Sports MP3 player：Sony nw ws623 MP3 player review

Sony officially launched the Bluetooth headphone NW-WS623 with MP3 in 17 years. While continuing the powerful waterproof function of Sony Walkman’s previous product WS610 series, it newly added dustproof and seawater-proof functions and humanized “environmental sound” mode, which is aimed at a wider range of music and sports lovers and greatly improved the application scope of the product.Are these MP3 players really that good? This article collects some real user reviews for reference to help you analyze.

Basic parameters of Sony nw ws623 MP3 player：

Product Dimensions：0.39 x 0.39 x 0.39 inches

Item Weight：1.13 ounces

ASIN：B071NTXYNY

Memory Storage Capacity：4GB

Item model number：NWWS623B.CEW

Batteries：1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included)

Wireless communication technologies：NFC

Connectivity technologies：Bluetooth, USB, NFC

Special features：Waterproof

Form Factor：Cordless

Manufacturer：Sony

Sony nw ws623 MP3 player review from users：

Product name:NW-WS623 Price: $164.99

Rating: 3.9 Where to buy: Amazon or official website.

User review 1：

User:Mark Chisholm Nation:United Kingdom

“I think I’ve had every generation of these types of Sony MP3 Walkman’s and not every iteration has been an improvement on the last in terms of usability or fitment. I’m pleased to say that these are definitely better than my previous generation which, is a real relief given the cost uplift.

That being said I got these for under £100 which, is less than a pair of half decent buds alone and you do clearly get more for you money. And a lot of packaging. And that’s not entirely a good thing today — see photo.

Firstly, sound quality. Good. Not superb but perfectly decent for gym use or swimming if that’s your bag. The sound is not base heavy and is slightly bright which of course suits some music better than other types. I’m a metal fan and I like a bit more low down to get a good chug going which, I find is the perfect accompaniment to heavy gym lifting.

The sound is perfect for voice though, and as I’m an Audible fan this is a real plus point. Speech clear and legible at all sound levels.

One of the selling points is the ability of these to be used in water and in the spirit of investigation I have done so using the supplied ear buds that have a fine seal over the sound emitting orifice. The sound quality is in no way reduced as far as I can tell. It’s still good overall. What is noticeable is that the volume level is lower which, is acceptable as long as you crank the volume up.

Fitment and security of fit is brilliant. Absolutely superb. I’m not sure what sport you would have to be doing to get these to come loose but you would probably be at risk of your head coming off first. And despite the very good fit they are comfortable for long term use.

The design is similar to all previous similar Sony players. Whilst not as small as Bluetooth only earbuds they are well crafted to sit flush to your head.

Where these are an upgrade in cost over the cheaper version is the addition of Bluetooth which, means you have options. You can stream media from your phone or suitable player as well as use the integrated MP3 player.

The MP3 player is what I need for the gym because the gym I use is large and using Bluetooth earphones or buds results in dropouts if I leave my phone on a shelf. And I hate having to carry an MP3 player or phone in a pocket.

One thing to note is that all my previous Sony MP3 Walkmen carked it suddenly after 18 to 24 months. This is irritating because I’ve had other players and wireless earbuds that work well past that point. However the convenience of these Sony’s is enough for me to accept that every couple of years I’ll need to replace them.”

User review 2：

User:Sean Nation:United States

“I want to like these so much. They have the best fit out of any exercise earbuds out there and sold for a decent price unlike those Beats ones that are nearly triple the price.

However, these have some major issues:

Battery life is really bad on Bluetooth, like 2–3 hours. Not even close to the 12 hours they advertise. Prepare to charge these after every run or have them die on long ones.

Related to that, there’s NO low battery warning. They just say the battery is low then immediately die. This is really baffling why they can’t program this better.

Finally, sound is only so-so in these. For the same price there are better sounding earbuds (even cheaper actually!) and it’s crazy in 2021 Sony still can’t compete with Beats, Anker, etc.

These should be the headphones EVERYONE wants and wears at the gym but Sony botched the most physically well-designed buds on the market.”

User review 3：

User:Gertjan de Vries Nation:germany

“I already had the previous model, the 413, but I wanted another one and so this one with as a nice bonus the bluetooth.

Pairing with an S9 phone was very easy with NFC, just putting the walkman on the phone. So far no dropouts have been affected. Youtube videos are mostly synchronous, but you have to set the audio codec of the S9 (developer options) to AAC. The disadvantage is that you suffer more from ambient noise than with overear headphones. Another annoying thing: the bluetooth notifications are very loud: very loud beep followed by a very loud female voice: BLUETOOTH ON, 80 db, I guess. The rest of the notifications are strangely normal, just as loud as the music you’re wearing.

Another tip: remove the silicone caps regularly and clean them under the tap, otherwise there will be earwax on the gauze pads in the tubes they are on and that will not be removed. If you damage the gauze in the tubes, the walkman is no longer waterproof.

I don’t swim with it myself, but I do ride it in the rain. The caps are super comfortable, while I normally have earache from earbuds. Because of the neckband they do not fall out of your ear quickly and this is also suitable if you wear glasses while playing sports like me.”

User review 4：

User:Joe Sheehan Nation:United States

“I’m stunned that other manufacturers have not twigged to the fact that you can combine an MP3 player with a Bluetooth player. Not everyone wants to go out running with a big phone strapped to your arm so the MP3 player is really cool and kudos to Sony for doing this. So, these earphones could be improved for sure but I would be pretty sure these are the best you can buy on the market for the price point (more colors anyone?). The buttons take a little getting used to but I’ve been using mine for a few weeks now and it’s coming…. player controls on the right plus power and everything else on the left. I’m still looking at mine each time I go to use them and wonder which way I put them on but I guess that will come too. Love the ambient mode too so you can hear the music plus what is going on around you. You do not notice these are on but I can think of them being even lighter and with some more options for earpieces. That said, these are a good buy and I am very happy with them.”

User review 5：

User:The crimson avenger Nation:United Kingdom

“After 1 year the buttons fell off. Sony aftersales do not sell spares. Third party companies do not sell spares.

So I can either buy and new pair of the headphones, or hope I do not damage the innards of the headphones. Sadly there is already dust and debris in there, any water ingress will be sure to kill them.

Sad times. Sadly there is no other company that comes close with swimming headphones which fit. Annoying.”

User review 6：

User:Parthénon Nation:France

“This waterproof helmet is really interesting for sports, for jogging, swimming, who practice their sport in all conditions and in all weather conditions.

As always at Sony, aesthetics and ergonomics are taken care of. Mine is gray, it’s pretty passe-partout.

It remains to be seen what the life of the built-in battery will be (not replaceable, so one star less because you would have to think a little more about the planet!)

For the rest, the quality is good, not comparable to that of a Bose wireless headset, (also on sale on Amazon), and the bass will be present as long as the tips are well chosen, to go deep enough in the ear while ensuring good water and sound sealing.

In the concept proposed by Sony with this device, you have to download your music into the built-in memory. You can also use it with a bluetooth connection to a smartphone, but the battery will last much less, and it forces you to carry a smartphone in addition, which is not always possible depending on the sport you practice.

In running use, the helmet holds well and is comfortable. A downside, however, with regard to the “echoes” that occur with each stride when using the function that cancels the outside noise.”

User review 7：

User:E.A. Nation:Germany

“Cons:

- Terrible operation: 8 buttons on the device, as soon as you reach something is blocked

- presses in the ears (in-ear)

- Follow-around sound mode rushes

- low memory and it’s still a lie: only 3.4 Gb according to Windows and not 4.0

- YOU CAN’T PUT A SWIM CAP over it, because the device is too far from the ears and this creates extreme pressure in the ear canal, i.e. if swimming at all, then only without a swimming cap via Walkman

- according to Sony (user manual): only 30 minutes! waterproof and loudspeakers are not completely waterproof!

- Risk of injury eardrum!!!! with sudden pressure or pull on the Walkman according to Sony (in-ear with bracket!) , that’s not unlikely when it comes to sports!

Pro

- small pack size (small Tupperware can be transported)

- I am very satisfied with sound quality for sports

- no smartphone required for sports

- are protected from falling during sports. Especially when climbing/mountaineering, because iron-free models are simply gone in the abyss

- no annoying headband in the neck (very well solved)”

User review 8：

User:Mario Rebas Nation:Germany

“The headset is better than expected. Perfect fit, and does not fall in running, swimming. The battery was 5 hours in the pool and 1,5 hours in the gym with bluetooth. Approximately 50% of the battery level on the earpiece flashes orange green for the low battery. Sound is quiet in the pool, but with the right music it’s ok. On bike, running and gym the sound is ideal and has enough bass. Can be connected to a laptop or other PC with bluetooth., you need to hold the bluetooth button for 8 seconds to start pairing and then act like any gaming headset with the microphone. . If the handset fails one day I will buy another such handset again.”

User review 9：

User:Lamourse Nation:France

“This headset with integrated Mp3, specially designed for sports, is comfortable and fits perfectly on the head.

The size is really well suited and it fits perfectly to the ears.

At the music level, it’s pretty good, I have a 4GB headset and I find the capacity a bit right, it forces me to change my music regularly. Connectivity is done quickly and transfers it from the PC is fast.

The sound is very good and since the headphones cover the ear well, you are not disturbed by the outside noise.

I haven’t tried it yet in the pool, just in the shower (to see), and it’s great, I was connected to my phone via Bluetooth, and this headset is really waterproof, it’s great! In the pool, however, I will be too far from my phone and I will have to use the titles stored on this headset.

Recharging the battery is very fast (about 1 hour) and it can go up to 12 hours of battery life, it’s perfect.

In short, this headset specially designed for sports is very easy to use and very pleasant for sports, the only downside is its 4GB memory that I find a bit small!”

User review 10：

User:Amazon Customer Nation:United States

“I bought these headphones because I wanted something that I could use while I was in the shower. I figured if these were aimed towards people who wanted to swim with their headphones in, then they should be OK for the shower. They weren’t. To be fair, the description doesn’t say that they would be good for the shower, however the issues don’t stop there.

The sound volume on these things is so low. I read this in a few other reviews before buying them, but I figured maybe it was more of a preference thing. For me, personally, the volume was just way too low. The headphones themselves were pretty comfortable, and would probably do the trick if you are using them to say run in the rain or work out in the gym. They will definitely stay on your head.

The headphones were easy enough to connect, and the controls were all OK. The little thing they give you to charge the headphones was easy to use, however if you loose it you are a bit out of luck. I didn’t have a chance to try the MP3 function, as I returned these headphones after 1 use.

Overall, these are a below average pair of sports headphones, not worth the price tag sadly. Which is a shame, because I typically like Sony headphones.”

Most users have given favorable reviews on Sony nw ws623 MP3 player, indicating that it is a good product. But it is not without its shortcomings. It is overpriced and this MP3 player has only 4G of memory, which may not be enough for people who like listening to music.If you are a person who likes running or doing other sports but doesn’t want to bring too much equipment, I highly recommend that you choose a pair of sports headphones with both MP3 mode and Bluetooth mode to replace this MP3 player, such as Wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction headphones.

This is the fastest growing brand of bone conduction headphones in the last six months. The team are all engineers with 10 years of accumulation in the field of bone conduction technology. They started to develop bone conduction headphones that don’t hurt ears as early as 2012. To solve the problem of sound leakage of bone conduction headphones, wissonly has made comprehensive improvement in the aspects of vibrator, body design and software optimization. The final result has been applied to Wissonly Hi Runner, and the final sound leakage can be reduced by 90% after laboratory test. I actually used the test myself. At a distance of 2cm, the volume reached 70%, but I still didn’t hear the sound of the headphones, which protected my privacy.

Wissonly Hi Runner’s body is made of titanium, which can self-adjust the fitting position to ensure a good wearing experience for headphones, so that more people can wear it. Hi Runner sports bone conduction headphones are open-eared and worn directly on the temples, so your ear canal is completely open, which makes it easy for you to hear the sound of cars and traffic lights outdoors in sports scenes such as running and walking, making you safer to use.

As the core component of the product, the headphones plays a key role in the product experience. Hi Runner model is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which makes Bluetooth connection faster and more stable. It also has 32GB of built-in storage so you can use it as an MP3 player.

Other parameters of Wissonly Hi Runner are also excellent. For example, the waterproof level reaches IPX8, and you can wear it to swim or even dive. The battery life reaches 8–10 hours, which is very important to me, because I go out for sports on weekends, and I go out for a whole day.