Customer Reviews

Sony VAIO VGF-WA1/W Wireless Digital Music Streamer (Black)

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This product, once you upgrade the firmware to revision 1.20 is a wonderful tool that allows you to escape the sturm und drang of the commercial airwaves - and stream advertisement-free internet radio subject only to the range of your wireless router's signal. The unit's sound rivals my Bose Wave Radio's performance.

Without the firmware upgrade you are limited to radio stations from Live365. Personally, I suspect that Live365 had an exclusive deal with Sony to restrict the firmware in the US market - but search the web for the Japanese firmware upgrade (search for SOFOTH-01589600-UN.exe). Warning: you will need to use the Google web page language translation tool to identify the correct download link and readme file. The install program is in english but I believe that I had to translate the readme file.

You should also be confident in your abilities to enter yor wireless network security settings into the software that comes with the unit (SSID, PassPhrase, Security Protocol: e.g. WEPPSK2). While the unit seemingly allows you to enter these network settings via the touchscreen on the unit - it does not work! You have to use the software that comes with the unit and attach the unit to your PC w/ the USB cable. Even if you are tempted to convert your passphrase to hex (as is required when using the radio's interface) so that you can enter the information into the radio directly, once again, it does not work...

I cannot state anything about the radio's ability to stream your music collection from your PC's hard disk via the wireless USB transmitter that also comes with the unit. Unless you have a SONY Viao PC, the software will not work with Windows XP after Service Pack 3 has been installed. If you have a SONY Viao PC there is a software patch that is available to fix this problem (Google for the file: SOAOTH-16262200-US.EXE)

Finally, the unit's internal battery lasts for four hours so that you can bring the unit out onto the deck or into the yard for wireless & powerless listening. Hope this helps you avoid the hassles with getting this unit up and running - it was worth it for me!

Update 8/09:
I was able to use my Vista based PC to get the wireless feature working to send music to the internal memory of the unit. It worked seamlessly and I can now rely on my alarm going off when we lose power and the wireless network is down. Just set your alarm source to internal memory. I tested that the alarm will still work off of the internal battery if you lose power.