Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Short Cliff's notes version: When the battery in an out-of-warranty Walkman dies, no store on earth will sell you a replacement battery. That means your Walkman will never play another song ever again. You will have to toss your Walkman into a garbage can. If you're skeptical (and you should be) read the long version of this review and be sure to dial the two phone numbers I provided in order to verify my consumer warning. You will then become a believer. The phone numbers are to Sony's Walkman Department and Encompass. When the battery in your out-of-warranty Walkman dies, you will become very familiar with Encompass. Long version: When it ran it was a good unit, worth 4 or 5 stars. And then the battery died only a year and a half after the date of purchase. So you buy a new battery, right? A new battery just like you would buy for a digital voice recorder or an automobile. Wrong. Sony and Encompass both refuse to sell batteries for units that are out-of-warranty. The warranty is good for only one year. Maybe I shoulda extended the manufacturer's warranty, right? Wrong, no can do. Sony will not allow you to extend the warranty on a Walkman (and besides, you should never have to pay extra $$$ to extend the warranty for something as simple as changing the battery, that would be ridiculous). Fact: Sony builds the 383, 385, A15, A17 Walkman in a way that requires a technician with special tools and special training to get to the Walkman's battery compartment. The average consumer can not change the 383, 385, A15 or A17 Walkman battery. Even if you could change the battery, neither Sony nor Encompass will sell you a battery for this model. Buy a battery at Radio Shack, Fry's, Office Depot or Staples? Nope, not gonna happen. They don't sell batteries for an out-of-warranty 383, 385, A15, A17 Walkman. So what then? Since Sony or Encompass won't sell you a battery for it, you have only one choice: You throw it in the trash and you buy a new one - which is fine if you're Donald Trump or Carlos Slim. The fact is the 383, 385, A15, A17 Walkman's are disposable, throw-away units when the battery dies. How long did the battery in my 16 GB / 385 Walkman last? About 1.5 years, a short eighteen months. My 385 received 'limited use.' I didn't use the 385 every day. I used it only on an occasional weekend. When it comes to battery life, your mileage may vary. You're wondering: What kind of battery does the 385 and A17 use? My answer would be: It sure as heck does not use triple-A or double-A batteries. I never bothered to check and see what kind of battery they use, because I knew from the get-go that only a technician could change the battery. I figured when the battery on the 385 and A17 wore out, I would need to send the out-of-warranty unit to Sony to have the battery replaced. I expected Sony to charge me a fee for replacing the battery. I of course found out that I was wrong, Sony and Encompass should offer that service, but they don't. This discovery, or revelation, may seem unbelievable. I would agree, it is unbelievable, totally unbelievable. And unethical. I'm sure someone out there is thinking "Time for a class action lawsuit." Trust... and then verify: You can verify my unbelievable claim by simply calling Sony and Encompass. In fact, my one hope is that all Walkman owners band together by calling Encompass and besieging them with calls. When you call Sony and Encompass, ask them how much they will charge you to replace the battery for an out-of-warranty 383, 385 or A17 Walkman. Encompass, the company Sony contracted to sell parts for the Walkman, will tell you that they don't sell batteries for an out-of-warranty 383, 385, A15, A17 Walkman. And then lay it on Encompass. Voice a 'controlled, polite' outrage that expresses extreme disappointment in not being able to buy a battery for an out-of-warranty NWZ-E383 NWZ-E385 NWZ-A15 NWZ-A17 Sony (Walkman department): 239.768.7602 Encompass (Walkman parts division): 866.779.5153 For those not up on Walkman's: The 383 and 385 units were not mass produced in 1969. The 383 and 385 Walkman that I purchased came off Sony's assembly line in approximately 2013 / 2014. Meaning, Sony should sell you a battery (and charge you $$ to have a Sony or Encompass technician replace it) for an out-of-warranty unit that is only one or two years old. But they don't. And that is freaking unbelievable. Utterly Ridiculous Department: There is one team of technicians who might be able to access the Walkman's battery compartment with special tools and change the battery for you, and that would be some of the employees who work in the forensics department at the NSA. Or you can try contacting Eric Snowden, god bless his soul :) Plan B: If those suggestions fail, you might try contacting some of the rocket scientists who work at Area 51. Their team should be able to replicate (manufacture) a replacement battery out of thin air and then replace it using special tools. Tom Cruise would be plan C. Unequivocal, incontrovertible proof: I have copies of emails from Encompass and Sony. The words in those emails amount to nonsense. In two emails that Encompass sent me, they stated that batteries for the aforementioned units are not available to consumers who have an out-of-warranty Walkman. Challenge / accountability: I contacted both companies via email and phone numerous times. I challenge a corporate mouthpiece from Sony or Encompass to step up and post a response to this review. I am ready to read their lies. I want to thank Amazon for letting me post this consumer warning. Thank you Amazon. Now if you would just allow me to change the picture in my profile, things would be really swell. Caveat emptor and Happy Holiday, 2015 :)