MP3 Insider

Jasmine's back, and she and Donald tackle the Android-based Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet that just landed in the office--with plenty of unboxing goodness. Also, a new Cowon player is teased in Asia, and Jasmine rants uncontrollably about the sweet new Japan-only Walkmans that she's dying to get her hands on. Finally, no MP3 Insider would be complete without a sojourn into iPod Touch/Zune HD territory, which is exactly where the updated CNET Prizefight comes into play.

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The better S-Series

(Credit: SonyInsider)

It was a sad day when I reviewed the second-gen Sony S-Series Walkman. We expected a worthy successor to this fantastic MP3 player and instead were met with a mere shadow of the device and its former glory. True, you still get top-notch sound quality, impressive battery life, and even the added bonus of external speakers, but what happened to my podcast support, upgraded headphones, expanded sound enhancement options, interface personalization, SensMe Channels, and Rhapsody DNA?

Well, most of those things got funneled into the "expanded" S-Series, the S640 and S740 lines, which--naturally--Sony has no intention of offering to U.S. buyers. (The speaker-sporting model is the S540.) These two players differ in only one way: the S740 offers integrated noise canceling, whereas the S640 does not. Other than that, both devices include just about everything that made the original S-Series Walkman so freakin' sweet, plus the ability to output to a TV and what appears to be some sort of audio recording option. Oh, and it's available in a 32GB option. You're killing me, Sony!

A-Series Walkman: such a tease

(Credit: SonyInsider)

Adding insult to injury is the Japan-only release of a next-gen A-Series Walkman, a seemingly spectacular MP3 player with a 2.8-inch WQVGA OLED screen. It offers an S-Master digital amplifier, FM radio, digital noise canceling, and the ability to output to TV at 720×480. The package also includes Sony's MDR-EX300SL earphones (i.e. not shoddy stock earbuds). Oh, and have I mentioned it's available in capacities up to 64GB? Seriously. Killing. Me.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to write a strongly-worded letter.

(Via SonyInsider)

Sony had a major success with the launch of the S-Series Walkman in the fall of 2008. The company stepped up with a sleek and compact device that offered a bounty of useful features along with stellar sound quality and a fantastic battery life. As might be expected, when it came time for a second-gen model, we waited with bated breath, expecting something equally impressive or perhaps even somewhat improved.

Unfortunately, the exhalation of said breath has emerged as a disappointed sigh. Although the second-generation S-Series Walkman still offers top-notch audio and excellent rated battery life, Sony has hobbled the player by crippling its feature set. The upshot is that this was done in the name of rock-bottom pricing, which makes the S-Series one of the cheapest flash players on the market: you can pick up an 8GB model for $110 and a 16GB for just $130. This--combined with its stellar performance--is the player's saving grace.

Read the full review of the S-Series Walkman.

Sony S-Series Walkman--photos

Once again, Donald and Jasmine promise a "short one" and fail to deliver. How is it that just us talking about two devices manage to stretch on for the standard 30 minutes? We'll tell you: one of them inspires a lovefest that's saccharine enough to make your teeth throb, while the other throws Jasmine into a tizzy dripping with disappointment. This discussion on two new players--the Sansa Clip+ and the S-Series Walkman--is not to be missed. Also, the MP3 Insiders touch once again on the possibility of subscription music on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

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Apparently, Disney does not have a problem with this.

(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)

Yes, it's true: I've managed to get my grubby little mitts on Sony's new E- and S-Series Walkman MP3 players. How, you ask? I will never share my secrets...NEVER! OK, dramatics aside, it has been an exciting end of the week here at CNET, and one of many reasons for that will become apparent to you next week, so make sure you keep an eye on MP3 Insider.

In the meantime, I have a little something to titillate you: hands-on photos of the new Walkmans (Walkmen?). Also, a bit of information for you. You've probably already heard that the E- and S-Series are dramatically cheaper than Sony's previous models--with the E-Series coming in at $80 for 8GB and $100 for 16GB, and the S-Series offering an 8GB model for $110 and a 16GB for $130--but you may not know where exactly the company cut corners. Well, I'm truly sorry to say that you won't find integrated noise-canceling capability, upgraded headphones, SensMe Channels, or Rhapsody DNA in either of these players. (And--yes--this lazy Walkman convert is extremely letdown by those last two.)

But, hey, these devices offer rock-bottom pricing for plenty of other features, so one mustn't be too strict. I do look forward to putting them through their paces and see how the sound quality and battery life have fared in the face of the price cut. Until then, ogle away.

Sony E- and S-Series Walkman photos

This week, Donald and Jasmine can't resist taunting the naysayers with yet more Zune and iPod talk, but we think you'll be interested to know that the Zune HD popped up with an app submenu during weekend demos at Best Buys across the country. And what does Microsoft have to say about that? We'll give you one guess. Also, Rhapsody gets down with the iPhone with a brand-new app that is yet-to-be-approved by Apple. Plus, we take a look at the upcoming E- and S-Series Walkmans from Sony and ponder the slow death of the Bluetooth MP3 player.

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(Credit: Sony)

The new 8GB Sony NWZ-S544 and 16GB Sony NWZ-S545 we saw earlier are now official. Sony's first speaker-endowed MP3 Walkmans feature 2.4-inch 320x240-pixel (QVGA) LCD screens capable of 262k colors. The latest S-Series Walkman also boasts Sony's Clear Stereo and Clear Bass audio enhancement technologies, along with a dynamic normalizer and five-band equalizer.

Battery life is listed at 42 hours for audio playback and 6.5 hours with video on headphones, 17 hours for audio, and 5 hours with video while listening via the speakers.

Both players claim drag-and-drop file transfer, which is nothing new, and also offer compatibility with iTunes 8.1 and Windows Media Player. Apart from MP3, WMA, and AAC support, FM reception (with 30 presets) is included.

The S-Series Walkmans are capable of 30fps playback with the usual video formats like H264/AVC, MP4 and WMV. Measuring in at about 1.9 inches by 3.9 inches by just less than half an inch and weighing almost 2.5 ounces, this series comes in a choice of colors: black, red, violet, and pink. The new S-Series Walkmans will go on sale September 1; click here for the official specifications.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Editor's note: Though not mentioned in the original article, the big news here is the pricing for the new S-Series Walkman. The 8GB will sell for $110, while the 16GB will come with a suggested retail price of just $130--quite a steal for an MP3 player that's sure to offer impressive audio quality and battery life. Sounds like someone is trying to make up for the X-Series' exorbitant price tag.

(Credit: Materiel.net)

It's official: the new S-Series Walkman will indeed invoke Mickey Mouse in its control pad. Two weeks ago, we reported on a SonyInsider story that claimed to have images of the upcoming S-Series refresh, and it turns out that it was right on the money. The new device has been spotted on a French Web site with specs and pricing.

My French is a little rusty these days, so it's a good thing Google has a built-in translator. The new S-Series (NWZ-S545) is a 16GB player selling for 149 Euros, which means it will likely go for around $150 here in the states. (The site also has an 8GB version, but no hint of a 32GB option, which is a bit of a disappointment.) The player offers built-in stereo speakers and "a great autonomy: up to 42 hours of music." It also has a QVGA screen, an FM tuner, and drag-and-drop transfer capability. In other words, the new S-Series is exactly like the old except for the refreshed design and external speakers--which isn't a bad thing, really, when you consider the many virtues of the current generation.

Of course, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt. Devices--MP3 players, in particular--have a tendency to change in minute-yet-significant ways when they creep into the States. Don't be surprised if some sweet, content-related feature pops up on the new S-Series for the U.S. release.

Thanks, Glenn!

If you're shopping for a high-end portable media player, but the iPod just isn't your cup of tea, the Sony X-Series Walkman and the Cowon S9 are two of the best options around.

But aside from the fact that both players include beautiful OLED touch screens, they couldn't be more different. The X-Series comes with a Web browser, noise-canceling headphones, and lacks Bluetooth, while the S9 includes Bluetooth, standard earbuds, and wants nothing to do with the Internet.

To see which iPod Touch alternative offers the most bang for your buck, we've handed the S9 and the Walkman over to our Prizefight team, who put each player through five rounds of scrutiny. To see which player came out on top, check out the full CNET Prizefight.