Who likes or hates Sony products?

[princealfie]

I do like their cd players but their mp3's players are mediocre. Ironically they still make a decent set of speakers (high-end and low-end). I prefer Klipsch and JBL and the Hi-Fi better but I can't complain I guess.

Do you like or hate Sony? (hate that DRM crap they pulled awhile back)

 

[EricNau]

I like Sony, I've never gotten a bad product from them before, and we have a lot of Sony products:
TV, home theater system (including tuner, turntable, cassette player, CD player, DVD player, and speakers), digital camera, camcorder, computer monitor, walkman, flash drive + more.

The only Sony product I can remember breaking is a camcorder, but it lasted longer than most. It was shortly replaced with another Sony.

The oldest electronics in my house are all made by Sony.

 

[TheMonarch]

I like their Video/Digital cameras as they offer unusually decent quality, design and capabilities... Hate almost everything else they make.

 

[beatsme]

I think they mostly suck, though I do have a Sony receiver that appears to work well enough. I just think their stuff is kinda chintzy...and their speakers are freakin' terrible.

Just my opinion...

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Sony (together with Ericsson) makes the absolute best cellphones out there, IMO.

I've never had any trouble with their electronics, either, and we've had a lot of experience with Sony stuff over the years. Some assorted ones:

My second walkman (remember this is back in the tape deck era), a Sony WM-3, lasted for 8 or 9 years in daily use (I have now idea how today's mp3-walkmen are). More or less the entire 1980s.

Another impeccable Sony device is the external Firewire CD-burner I bought (for a small fortune) about 5 years ago. That has never given me any troubles, and I still use it as a player, mostly, when I'm ripping CDs (don't want any more CDs shatter inside the closed slot loading iBook optical drive ).

My girlfriend had one of the first small Cybershots that came out, a (for the time) insanely small and very cute 2 MP camera which was our main digital camera until it was stolen at a party. It took very good pictures.

Our "backup" TV is a Sony. Great image, but since it's only 21" we actually use a POS Hitatchi that's a 28" WS. But not for much longer: The Hitatchi has started turning itself of and back on at random intervals, and I'm no expert, but I get a feeling that it's nearing its end. So then we have to pull out the small, but reliable Sony...

I'm also using a standalone Sony DVD player, and that is much better than the Philips it replaced, still this is the weakest Sony device I've encountered for a while, and it gets a hiccup from moderately scratched disks (well to be fair Apple's DVD player on my iBook also gets in trouble from these disks, but VLC is for the most part more than happy to play them after I dismiss the initial error). This is not our player, mind you, but a loaner, so that might be the reason.

I've also used video cameras from Sony, in particular their professional SP Betacam cameras, and they are just awesome. This was back when I was working with TV and video in the late 90s and Sony's proline was the de facto standard for pro TV work. Later DV cameras have improved, but Sony still has some of the best cameras out there, from what I've heard.

So, as a conclusion, I must confess that I view Sony as one of the strongest brands out there, and given an option between a Sony and another brand I would not have any trouble choosing a Sony. But, when that is said, I still wouldn't get their PCs, why get anything other than a Mac? And when it comes to portable music players, iPods reign supreme. I also got an Olympus digital camera (a µ digital 600/stylus 600) for Christmas (that I didn't exchange for a Sony, even if I had the option to do so, me and Olympus goes way back when it comes to cameras) and my girlfriend bought the exact same camera when she got hers two months later.

 

[MIDI_EVIL]

Never had a bad product.

You can trust Sony, they are a consistent company with both innovation and well made products.

Rich.

 

[howesey]

I've only had a TV that went wrong. The amp blew up in smoke.


As far as their hi-fi, not so good. They sound very bland, bright and gritty. Sort of "Japanese" sound. They used to make some ok audio products, but they have slipped somewhat.

 

[Dane D.]

Their products are junk. I purchased a Sony TV on the recommendation of a friend who swears by Sony. It lasted less then 2 years the tube went out. I purchased a dual deck cassette recorder, it will not record a audio cd fully, it leaves blank gaps in the middle of recording. I have a 8mm camcorder from 1995, you have to load a tape 2-3 times before it will work. IMO, Sony is junk, I only buy Philips electronic gear now.

 

[faintember]

I have never had a Sony product that i am 75% pleased with, much less 100% pleased.

 

[Koodauw]

I have a s sony LCD tv, and I like it a lot. Their audio stuff aint the best though. Also had a Sony digital camera that I liked a lot. I like the style of their products.

 

[iSaint]

I've found Sony's small products to be better than most brands. i.e. portable CD players, all-in-one stereo systems, boom boxes, etc.

I have a 19" Sony TV that's probably 18 years old. However, I did have a 27" a number of years ago that blew up on me...it was a loss. My mother just bought a 32" Sony Trinitron that's pretty nice. She's happy with it.

When I think of upper end gear and larger equipment I steer towards JBL for speakers, Alpine for car audio...

For such a variety of goods they manufacture, I think they make a good product.

 

[Synapple]

I've had good experiences with their video stuff: a camcorder, a TV, a digital camera.

No experiences with audio gear so I can't comment.

Their worst products, though, must be PCs (I had a Vaio I bought three years ago replaced three times in a matter of one month after purchasing it) and most of their software (even though I hear that Vegas and some other apps are quite good).