Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year's Everyone, thank you to all the visitors and comments.

Especially to the Sony folks, since I know they visit the blog from time to time. :)

Sony CES 2011 Preview (Update)

Here we are again at the end of the year with CES 2011 approaching fast. So will Sony have anything worthwhile this year for Walkman fans? Two years ago Sony unveiled the Walkman X-Series at CES 2009 but it was kept from the public’s fingers until later in the year. With zero Walkman news at CES 2010, does this mean Sony will finally come back strong at CES 2011 with a successor to the X-Series? With Qriocity launching in 2011 perhaps Sony will launch a player that will be able to take advantage of the service in select markets, but this then leaves many other markets were Qriocity will be unavailable to consumers.

Happy Holidays from the Walkman Blog

 

 

Happy Holidays everyone, and Merry Christmas

I would like to thank all the visitors to the blog over this past year and wish everyone a safe and wonderful Holiday Season this year.

Interview with Sony NAS-V7M/V5 Designers

Shaped and finished to accent rooms in style

Look again-it's a stereo system. With unconventional contours and finishes, this dock speaker system looks great no matter how you position it. The new styling comes from a regard for interior design. Go behind the scenes with the designers who made inimitable Sony style clear from any angle.

	Akio Suzuki Sony Corporation Creative Center Senior Manager
	Yasufumi Yamaji Sony Corporation Creative Center Producer and Senior Designer
	Yusuke Otani Sony Corporation Creative Center Designer

Sony India introduces new E-Series

 

The new E-Series Walkman (NWZ-E350, NWZ-E450) has been introduced by Sony India. Two capacities will be available, 4 and 8GB, pricing is Rs 4990 and Rs 6990 respectively. The 4GB model is available in black and red, whereas the 8GB model is available as black and gold. If I recall correctly the E350 only comes with a USB port, so it will not work with any WM-port accessories, whereas the E450 will since it is equipped with a WM-port.

Sony NWD300 Active Speaker

Recently I have received a few emails and messages regarding docks for Walkmans and unfortunately there are not many available in Europe. I was able to locate one, the RDP-NWD300. It is available on the Sony website but for pre-order only and searchomg for the device on amazon.co.uk yields no results. A quick search on Google yields a few online retailers having the units available for pre-order.

 

 Here are the specifications from Sony’s website:

• 5Wx2
• iFS Technology
• WM-Port
• PC mode
• line-in
• remote control
• colours: black and white

Limited Edition Disney Sony S-Series S750/S750K

 

A new special edition is to go on limited sale in early December in Japan. The unit ships with a special Micky and Minnie wallpaper, a special limited silicon case, a large Minnie plushie and a Minnie Mouse strap. The 750K model ships also with a speaker cradle. Both the 750 and 750K come in 8GB capacities with prices 155 and 181 Euros respectively. Orders will start from November 11th to the 19th, with shipping in early December.

AKIHABARANEWS review of Sony NW-S755

AKIHABARANEWS has a review up of the Japanese S-Series, S755. Overall the review is positive with high marks for the design, features and performance. Unfortunately no player is perfect and the review mentions some cons, such as no playlists on the go, can nott listen to the player while charging and no dedicated on/off switch for the noise cancellation. I would highly agree with the NC switch since owning a X-Series, the dedicated switch is a nice touch to be able to turn it on and off on the go and not jumble through menus. I have yet to check out the new S-Series at the Sony Store but will be heading up next week to the store to see if they have any in stock.

Sony NAS-V5 receives New White colour option

Sony will be adding a new colour to the NAS-V5 lineup. The new white colour will be joining the already released black and pink units. Click here to read about the NAS-V5 from an earlier post.

New Sony CMT-L7D Multimedia Component

Sony has introduced a new stereo component with a walkman dock. The CMT-L7D comes with a 9-inch LCD and an output of 100W. The screen can also double as a picture frame. The component can play various media files such as music, videos and photos with support for CD and DVD media. Music enhancements include the S-Master AMP, MEGABASS and MP3 booster which improves the quality of mp3 files. There is support for an external USB device, SD cards and Sony’s memory stick with MP3, WMA and AAC file support. The CMT-L7D goes on sale on September 10th with an expected price of 50,000yen or 446 Euros.

Harman Japan: JBL Portable speaker for Walkman

 

Harman Japan will be releasing a new portable speaker dock by JBL for the Walkman in October. The dock features the WM-port and comes with a remote for easy operation of your Walkman. The dock is equipped with stereo in and will come in 2 colours, black and white. The dock can run off 4 AAA batteries or the included AC adapter that will work overseas. Therefore if one can import this from Japan, it will work in Europe and North America. Expected price is around 13,000yen or 116 Euros.

RockridgeSound introduces a compact speaker dock for the Walkman

 

Earlier this year RockridgeSound introduced their first designed for Walkman product, the SG-W20. Now RockridgeSound is releasing a smaller compact speaker dock, the SG-W10. The SG-W10 comes in 3 different colours, green, pink and is quite compact in size 150(w) x 130(d) x 95(h) mm. All units ship with remote, easy to use controls and 3 different inputs on the rear (subwoofer, headphones and aux in). The expect price is 7980 yen or around 70 Euros. Unfortunately this is only available in Japan.

Sony Revamps A-Series (NW-A850)

Sony has re-launched the A-Series again, same design, same capacity, but some new features, such as lyrics. Like the previous generation, it comes in 16, 32 and 64 GB capacities and 3 different colours, black, white and pink. The 64GB model is only available in black and white. The new A-Series will be going on sale on November 13th in Japan only, with the following pricing: 24,000yen (16GB), 30,000yen (32GB) and 40,000 (64GB).

With both the new E-Series and S-Series in Europe supporting lyrics and such, it would have been a wiser choice for Sony to release the A850 in higher capacities for Europe than the A840 version. It remains to be seen if the A850 will be available elsewhere or if a firmware update will be released to add lyric support to the A840.

New E-Series NW-E050 (Japan Only)

Sony has released another E-Series, the NW-E050, here is a quick specification list:

• 2GB and 4GB capacities
• MP3/WMA/ATRAC/ATRAC Advanced Lossless/Linear PCM/AAC 2/HE-AA
• Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, DSEE
• 4 colours - blue, pink, silver, black
• 13.5mm EX headphones
• 1.4-inch LCD (128x160)
• small size 34.8mm × 77.0mm × 9.8mm

The new E-Series will go on sale in Japan on October 9th.

Sony introduces super-slim WALKMAN S750

Well here it is, the unknown Walkman, the new S-Series.

Mysterious new Walkman at IFA?

 

What do we have here?

 

It is next to the A-Series which is at the top left of the image. Definitely not the A-Series, not the new E-Series, that is right below it, so what is it? Could it be the new S-Series that will replace the current S-Series? Who knows.

Music Unlimited and the Walkman

Later this year Sony will be launching a new music service which will allow users to listen to and stream music. Unlike iTunes, there will be no downloads available and users will be able to access their music anywhere they are. Sony Europe’s Fujio Nishida said that portable devices from Sony would support the service in the future. Clearly this would qualify the Walkman as one of these portable devices. But then in order to have streaming music on a PMP, the device needs wireless or a 3G connection and while WiFi is possible on a Walkman, the 3G connection will probably be limited to Sony Ericsson Walkman phone line.

Walkman beats the iPod again, just like last year

One year ago BCN’s survey revealed that the Walkman had clinched the top spot in the PMP arena. Skipping one year ahead, it appears that the Walkman did it again. The margin was slightly bigger than last year, 47.8% versus 43%, meaning the Walkman has gained some ground. But then just like last year, iPhone sales are not included and this was an August survey and BCN claims that it is likely consumers held out on new Apple purchases since new products were supposed to be released in early September.

A full Sony X-Series Teardown

 

When I saw a recent post on ABI by ultrapony about a teardown of the X-Series I decided to post a few more photos I found online. As ultrapony points out, the wireless chip in the X-Series lacks Bluetooth support meaning there was no chance of a firmware update for Bluetooth support. In addition the photos show that the X-Series uses a Samsung OLED display which is not a surprise.

Images courtesy of here and here

Sony IFA 2010 Press Conference (Final Update)

Sony will be broadcasting their IFA Press Conference live. The show begins at 17:00 local time, here are the times for other areas.

 

So far no video at the link that Sony provided, stay tuned. You can always check out the official Sony Twitter feed for updates

Sony Europe Twitter (no longer active)

It appears Sony is slowing adding more press releases from IFA, it doesn't look like there will be anything with regards to a new Walkman.

Sony New Zealand releases New E-Series

Sony New Zealand has released the new E-Series walkman (NWZ-E450). The player will ship in 4 different colours, black, pink, red and blue and range from 4GB to 16GB in capacity. The NZ E-Series is identical to the European model so there is nothing new to mention with regards to functionality. The new E-Series will be available from the beginning of October with the following prices: 4GB - $169.95 NZD, 8GB - $229.95 NZD, 16GB - $279.95 NZD.

Sony Japan Introduces new Earphones (MDR-EX77SLA & MDR-EX59Z)

Sony Japan has unveiled two new sets of earphones with an expected release date of September 10th. The models are the MDR-EX59Z and MDR-EX77SLA, which is an update on the MDR-EX77SL released last year. Both models will be offered in black, white, blue, red and pink. Both units feature a 9mm driver with the EX77SLA having slightly better frequency range and sensitivity. In addition the EX77SLA now ships with 4 different bud sizes (SS, S, M, L) and the 90cm extension cable is not included. The MDR-EX59Z earphones feature a new mechanism with the ability to adjust the length of the earphone cord meaning one can lengthen or shorten the cord.

In order to attract new customers to the Walkman line, Sony could easily ship new Walkmans with the EX59Z or even the EX77SLA like was previously done with older models. I understand not shipping the E-Series with premium EX headphones but shipping the S540 with cheap MDR-E805 buds is a sin. Sony could have easily thrown in a pair of EX phones for the S-Series. Perhaps when a new model appears, this will be the case.

CNET Australia Review of NWZ-A845 (Great but ridiculous price)

Apart from England and New Zealand, Australia is the other English speaking market which carries the new A-Series. One would believe Sony Australia would price the A-Series inline with other places as is the case in England, but just like Sony New Zealand the price of the NWZ-A845 is to say the least ridiculous. The price difference between England and Australia is a staggering AU$140 and when comparing a 16GB iPod Nano, the price difference is even more at AU$150. Therefore I am not surprise why the Editors didn’t recommend this player when the price is out of this world.

CNET Asia Review of NWZ-S744 (8GB)

 

Last year CNET Asia reviewed the new S-Series, the general opinion is favourable but CNET had some issues with the Walkman.

Sony A-Series prototypes (Updated)

All electronic devices go through a design stage before a final design is selected for production. Apart from the final design, there were 2 more competing designs. The first design was very similar to the current S740 design with the curve above the controls. The second design seems to borrow elements from the E440 Walkmans. Personally I am not that fond of this second design since it looks rather simple and too ordinary where as the first design, with S740 elements, seems to add a higher quality appearance to the Walkman. I can understand why Sony opted for another design in the end as to differentiate the S-Series from the A-Series. Personally I would have liked the S-Series like design to have been chosen rather than the current design.

Two more images after the break.

Sony OLED A-Series Walkman Debuts in India

 

Sony India has announced a new addition to its Walkman lineup, the new A-Series. Available in 8 and 16GB capacities, and with 3 different colours for the NWZ-A845 (8GB) and black for the NWZ-A846 (16GB), with pricing set at 8990 Rs (150 Euros) and 11990 Rs (200 Euros) respectively. The new Walkman is already up on the Sony India website but there is no mention when it will be available for purchase. With a release in India, perhaps North America might be next?

 

Sony A-Series Teardown (NWZ-A845)

After discovering disassembly photos of the S-Series I assumed someone, somewhere had to disassemble a new A-Series. To my surprise, after finding the disassembly of the S-Series, I found a website that disassembled the A-Series, specifically the NWZ-A845. To my surprise it appears that the A-Series uses the exact same chip that the S-Series uses, the NEC MC-10118A (EMMA Mobile1-D512). Like in the S-Series, the A-Series CPU and DSP also run at 500Mhz, so it appears Sony has decided to use the same chipset for their new line of MP3 players to minimize costs.

Sony S-Series Teardown (NW-S745)

I stumbled onto a blog that disassembled a Sony S745 back in March of this year. The website used a Japanese S-Series, NW-S745, but there shouldn’t be any difference in hardware between the NW-S745 and NWZ-S745. The blog states that the CPU is the NEC MC-10118A (EMMA Mobile1-D512). According the Renesas website which manufactures the chip, both the CPU and DSP run at 500Mhz.

 

Images courtesy of Here (link no longer working)

Deal on Sony NWZ-A845

 

Advanced MP3 Players currently has the new A-Series, 16GB on sale at a £131 pound, ~$200US or 159 Euros. In comparison, Sony UK and Sony Germany is selling the same model for £149/179 Euros and neither of these site ship internationally, where as Advanced MP3 Players does ship internationally. The deal is valid for only 5 days now.

Sony Europe selling both NWZ-E350 and NWZ-E450 models

I was browsing the German Sony website and to my surprise I noticed that both the E350 and E450 are being sold in Europe. While the NWZ-350 only comes in 4GB and black. Furthermore the same situation is present on the French Sony website, NWZ-E353 E354 and NWZ-E454 available for purchase. Similar situation on the Czech Sony site.

Just like its North American counterpart, the NWZ-E350 also comes equipped with a USB-port rather than a WM-port which means it will not work with any WM-port equipped products. Therefore if you are from Poland and wish to buy a new E-Series and have any WM-port equipped products, opt for the NWZ-E450.

Sony NWZ-E350 available for purchase on Sony Style USA

While browsing the Sony Style US site for pricing comparisons with the Canadian site, I discovered that the new E-Series is available for ordering on the Sony Style US site. Both the 4 and 8GB models are now available for ordering on the site at $69 and $79 respectably.

New Sony E-Series quietly debuts on SonyStyle.ca

Quietly debuting new Walkmans seems to be the desired method of Sony Canada. As with the NWZ-S745, the new E-Series just appeared on the Sony Style Canada website with no press release to even announce it.

Pocket-lint’s hands on with Sony NWZ-E450

Pocket-lint had some time with the new E-Series at a Sony Event in the UK. Sony says the E-Series is meant to appeal to a younger consumer with a price to match. The new E-Series is slated to go on sale in early to mid September in 4, 8 and 16GB capacities.

Interview with Sony X-Series Designers

 

This is an older interview, it was originally from May 2009.

Uncompromising approach to the basics

The new flagship WALKMAN is finally here, the Sony X-Series. Portable media players are all about listening, watching, and the supporting controls—essential elements that the X series designers approached with great care. Discerning WALKMAN fans will find this gem worth the wait.

1 Year of The Walkman Blog

It was exactly one year ago that I started The Walkman Blog. When I created the blog, I was not sure I would be able to keep it updated as often as I wanted due to the lack of Walkman news each month. But somehow, I managed to have at least one post each month even though that post could have been nothing important. It has been a slow start and since that start I may only have received 5200 visitors and just over 10,000 page views, and even though this is not huge number, I am still proud of what I achieved since people have a wide variety of blogs to visit.

Sony IFA 2010 Preview

Well another year has passed and September is almost here, which means back to school sales and of course the annual Internationale Funkausstellung or the world’s largest consumer electronics show. While last year’s IFA was more or less a bunk for Walkman, perhaps this year Sony will unveil something new? The last time Sony announced anything at IFA with regards to the Walkman was back in 2008 when they unveiled the S73x, the E43x and the B13x. So is there hope for a new Walkman at IFA this year? Well some websites are discounting the current S-Series this could signal a new model is coming.

Princeton Alarm Clock Radio Speaker Dock For Sony Walkman

 

It was back in September of 2008 when Sony started the “Designed for Walkman” program in order to increase the number of accessories for the Walkman brand, but unfortunately manufacturers in Europe and North America have not caught onto this program. The only place where this applies seems to be Japan, where there are many accessories from third party vendors for the Walkman.

Last month Princeton was the latest to introduce a new “Designed for Walkman” accessory, a dedicated FM alarm clock radio with speakers.

Sony X-Series Silicone Case

The silicone case for my X-Series came in today and like all Sony silicone case, it sure does bulk up the player a bit. Nonetheless, the case improves the grip on the player many times over and should protect it from scratches. I have yet to stick on the screen protector but probably will do so soon. The bottom of the case has a loop to hang the Walkman from a lanyard but I don’t think anyone would use this feature since the X-Series has some weight to it and hanging it from your neck would be uncomfortable.

Sony NWZ-E450 debuts in Asia Pacific

I somehow missed this but it appears that Sony Asia Pacific will also include the new E-Series in its lineup. The player seems to be identical to the European model except with regards to colour options. Asia Pacific adds a gold colour and loses the green colour. Capacities will include 4, 8 and 16GB, with sales to start in select countries in October 2010.

New Sony NWZ-E350 debuts

 

Well this is a surprise, looks like the new E-Series is being released in the US as well, and it appears the same strategy is being used as with the older E-Series. The US E-Series is the NWZ-E35x and the European model is the NWZ-E45x. I am not sure what the exact difference in the new model is but apparently there is one different icon on the US version which is not on the European version, and it appears this icon is the playlist icon which means the recording features of the European E-Series have been removed.

According to the US SonyStyle website, it appears the E35x will have a USB-port rather than a WM-port.

Pricing for 64GB A-series revealed

 

Pricing for the 64 GB A-Series has been discovered and it comes in at a staggering 330 euros or around 440 US.

Higher Capacity Sony A-Series for Europe

When Sony released the new A-Series in Europe, many customers were disappointed that no 32 or 64GB versions were going to be sold. Well it looks like Sony has remedied the problem and will be releasing both the 32 and 64GB models in Europe this August.

New Sony E-Series (NWZ-E450) breaks cover (updated)

Well look like Sony decided to release a new E-Series in Europe, the E450, quick overview of the player's features.

• 4, 8, 16GB capacities
• Funky design and rich Walkman sound (5 colours)
• Extra-long battery life up to 50 hour (music)/10 hour (video)
• SensMe™ channels for themed listening to suit any mood
• Friendly, easy new interface with album scroll and wallpapers
• Fun music options with Lyrics Sync and Karaoke mode
• Excellent Sound Quality with Clear Audio Technologies, Dynamic Normalizer and VPT
• Bookmark function for easy playlist creation (max 5 playlists)

Little development in the world of Walkman

Sadly there is little or almost nothing happening in the world of the Walkman. I did have a chance to play with a new E-Series a few months back and I have to say it is a nice little player. Solid build quality, great sound quality but there are a few issues I had with it

Android-based Walkman due in June?

According to the SEMC blog, a new android-based Walkman is set to be unveiled in June. It is meant to share a similar design to the Xperia X10 mini, which if you ask me is not a great design. Is this the android Walkman Sony Insider mentioned so long ago? Maybe so but it is strictly not just a Walkman but a phone first, and a Walkman second. If there is to be a standalone Walkman that is to replace the retired X-Series, Sony is keeping a tight lid on it.

Special Edition Sony NWZ-W252 introduced

 

Sony sure likes its special edition models, so when I saw this appear on the press site, I was hesitant to post it on the blog. The only people this will appeal to is Metal Gear Solid fans, since the normal W-Series will provide the same quality of sound and functionality as this special edition. Here is a quick run down of the specs:

• Unique camouflage finish
• Six pre-installed music tracks from METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER soundtrack
• Special in-carton code unlocks original designed characters
• Iconic past WALKMAN® models appear in METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER(KONAMI) game play as collectible items
• Only in 2GB capacity
• Available in June 2010 in select markets

The demise of the X and my short X-Series review

 

I was expecting for new stock to appear on the Canadian Sony Style website but it appears that the X-Series has also been discontinued in Canada. Well at least officially from Sony, since there are a few Canadian websites still selling the X-Series.

The US Sony Style website still has the X-Series available but at the original price at which it was introduced. So with most countries now without an X-Series model, it brings up the question, will the X be replaced and if so when? That I personally do not know but if anything is to be introduced it will no doubt show up in late summer or early fall. As far my X that I purchased, well here is my quick review.