NW-A916

The NW-A916 is the base model of the third-generation A Series Network Walkman family. It expanded the line from audio and video into a broader multimedia role with the addition of OneSeg television reception. It features 4 GB of storage supporting ATRAC, MP3, WMA, and AAC files. An LCD display handled track details, while noise cancellation, video and photo playback, Clear Audio Technology, and 36-hour lithium-ion battery life were standard.

This generation pushed the premium A Series further into integrated media functions. It comes from the next phase of that same premium flash A idea, but now the line feels much more coherent than the A80x generation did. By this point Sony had cleaned up the role of the A Series enough that it no longer felt like a premium branch still trying to explain itself. The multimedia ambition is still there, but the player feels calmer.