Black E-Series available for order in Canada and S-Series available for order in US

Checking the US and Canadian Sony Style websites, it appears some of the new walkmans can be ordered right now. More information and a coupon to save 25 bucks on the new E-Series in Canada after the break.

Blog news: Comments and User Reviews

First, I removed the need to sign in if you want to leave comments. If you have a Google account or an OpenID account you can sign in if you wish but otherwise you can post without signing in. However I did have to turn on comment moderation so that any spam comments can be deleted before posting.

Second, I have changed the layout a bit by making the side more wide and upping the size of the text so it is easier to read.

Thanks

Ascariss

Live photos of E-Series and S-Series from CNET (Updated)

CNET’s Jasmine France got a hold of the new E and S from Sony. The new walkmans look surprisingly good in the live shots and should sell well due to competitive pricing, but CNET did mention this had its downsides. Link to the review and gallery after the break.

User Manuals: New E-Series (E44x, E34x) and New S-Series (S54x)

Sony Europe has posted the operation manuals and quick start guides for the new E-Series. The documents are available in many languages but I will just post up the English version and if people request other languages I can post those up as well.

NWZ-E34x
E34x Operation Manual

E34x Quick Start Guide

NWZ-E44x
E44x Operation Manual (copy link to browser)
ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/manuals/consumer/4154408111.PDF

E44x Quick Start Guide (copy link to browser)
ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/manuals/consumer/4154411112.PDF

NWZ-S54x
S54x Operation Manual

S54x Quick Start Guide

Enjoy.

SonyStyle Visit and the X

I had some free time this morning when I was downtown so I hoped on over to one of the SonyStyle stores. I decided to see if I could convince the sales person to lower the price of the X-Series to some civilized level. I mentione I could get the X-Series (32GB) shipped from the UK with taxes for 410-415 Canadian. The sales representative was puzzled by the low price but still decided to see if they could match it or at least come close to it.

New Walkman Accessories

In addition to the new S-Series, Sony Europe also unveiled quite a few new accessories to compliment the new S and E. These include armbands, silicone cases for both E and S, and a soft carry case for the new S, but more importantly 3 docks, the BCR-NWU7, SRS-NWGU50 and the E440K. More information after the break.

E versus E (Updated)

While I was preparing the E-Series post for the blog I ran into a problem, lack of information in the Canadian press release. I was aware that the E-Series in Europe shipped with FM radio and even voice/radio recording functions, but neither was mentioned in the press release for the E. So I went to see if SonyStyle Canada had the new walkmans up for pre-order (available around September 23). To my surprise it turns out there are 2 different versions of the E-Series, the NWZ-E-34x for North America and the NWZ-E44x for Europe and probably the rest of the world.

Sony E-Series lands in North America (NWZ-E34x)

Coupled with the new S-Series debut, Sony has also introduced its new E-Series Walkman Video MP3 players for North America, designed for those looking for great functionality at affordable prices.  More after the break.

Sony Walkman S540 Series breaks cover

Sony today unveiled the new S-Series walkman, here are the facts from Sony:

• S540 series: First WALKMAN video MP3 player with built-in stereo speakers for sharing your music
• Digital Linear Phase Speaker System with Virtual Bass and Linear Phase Correction for rich, satisfying sound
• High quality listening with Clear Stereo and Clear Bass technologies
• Large, bright, high resolution 2.4-inch LCD for comfortable video viewing
• Extra-long battery life up to 42 hrs audio /6.5 hrs video (17 hrs audio / 5 hrs video using speakers)
• FM tuner with record facility to enjoy radio broadcasts any time
• Available in four stylish colours: Black, Pink, Violet, Red
• 8GB ~ $110 US $130 CAD, 16GB ~ $130 US, $160 CAD

The rest of the press release and more images after the break.

Here’s to hope and perhaps Sony finally getting it right

Well it is the second to last Monday in August and supposedly the Sony goods from IFA are meant to start flying a week from today, August 31. Samsung’s new YP-M1 MP3 player is set for its European debut at the show and it sports the Nvidia Tegra chipset, a 3.3 in AMOLED display and comes in 8, 16 and 32 GB capacities. Will Sony wow us with anything similar?  More after the break.

W-Series Walkman Moisture Issues

Sony Insider recently followed up on the moisture issue with the W-Series and it appears Sony USA will be replacing the models affected free of charge until 2011.

I have checked the Sony Canada Support page and found no information regarding any free replacements for Canada or even admitting a problem exists. I am unaware if there are any problems with W-Series models in Canada, but it would be interesting to see if anyone has had this issue.

IFA 2009 Preview

It is almost the end of August and that means it is time for the world’s largest consumer electronic show, the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA). I am anticipating the new A-Series walkman which I believe is to go on sale this October. Last year Sony revealed the S, E and B walkmans with most available for sale shortly after. This of course is a good indication since, "IFA is a trade show which is focused more on market-ready technologies” according to Jens Heithecker the executive director of Messe Berlin, which organizes the IFA trade fair each year. Unlike CES, any new products at IFA should go on sale within 1-2 months, and not 4-6 months as with the X-Series.

X-Series Walkman Scoops up EISA award

The Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) has awarded Sony with 6 award for 2009-2010 with the X-Series Walkman picking up the award for 'Best European Personal Media Player'. The 2009-2010 EISA Awards will be presented at a special Gala Event in Berlin on the 4th of September 2009.

Welcome to the Walkman Blog (Updated)

I am sure this world does not need another blog devoted to electronics and the such and I agree, but I personally believe the the Sony Walkman does not receive the proper coverage and discussion that it deserves. I own a mini collection of old and current walkmans and am currently evaluating which new walkman to purchase, either the X-Series or wait for the new A-Series.