Hi
Thanks to the readers at Techlounge who have been posting on the Sony NWA3000 Walkman, and especially to Stevetynant for giving us the heads up on Atraclife Colloquium site, who seem to be the only place on the web to have the hack to get rid of the volume restrictor on the NWA3000 and NWA1000 Walkmans. Yesterday the Atraclife site was down so we thought the more availability of the details the better.
So 1st enter the test mode as below but ignore step 3 for now
Then proceed to alter the settings accordingly
Then turn the unit off afterwards via the directions in Step 3
This is excellent, I took my NW-A3000 back due to lack of volume and now there is this I’ll be getting it again!
The hack for the nw-a1000 doesnt work
Apologies it does work…excellent +++
Fantastic, thanks for that, it makes a really big difference. I wonder what the other options in TEST mode do????????
No worries iggs.
If you dare check out the other options on the test mode and discover something useful for the Techloungers then do let us know.
Thanks Techlounge
It does work! Took me a while to find the SP SET but got there eventually. Thank you very much for the help.
I don’t want to sound too thick, but my cousin told me about the limiter hack and told me to search for it. I found this, but I have to say, I have no idea which button the “LINK” button is! I have only just bought this, so be gentle with me. Which one is it? I can figure the rest out myself……
Cheers
Johnnyboy, sorry if I’m wrong but i suppose it’s this one:
*Artist Link Button: suggests similar tracks to listen to*
If not, I suppose the manual of the device should help you find it
Good luck.
well to be honest, i tried this and it didnt really make much difference so turned it back off! I suppose it depends on the headphones too. I use the sony inear ones 30 odd quid.
link button is the artist link on the side of ur player. the one that glows orange
Got it and turned it off with this hack and BLIMEY!!!! What a difference!! Not only is it louder, but the sound doesn’t “clip” as much and sounds sharper and clearer with more depth. If you “custom” one of the equalisers too, it can be made to sound almost perfect!!
This player is pretty darn special, I have to say. Shame the Connect version I have (1.0) is utterly crap! Sonic Stage it WAY better, even if some of the functions are missing, but to be honest, I really am not that bothered by that……..
Cheers for all the help guys!
my ears are very sore.. thank you so much
)))
Hi there,
i’ve been trying to get the sound hack to work and have had no luck. are they are any tips anyone can give me ie is there a nack to getting it to work? the artist link button on my walkman is a bit stiff so it might be there. i might have to take it to a service centre and get it re-aligned maybe…
Thanks!
James
cool, it is louder but not by that much
ok, i take my last comment back, its LOUD, I have to turn it down now lol!!
took me a while to find the option but i did and its def alot louder than before now imagine 25 vol was your 30 vol, so you have an extra 5 vol to play with. cheers just now the thing is my damn connect thing when i put a cd in it comes up with data only and cant get the music form it, any ideas
Hi Dan,
Yes, i had that same problem. you’ll need to rip the songs using another program, such as Media player and then import the mp3 files. Works fine if you do that.
Cheers
James
when trying to enter the volume hack, what screen do u have to be on or does it not matter? i’m still having trouble accessing the test mode.
James
the artist link page, press hold when you see it
hi again,
still having trouble getting to the test mode. can someone please tell me exactly what they did to access the test mode? the instructions say “while pressing the link key…” so does this mean that i need to go to the artist link menu and while holding in, press hold then the buttom combination?
any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
James
James, you can do it from any menu, turn the unit on, then press hold, once hold is set to on, hold down the artist link key with your left hand then type in the sequence with the other hand it should then go into the test mode
once your in here have a close look at the instructions for the next part, took me a couple of attempts to navigate between the options
hi ash,
Thanks for the message. i’ve tried it loads of times and its still not working. oh well.
Thanks again
James
[...] De speler heeft een mooi, duidelijk scherm. Het geluid is prima, maar wat zacht. Gelukkig is daar ook wel een hack voor te vinden. De bediening is daarentegen geen iPod-killer. Via wat onhandige omwegen krijg je alles voor elkaar, en zodra je dat eenmaal gewend bent is het een goede mp3-speler. Naast de gebruikelijke knoppen zijn er enkele features zoals Artist Link die pas goed werken wanneer alle id3-tags van een nummer consistent en volledig zijn ingevuld. Al met al een erg goed apparaat met een goede geluidskwaliteit. Inmiddels is het echter onmogelijk geworden er andere muziek op te zetten. [...]
Does anyone know what the other options in the test mode do?
excellent thanks, louder but still not that loud
Just asking im getting one for christmas and i tried it out in the shop and noticed the volume was lower is there any risk in damaging the player or voiding the warrenty but mucking about with this feature as it would be helpful to make it louder!
naw i think its disabled by default when its sold outside the EU, france has some strict regulations on the maximum sound pressure of portable music devices so Sony enables it to meet the requirements but allows it to be disabled so that people can crank it up.
Turning it off shouldn’t affect the warranty, but if you’re worried you can turn it off by going through Test mode again to disable it, or by resetting the device, which will restore the default factory settings.
hi, im getting the nwa 1000 and already have sonicstage1.5
should i use that instead of the new connect software?
Hi
does anyone know of the hack for the NW-A608 ???
TIA
Simon
Great hack It makes all the difference to listening. What a great machine the NW-A1000 is butd what a pity about the cr*p connect software. It will undoubtedly affect their sales. Sony surely you could have done better how about a version 2 ??
ray, try both. connect player has been updated so its at least useable if a little slow
thanks nesta!!
super, i needed that. i got mine the other day, got 450mp3s on it, all with correct tag info, genre ,etc on it , but the link button doesn’t work how it should, it never finds any linked artists, any 1 else getting this???
I sent back my A3000 player after only having it for 2 hours due to low sound output, and also, weren’t happy with bass levels (on great headphones), even when the equaliser was full up (compared to my I-Audio player before with bass boosters, etc)
Using this hack, would it also increase the bass I’d be able to output from it? Completly fixing what I sent it back for? And if so, by how much? Alot?
Thanks
Hi, does anyone know if it will increase the volume when set to “line out” playing through a hi-fi, I tried my nw-a3000 via a cable to my system but even with the amp volume cranked right up it wasnt that loud.
No it wouldn’t.
The Line In isn’t affected by the player. It just throws out a signal based on the files original volume for your amp to control the volume too.
Its a very dissapointing player in my view… Look at my post above. There just isn’t enough sound options to make it a music player (the entire point). Wheres the bass boosts?…!!!
It definately works! In fact, it is deafening when up to the full 30! Thank you!
Yeah man this hack works really good!! i’m using 19 rather than 30 but i use shure E2c headphones. has anyone else noticed a fire work screensaver since doing it? screen use to go black after 10 secs but now i got fireworks? any help?
Hi,
I am having trouble getting into the test mode.
Should it go there automatically when I press ‘hold’ for the second time?
Could my problems be due to the fact that I am using the Sonicstage software?
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Mike
yeah i got the fireworks too i wonder if it can be turned off in one of the other test menu’s
omg i got it stuck on a page called start wot do i do
help its frozen
try the up button or the right/left one
I’m in the UK, and the feature for AVLS can be turned off in the menu…
But is this the case for you too? But it still limits it?
If yours doesnt have that in the menu, and only where I live does, the sound for me is still too low with it off. Especially since theres no bass even if you shove up the equaliser, which only goes up to +3…
Is there any way to make the bass louder adn more defined?
I have good headphones which can go down to 10hz and theres no point having them!!! Sound qualities great. Its just the bass
Can anyone help, what so ever?
AVLS has nothing to do with limited volume, The player is limited by default due to eu regs limited to 100db, You HAVE to go in to options to turn the limiter off. Just follow the instructions above carefully, It makes the player perfect imo
oops I meant go into TEST mode, you have to hold the artist link button down while inputting the up/down/left/right buttons.
to me it still doesn’t seem massivley loud
Hack works brilliantly, thanks to you guys who worked it out. Bought my wife one of these for Xmas and she was a bit disappointed with volume output – made it difficult to listen to the quiet parts of classical music.
By the way – I have just updated the firmware to 2.01 and I checked the SP_SET setting afterwards and it has stayed off – thought Sony might try and be clever and restore all the settings to default but this was not the case.
This firmware upgrade apparently means the unit is now compatible with smaller WMA files which means we can cram even more music on to it!!
dont worry i have fixed it…
Tip: Use earphones that fit properly in your ear. It makes a difference!
p.s west ham r da best
Hi thinking of purchasing the Sony NWA3000, never owned a MP3 player b4 but run iTunes on my PC and play all music through that. files are a mix of MP3 and MPEG4 and are sorted in a stupid way by iTunes software (e.g. a new file made for every pissing artist added!). can u tell me if putting all my music from iTunes onto the NWA3000 will be a bastard?
cheers & happy new year
Thanks so much…it now drives my Koss Porta-Pro…(32 ohm impedence, so need the extra)
By-way 1. These are cracking (small) earphones that sound like the large ones I’ve alwas worn at home to get such a better sound quality. (I no longer look like a nurd when I’m on the bus!)
By-way 2. At least until Sony have sorted out major problems with their Walkman Player software…I highly recommend sticking to Sonicstage (V3) if you, like mysekf, have the software from a previous model…works just fine.
Thanks again, I now have the option of becoming as deaf as a post!
does it work with the NW-A1000?
all that happened was that the volume went down to 27
dont worry its sorted who ever started this is a foooookin legend!!! peace out
Got one, did the hack..its a new player. All the EQ and stuff were designed for the player w/o Sound Pressure limiting on. I also have the problem with Artist Link..I guess you need to use sonys ID3 tagging thing. No way in hell. It’d probs tag in Welsh and then crash and corrupt itself or something equally stupid. Use SS3.3. hint – may sound obvious but if u use SS but want d time amchine n stuf lauch CONNECT (after the required purification rites and sacrifice of a small ipod), connect the player and wait until CONENCT has finished accessing the player – watch the players screen n not connect. Then disconnect (you probs will need to K.O COnnect with Task Manager – don’t 4get to kill tinyhttp.exe – if there was ever an ironic name..) thanks guys!
I got the nw-a1000 a few days ago, thinking it was by far the best looking player available. The software is indeed terrible (slow and freezes up all the time, whoever designed it at Sony should be ashamed!) and it took me days to transfer the 2000 odd songs I already had on my cpu onto the player and once I eventually succeeded, the volume was shocking!!! This hack worked brilliantly and now this thing sounds as good as it looks! THNANKYOU
oo and by the way, the bass is also much improved and sounds awesome through decent in-ear head phones
I have tried the hack for my nw-a1000 but I am not getting the “others” in my display. Is it possible that things have changed? I have upgraded the firmware to version 2.0 (December 26th)
great hack, however word of caution dont play around with other items, i tried it with a few of the sound options, everything froze and couldnt do a thing, thank god for the reset button! no doubt in a day or two ill try again, i can only imagine for now what other things those lovely europeons have banned us from having! if anyone has had better luck than me do keep us informed.
Bought this player and quite happy with it. The software will be slow on slow machines but i have a 2.4Ghz so it hasnt froze/crashed yet and also transfers music quite quickly. My only gripe is, i transfer my files as mp3 Pro (smaller filesize) but if i wanted to transfer then back to my laptop they’ll transfer back as OMA files with no tags, although using the software you can burn a cd from them. Done the ‘volume hack’ and all i can say is
Normally i wouldnt touch sony with a bargepole but this player looks ‘the dogs bollox’
Is there a similar hack for the Sony NWA608 ?
CAn someone please tell me what the test mode is, and how do I enter the test mode? After doing step 2, the word ”power” comes on the screen. What do I do then?
Please help!
angelo press up and others comes up put once im get onto others though i get stuck i dunno how to get to the nextr page anyone help me??
this is loud but reali clear aswell!! thx guys for this iv just realised how to do it after reading it proberly lol
when I reset the player would the sound get to its original loudness or does it stay the same after having hacked the machine?
Does it state something on the screen that the sound has been changed?
After the ”power”, when I press up or down I get ”others” and presiing left or right I get to some other weird stuff.
Can someone please explain in step what to do after setting the hold to OFF in step 2 (4.)?
Cheers guys, my ears are bleeding! ;o)
hey,
Just bout a NW-A3000 and i am unsure whether the CONNECT software will run on my Windows ME machine. I have my CD collection on Soncstage 2.2 from a previous HD3. Is it best just to carry on with the SS, upgrade it or will that mean thats i dont get the most out of my new baby? tried the similar hack for the HD3 and it worked a treat, will use it as soon as i get some (decent) music on my new 1!
Thanks
Doug
How do you transfer downloaded songs from commertial sites – you can’t tell me that bloody sony limits this to their own expensive and bugged connect store. There must be a way to do this but I cannot find it. Can anyone help ?
Thanks guys, what a difference…
I never realised the orange button on the side was the “link” button – suppose I should have read the manual..
One word. SWEET! What a difference – how I am going to enjoy punishing my eardrums…
Many thanks!
Q
works great for me on NWA3000V.EU8! thanks!
Shithot. . .been lookin 4 this 4 a while had a nw-hd5 did the same 4 that but now upgraded
i found 1 on ebay but i thought i’d check out googlay 1st 
Hi
I TRIED TO USE YOUR FIX FOR THE VOLUME DE-LIMITER BUT I HAVE OBVIOUSLY PRESSED A WRONG SEQUENCE BECAUSE NOW I CAN ONLY GET ON THE DISPLAY- OUTPUT. ANY IDEAS? CHEERS
Ive tried the volume hack for the MW A 1000. It does not work. The test mode is not available on the published sequence. Anybody know how to access the test mode? Have things changed recently?
Cheers
I have the A1000 and although i’m having tons of trouble with the Connect software i’ve got this hack to work, I have the V2 firmware working fine with the hack, quickest way to find SP SET is to click ^ once when POWER is displayed.
Does anyone know what the other functions in test mode are, or where I can find out more about them?
TA
Hi
I’ve just put the hack in – but I can’t really see much differance. The volume still only goes up to 30….am I being really thick here or am I doing something wrong?!!??!
Thanks
The volume still only goes to 30, but the dB has increased quite a lot. Try turning it back off and try the volume at max and you will see what I mean.
i have the a1000 and i`d just like to say thank you to the bottom of my heart the volume used to be far too low now when i`m on the bus every1 gets to hear my music
the only problem left to fix now is connect i dont know if any else has this problem but i used to have an ipod and used itunes to import all my music but for some reason connect doesnt like the file format and doesnt recognise them i could cry it will take days to rip all those CD`s again any1 know a good convertor maybe?
in the mean while i will send an e-mail to sony telling them my disgust lol
credit given when credit is due i think
Excellent, thanks Baz
works a friggin treat! has anyone sussed the other options available, i tried a couple but just sorta froze, but if it does hold the back button for a good 40seconds and it just goes back to the main menu
hi….i got the nwa300 and have read this but cant solve the volume!! can someone write down a step by step guide please of what to hold and for how long etc so i can get it louder!!
pleaseeee..
Wb soon
Hey, got this working the second time round.. i made the mistake of selecting on the first time round ta muchly for the hack ;p x
ok i have done it…when i put a cd onto connect and rip it on then how do i get the ripped music onto my mp3 as i cant do it!! it also says that the library has no songs!!!!!!
help!!
wb
Hi Josh
The post on the NWA3000 will offer you lots of advice on the best way to get your music actually onto your walkman.
Techlounge
Help!!
I’ve got into the test mode and found ‘OTHERS’ but when i press the ‘>’ key all i get is ‘G TEST’ and when i press the ‘
continuing on from my last post which was cut off:
….when i press the ‘
….arse – Never mind, got it working somehow!!
Monkey – Success at last!
Techlounge
am i bieng stupid or sumfin HOW DO U ENTER THE TEST MODE?????
Hell yeah!
I didn’t try it before i delimited it, so i have no idea how much difference it made!
But this is perfectly loud, even for those busy, noisy tube journeys!!
God bless the people who picked up this hack!!!
As much as i love my nw-a3000 i always thought the volume was a let down cos this could have been the “ultimate MP3 player” with decent volume….but i stand corrected – i have owned 6 ipods and a samsung player in the past two years cos something always went wrong with them,i was on the verge of going back to old skool MD until i was convinced of trying NW a3000.
I havent looked back since and now that this volume hack has turned well LONG LIVE THE NW -A3000.Without a doubt the best thing out there!
would just like to say thanks alot people didnt think there would be a sound hack out there!! cheers alot. have some good sony earphones sound isolating ones and even they cant handle it on full volume now time to get the shure E5c earphones 122DB limit
Yeeee ha The Killers as they should sound! Bleeding eardrums here i come, thanks dudes! x
Does anyone know what ALL the custom settings are on the test mode?
for some reason, since installing a new printer AND since adding the hack, my computer doesn’t recognise the walkman… can anyone tell me what all their options say on test mode, so that i can check them against mine. Just so i can cancerl that out as a possible cause of problems
Thankyou dudes…
and NWA3000 ROCKS, thanks for the hack
OMG THAT IS AWESOME!! i left music playing whilst i did it all and the difference was insane! Cheers!
do u think there is someway of finding how to put new screensavers on thru this? wud b cool the sound thing is amazing cant wait to tell my girlfrend she was moaningabout hers being to quiet !
I still cant seem to do it, i go into Test Mode but cant find where OTHERS or SP Set is, any help please????
Hi dudes! got as far as others but i only get G TEST how do i get to the next step! PLLLLEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE HELP!
thanx
couldnt get it to work at first but now if done it makes a big difference cheers techlounge
i note others have said it took them a while but they found it! you guys…how did you find it!
PS can get as far as “OTHERS” but cant find SP SET
SORRY! I AM A TOTAL RETARD! MISTOOK RIGHT KEY FOR PLAY KEY! THANKS ALL YOU TOTALLY ROCK FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!! 666 JEDI OUT
wow! MY EARS ARE ALIVE WITHE SOUND OF METAL AT CONCORDE VOLUME LEVELS! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
took a while, like trying a bad cheat for a game. thought nothing happening. now deaf by prodigy
Got it working at first attempt. Brilliant. Now I can hear the opening notes of Sacré du Printemps when on a plane!
Fantastic hack makes a big difference, bit disapointed with standard sound, but this has perked me up.
Thanks
Is there a way of ripping music to the mp3 through WMP?? i hate the sony connect program its impossible to edit details and its sooooo slooooooooow! Please can someone tell me if theres a plugin or something, if not someone please invent one lol!
either use sony sonic stage, http://www.download.com/Sony-Connect-SonicStage-/3000-2141_4-10462438.html
or try a simpler program – i also know that there’s another open source program which someone has created, though i can’t find the link right now.
allthose people with the sony a1000,try using sonicstage, free download much better than connect rubbish
can someone help me, i have the sony a1000, when i try using the volume limiter hack,and i get to the stage where i should get to setting method and use the keys to get up others,alli get is V CHK,when i click down i get A RD,can someone pls help. Thanx
Fantabulous.. with a decent set of headphones i now actually like my Sony
Great stuff i finally got it to work….sounds great with my fontopia earphones
To all concerned, many thanks for making this available. I cannot see why this isn’t an option that is made available through the manual, so that everyone can just make their own minds up. I imagine a lot of people will return the product on this point. As long as their is a warning stating that hearing can be damaged by prolonged listening to loud levels, then the individual should be happy.
Well, thanks to this volume hack, this individual is…
I was angry with Sony for deciding how (not so) loud I can play my walkman but after applying the hack it’s much, much better! Thanks a lot! It took me a while to figure it out though, as have some of the others, I guess. Here’s what I did: after step 2.4 you ARE in the Test mode. My display said ‘Power’ and with the up or down button, you get to ‘OTHER’. Follow the rest of the steps, and you’re done. You don’t get a message or anything, when the display says ‘OFF’, you’re done. I hope this helps. It’s really worth trying.
The Hack has worked wonders on my NW-A3000, I’ve only had the player for a day and was already annoyed by the silly lack of sound. Now that i’ve found this i can now enjoy the music at the volume i want to.
Cheers very much
Lewis E
ARRGGHH this is driving me mad. Does it matter that a song is playing when I’m trying to enter the test mode? Do I have to be plugged into the PC? Do I need to have the headphones in? Nothing is working and it’s doing my head in…..any other ways to do it??
Cheers !!
I am not doing anything wrong and it’s still not working. I downloaded firmware 2.01 last week, do you think this changes things at all?? I can only think this is the reason. if so, can any hackers out there find away to help me???
Thanks a lot
im so confused! when you go to the SP setting do u want it on or off?!
OKO hack done but i cant turn unit off from menu it just flashes help pl
Later POCKET
Doh Done thanks for th hack CHEERS from AUS POCKET
ady, you turn it to off apparently, I asked that before. Finally got mine working!
Hi I have the Nw-a3000 but cannit figure out the hack.i’m an idiot-what do they mean by the link key? could someone help please.
Here is another pearl of wisdom, if you purchase the remote for the a1000 and 3000, when you skip tracks, pause or adjust volume it does not switch on the main screen of the walkman thus saving power.
I have extended the life of my battery by about 2 hours by doing this.
Baz
The link key is the top one on the left of the unit.
hello…
But im finding that the battery is lasting significantly less than 35 hours. After two hours, the first notch of battery has gone down. Any ideas?
I have got the NWA3000 and i THINK the colume hack has worked – thankyou
i find that the baterry is really bad if u browse through the albums often i have started adding stuff to bookmarks, but i supose your using the hdd more so it uses more power
This is amazing…i thought the sound was limited when i purchased this device yesterday…but thanks to this hack i can now hear my music
If you use bookmarks does it use less battery? Am currently having to charge it daily – does anyone else have this problem? Also, when taking off the volume limit, i slected ‘On’ as it appeared to be ‘off’ previously, was that the right thing to do, because i can’t notice a hugely significant difference…
Thanks to all who have submitted their reviews/tips on ‘surviving under stress’ (for want of a better statement!) with Sony’s heap of shit that is the NWA-3000. Having adjusted the volume limiter, the sound is great, but I have to say, that the I think the sound on my old Atrac plus player is just as good, and I don’t think that this ‘player’ is worth ANY of the £199 that my husband paid for it – for my birthday too. I am having great difficulty with it already, and though I am not pc illiterate, the instructions are not easily followed at all, and at this moment in time, I have transferred only two albums – manually – and cannot be bothered with the hassle of owning the ‘player’.
BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP – I’m leaving that comment for SONY – because the ultraviolet player looks gr8 – but is in fact – A HEAP OF SHITE!!!
Good luck to all who purchase.
*grooves on out*
Oops!
Sorry ’bout that – comment should read
I AM PC LITERATE – DUH UH ME *blush – but lmao at the same time hehehehehe*
Also…How can you change the format once the songs are already on connect? I want to put them from mp3 format to atrac. My songs are also saved in my music and itunes, will the format change for all of them? If so, is there a way i can prevent this?
TO ANYONE WHO CANT GET THE HACK TO WORK ON THEIR A1000
Hey,
I had MASSIVE trouble trying the get the hack to work on my A1000, nothing was happening after I was pressing the sequence. Then I realised that the arrows pointing the the right (not the ones in the box) meant “volume up” . I tried it like that and it worked a treat
Cheers for the hack its totally changed my MP3 player
I have downloaded the sonic stage software to my laptop and it a hundred times better than the connect software. If youbuy a walkman use this until connect has been rid of its bugs.
Hi all,
I’ve been having trouble getting the hack to work on my A3000. my Artist link button is a bit stiff and thought that might be the reason the hack wasnt working, i.e when you press it you have to press it down hard before the artist link feature works.
But i read the comment left by FRAN about the arrows meaning the “volume up “switch, is this correct?!
I’ve tried to many times but just cannot get it to work from the directions at the top of the page. does anyone have any other tips or methods they used to get the hack working?
Thanks in advance!
James
The arrows after each keypress are there just to tell you what to press next, ie, press up, then down, then option etc.
Oh right,
I’m still not having any luck! any tips anyone?
James
have tried hack multiple times. get to others and press right arrow and get g-test does this hack not work for nwa 1000 in canada. any and all suggestions welcome
Thanks alot dude this helped alot i love my music loud people on the bus not so but yeah thanks alot great help
im getting the nwa 3000 tomorrow and i just wanna check that the sound is really loud cos i like it clear but earsplitting.can anyone confirm that if i use the hack i’ll be deaf within a year?cheers
Hi all
please could somebody help me. IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE THE BASS LOUDER AND MORE DEFINED. IS THERE A SIMILAR HACK TO INCREASE THE BASS?!
hope to get an answer- THANKS
No there is no hack I know of to increase the bass, but you can set it to max on the custom volume setting, then get a pain of Koss the plug or sparkplug earphones for about £15. Bass is plenty enough with those.
lol i cant even in stall the connect software its that bad. im usin sonic stage tho so not all of the functions work is there any chance to get them workin with sonic stage????
What functions will not work? if its favourites and what not you need to use it for a while so it can learn what you like to listen to.
this is much louder now thanks to everyone for the help and advice
Thanks guys my walkman is now complete. it always bugged me that such a fine piece of music technology only wimpered when listened to. now to shouts
i am complete
this thing is shite…..it makes the thing too load so it just gets distorted
o wait…think i have got it workin now!
Wow! Thanks for this – my music is now so much louder and clearer!
MY GOD, Wonderful stuff. Hate the thought of brussels telling us what we should do, they have NO idea. This has made all the difference. Thank you. Was on the brink of sending it back after lots of CONNECT crashes and hangs. Someone should be sacked for the worthless pile of dog s*$!t they are shipping as our ONLY software connection to a brilliant unit. I just hope they sort it soon, i’ve upgraded the firmware and CONNECT to latest ver, makes a little difference but it still need LOTS OF ATTENTION SONY (if ur reading this). Anyhow thanks for the hack.
hi
i was just wondering if anyone had found sony software that works with a mac?
cheers
i still have no luck in getting this working. how quickly do u have to enter the code in?
James
not that quickly but make sure u push the buttons fairly hard, as i have noticed they can be very picky about when they work if you don’t give them a goo old firm push
anyone else having problems with the battery? had it on at work today and it didnt even last 8 hours!!!!
Cool – thanks for the tip. will give it a go shortly.
also, when you get to step 4. do you still need to be holding the Artist Link button when you press the hold button for the second time? or do u release it once you’ve done the button combination?
Cheers
James
Still don’t know how to convert my songs to ATRAC, can anyone help me?
JoJo
if you using sonic stage click on the transfer button at the top click on the little toolbox and choose atrac 133 (so it helps save battery life). And then highlight all the tracks you want to copy across from the left hand side and then click on the little arrow that points to the device and it should start copying, i would only do a few albums at a time because i found that sonic stage died if i did more than 10 albums.
We have just been listening to some files i ripped at a lower bit rate and there are mild differences like some sounds don’t have depth too them so i would reccomend 133 to be used.
thanks rory, trouble is, is that im using connect…
Don’t use Connect its a waste of time trying
JoJo
Don’t use crappy connect use sonic stage
but i’ve just put ALL my files on connect :S and doesnt using sonic stage mean that i cant use artist link or time machine?
yeah or the favourite 100. sonic stage is so much better though
is there no way i can do it on connect?
i can’t really comment on connect because i don’t use it, Steve might be your man
thanks alot its great now cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if you install sonic stage with connect. You can put files on via sonicstage. Then close it down open Connect, and it will confiugre and then you will not loose yor favourites and bookmark setting or whatever. Works fine for me
By the Way Sound Hack= Absolute Quality.
no matter how many times i try it , i just does not work!
once u enter the code and press hold the second time, should it just go straight into test mode?
i think i’m just going to have to give up!!
Thanks in advance for any info
yeah keep trying it though
I’m well impressed with this hack. Now this is what I call proper sound.
What a transformation. Thanks. Maybe I won’t be able to hear the leg-iron snoring now! Cheers!!
PS. Don’t suppose you’ve got any wonder fixes for Connect?
What value should the player show when the volume is at its max after the hack, mine still only seems to show 30…..couldn’t listen to that with headphones though, head would explode !
Done a basic battery test using 800 mp3′s at 192 bit rate 44.1 sample freq. Left My NW A3000 on and timed it till it switched off. Lasted EXACTLY 24 hours! almost to the minute. So i suppose you will get more with Attrac 133. Good enough for me.
James+everyone else, i have been told to come to you with my sob story…HOW CAN I CONVERT MY MP3′S INTO ATRAC USING CONNECT?
And…Tino did you justplay 800 mp3s without touching the sony? Have just got a new one cos my battery life was so crap and shall charge it for 24 hours this time
Damn it works nice! I just did exactly as mentioned above. You have to press the buttons hard enough and only as many times as the manual shows. thx for the hack!
does this work on the nw-A608?
Just to say thanks a lot it works great
While attempting to remove the volume limiter I went onto wrong menu and presses MAXOUT. This is now permantly on screen and I can’t turn off. Can anyone suggest anything?
Mike, try doing the same steps as you when turned that setting on. Otherwise – there should be a kind of reset function there (sorry haven’t got the player, can’t tell anything more).
has anybody had any problems with the sound itself. mine recently has started to hiss, mainly in the right headphone! i have tried several types of headphones and speaker systems and it still hisses! it was working one day, then just stopped! any help would be very very much appreciated!!!
Hi mike try using the left arrow to get out of it, or just randomly poushing buttons, or the lil reset hole and button at the bottom of the player
Kraig, i have never had the hissing that you mention does it do it all the time
My artist link button is stuck…Any ideas?
bluetack
LISTENING TO AN IPOD MINI , THEN TO THIS, QITH THE MAX VOLUME EVEN WITH THE RESTRICTER OFF, IS POOR,YOU CAN HEAR ALL THE BACKGROUND NOISE AND EVERYONES CONVERSATIONS AROUND YOU. ITS ABOUT THE SAME VOLUME AS AN IPOD CRANKED UP HALVE WAY, AND IM NT TALKING ABOUT A TUNE WITH THE EQ’S BOASTED UP.
THIS MAYBE THE BEST LOOKIN MP3 OUT THERE BUT LEST B HONEST ITS RUBBISH AND GOIN TO BE IN UR POKET HALF THE TIME
ITS MUCHH HEAVIER THAN ANY IPOD OUT THERE,EVEN THE 20GB+
AND ITS VERY SLOOOW TO START UP,TO ACCES UR TUNES, AND TO MOVE ONTO THE NEXT TUNE
I BOUGHT IT AND AM REALLY PISSED OFF,TAKE MY ADVICE DONT BUY THIS
ESPECIALLY IF YOUVE OWNED AN IPOD BEFORE.
END OF
Yes, but it’s not an ipod.
Admittedly the earphones are poor that are supplied with it but in my opinion so are the ipod earphones. A good aftermarket pair sorts out any external noise issues with the unit.
i agree with davee the volume still isn’t great i have desent set of big headphones and it was just the same
If you are listening to the unit at 30 with the hack, and it still is not loud enough I think you should go for a hearing test. The max noise level is ~95dB which is as loud as a plane taking off.
Could hardly hear the NW A1000 before. Thought I was going deaf after too many rock concerts when young. This sound fix is easy to do and brilliant. Totally better sound depth. Why Sony have done this as well as getting so mant other things wrong. Just do it.
I could kiss the person who posted this O.o, not being drag and drop, then finding i could hardly hear it dipped my spirts in the a300, but these seems to do a far bit in the way of volume works a++ =]
When its worked youll know about. Thanx for this hack. Black Sabbath is now being played at its inteded volume.
help, ive got the “hold” button stuck down!! what do i do? ive tried levering it up with a pin but it didnt work.
jack
Hey guys!
Has anyone figured out a way to get rid of the splash screen when the NWA3000 starts up and shuts down, it’s really annoying! Might be able to do it in one of the test menus perhaps?
kyle are you on about the firework style thingys that are like a screen saver
To make the hack work, ignore the first 7 words of “setting method” point 2. The you will get “others” and all is simple.
If still not loud enough you could boost all the equalizer settings under settings sound – “custom 1″
when you go to custom 1 make sure all the little bars are at the top and then press the play/pause button.
b*gger me what a difference i can not listen to it at 20 no louder
sorry to sound dumb but how do you take find the test mode??? i cant get it! and jus wanted to know how much of a big diffrence does it make ??????
raj
not much until you use the custom setting and crank all the levels up. just keep trying and push the buttons hard it took me 3 attempts
how loud does it go if i take the limiter off it. and does it lose the sound quality????
raj
its alot louder but not having a db tester at my side it hard to say but do the hack and then do what i stated with the custom1 settings
Hey, i tried to get the TEST MENU i finally got it, And finally I Found the SP SET(right?) and Now i press it… But it sais… On/Off (More Up At This Page) So… I Don’t Really Understand what to do now. Do I have to switch it OFF or ON?
Many ThankZ!
switch it off
Hi
Does this volume hack work for NW-E407 mp3 players?
eleni
never tried but i’d guess not. as its for the new nwa seires.
Top Tip
If your player crashes and you can’t use it hold down the option button for 5 seconds and it will turn off
Thank you Rory. I suppose the volume on my nw-e407 is not so bad.
Does anyone know if such a thing exists as amplified headphones?? I really need my music louder and it’s too late to return my mp3 player to the shop for a better one…
eleni
i have seen a thing that is an external amp that takes one aa battery maybe techlounge will review it for you
I just did it. It works really fine. I hope they fix the software problem soon!
th eplayer is simply stunning. Connect is pretty good as well, hasnt slowed or crashed my laptop once yet! dunno if i shud do the hack, the volume seems alrite to me at the moment!
Thanks for the information. Very helpful.
I works great it’s mutch louder now, thanx.
Just one question for everybody is this Sonic Stage downloadable from the internet?
Really frustratingly can’t get into the test menu however fast or slow i press the buttons etc. Does it make a difference whether the player is paused or not or should you be able to get into the the test screen from anywhere….
any suggestions greatly appreciated
Stupid i know but does whether you are running sonic stage/connect make any difference or should you be connected to your pc?
Jannie, you can download Sonic Stage from the Web from the sony site, I think I just Google’d for “download Sonic Stage” when I did it
Max
Phew done it finally…anyone else who is having issues my problem was a dodgy up button,had to press it incredibly gently
MY NEW NW A3000 SAYS THAT THERE IS NO SPACE ON IT! : | Shit!
Thanx Max, i will go and look for it because this whole connect thing is making me sick….keeps hanging and making my files not competable to play them…:S
Tried this. Initially it didn’t work, but suddenly, when I switched on it was fantastic. Twice as loud, splendid.
Then equally improbably, but less satisfactorily, I switched it on again and it was back to the old level.
Maddening. The settings haven’t changed.
What to do?
Bloody brilliant was most disappointed at sound level now much happier I can now continue to ruin my ear drums with loud music!!!!!
Thank you SO much for this hack. It’s not just the volume, but the sound quality is SOOOOO much better. I was really disappointed with the player and it’s notorius software to start with. My boyfriend has a Nano and in comparison i was gutted it wasn’t anywhere near as good. Now following a several updates and this ACE hack – it’s SUCH a good player! C’mon Sony – you can save the walkman, yet
Nice one guys… I was bought this player and found out about this hack through ebay. I’m impressed enough to let you guys know it anyway. Thanks!!
I have found that if you go ito the option mode again the screensaver reverts to the shooting star type one it normally has. I also noticed that on exiting the settings menu, the player repaeats tracks instead of selecting them at random (how I usually have it set). If you select normal play and then random it plays normal again. Weird.
Has anyone worked out what the other menu’s do?!
205
i have found this portable amp Boostaroo Amplifier just google it and you’ll find it
Amazing ! Hack….
the hack it doesn’t work with my nw-a3000.
I do the same thing what they says for the hack.
i have tried 5 times.
but it doesn’t work.
what do I wrong?
Nice one tech lounge. Just played with all buttons at the end bit, got a bit confused, and then sucess! Beaut
lol
Basking
are you seeing the word POWER at all? when you get to this, try tapping either the up and down key, which will give you the word OTHERS, then press the up and down keys to get SPset, and the rest is written in step three above! But at this point luck was on my side!
Good luck it takes a lot of will…..
Am so eager to know what other tricks sony have installed for us…Anyone any ideas?
I bought the A1000 on Saturday. Connect software could not transfer music to the device although Explorer could see it. Wasted hours. Did the reset thing with a paperclip, no luck. Took it back to the shop on Sunday. Comet’s computers were all down so the (very friendly) chap swapped it for the display one. Reinstalled Connect, and again spent hours until I realised I was trying to transfer music to the original player (which was obviously still listed in the Registry). Eventually managed to transfer a couple of CDs successfully. 5 minutes ago I did the hack, WOW perfect. Currently listening to Cream at the Albert Hall – sounds as if I was there hehe (couldn’t afford the tickets
).
I luurve it! THANKS.
I got the A3000 yesterday and I went onto the link menu to use the hack for the volume and thought I would see if there was anything else on there that was useful. I got onto something that said read and now the whole things frozen can’t do anything with it any suggestions?
I bought the NWA-3000 about 2 weeks ago and found the volume very low. I tried the volume limiter hack and it works like a charm. It takes a little getting used to all the functions in there but it does work. The directions were straight forward. I have to turn it down now as it is very very loud which is fine for me. Thanks Tech lounge!!!
I bought NW-A3000 and it not loud enough, just like everyone else.
I tried the steps shown above on this page and nothing happened. What am I doing wrong?
just keep trying mate and make sure you push the buttons firmly and in order its a bit fiddly but after a few goes you’ll do it, it took me at least 3/4 attempts before in got it.
all you have to do is follow the instuctions like it says at the top of the page. it not hard i dont understand why its taking people loads of attemps, i did it first time and it works a treat. sounds like a completely different player, shame about the software though
Hi Guys, I can get into test mode no problem. When i get to options , i hit the play key, nothing happens so i cant get to the SP set bit. Im definately hitting the play button. All i can do at OPTIONS is click left and right and that bring up 2 other thingsbut not sp set. Please help. Thanks
push the up button and keep going till you get others then hit the left button or play/pause then keep pusht either up or down till you hit sp set then press play/pause and make sure it says off,
Thanks Rory, i fiddled around more and hey presto, the unit has a decent volume at last – thanks!
thanks for the volume hack ive got the nwa 3000 and was disapointed with the volume but now happy pink floyd comfortably numb at a decent volume nice one. also no probs with the software at all. cheers
I do find connect pretty slow, although my pc’s not the newest (2.4 p4, 512mb RAM).
Find the hack works perfect though which is good as I was disappointed by the sound level at first (not that it’s sony’s fault of course). If that’s really too quiet there’s something wrong with your hearing.
its ok when in your room but try in a plane as i did and it was painful to listen to it
another tip, once youve got this working, frisbee the software theyv’e given u out the fuckin window, and download sonic stage application instead :far superior
PLEASE HELP!
I just tried the hack and i get to the screen to select OTHER but it wont select!!!!
Im so pissed off, ive already been to Sony and they said too bad about the sound we can’t help.
I press the Plat button however it wont select
press the left arrow i think and that get you into the sub menu play/pause confirms your action. also if you want to bookmark a song quickly just hold the paly/pause button until it beeps
I have created playlists in Connect Player, but they don’t transfer to my sony NWA 1000. Can anyone help?
WELL IT HAS TO BE SAID…. THE CONNECT SOFTWARE ITS TOTALLY CRAP…. I ALSO THINK THAT THE OTHER SOFTARE IS NOT ALL THAT… this is because i took me 11 hours to transfer 400 converted tracks. i tranfserd them at 64-8kbps and that took forever… cant wait for sony to bring out a better software all together
ohhhh well,
anyone else had this problem…
Raj
ps volume is wicked, love the person who found out the hack!!!!
[...] Fun may not be the right word to use in this context, but I have read an article over at techlounge, which explains how it is possible to remove the volume limiter on the player. However, it more importantly shows how you can get into the testing menus. [...]
Hi, ive tired this volume unlock, i havnt really tested it out yet. Even after the unlock will the sound still display max as 30, but just be louder, or have i done it incorrect.
yeah it still shows as 30 have you tried the custom one setting for the EQ
ps
does the player have to be connected to computer to use hack?????????
all i get when connecting to compter is the player says connecting with 2 revolving arrows
i dsimply cannot get into test mode
i have tried yet again to use this volume cheat/hack
can someone tell me step by step how to use cos i dont know how
do i need to connect up to my computer?????
do i need any software ??????????
how and where do i find this testmode?????????????
help?????????????
yeah, how do i get into this ‘test-mode’?
Paul, mate no it doesn’t have to be connected to computer to work.
I did mine in few mins… just re read the instructions and follow them to the letter. I did mine at work while on my break!
hi jan
tried yet again to use hack as per instructions
still no use
i followedinst to the letter and after the point of pressing hold off
all i get with the up/down /right arrows is it just plays the last track selected
i cannot get into the test mode
any one got anymore help please
Thank you so much! A great help!
What do I do to stop the player saying that I need to ‘attach compliant software’ to get to my favourites, or the link key or my play history? Anyone else have a similar problem?
paul just keep trying and make sure you push the buttons firmly.
Matt i think you need to use sony connect to rip the cd’s and name them and then it works.
hi rory
still no luck
i was wondering
when i bought the player i could not use the connect software at all
i ended up using sonicstage to load tracks on to it
could this be WHY the player will NOT allow to get to the test stage because it only works if you have used connect in the first place
MATT
i keep getting the same thing here
Just did it all this and it works a charm.
My problem is that I then took it a bit further and started messing about in the test mode. I went to the sound section and selected “Output”. Things then froze for about 5mins (I pressed all combination of buttons but nothing worked) it then put a display of “Start” and nothing since.
Any idea what I should do?
Thanks
as always have you tried the soft reset button at the bottom of the player.
256. it doesn’t really matter what software you use to transfere the software. honestly just keep at it it took me 2/3 attempts to get it right
But won’t that delete all my MP3s too?
Yep did it.
Thanks for the advice Rory
no problems glad to here its sorted
still no good
cannot get onto the test mode at all
i have tried at least 10 times now
when anyone has done this procedure ??????
do you actually see anything happening whilst pressing arrows????????
or if not when supposably in test mode cos i dont see anything
does any one live in or near hull cos i have tried this bloody hack with no luck at all
steve 233
its alright you saying you cant understand why people cant use this hack but believe me ///it dont work
i cant even get to the test mode and i have tried loads of times
so how many people out there still cannot use the volume hack??????
Wow! what a difference (just so everyone knows your sposre to have it off! i kept putting it on!)
263 it does work as a hack just keep trying and make sure you push the buttons firmly. .
266
well it dont work on mine but neither did the connect software at all
i might just delete everything and try again
do you have to be connected to anything at all for this hack to work or if not do you have had the player connected up to anything at anytime before?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
follow step by step make sp off thats off the bass is true now really loud i had the hd1 20 is the old 30 on sound with custom even louder use 320 bitrate for best clear sounds on connect software its a new player really people its that good
nope i didn’t have the player connected but it took me a few attempts (3/4) to get the hack to work just go through it slowly
Thanks for the cheat! Works perfectly and 1st time!!
Makes all the difference, thanks again!
my nw-a1000 does’nt let me play ant track it just says “no songs. Connect compliant software and transfer songs” anyone got any idea of what this problem is? i can access the menu and that just wont like me play music?
Hi all,
I finally got the hack to work. My Artist Link button didnt work properly so i had to send it back to sony for them to fix it under Warranty. It came back yesterday and the first time i tried the hack, it worked. if you are having trouble getting it to work, you might have a problem with the artists link button like i did. it was very stiff and didnt click when pressed. if that sounds like yours, maybe think about sending it back to sony for repair.
the volume is now really impressive with all my songs now sounding ten times clearer and agree with everyone else’s comments that it seems to be a completely different (and much improved) player.
Does anyone know if the new ‘screen saver’ thing can be turned off?
Cheers
James
yeah go into custom settings i think and change the auto turn off button to 15 secs i think it something like that
271 james
should the artist link button press in or down ???????????
and should it have a definate click to it?????????????
hey all,
first, cheers 4 the hack, brill!!! was just wondering, iv got the sh*t version 1 connect player that works ok now and again but was just wondering is it better 2 get the sonic stage thing? and is it quick 2 put all your songs on2 it? and does gracenotes work with it? sorry for all the questions but answers would b much appreciated! ta, lucy.
Great Hack, thanx.
very simple to do,now i don’t have to use a headphone amp to get a decent volume!!!!!! , how about doin the same for the MZ-N710 MINIDISC?
Hi
I have managed to get the volume increase on my nwa-1000, but as soon as i turn it down from 30, i can’t turn it up again withut going through the whole hacking process again, if i turn it down, then try and turn it up again it just says the volume can’t be increased!
can anyone help on this?
cheers!
HI
I have sonicstage 1.5AE that I got with my mini disc player ages ago. Will I be able to use this with my NWA3000 when I buy it? Or is it just better to use the new one?
277 no really sure on your problem have you put the new firmware on your player.
278. i’d use a newer version its bound to be better
ok, read long and weary, don’t think my problem has been covered.
I’ve gone through all the steps, volume is real loud, all good, but when I hold the BACK button to go out of the test menu, it turns the player off, rather than merely go back to the play menu. When I turn it back on, the volume is back to what it was originally. However, when I go into the TEST menu again, the music gets really loud. So my player is recognizing the volume unlimited, but only when I’m in the TEST menu. Any ideas/suggestions?
Cheers
can u get out of test menu withouty using back button it sounds like it’s not applying the alterations
hi rory
i still cannot even get into the test menu
i have put the hold on and then tried to use the artist link button but NOTHING happens
any more thoughts???????????
are you keeping the artist link button pushed in while you do it
yes
should it push in or push down??????
someone else said it should make a clicking sound when pushed and had to return their player back to sony
do you know if this is the case???????
Thanks Fran, I was a bit lost but like fran said, the button pointing to the right (not the one in the box) means volume up. I wasnt bothered about the volume just the complete lack of bass, this hacks sorted this out perfectly. Thank You!!
does it work if u use sonic stage 3.4,instead of the connect software?
donig this hack will invalidate the warrenty.
hi anyone
i have just rang sony about not being able to use the artist link button and to use the volume limit hack
they tell me that the artist link button does NOT function as it should if used with sonic stage but there is an upgrade for sonic stage next month and the artist link button and its function will then work
any one having the same problems please let me know
i can’t see how it will invailidate the warrenty cos you can turn the hack on and off although i would off mentioned to sony i’d done the hack
I cant seem to get my nw-a3000 into test mode? Are there any trouble shooting methods that i could try?
Cheers
Chris
Chris just keep trying and make sure you push all the buttons firmly
All works great, but the line out is very distorted….
have you been in to the equaliser settings
chris 290
i had exactly the same problem and no matter how many times i pressed what ever buttons i still cannot get into the test mode
i contacted sony last week and they told me that if i was using sonicstage for my downloading ///which i am//// then the artist link button will NOT work with sonic stage at the moment
there is a new updated download out in june sometime
so if you are using sonic stage at all instead of that rubbish connect then that might be your problem just like me
i got this hack about 2 months ago and it works well and puts up the volume, but now the battery life is starting to go down alot, so i have just turned the hack off.
ps to get artist link to work you need an internet connection and the new connect player version(click online help from the top of connect player)
i also recomend the firmware upgrade(3.0) for the nw-a1000. it adds a clock!
Follow the instructions exactly. Make sure youve set your player to HOLD mode, and then keep holing the LINK button while pressing the sequence. Notice that the arrows in the instructions that look more like —> that are simply saying *then this button* its not saying press the right button.
Once it has been entered you can let go of the LINK button and turn your HOLD off.
It will then say POWER, and you press up or down until you see OTHER, then you press the right button, then press up or down until you find SP SET, then press the play button to select it then press the OPTION button to change it to off, then press the PLAY button to confirm it.
Once all this is done you can press and hold the BACK button to turn the player off.
When you turn it back on you can proceed to play music as normal.
Hope this greater detail is of some help.
Found this on another site….
1. Press HOLD to put the player in hold mode.
2. Hold down LINK and press in order UP, DOWN, OPTION, UP, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, LEFT, PLAY/PAUSE, OPTION.
3. Press HOLD to turn hold off. You will now be in test mode.
4. Press RIGHT to display menu items
5. Press UP/DOWN until you get to “OTHERS”
6. Press RIGHT to display next menu.
7. Press UP/DOWN until you get to “SP SET”
8. Press PLAY/PAUSE, “ON/OFF” is displayed.
9. Press OPTION, “ON/OFF” will be selected.
10. Press PLAY/PAUSE and it will be entered.
11. Exit play mode by pressing and holding BACK for more than a few seconds, release, and then turn the player off.
i thought i was updating my connect player but instead i think i was updating the actual mp3 player. now it has a clock and calender on it, however when i select either 1 it only pops up 4 a couple of seconds n then disapears again. is this what its meant 2 do?
have got the same problem as in 280. has ne1 found a solution for this?
are you holding the back button down for more than a few seconds
Hey! Just wanted to say thanks after reading all the comments (good and bad ) I took a gamble and bought the A3000. I opened the box and did the hack straight away and worked at the second attempt! Thanks guys
Just a question though if anyone can help? I’ve got the original firmware on it and I’m trying to update it. I’ve connected it to my pc and it keeps saying that there’s no connection
Any hints or tips on how to update it?
Thanks again.. I love it!
No worries.. Sorted it
I got a clock!! 
lmao
ignore what i said, i’m an idiot it works fine
thanks
i got in fine, but now looking back through things its frozen n the MAXOUT option, can anyone help me?
mine did this all the time i just pressed all the buttons till it came back to life
Hi all – does this hack merely allow the AVLS to be set to OFF… or can it go even louder?
Sorry – I’m a bit simple, me!
Cheers,
Gavin
It removes the volume limit i always turned avls off
It removes the volume limit i always turned avls off
Just been bought the NW-E003 and the same problem applies the thing is NOT loud enough. Can this one be hacked in a similar way cos otherwise I’m just going to have to replace the thing with something a bit more rock n roll?
1. have you turned AVLS off.
just downloaded the newest version of sonic stage(((version 4))) which enables the use of the artist link button now
with out this update it is NOT possable to use the volume limit hack because of not being able to use the artist link button
now with update i can use volume hack BUT i did not really think it improved the volume that much
anyone else found this as well?????????????
Hey these are now on ebuyer for £124 how cheap is that
the hack works a blooming treat. nearly blew my ears off like
well done
does ne 1 no wat ne of the other settins do???
Can someone tell me how much progression there is after the hack?
I’ve tried it a couple of times, but it doesn’t seem to change much.
Thx Tim
Maybe I’m doing something wrong, tried it both on and off.
put all the eqaulizer settings to the top then you notice the differenece
hi there, does anyone else know what any of the options in the test menu do? i would muck around with it, but as ive only just got it, i dont particularly want to mess around with it. oh yer, and i now get fireworks (things flying across the screen) now ive done the volume hack…
WOW!
thatnks
if you go to screen settings you can turn the fireworks off
hi rory,
where are the screen settings? just wondering ’cause that might help with the battery problems (i.e. reduced length) that some people ar having.
Ta.
If you go to settings in the bottom left hand corner and then go to screen settings and change auto off to 15 secs i think.
I found the volume hack worked great, almost twice as loud, oh yea there are 4 extra screensavers available also including dolfins and rabbits.
Go to atrac life at the top of page, enter forums, go to HDD forum and look for the screensaver thread, is was in Japanese but now there is an English page with link and intructions.
Good luck
How untechnical am I – think I posted this question on the wrong page!
I am trying to unlock the volume restrictor on NW-A1000 but following the instructions which says to use the HOLD function button then makes all other function buttons locked so how do you continue? Continually confused by modern technology!
I am sure if i remember correctly if you hold the link key down like in step 3 it kind of over-rides hold
Ok, after farting around with this for long enough, I decided to bite the bullet and try out the other options in the test mode and I found the option MAXOUT which as you may guess puts the damm thing into full audio output mode, so here goes……
When you get into test mode by using the instructions above, then start off by selecting OTHERS , then do the following ( use the down arrow and right arrow and you should see the screen output as follow)
OTHERS
↓
POWER
↓
AUDIO→OUTPUT
↓
SN
↓
F1
↓
F2
↓
F3
↓
F4
↓
SEPLR
↓
SEPLR
↓
MAXOUT
So when you get here then press play/pause and it will start to play one of your tracks at max volume, to see the effect press the OPTION button for toggling on/off.
I am listening to it now working at full output which is great. Also dont forget to use the Custom EQ which gives you a bit more base and treble to finally get the true sound out of it.
….if only everything in life was so easy……….
Good luck
Andy
I’m a little worried that the MAXOUT is for line out, and not for headphones, but I have not tried it yet.
I find that after the first hack it is more than loud enough and anymore out put would just eat up the battery.
Cheers for the tip, I’m trying to hack my Hi MD PLAYER at the moment, almost there.
I have a sony nw a3000. I have upgraded to the new firmware and I use sonic stage 4.0. Tracks now transfer fine and it sounds great.
What it does not do is display the albums in alphabetical order. I only get A-Z and etc at the top. Is this solvable????
if ou get enough songs on you player (around 500 odd i think), it divides it up into gorups like A-E and so on. This is alphabetical… im guessing that it will divide up more if i put more songs on yet, but have not really had the time to put the 1200 odd more songs on yet.
yes if you eventually put enough albums on then it does go from a-b-c-d-e and so on
Can the controls of the A3000 be locked when the device is switched off (like a mobile phone). The device switches on when carried in a bag and kills the battery, even though it has a leather case around it
Of course they can be locked with the hold switch, you just press hold before you turn it off.
Its not a mechanical one, so just lock it before it turns off.
Thnx a lot to all!!! I just bought the NW-A3000 and I was totally furious with that problem. Now it’s all gone and I can actually use it! Great help! Someone should tell SONY about that trick… ;0)
OK… from your replys, I get it, it works!! Now, can anyone, PLEASE tell me how to get my NW-E002 sound LOUDER??!!!
Eric, there is no volume hack for the NW-E00? series, I have looked on Atrac life, there is a service mode you can enter, but no volume hack.
WOW!!!!
Cheers for that, what a difference!
I was going to get a refund ‘cos the vol was crap, but I’ll def be kkeping it now!
Thanks again, wicked!
thanks for the vol hack the nwa3000 is so much betta than an i pod!!!
and now i can hear the music as wel even betta!!
Just bought the NW-A1000 in pink cos it was on clearance at 53 quid in Boots, thought it was a bargain, despite the colour. Everyone is right about the software, utter rubbish! The volume limiter hack is great! Gonna install SonicStage4 later to see if that’s better, at least slightly, than connect software. I have v.3 firmware installed now, which supports AAC apparently, but it appears connect software doesnt.. I hope SonicStage4 will let me copy all my iTunes AAC files across (non-protected ones)
Thankyou very much.
I’ve struggled on the tube with my NWA3000, now I’m struggling to hear anything when I take off my headphones.
This shit realy works.. i had some troble finding this SP SET but after that ALL GOOD so if you are having problem finding this SP SET keep on serching it realy pays of.. i am listening to music in seinheiser hedphons and the player can go over theyr limit.. (or its own limit) at least i cant go over 28 in vol 29 and 30 it starts to fuck up :::)))) THANKS GUYS
Hi all…Is there any volume hack available for a Sony NW E 507? Thankx in advance. Greetings Andy
Nothing too original to say but CHEERS!!!! Metallica at proper volume at last. I’d reverted to my old NWE 507 (still a great player) then I found this site and WALLOP! Bleeding ear-drums ahoy!
hi, is it work for the nw-3000? because it seems i cant work on it. i cnat go to the test mode
thanks in advance
i cant get in test mode. i follow the instructions but no luvk. will i see on the screen test mode or not?
please help
Another happy customer. Much louder, much better!
I just wonder wether this will compromise my battery life?…who cares when it sounds this good!
Thank you!
My NW-A3000 cuts out when I go running???? What can I do ?????
Ive now tried the max out thing and the screen is now saying output, and doing nothing else wont even turn off “Help”
AMAZING!!!
Thank you so much for this – Now I can noe have it loud enough to make my ears bleed, rather than having to listen to background noise on the London Underground.
[...] Update the Firmware! – normal units ship with the V1.0 firmware. they are now on V3. Its easy to upgrade. just charge your battery fully, then plug it into your PC and run the installer. Volume Limiter Hack – make your NWA3000 (or other unit) louder… visit the techlounge website for more info on accessing this function. [...]
Reading all the comments here tell me that people don’t ever read the fucking manual.
Where the link button? This player is crap. Where’s the bass boost? ZOMG, ARTIST LINK DOES NOT WORK!
WTF guys. READ THE MANUAL. Link button is the orange glowy tab on the left side of your player. Bass boost is obtained by setting equalizer to Heavy. Artist link requires Connect Player to update all the links first, and it takes some time. Took me an hour or so to get all the Artist Link data updated on first run coz of my massive music collection.
Again, read the manual. It’s all there, and chances are, your complaints are invalid.
Thanks soo much! – glad i didnt buy the info off ebay last month!
i wanted to downlard the software for my mini disc player version 1.5 ae sonicstage but i cannot find the software on the net. i lost the software cd
Hi I have the 8gb nwa 1200 and i don’t find the “others”option in the list
the volume hack doesn’t seem to work on the version 3 firmware – all of the codes have chnaged – any ideas
Hey the Hack work on my 3.o firmware version ….
Cant seem to get the hack to work! I hadnt realised that the button on the side did anything because it doesnt seem very button like, i.e. when you press it it does nothing! Perhaps my button is broken? Anyway any help/ advice would be awesome because im dying to turn it up to 11 in a spinal tap fashion!
Awesome…I no longer have to listen to that stupid old woman on the train nagging about weather and the price of mince…. Music is alive once more!
Good Lord!!!!!! Well done chaps! Not just great for blasting your ears off, it also picks up the quieter intro’s much clearer. Bring on the Stairway!!
Tried today after reading some reviews that the hack could screw it up. After reading comments here gave it a go. Doesn’t sound a great deal louder but it IS louder. I can’t use in ear headphones so have the ones that rest on the ears and clip over the ear lobe so this should help when walking to lunch by the busy road.
Intrigued to know if the MAXOUTPUT hack that was posted above is also for the volume from headphones or just line out?
May give that a try now.
Just tried the maxoutput command.
All it does on mine is push the volume to 30 for the test.
I left it at 17 for the start then the MAXOUTPUT pushed it to 30. Came out of Test mode and put it back down to 17 and no noticeable difference for me.
It does not work on mi Sony NW-A3000 20gb silver anyone help plz!!!!!! really want a lounder mp3!! plz plz plz help
do you have to hold down artist link all the ti me?
if you cud help via msn it wud be great
conorhogan123@hotmail.com
Hi folks,
Just tried this on my A3000 (running firmware v 3.00) and it worked a treat!
It’s my one year anniversary with the player, and only now am I getting it to work like I want it to! It can even use Artist Link after the latest firmware / Sonicstage upgrades!
Calendar is useless though, ain’t it?
Cheers
A
hi have tried this but i havent found the test mode. i have tried unlocking the test mode but cannot find it anywhere.
sorry if im sounding thick
Hi Adam,
you need to follow the instructions EXACTLY: put the player into Hold by pressing the hold key….
Then press and keep pressing the Link Key Left hand side of the player as you look at with your left hand and keep pressing it….
Then run through the key presses as dictated above, remembering to finish off by letting go of all the keys and then pressing the HOLD key, the player then you will find the player reduces the volume (if you are listening to it) and POWER apprears on the screen, now navigate around the menus (to get to others, press down arrow TWICE.
RIGHT ARROW ONCE (G Test appears)
UP ARROW FOUR TIMES (SP SET appears)
Press Play/pause key (On or Off) depending on which mode it’s set in.
Press OPTION to Toggle On or Off
Press Play/Pause to confirm
Now press BACK, player resets (beeps)
Press play/pause to turn player back on, you will now find the player will be louder than it was previously.
Hope this helps anyone who’s struggled a little.
Best wishes
Darren J
Very nice hack!
Although i would still rather it to be even louder as it took me a couple tries to notice a difference. Apart from that i think its an extremly good player, better than any of those shabby little Apple Mac things
Be warned—– any sound over 80DB could damage your hearing, I reccommend you invest in a good set of headphones, that isolate sound and let u play it at a quieter level rather than hacking the sony device.
—WARNING PLEASE READ——–
Well this is strange so if anyone knows please leave your comments.I bought nw a 1000 ,2 weeks ago and im satisfied except from the limit, on the sound system,so I searched and found this forum.Now where is the strange thing,some say that before, sound was up to 25 and after the hack, up to 30 ,but mine is allready 30 ????and I didnt hack it.But still the limit is not satisfying so I try to hack it but no luck, so my question is ,does the update firmware or sonic stage or something prevents this hack cause im doing step by step the instructions and still after 24 attempts have no luck.Please help!!
hi there can anoone tehre tell me how to unluck Sony Network Walkman NW-HD5 ? pleas
THANKS to whoever found this hack!
I am not a SONY fan but when this player was an offer for 90 euros in an big electronic market here in Germany I bought it – and was very disappointed with the volume.
I thought I wasted my money – until I found this site.
Now the player is really like I wanted it. OK, the software is really crap, I would have preferred direct mp3 playback (like with Archos, my other player).
Well, but now I can live with the SonicStage crap because I know the transfer work is finally worth it – the excellent sound quality and the bass volume are a blast at full volume!
the volume unlcok afftected my battery life, i only get 6- 8 hours playback now , its terrbile someone help me
and i charge it properly :@ please help!!!
Very nice hack!!! Been majorly disappointed with the software on my NWA3000 and the volume level is s**t, but use this hack, download Sonic stage 4 and invest in a good set of headphones (Sennheiser CX300 are pretty good) and it’s an awesome MP3 player. Cheers!
Works nicely on my NWA1200, thanks for posting the hack. I can’t listen to my own music yet as my files are still transferring (it’s taking hours). The software is pants, Sony!!
How’s people’s battery life afterwards? Is 6-8 hours to be expected? I guess it’s a small price to pay.
I’m using Sennheiser MX100′s with mine
I had an old Sony CD Walkman and the AVLS *did my head in* (if not my ears)! Of course it could be years of Walkman abuse
Actually now I’ve had this for a day, and I know what I’m doing, the software isn’t that bad..a bit slow, but fine. I expected it to be a real nightmare after reading up on the NWA1000/1200/3000 online. I’m using SonicStage 3.2 and the firmware upgrade 3.0.
I passed on the hack to my younger stepbrother too, and he’s dead chuffed.
Love the sony nwa 1000. But the earphones that accompany it are no good. Recently upgraded them which was a little better, but this volume hack is amazing.
THANKYOU
about to buy an nwa 3000 from e bay. Apparantly all the screen says is low battery please charge. Can anyone help?
EARDRUMS ARE EVIL!! THEY MUST BE PUNISHED!! THANKS TECHLOUNGE!!!
I have to open my NWA-3000 to push the LINK button, i have destroy my cover and the link button is gone, but it works, iam happy no, and is okay that my walkman looks fuckt , i dont like the sony player i got it for free anyway so iam just happy that i can hear loud music now.
hope others dont goona have the same problem like me.
THANK YOU! I LOVE YA!
been walking around with me a3000 for a year wishing it was louder, and youve showed me how
Mwah!
does sony nwa3000 have similar ‘line out’ option as featured on the sony nw-hd5
My artist link button is broken. i guess this means this won’t work for me, i hate this sodding mp3 player
Hack works great. But dont use either SonicStage or Connect. Best alternative is the ml_sony.dll . Do a search in Google and follow the simple instructions. Take care though as it may corrupt the database on your NWA. Its a plugin for winamp media library and….well it just works. Saved my NWA3000 from certain death.
oops. should have said you will need Winamp 2.0 or earlier
Hi, Yeah the NWA-3000 does have a lineout option
I have a little sony NW-S202 and it suffers from the stupidly low volume problem as well. Is there a hack for this too??
I have the a3000. I purchased it late 2006 and love it except with the passing of time, the battery is getting weaker. Is it because i changed the software to sonicstage? I probably have around 2 hours life between charges now and its even less if i have to skip tracks on the shuffle mode.
Can anyone help explain why the battery is so rubbish now? is there anything i can do to remedy this. I am being driven mad having to charge it all the time
hi,
i’ve had the nwa3000 for AGES and not only have i NEVER been able to get this to work, but i can’t even upload to it ever since i upgraded to a Vista laptop. SS 4.3 only runs if i don’t attach the unit – whenever i do, it (SS 4.3) crashes within 90secs!!!
has anyone else experienced this?
I tried this, it works…i’m using the Sony in-ear headphones and it’s definitly a lot louder….!
I’m going crazy.. i can’t find the”linK” button.. Someone said it’s on the back, and that it should be orange.. but i haven’t any button on the bottom of my player…. please heeeeeeeeelp me!
Hi Kiki, the link button is on the left hand side near the top. Hope this helps.
why dont you go to the settings and turn avls(vol.limit)the it will go to 30 rather than just 13
Ah.. I tryed this it came up with “POWER”
I also have my test button severely damged and stuck in..
I can use a knife to press the link button but I have to through the back part of the cover..
Im guessing this is very dangerous?:3
Ive had this unit for 3 years and ive only just worked it out, on my3000 you have to press option when you get to others menu for a couple of secs no other way made it work.
Wow, thanks! I’ve had an NWA3000 for years and the volume hack has given it a new lease of life. Sounds better too
Great stuff. But don’t switch the AVLS on again as it seems to resets the volume
and you have to go through the whole exercise again
Great hack, works perfectly.
Butttttt… Now my player freezes every few minutes! After about 10 seconds of silence it gets back to business. Tried to undo, but still freezes…
Anyone has a solution other than screwing with electronics?
