Walkman Z-Series Video from Sony

 

Sony has a quick promotional video of the new Z-Series Walkman

Sony Introduces New Speaker Docks for Walkman

 

Apart from an updated E-Series, Sony also introduced 2 new speaker docks for Walkman, the RDP-NWG400 and RDP-NWM7.  The new speaker docks will be released on February 11th, with retail pricing of around $100 for the RDP-NWM7 and around $170 for the RDP-NWG400.  Both will be available in black and white and will unfortunately be only sold in Japan.  I do hope Sony decides to introduce more speaker docks internationally.

Tiny E-Series Walkman Lives on in Japan

 

Sony Japan has updated the NW-E050 Walkman lineup for 2012, the NW-E060.  The updated E will be released on February 11th for $90 for 2GB and $110 for 4GB.  This seems expensive but when you factor in the headphones and the added Noise Cancellation it is a good deal.  The bundled headphones are the MDR-NC33, which shipped with other NC Walkman in the past  The updated E will come in 4 colours (red, black, pink, and blue) and compared to the previous E is smaller and lighter.  Supported file formats are MP3/WMA (non-DRM) / ATRAC / ATRAC Advanced Lossless / Linear PCM / AAC (Non DRM) / HE-AAC.

Like the previous generation, the new E also comes with a small speaker dock which thankfully looks a lot better than before.  The E060K comes with a 0.5W colour-coded speaker that is powered by the Walkman itself, attachment is via a WM-Port.  Unfortunately only the E will fit since the speaker insert is molded to it.

Personally I would love to see this on sale in Europe and would definitely grab one to supplement my X-Series.

New Sony B-Series Walkman Unveiled

For some odd reason I never seem to receive the Sony Press emails when the information goes up onto the press site, it is always a few afters.  Anyways, Sony is introducing an update the the B-Series, the new B170.  The design is actually different this time around, with the styling matching the current line up of Walkmans.  I was hoping Sony would have thrown in some decent headphones but it appears they have not and it seems the USB is still 2.0, but there seems to be no mention of that in the press releases.  Perhaps the next gen will have USB 3.0.

Feel the bass with new Walkman B170

Light, colourful MP3 player with quick-charge battery

•     Pumping beats with Bass Boost button
•     Quick 3 minutes battery charge gives 90 minutes playback
•     Clip attaches Walkman to belt or clothes
•     Easy drag and drop music transfers
•     Built-in USB connects Walkman® to PC, hi-fi or car stereo

Get ready to really feel the music with the colourful Walkman B170 Series of MP3 players from Sony.

Weighing just 28g, new Walkman B Series is small and light enough to take anywhere: but don’t be deceived by its tiny size. Press the Bass Boost button and you’ll be blown away by rich, pumping low-end. And to show where you’re coming from, there’s a colour-matched LED that pulses in time with the music.

When you’re in a hurry, 3 minutes charging time gives enough battery power for 90 minutes listening. Fully charged, Walkman B Series lets you listen non-stop for 18 hours – plenty for the longest commute or an overnight break.

You won’t want to keep other people in the dark about your favourite MP3 player. Walkman® B Series features a chunky clip that attaches to a belt, bag strap or clothing to show off your style.

It’s easy to load up with your favourite songs. Walkman® connects directly to any Windows PC via its built-in USB port with no extra cables required. Copying files is a simple drag-and-drop process, with no need to install any file transfer software. You can also connect Walkman® to a compatible hi-fi or car stereo and enjoy direct playback.

Looking for the right song to fit your mood? ZAPPIN™ search technology scans through your music collection, previewing a snatch of each track without menus or playlists. Hear a track you like and press the ‘ZAP’ button again to hear the whole song.

Extra refinements include an on-board equalizer to sculpt your sound, plus a voice recorder that’s perfect for grabbing spontaneous thoughts, notes and ideas.

The new Walkman B170 Series of MP3 players by Sony are available in a choice of 2GB or 4GB capacities from January 2012.

Sony Walkman Z-Series Debuts at CES 2012

 

So this was not a surprise, posted about a possible debut after the FCC filing was made back in December, plus of course the teaser from Sony Austra/Switzerland.  Checking out various Sony websites, it appears the new Z will be available soon in Europe, like Germany (32, 16GB), Poland (16GB), UK (32GB), France (16GB), Italy (32. 16GB) with Music Unlimited being available on the device in the selected countries that have the service.  Availability will be from Late February which is a step forward compared to the X-Series release a few years back.  

 

The new Z is nice but it is no different in the end from any other Android Smart phone except for the music quality which I am sure if much better than any regular Android Smart phone.  But if I was to get anything, it would be a tablet with WiFi rather than another phone like Android device with WiFi.

Sony CES 2012

 

In a few days CES will be upon us again, almost scary how fast the time has passed since the last CES.  The Sony US media site is down for maintenance, so can't check if there is any prelim information about CES.  Nothing is present on the European Sony press site as of the time I am writing this, so perhaps more will be updates next week.