Straight out of the box, Sony once again provides innovations that make their products unique to own. For example, each drive is shipped in its own hard plastic, clear protective case, which opens (book style) like the old file covers for tape drives. The drive itself is surrounded by two compartments, which hold included USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 connection cables. The plastic cases are great for storage and identification, as they can be easily labeled and stored, dust free, on any shelf.
Inside, the drives themselves are sleek, light, and well-protected. Each drive measures approximately 3.5 x 1.12 x 5.9 inches and is encased in a silicone rubber bumper that not only protects the drive from impacts, but also serves to provide a modicum of airflow between drives when they are stacked. The drives are stackable because of a concave/convex design built into each corner of the heavy silicon cover. Along with the drive’s aluminum casing, this small amount of airflow provides an added layer of protection from overheating, especially prevalent among small portable drives.
The front of the drive simply displays the Sony logo and a small identifier of which drive you have (SSD 256 or HDD 500GB or HDD 1TB) against a stark (and stylish) white faceplate. The rear of the drive showcases another extra you’ll appreciate—three connection ports (one USB 3.0 and two FireWire 800 ports) that are covered by a soft silicone door that keeps out foreign matter like dust and/or accidentally spilled liquids.
The drives fit in the palm of your hand. They are extremely light (11.3 ounces for the hard drive, and only 9.5 ounces for the solid-state drive), and include an LED indicator on the front panel that lets you know when the drive is in use. The silicon bumpers give you a great grip on the drive when handling it.
We tested two versions of the drive: a 500GB traditional spindle drive and a 256GB solid-state version. There is also a 1TB spindle hard drive, but the benchmarks for the 500GB and 1TB are identical. All drives come with the hard-case holder, USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 cables, silicon rubber bumpers, and the physical dimensions are the same. All the drives are also bus powered, which means that you won’t need an additional power supply to use your drive—simply plug in either the USB 3.0 or FireWire cable and connect to your host computer and you are good to go.
You can format the drives to FAT 32, NTSF, or HFS+. File types and file sizes will determine the speed you experience with your drives. Sony’s internal benchmarks are transfer speeds of 121MB/s read and 120MB/s, write, for the hard disk drive, and 419MB/s read and 404MB/s write speeds for the solid-state drive. In real-world terms, that speed is rarely achieved. So many things can interfere or bottleneck your transfer speeds, including file types, software and hardware configurations, processor speed, and more. Sony testing involved the use of an SSD laptop to remove this hardware bottleneck from the testing.
For our tests, however, we found speeds that were admirable. Using a USB 3.0 connection with no background programs running and transferring files via TeraCopy file-transfer software, we transferred a number of file types and found this:
500GB / 1TB Hard Disk Drive (5400 rpm)
File Type | Time |
1.43GB .mp4 movie file | 13 seconds |
346MB .avi file | 4.33 seconds |
25 Word documents, 21Kb a piece | <1 second |
1400 MP3 files (5.14 GB total) | 2minutes 35 seconds |
25 low-res jpgs (600KB each) | 3 seconds |
238 eBooks | 25 seconds |
256GB Solid-State Drive
File Type | Time |
1.43GB .mp4 movie file | 8 seconds |
346MB .avi file | 4 seconds |
25 Word documents, 21Kb apiece | <1 second |
1400 MP3 files (5.14 GB total) | 2 minutes 22 seconds |
25 low-res jpgs (600KB each) | 2 seconds |
238 eBooks | 20 seconds |
The Sony drives held up under pressure as well. Sony’s internal testing required a drop onto a carpeted surface on six sides of the HDD and SSD. Sony also claims that the hard drives are MIL-STD-810G compliant. This type of shock resistance requires the drives to be dropped 26 times onto plywood, including eight corners, twelve edges, and six sides of the drives.
Our own testing showed an equivalent rating. We dropped the hard drive four times without incident. Then we dropped the hard drive from a five-foot ledge onto a hard surface, which did scramble the heads, and we ended up with a failed drive. Oddly enough, after a reformatting, the drive worked perfectly again (albeit without any of the original information on it). The SSD fared even better. We dropped the SSD a total of six times, once from a five-foot ledge, without the drive failing. We do not suggest that you put your drive through this kind of rigorous testing. Most household or workplace accidents occur with a drop from desk height, which is normal. These Sony drives display a great deal of strength, and would definitely survive the rigors of daily transport.
And transport is what these drives are designed to handle. Whether you’re a photographer looking for a fast storage solution while on a shoot, or a mobile power player who needs a little extra space that an Ultrabook doesn’t provide. These are also great for transferring libraries of music and photos from one location to another. Grab one to back up important files from work, and then handily bring them home to work on them. A target application for Sony is the offloading/backup of memory cards in the field by professional videographers, to give you a greater sense of the utility of these drives.
The possibilities are endless, and Sony once again steps up to the plate with a stylish yet functional solution for consumers as well as professionals who don’t want to sacrifice aesthetics for reliability. The new line of Sony Portable Storage will fit your every need, and their flexible, stackable design will ensure that you won’t buy just one.
For more information on these Sony portable storage solutions, stop by the B&H SuperStore in New York, speak with a sales professional on the telephone at 1-800-606-6969 or contact us online via Live Chat.
| HDD | SSD | ||
| Model Name | PSZHA50 | PSZ-HA1T | PSZ-SA25 |
| Capacity | 500GB | 1TB | 256GB |
| User Capacity | 465GB | 930GB | 238GB |
| Weight | 11.3 ounces (320g) | 11.3 ounces (320g) | 9.5 ounces (270g) |
| Rotational Speed | 5400 rpm | 5400 rpm | N/A |
| Transfer Speeds | Read/Write Up to 120MBps | Read/Write Up to 120MBps | Read/Write Up to 400MBps |
| Sony Internal Test Standard | 2.0m without hard case 2.4m with hard case | 2.0m without hard case 2.4m with hard case | 2.3m without hard case 2.4m with hard case |
| Ports | 1x USB 3.0, 2x FireWire 800 | 1x USB 3.0, 2x FireWire 800 | 1x USB 3.0, 2x FireWire 800 |
| Power Consumption | 4.5w (USB 3.0)/5W (FireWire 800) | 4.5w (USB 3.0)/5W (FireWire 800) | 4.5w (USB 3.0)/5W (FireWire 800) |
| Power Supply | USB bus power (DC 5V) FireWire bus power (DC 8 to 33v) | USB bus power (DC 5V) FireWire bus power (DC 8 to 33v) | USB bus power (DC 5V) FireWire bus power (DC 8 to 33v) |
| Operating Temperature | 41° to 104°F (5° to 40°C) | 41° to 104°F (5° to 40°C) | 41° to 104°F (5° to 40°C) |
| Storage Temperature | -4° to 140°F (-20° to 60°C) | -4° to 140°F (-20° to 60°C) | -4° to 140°F (-20° to 60°C) |
| Operatng Humidity | 8% to 90% (no condensation) | 8% to 90% (no condensation) | 8% to 90% (no condensation) |
| Storage Humidity | 8% to 90% (no condensation) | 8% to 90% (no condensation) | 8% to 90% (no condensation) |
| MIL-STD-810G Compliant | 1.22m without hard case | 1.22m without hard case | 1.22m without hard case |
| Dust Resistant/Splash Resistant | IP5X/IPX4 | IP5X/IPX4 | IP5X/IPX4 |
| File Systems (Factory Default) | FAT 32 | FAT 32 | FAT 32 |
| Operating System | Mac and Windows | Mac and Windows | Mac and Windows |
| Dimensions (unit) | 3.5 x 1.12 x 5.9" (90 x 28.4 x 150.6mm) | 3.5 x 1.12 x 5.9" (90 x 28.4 x 150.6mm) | 3.5 x 1.12 x 5.9" (90 x 28.4 x 150.6mm) |
| Dimensions (hard case) | 6.5 x 1.4 x 6.9" (166 x 36 x 176mm) | 6.5 x 1.4 x 6.9" (166 x 36 x 176mm) | 6.5 x 1.4 x 6.9" (166 x 36 x 176mm) |
| Included Items | Hard case USB Cable (60cm) FireWire 800 Cable (60cm) Instruction Manual | Hard case USB Cable (60cm) FireWire 800 Cable (60cm) Instruction Manual | Hard case USB Cable (60cm) FireWire 800 Cable (60cm) Instruction Manual |
| Warranty | 3 Year Limited | 3 Year Limited | 3 Year Limited |
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