Sony MDR-10R Bluetooth Headphones Review

The headphones I use everyday with my Walkman are the MDR-NC033Es which came with my E580.  They serve their purpose quite well, are portable and minimize outside noise quite well.  I needed new large headphones since I gave away my MDR-V55s to my younger nephew and was now left without anything for home use.  I had a few options, first go for the Walkman WH-Series and use it headphones and have it as a standalone Walkman when I didn't want to take my E-Series.  Second option was a small Bluetooth capable set, something along the lines of the Sony SBH80, SBH52 or SBH50 but the first one was not out yet and I don't think the sound quality of the headphones would be better than my NC033s.

So the final option was something else, perhaps wireless and with noise cancellation built in, something to use on my Xperia Z1 but have it wireless and with noise cancellation, but nothing like that in Europe from Sony.  So I ended up looking at other Bluetooth enabled headphones, MDR-1RBT was way too expensive and way too bulky, any other model was designed for home use only and not very portable or light weight, others were not available in store or were back ordered on most websites.  The only option were the MDR-10Rs

Rest of the review after the break.

Firmware upate for NWZ-F804/F805/F806

Sony Indonesia has just released a firmware update for the previous generation F-Series, you can grab it here at this link.

Update brings the following improvements:

• Improvement in network performance, and a stability improvement of operation

The upgrade is to version 1.12, if your device hasn't update automatically, you download it from the link above.  I am not sure if this update applies to other regions but I feel it should work technically.  But please update with caution, I am not responsible for bricking of your device.

Thanks to sealplayerz for bringing this to my attention.

The Sony MDR-10RBT headphones

A promo video from Sony for the new MDR-10BT headphones.

Sony introduces the ZX1 to Europe (price update)

Edit: It seems there is no information regarding the ZX1 for the US, apologies, only Europe for now and Asia-Pacific.

NWZ-ZX1 Walkman

Enjoy High-Resolution Audio while you’re out and about with the Walkman® ZX1. Every single part, material, and feature of the ZX1 has been crafted by Sony engineers to realise the ultimate High-Resolution Audio experience on the move.

Sony’s S-Master HX Audio Amplifier reduces distortion and noise at wider frequency ranges, while DSEE HXTM up-scales existing sound files to near High-Resolution quality – making you feel as if you’re really there at the recording studio or concert. Whatever you’re listening you, unmatched mobile sound quality is further assured by Clear Audio+TM technology[ii] by bringing together the expertise in digital signal processing technologies that Sony has cultivated throughout its history.

And for even more revealing sound on the move, specially-selected precision components are teamed with thickened internal connecting cables and a super-rigid aluminium chassis. No compromise has been made to ensure absolute clarity of sound – including the use of extra-large ‘OS-CON’ power supply capacitors to maintain superb frequency response and minimise noise at the amplifier output stage. On top of this, the Walkman® ZX1 offers plenty of options for your listening pleasure. High-Resolution music files can be played in WAV, FLAC, Apple Lossless, and AIFF formats.

The new range High-Resolution Audio products from Sony are on sale in Europe from March 2014.

Btw there are no headphones included with the new ZX1, and we have a price from Sony Germany

http://www.sony.de/product/nws-f-series/nwz-zx1

698.99 Euros, or 951 USD, ouch.  All the speifications after the break.

CES 2014

It is that time of the year again where CES arrives with all the new goodies for the new year.  I am not expecting much from the Walkman camp, perhaps just US releases of already announced products like the updated F-Series and the new ZX1.  Although perhaps Sony will surprise us all and announce something new.  Personally I'd like to see more accessories, like the MDR-NWBT20N.  If it is not announced, I will have to order one from Japan.

As for non-walkman announcements, I would love to see an 8-inch Sony Vaio tablet running windows 8.1 with dual boot of Android OS.

Link to the press release regarding CES and streaming of the live event

The press conference is live, January 7th at 1am GMT, which is 17:00 (PST) local time in Las Vegas on the 6th of January.

btw I seem to be missing a CES 2013 post, not sure how that happened.

Sony Asia Pacific introduces the ZX-Series

Enjoy Ultimate Sound Quality in High-Resolution Audio Like You’ve Never Experienced Before: The Walkman® ZX1 from Sony

(ASIA PACIFIC, 30 December 2013) – Sony is proud to announce the launch of the Walkman® NWZ-ZX1, designed especially for those who demand the very best in music playback quality while on the move. Utilising its proprietary audio technologies and support for High-Resolution Audio1 to offer up to seven times the audio quality than what a CD2 can deliver, Sony has developed a high-performance portable music player that takes listeners right into the recording studio or concert.

Click here for the full press release (PDF)

The ZX1 will be available from February 2014, no price was provided.  The ZX1 seems to use a slightly older and perhaps outdated processor.  Depending which model # Sony opted for, the processor is either from Q1 2011, Q4 2011 or Q2 2012, which is odd considering the ZX1 is supposed to the be the uber premium top of the line walkman.  Can't seem to find the processor used in the new F-Series, so if anyone knows it, please post a comment.

Thanks Geoff