Maxwell introduces the MXSP-1300WM cylindrical dock

Maxwell has released an updated version of their cylinder dock designed for Walkman, the MXSP-1300WM.  The dock comes in red and blue and features 8.4 watts of power.  There is also a bluetooth model but at this moment it is not geared towards the Walkman.  It seems to be only avalable in Japan as with the previous device.

Here is the link to the Catalog of the MXSP-1300W (in Japanense)

More photos after the break.

X-Series headphones are beginning to go

It has been almost 30 months since I got my X-Series and it appears that the right side of the NC headphones has given way.  I noticed about 6 months ago or so that the right side was not as loud as the left side.  I always assumed this was my hearing due to a right ear infection a few years prior, but now it seems that is not the case, since the volume is way too low.  So now I am left with a dilemma, use the NC headphones until they completely die, use my MDR-V55s, bye new NC headphones, or get a used NC Sony player and use the headphones from that.

I am not keen on using the V55s since they are a bit too loud and would annoy people around me like on public transport.  So for now I'm kind of stuck with broken headphones.

Sony Japan introduces the F-Series into its lineup

Sony Japan has finally introduced the new F-Series and as standard with most Japanese Walkmans, there are more colours and options when compared to other regions.  Noise cancellation and ATRAC are 2 new additions and also a bluetooth model.  The bluetooth headphones also ship with noise cancellation which is something new from Sony for the Walkman range if I recall correctly.

As can be seen, there are a lot of colour options to match your walkman colour as well.  There are 3 capacities, 16, 32 and 64GB.  Pricing will start from 230 Euros for the 16GB and as high as 350 Euros for the 64GB model.  In addition there is also a model that ships with a speaker dock, colour coded to the model, but this model only is available in 16 and 32GB.  More photos after the break, I will also update more information tomorrow.

Sony Walkman F-Series Review from AllthingsD

Check out this quick review of the new F-Series from AllthingsD.

Video of Sony F-Series from Sony UK

Great little video of the new F-Series. Thanks to Dave for sending this in.

Sony Press Conference Live from IFA 2012

 Click here

Probably more focus on mobility, windows 8, and the xperia tablet rather than walkmans. Enjoy.

Games on new E-Series (update)

Some how I missed this but the new E-Series comes with 2 built in games, a fantasy bubble combat game, Puyo POP FEVER and Number Place which is a Sudoku-like game.

I checked the S-Series on various sites and it appears it is only available on the Finnish Sony site and it mentions no games, only the E470 and E570.  I am not sure if the images above show both games but if anyone is able to read the titles and writing please post below.

update: Owning a E570 myself, I have tried out the games and both work fine but the bubble game is difficult to play due to the small nature of the screen.  I have tried both and wouldn't see myself playing them if I have a smartphone.  The Puyo POP FEVER is a Sega game and Number Place is by Hi Corp.

New Walkmans available on Amazon

Most of the new Walkmans have become available at Amazon for ordering or pre-ordering.  The F-Series, and E-Series, but no S-Series or the noise cancellation E-Series. The E-Series is available in 16, 8 and 4GB sizes.

Service Menu Access and Service Manual for X-Series

I am not responsible if your player stops working or if you encounter any errors.

Here are the instructions to access the service menu for the X-Series.

I have tried this on my X-Series and was able to enter the service menu with no problems.  I went forth to select Other and then DEST as it is mentioned here, but I am not able to change anything in that menu, the only thing shown is CE 7 or CES 7 and SPS off I believe.  

If anyone is able to change the region or adjust the volume, please post in the comments below but from the manual it appears not much can be changed

4-4-6. Destination setting (DEST)

The destination setting, language information, and sound pressure
regulation information are written in the NAND fl ash memory.
Note: Not used for the servicing.

4-4-7. Sound pressure regulation setting (SPSET)

ON/OFF of sound pressure regulation is confirmed.

Click here to view the service manual

Source

Sony F-Series Walkman coming in Gold?

It seems that once the new F-Series launches it will have a third colour option, gold to add to red and black.  According to the link, the gold model will only ship in 8GB capacity.  One more photo after the break.

Thanks Jad.

NWZ-E460 Service Manual

Here is the link to the service manual for the E-Series, E460.  Thanks to Dave M for providing it.

Link to Service Manual Download

I have linked it from Google Docs, hopefully users will be able to download it since I made it public.  I am not sure but I would imagine that this service menu entry would also work for other models, like the S760 or E360, but I have no confirmation of this.  If anyone is daring to try it on their players and it works please post below.  But I caution, I am not responsible if you mess up your player.

If there are any issues with the Google Docs/Drive link please post below.

Source

Sony Walkman S760 "Hatsune Miku" Special Edition

Special edition Walkman players are a normal occurrence in Japan.  This time around the special edition is based on Hatsune Miku, the virtual singer for its 5th Anniversary.  There will be 3 different models. black, blue, and blue with speaker dock, with only an 8GB version available.  Pricing is 12,800 Yen, or 133 Euro/$160US for the standard model and the speaker dock model coming in at 15,800 Yen or 160 Euro/$200 US.  Only 3939 will be made of each version with a total of 11,817 units.  Rest of the information after the break.

Logitec Walkman FM Transmitter

About a year before I started the blog, Sony announced the "designed for Walkman" program to encourage 3rd parties to develop new accessories for the Walkman brand.  This past June Logitec, (not to be confused with Logitech), introduced a FM transmitter for the Walkman which will allow you to use your Walkman in your car.  In addition the device will also charge your Walkman, both 12V and 24V are supported.

There is bass boost which can be turned off and the transmitter broadcasts from 6 different channels which can be selected via the numbers LEDs.  The distance of transmission is stated at 3 m.  The transmitter retails for about 30 Euros or 38 US dollars in Japan.  I am unaware if this will be available outside of Japan or if it can be ordered from Japan internationally.

If anyone know a website where this can be ordered, please leave a comment below.

Source 1, Source 2

Sony MDR-V55 Review

I've been searching for some good headphones for a while now.  I've used in-ear headphones for a while and my external speakers for my laptop, but I needed something different.  I wanted the Sony MDR-V700DJ but with a wide ranging price and limited availability I gave up searching for them.  I also looked into some Pioneer headphones, yet nothing was available at any local stores and only online but again cost was an issue.  In April Sony introduced a new selection of headphones with the MDR-MA500 catching my eye, of course they were not on sale in Poland.  I was about to give up when I saw another press release with other headphones I haven't seen before, the MDR-V55s.

Sony Walkman F-Series Full Press Release

Get Ready For a Soul Shaking Audio Experience 

The next generation Walkman mobile entertainment from Sony delivers exhilarating music and multimedia performance

Designed for music lovers, by music lovers, the next generation Walkman NWZ-F800 mobile entertainment player delivers soul shaking audio clarity, turning music and video into an immensely joyful experience wherever you go.

With a strong emphasis on audio quality, audiophiles will appreciate what Sony has achieved in the NWZ-F800’s core user experience of superior sound quality driven by the premium S-Master MX digital amplifier and four other Clear Audio Technologies (Clear Stereo, Clear Bass, DSEE and EX headphone) from Sony. The NWZ-F800 offers brilliantly accurate sound reproduction with an enriched stereo image, tight bass and crystal clear highs. It also features the Clear Phase technology which ensures reduced distortion and increased sound presence – in other words, outstanding high quality sound in a portable audio device.

The NWZ-F800 matches superb sound with an equally entertaining AV user experience. Fun features such as SenseMe channels analyse your music and sort them according to mood; Lyrics are displayed so you can sing along to your favourite tunes; and Visualisers and Cover Art View provide brilliant visuals on the vibrant 3.5” WVGA multi-touch screen LCD, bringing you closer to your music.

Powerful NVIDIA Tegra II dual-core processor and Google Android 4.0 platform opens the door to a universe of choices for music aficionados get the most out of their music – a perfect package of sound and fun wherever you go.

“Along with the recently launched Z1000 Walkman, the NWZ-F800 joins our family of multi-app Walkman® mobile entertainment devices, bringing a powerful combination of unbelievable sound and exceptional UX (User Experience) design,” said Sydney Lee, General Manager, Personal Entertainment Division, Consumer Business Group, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific. “Discerning and savvy music lovers have been coveting a dedicated digital media player for music and rich multimedia content separate from their smartphones and the NWZ-F800 delivers on all fronts.”

Music has never been this convenient to listen to. The W.button on the NWZ-F800 gives you instant access to music playback, no matter what task you are currently engaged in. With one press the W.button launches W.Control, which lets you play, stop, skip forward or backward, and view additional track information without interrupting your activity.

House in a compact aluminium body, the NWZ-F800 also includes FLAC support for true CD-quality sound, 512MB memory, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® connectivity, and up to 25 hours of music playback.

Photos after the break.

Sony Debuts new F-Series, S-Series and E-Series Walkmans (Update)

Today Sony introduced a new Walkman Series, the F-Series along with new S and E-Series models.  I was expecting something for IFA this year but such an early announcement is a bit surprising.  Nevertheless, this is a welcomed sight since from the press release it appears that the new F-Series supports FLAC and this is something users have been asking for.  I don't see any design differences between the new S and E-Series apart from only different functionality, like Bluetooth and noise cancellation.

Best news is that the new players will be available in Europe from today, July 18th.

Update

In the US, Sony will introduce only the F-Series and E-Series (E470).  The F-Series will ship in 16GB and 32GB priced at $269.99 and $299.99 receptively.  The E-Series will ship in 4, 8, and 16GB, priced at $79, $89 and $109.  Both models will be available starting in early August at Sony Stores.

In the Asia Pacific region, all the models will be available.  Unfortuantely no pricing was mentioned the following capacities will be sold:

NWZ-E473: 4GB

NWZ-E474: 8GB

NWZ-E475: 16GB

NWZ-E473K: 4GB

NWZ-E574: 8GB

NWZ-S774: 8GB

NWZ-F804: 8GB

NWZ-F805: 16GB

NWZ-F806: 32GB

In addition to black, The F-Series will also be sold in red in 8 and 16GB.  The E-Series and S-Series will begin sales from August 2012 and the F-Series being available starting from end of October 2012.

Press release after the break.

NWZ-B173 Review from MSN UK

MSN recently reviewed the new B-Series and gave it a whopping 3.5/5.  Not surprised, it is a nice player but lacking FM amd the mediocre format support like all other Sony players are unfortunate.

The Rundown

What is it?

Sony's entry level Walkman with a fast-charge option for a quick sound blast.

What's great

Sound quality excellent for such a small player; clever design; small, lightweight footprint; easy to sync with a Windows PC; good battery life.

What's not

User interface difficult to navigate and counter-intuitive in places; disappointing lack of format support; no FM radio.

The bottom line

Worth considering if you're looking for a slim, handy companion to accompany you to the gym, but the awkward user interface will put off anyone who likes to browse their collection.

Click here for the Review

Problem

I have a problem, my X-Series is slowly losing its battery capacity and there currently are no Walkmans on sale that feature active noise cancellation.  Before owning the X, I dismissed noise cancellation as a useless feature.  Well I admit I was wrong, very wrong.  Now that that I am in the market for a new Walkman, none have built in noise cancellation.  I know it is possible that buy a separate pair of headphones with noise cancellation but that would require me to carry around an extra pack with batteries to power the headphones. Now there is an E-Series in Japan with noise cancellation but I doubt importing would be cost worthy.

Maybe I will hold out to September and see if anything will debut at IFA in late August.

Sony names Kazuo Hirai as President and CEO

This was inevitable, therefore it comes as no surprise that Kazuo Hirai has been named the new President and CEO of Sony.  Howard Stringer will become the Chairman of the Board of Directors.  According to GSMArena, he oversaw the Walkman brand, so hopefully with Hirai at the helm, the Walkman brand will not die out in the near future and perhaps will have now a more global centric development rather than just some things for Japan only and then later on globally.  Press release after the break.

Walkman Z-Series Video from Sony

 

Sony has a quick promotional video of the new Z-Series Walkman, check it out above.

Both Sony Canada and USA will be offering the new Z-Series.  In Canada, only the 16 and 32GB models will be available on February 13th for $299 and $349 CDN respectively, and in the US there will be 3 capacities, and vailable on March 1st in 8, 16 and 32GB priced at $249, $279, and $329 USD respectively. 

I think the Z has a chance to sell well but MWC is starting in late February with a lot of new phones and tablets which if priced right could make the Z not that attractive.

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.

More information and photos after the break.

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.

More photos and hands-on from AV-Watch after the break.

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

Rest of the press release and more photos after the break.

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.

Press release and more photos after the break.

New Walkman Z-Series Teaser

Sony Switzerland & Austria have a new teaser for a new Sony Product which is clearly the new Z-Series.  This can be seen when comparing these teaser shots with the new Z-Series.

This could mean that the new Z will be at CES and will finally have its global launch.  I am still wondering though if the Z will be updated to ICS or remain on Gingerbread.

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.

According to The Verge's CES website, Sony will be hosting their press conference on January 9th at 17:00 local time, which is 02:00 CET, so I won't be covering the conference live this year like I did last year.  So unfortunately any information that is released will be posted the next day in the morning.  I am expecting the new Z-Series to debut with information about a North American release and possibly for Europe as well.  One thing I would like to see is a new OLED based Walkman but I doubt it.