwater; easy to use whilst loading and listening to songs/podcasts and via bluetooth; controls intuitive. Doesn't leak water as long as you a bigger size earbuds than you use on dry land. Only quibble is that the plastic bit that you put in your outer ear is a bit big so after about 3 hours, it gets a bit uncomfortable. But I do have small ears!

I purchased this product after trying and returning the Finnis Duo. This Headphone is very neatly designed and simple to use. Uploading your music is a doddle just like any other MP3 player. The Bluetooth is handy as you can answer phone calls during your workouts and still continue with what you’re doing. The Bluetooth does not work while you’re in the water .You could use the Bluetooth to stream your music from your phone. But not much point as you could transfer the music to the headset itself. You will also notice that the battery will drain much quicker with Bluetooth on, so use it only if you can't manage without it. While swimming I found the music quality very acceptable. Once you begin to integrate these into your swimming session you do miss them on the day that you forget to pack them in your bag. I usually swim for around an hour and they really help alleviate the boredom. In fact time does fly when you’re listening to your favourite tracks. The only issue I found was if you push off the pool wall very energetically they are likely to pop out of your ear canal. As I swim in 10m pool I don't really need to push so hard but you may if you were in a larger pool. The instructions do advise that you run your goggles over the headphone in order to hold them in place. I found this to be a little uncomfortable so didn't bother experimenting any further as it wasn’t a major problem for me. But I'm assuming they would not be "dive proof”, they will almost certainly get whipped off. They have a feature that allows you to hear sound around you. So if someone is talking to you in the gym you can still hear them as well as the music. I haven't used this feature so can’t comment. I prefer to be left alone in the gym so just turn it up full blast. They are very neat for the gym and as there is no wires you do feel free to whatever you like. Great looking design and look great around your head. Make sure you don't forget them in the gym, you’re not going to get them back.

This earphone is specialized for runners and walkers. I was looking for this kind of product and test so many brands. Finally, I found it from Amazon and bought it. That's the Sony Brand earphone. I love it so much.

I only use these for swimming, and I find despite other reviews, the volume underwater is sufficient provided you do the following: 1. Make sure you choose the correct headphone covers from the different sizes provided, they need to be snug in your ears. 2. Keep your fingers off the big shiny button! This is the ‘ambient noise’ button which allows you to hear background noise, useful for safety reasons on the road, but not in a swimming pool!! The instructions given are very confusing and it took me a long time to figure this one out.

Love these, lightweight comfortable, compact. Love the Walkman feature as well

The right earbud has stopped working after 4 months so not too happy. Was workking wel before this although the under water sound can be quitre quiet if doing front crawl

I'll be honest, I bought these bad boys (NW-WS623) after seeing the NWZ-W252 Walkman featured in MGS Peace Walker. I did some sleuthing and saw these new ones included other features like Bluetooth and Ambient Noise that I really like. When they arrived, I couldn't have been more satisfied with the feel, sound, and technical aspects of the earbuds; much better than any other comparable wireless earbuds I've ever owned and absolutely perfect for exercise and just being aware of those around me with the ambient noise mode.

I wear it to cardio it very good at that point. It freaking delay when i watch video or gaming

I bought this product a few days ago and for my surprise it was very disappointed on general. The sounds in general are very low and the quality is very below expectations. On water, it delivers perhaps because there's a few products like this in the market, but besides that for running and cycling the sound is very low/weak and quality is not what would you expect from Sony.

I was given these headphones for Christmas. They are really good quality and they are excellent to use when I'm running and swimming.

follow all help instruction to rinse the the terminal and also the mesh ..., now only 1 side works after couple of month using (bought from Sep 2018)

It happens, You can loose Remote control, but there is no options to buy another one??? You have to buy another Walkman and 16 GB (the most expensive) to get Remote control - this is not customer friendly option. 12 Hours of playing - never got this much. Anyway, I would say these Walkman's is the best solutions for sport activities (running, cycling, swimming) - But take another Walkman with you, in case the battery expires.

These were an update for my four year old 4gb walkman headset that is still in great condition and gets used most days. Wanted bluetooth so time to update, wasnt expecting much other than bluetooth but somehow they have improved the perfect headset. The sound is improved , better mids and they just sound a bit more alive nothing drastic as the old set were great . They have altered the headband to earpiece connection and slightly reduced the length which makes the fit even better than the old type, running they never budge. The buttons are improved easier to opperate as they now click the old switches didnt have the click. Finally the ambient sound feature is brilliant , you have to balance the volume of your music to what you want to hear external , when running gives you more confidence when in traffic. Great job Sony .

Found swimming boring so bought these earphones to keep me occupied whilst swimming the lengths up and down the pool. Work well but would like the volume to be just a bit louder. Can understand why it is kept to the level it is but on a personal note a little bit louder would have made all the difference.

This is my third pair of Sony waterproof headphones. I love the concept and use them frequently in the pool and hot tub. However, my latest pair(NW-WS 623) has developed, after less than a year, an annoying chirp or squeak during playback. I've tried resetting several times and this worked once for a short period. So 2 stars is only for this particular set. The previous 2 get 5 stars.

I love that this is an all in one unit with no need for a separate player or trailing wires. I use it for jogging so can’t comment on swimming use. It is easy to use with itunes on my Mac with the Sony macOs app. Buttons are a bit small and multiuse so take a bit of getting used to. Main feature I miss is there is no voiceover track description.

The reason for purchasing this waterproof Walkman was that it had a remote control, however the remote is not waterproof. I thought a remote would be a lot easier to use at the pool as I have arthritic fingers, hence my disappointment. On the plus side the sound quality is good and as expected.

The first time I used it, I took it running and then swam (in the sea) with it immediately after. When I came out of the water the forward/backward buttons didn't work any longer. Nothing happens. Sometimes (very rarely) it starts to fast forward... I swam and stood in the water maybe 10 minutes, and most of the time the buds were above water... If you get a product that is actually waterproof, I think these buds would be very good :P

I am from Brazil and went to New York, where I bought three walkmans... not this one, but the NWZW273S model (one for me, and two for my nephews. The problem is that all three chargers are with problems... I can not buy a new charger because I simply can't find one, and I think I am not the only one with problems with this charger... It's a shame... the walkman is great... great sound, eady to use... but I can not use because of the chargers...

This product arrived a year ago and it is not available as compatible with Music Center App (songpal) it doesn't detect it, it is detected as generic Bluetooth and it is not possible to change audio parameters like clear bass

Pros: -> This holds very well, you can run, sprint, jump rope, weight lift, box, kickbox, rockclimb, swim, whatever, they won't fall off like so many other headphones do. In fact they hold so well your ears pop when you take them off. -> Nice design. -> Lightweight -> It's an MP3 player so you don't have to bring your phone with you, -> sound is great, -> they feel solid, -> holds charge well, -> They are loud! -> the voice function is great and works fantastically, you ear your music blasting but also people talking very well! -> noise cancelling is off the chart! Con: -> is expensive-ish (not expensive for value but cheaper options out there, not as good though) -> is complicated to use-Ish (buttons takes some time getting used to) -> they become uncomfortable after long periods of time.

I bought these as I undertook the NHS Couch to 5K. I downloaded each run and some warm down tunes. Getting used to placing the walkman around my ears and experimented with different sized ear buds to maximise comfort, all good. Controls initially fiddly but easy to get used to and uncomplicated. Sound options good and feel safe as a solo user out in the park able to sufficiently hear ambient sounds. A small gripe and does not affect the product funtionality - all the images on the product box were of men - hardly does anything to encourage women customers or show the inclusivity of the product.

Comfortable, good sound, intuitive controls. Very stable when running

This is my third and by far best Sony waterproof Walkman yet, I swim long distance usually 10k, this is my swimming companion.

i bought NW-W623 ON 25MAY2018 just fell in love with the design and color.

Very good quality. Wish there is a way to set default equalization for playback.

I used nwz 262 for many years. The sound quality is better than nwz ws625 recently bought. I cant find Zapping funcion in 625 too (unfortunately ).

I am currently training for a long distance outdoor swim so wanted a waterproof MP3 player to help with swim training. I love the fact I can now listen to music when in the water, however, for the cost of the Sony Walkman I was expecting more in terms of functionality and sound quality. The volume just isn't loud enough and I seem to play with it every session to try and maximise volume and audio capability. Functional options and use seem quite basic and I have so far been unable to download any Podcasts. I have read in other reviews that these only last a year and at that point they are out of warranty. I would be very unhappy if this was the case given my experience so far.

pick this product up from airport and love it instantly, especially it has the ambience mode where I can hear surrounding. I wear to everywhere I go. The position of ear piece takes awhile to put on and remember the position of each buttons, after awhile it's quite natural and easy to put on. My only disappointment is when on phone call, the other party complains my voice sounded quite far from mic and muffled. I was told by technical support to reset to factory setting, I did but still the same issue. Good for people who wants to listen to audio but phone call may not

I BOUGHT THIS 2 MONTHS AGO AND IT STOPPED WORKING AFTER SWIMMING IN THE POOL. SO AS THESE ISN'T ALTERNATIVE TO THIS ONE I JUST BOUGHT THE SECOND ONE. NOW I HAVE 2, ONE IS NEW AND ONE DOESN'T WORK.

it is working as it should be. it is working as it should be.

Does exactly what it is supposed to Good sound quality Easy to wear easy to load music onto

Very useful device for many sport. Sound quality is good, not great. But battery goes for 2-3 hours when Bluetooth func. is on. And sound is limited in Europe version , so what about us version ? Can I find a firmware to brake this eu sound limit? There are not enough software support in Sony websites that I could find.

I really like the design as there are no hanging wires. Brought it to use swimming, works well underwater, but it's quite in low in volume as special ear plugs are used for underwater. Doubles up as a hands free bluetooth for cell phones.

I used it twice (!!!!), it doesn't work now and can't even turn it on, It was a huge mistake to buy it, and I can't even register my product cause i'm outside of the US now.. waste of money, previous swimming MP were way better.

I've used my new waterproof Walkman on about 6 occasions and although there is a little trial and error (getting used to the controls whilst wearing the device and ensuring the earpieces remain in position), but on the whole it really enhances my swimming in just the way I hoped.

The earphones work well, Bluetooth connection is seamless and the 'ambient sound' feature is a great idea for use when outside in busy areas. Sound quality is very good & the controls are easy to use (although may be more problematic if wearing gloves). The 'answer calls' function works well & is easy to use. My only disappointment is the lack of a 'voice to text ' function, as the microphones & Bluetooth connection is already in place then it seems an oversight not to build it in. Overall, a good quality product.

I am a weekend swimmer and i owned and used the old "NWZ-W273S" for about 3 or more years and had NO problem other than i had to force restart it once in a blue moon, and i replaced it with the new "NW-WS625"(which is weirdly only available in japan and got one from there) and the first day i tried it in the commute and all and its fine but the pressure in the ear was too high to use is daily normal use (but thats best for work out and swimming) so in about 3 days i took it for a swim(in a 5.5ft swimming pool with underwater earplugs) and it worked fine! but at my end of it, it started acting weird, the function all constantly started switching on and off by it self, the bluetooth went crazy, it and the noice function and it made such a annoying mess that felt like pull it out and throw it away! but i dried it and kept it outside to dry for few days and then next time i brought it to swim, and its was 100% acting the same annoying way, and i found out that all buttons on the left side are miss functioning and some buttons too other button functions as well! (i don't understand how that happened) and learned to control the mayhem a little and lost the "bluetooth" and the "noice feature" and the option to select the "mode". and today the walkman is totally dead, can't switch on, can recharge, can't connect to computer! since i have bought it from japan i don't think i can afford to return this product! and i regret for spending so much for thins product thinking it gonna be better than the older one! NWZ-W273S by the way is one of the best I've used and considering to buy another but i'd appreciate 16GB of memory for that! AND the ""ZAPPIN" mode is what i miss the most! please Sony bring that to your Xperia and other walkman models! what i think about this product! *it have some crazy bells and whistles and most of them are useful *and the sound quality was Awesome! *can't use daily for normal listening, bcoz of the pressure! *the buttons feel like from old typewriter, and cheap, placed very close to each other! (i have big hands). *the metallic ginormous finish button for the noice feature is unnecessary! *No "ZAPPIN" mode so you have to press next every time! and the typewriter button feel make its uncomfortable. *Still i think this is best for swimming, than anything i've tried (if it can work underwater like they say!). *and bluetooth doesn't work underwater so if you buying only for swimming like me, just ignore that feature. over all this could be the best experience, in the market right now, if it was built well!

I'm using them as a secondary pair of headphones for the swimming pool or the beach, but in planes or doing exercises I prefer to use my beats anyhow I will give 4 for everything but the sound quality

I bought this because I wanted one device that could do everything I needed. I commute to work on my bicycle, run and swim three times a week. The device fulfills my needs, but... in hindsight I would rather have multiple devices. Ease of use – Simple to load music on and off. Just plug it into your computer and drag files on\off. No extra software needed (I prefer that over special software). The controls are simple to use. Design – Size is great. Not really noticeable while exercising. A big problem I have is the way both halves are connected. The wire connecting each side is thick. Mine seems to be twisted, and I cannot straiten it out. This causes my left earpiece to not fit as well as the right side. The left side does not lay flush against my head, it rests crooked and causes the earpiece to migrate out of my ear canal. I have to keep pushing it back in every couple of minutes. I have pretty much given up on doing that and have just listened with the diminished sound quality (not an issue swimming because I put one of the goggle straps over it). Sound quality – With the non-water-resistant earbuds in, the sound is great. When I put on the water-resistant earbuds, the sound is not loud enough. Since I swim with these, I always keep the water-resistant ones on. There was one time I went to go swimming and I didn’t have them, so I couldn’t use that time. Now I constantly just keep them on. Features – Like I said, I wanted something that had everything I needed. I like being able to upload audio files onto the onboard storage, use these as a headset making calls and the water-resistant features. What I don’t like is that I can’t play the audio files I have uploaded and have the Bluetooth connected at the same time. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but when commuting I like to listen to recorded podcasts, but I sometimes get phone calls. I have to stop and answer the phone, instead of just picking up the call. The quick charge feature is nice. A lot of times I forget to charge the headset, and I put it on the charger for 5 or so minutes, and it will cover my 52-minute commute. Problems – When commuting, there is a terrible wind sound because of the size of the headset. The wind going across it causes a lot of noise. I’m not sure if it because of the noise canceling features or not. My previous headset did not have this issue. Using the water-resistant earbuds, I cannot hear any distinguishable audio. I have to wear ear covers over my headsets and ears to hear anything, good for the winter time, but sucks in the summer. Earbud options, I prefer triple flange earbuds over the standard round ones. I would buy non-Sony ones, but I cannot find any that have a water-resistant membrane. The triple flange ones tend to fit in my ears better on longer exercise sessions. Would I recommend this product to a friend… right now, no. If it didn’t have these flaws… absolutely, I’d probably buy them as Christmas presents and give them out. Great concept, but probably just not tested enough during development.

Need improvement on sound quality over Bluetooth and it would be great if there is an supported android or iOS application to use with this otherwise good headphone

Sony nw-ws623/ws625 Horrid, unintuitive, difficult to use, hard to wear – put them on and some button you accidently press kills the thing or changes the settings. Avoid this piece of junk

Bought these earphones for running and working out. They sit very well in my ears and are comfortable. I wore them on 1+ hour runs and didn't have any issues. The build quality is excellent. The audio quality is decent for the size (not very much base but very clear and loud enough). Battery life is very good. Very happy overall and would recommend.

best money can buy, get these!!I never do reviews, however this product warrents a great review

good device for running, but add more using time is much better.

sound quality is good wish more sound power.ıs there any way to increase sound volume more

This device fits my needs of being a Bluetooth headset but also a stand-alone music player when running without a phone. The fit is awesome and there is absolutely no bouncing or any chance they would fall out even during the hardest of sprints. The sound quality is excellent and the ambient sound mode works quite well to. When riding my bike for example, I like to hear the ambient sounds (traffic etc), while I prefer to block out ambient sounds when listening to music while working on my computer. the controls are quite well thought out. I was worried that navigating 4 GB of music without a display on the device would be impossible, but with double-clicking the prev/next-buttons too switch between folders it works quite well. (One suggestion: double-click back on first song of a folder could ALWAYS trigger switch to PREVIOUS folder, not just in the first one or two seconds. If I want to skip back to beginning of current folder, I can do that with single click back anyway while at first song...) I have not yet used them for swimming but don't think I would be using them for a proper pool workout. I might consider giving them a try for a longer, steady lake-swim but honestly - the waterproofing feature is more of an added bonus for me rather than my main focus. I did however just keep them on for the shower after a run which is pretty cool. One little improvement would be on the volume of the various beeps and voice-feedback when pressing the buttons. It is sometimes quite loud and inexplicably differs between Walkman-mode and Bluetooth mode. All in all this device is very well made and thought through. I had a couple of cheaper Bluetooth headsets before, but they always fell short in overall quality and usability and didn't offer stand-alone music playing. This device is well worth the extra investment, provided that it will stand the test of time and hold up against the daily abuse I'll be throwing at it...