Annalyn S. Jusay
True-blue audiophiles still remember the golden era of the ‘80s to ‘90s when the Sony Walkman reigned supreme. Now, they have reason to rejoice as the electronics giant launched in the Philippines last week a full range of home and portable audio products packed with features to keep one entertained for hours, all boasting of the quality and durability that made Sony a music icon for ages. After taking a beating from its more aggressive competitors, we can only ask Sony: “ What took you so long?” But after taking their line-up on an initial road test (please refer to our highly-recommended review of the Sony Walkman NW-E507 a few months back), we can also say “This is worth the wait!” Here’s a peek at the products that should make it on your wishlist during the third quarter of this year:
 |
| The SONY DHC-AZ7DM | |
NW-E100 SERIES
These cute, round-shaped MP3 players are just the right gadgets to hang around your neck and come in funky colors like aquatic blue, frosty silver, jumping orange and velvet red. It weighs a mere 26 grams with dimensions of 56.2 x 56.2 x 19.2 mm. The NW-E103 has a storage capacity of 256 MB while the NW-E105 is all of 512 MB. Thanks however to Sony’s proprietary ATRAC3plus audio compression technology, your 512MB baby can be expanded to up to 340 songs under 48kbps compression. Even more impressive is the fact that models of the NW-E100 series boast of 70 hours playback on just a single AAA battery. Other desirable features include its easy, one-touch operation; digital sound presets to balance out bass and treble; and all track shuffle mode to allow you to select songs randomly from your playlist.
NW-E500 SERIES
While the NW-E100s are rounded, models of this series are slender and elongated. They weigh 47 grams and measure 84.9 x 29.1 x 16.1 mm, or just about the size of a couple of cigarettes. The available colors of cherry pink, sparkling silver, azure blue and premium gold make for a cool fashion statement. The NWE503 has a capacity of 256MB while the NW-E505 is 512MB, again with the ability to be adjusted further through ATRAC3plus audio compression and MP3 compatibility. What’s good about this series is the presence of an FM tuner. When you have listened enough to the songs you have downloaded to your player via the accompanying SonicStage 3.0 music management software, just preset your favorite radio stations and carry on. The players are equipped with Organic Electro-Luminescence (OEL) three-line dot matrix display so reading the title of the artist or track playing or watching the MP3 screensaver is a breeze, regardless of light or dark conditions. But certainly, what we find most impressive about the models in this range is its super-high speed charge function. Just charge the NW-E500s to your computer’s USB port for 3 minutes and be assured of three hours playback , which is great when you’re in a hurry. In normal conditions, playback is 50 hours on the built-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery.
NW-HD5
Sony’s much-acclaimed NW-HD5 Hard Disk Network Walkman boasts of a slim and compact design. It weighs 135 grams and has official dimensions of 89.3 x 59.9 x 14.5 for height, weight and depth. Its 20GB capacity can effectively store up to 13,000 tracks which can be viewed through a 1.65 inch, seven-line bright LED display. Through the intuitive “follow-turn” feature of this model, you can choose the position by which you can view the display graphics on your player. The unique G-Sensor technology detects whether you are holding the device vertically or horizontally; as such, it also changes the position of the display graphics as well as that of the function buttons. The NW-HD5 also takes pride in having “the world’s longest battery stamina of 40 hours” and can be recharged again via your PC’ USB drive. Furthermore, the battery is removable and can be easily replaced by customers without the hassle of going to a service center.
AZ SERIES, SONY’S ALL-IN-ONE HI-FI SYSTEM
With Sony’s AZ series – available in models DHC-AZ7DM, DHC-AZ3DM and DHC-AZ2D – all it takes is a USB connection to experience the full multimedia capabilities of your home audio system.
The feature of Sony’s latest all-in-one Hi-Fi system are the following:
- Quick access to audio, video and gaming sources from your PC with USB Audio Streaming. You’ll be able to listen to your favourite MP3 files in your music library instantly or watch videos and even play games with superior sound quality. With USB Memory Playback, you just need to plug the USB flash memory device like the Sony MicroVault and playback your favourite MP3 files anytime.
- Innovative charger mechanism that lot you DVDs/CDs/VCDs vertically.
- State-of-the-art touch sensor technology which responds to the slightest touch of the unit display, thereby providing for ease of usage and convenient operation.
- Supports all kinds of media formats like DVD, CD, VCD, CD-R-CD-RW, tape cassettes and even DivX video compression ( for DHC-AZ7DM and DHC-AZ3DM).
- S-Master Digital Amplifier, a revolutionary technology that use a simplified signal path to increase efficiency and reduce heat generation. This minimizes sound distortion and ensures the best audio output.
- Digital Cinema Sound which simulates 5 sets of virtual speakers surrounding the listener from a single pair of actual surround speakers for dramatic theater-grade performance. This is also extended to PC users who will benefit by enhancing their gaming and video experience.
