Tempted by the NW A-306, but...
I've had a NW A-306 in my wishlist for a while – and if I buy one, it will be a Japanese import to avoid the volume cap. I'm in the UK.
My main use will be offline music (largely FLAC), audiobooks and high-res Spotify tracks – all saved to the device rather than streamed.
I will use both Bluetooth and wired headphones, depending on where I am.
But, so many reviews speak about it being slow, lacking power, under-performing and so on. I have a flagship phone, so will potentially notice sluggish menus etc.
A similarly priced device seems to be the Fiio M21 – influencers seem to love it – but, apart from being bigger, I've also seen reviews suggesting worse battery life and a more 'sterile' sound.
The question is, if I get the Sony, will I regret it? Will it annoy me?
I do honestly feel a bit seduced by branding and nostalgia (I remember the first Walkman), but don't want my heart to make bad decisions when something else will be better for the same price.