Sony Introduces Affordable Walkman MP3 Players

Sony recently introduced a new line of Walkman MP3 players that the company says will offer "outstanding sound quality, advanced audio technologies, extreme battery life, and more." What's even better, the company is promising these features for less than $100.

The new Walkman NWZ-E350 Series Video MP3 Players will support up to 50 hours of audio playback (mp3 files at 128 kbps) and 10 hours of supported video playback (WMV at 384 kbps). Supported audio formats include MP3, WMA (DRM), AAC (non-DRM) and linear PCM. The supported video format is WMV (DRM).

The players also offer Sony’s SenseMe technology which will categorize music tracks into a variety of music channels and playlists. If you want to create your own playlists while listening to songs in your library, you can do so using the Bookmark Function.

In order to deliver clear, deep sound without distortion, the line uses Sony’s Clear Audio technologies. For easy transfer of files between your PC and the MP3 player, the units come with Content Transfer Software. It also has a brand new user interface with such features as Album Scroll and Scene Scroll which are designed to enable quick and easy content navigation. 

The new Sony E Series Walkman will be available next month. A 4GB version (model NWZ-E353) will cost about $70 and an 8GB version (model NWZ-E354) will run about $80. Given the large storage difference for a minimal increase in cost, we have to wonder why anyone would choose the 4GB model.