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Sony launches new X series and W series Walkman range
By Grant Shepherd
SYDNEY: Sony Australia, has announced the launch of two new MP3 players in their successful Walkman range.
The Walkman X series and W series were introduced to the media today at a press launch in Sydney where all the new innovative features were highlighted.
Sony’s lead release, the X series, is the first MP3 player in the Walkman range to feature a three inch OLED touch screen display.
This display offers extremely high contrast, exceptional colour reproduction and a rapid response time. Consumers are also given enhanced usability by the combination of full touch screen capabilities but also a traditional touch panel.
Paul Colley, Sony’s technology communications manager, comments that “this addition of a traditional touch panel, allows users to navigate the player’s features whilst on the move, without having to stop and look down to use the touch screen.”
The introduction of the OLED display also means that the device offers superior battery life; OLED displays have very low power consumption, therefore the X series offers up to 30 hours of play time.
In regards to sound quality the X series uses Sony’s Digital Clear Audio Technologies: Digital Amplifier ‘S-Master’, digital noise canceling and Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE).
Sony claim that this technology can fill in the high tones that can be lost during file compression, enhance the bass, minimise distortion and maintain a consistent channel signal.
The other addition to the Walkman range is the W series, which is a very unique ‘wearable’ media device.
The W series is an MP3 player that is contained only in the headset. There is no extra device or wires so this tiny new addition to the Walkman line-up is prefect for the consumer who is constantly on the move.
Traditionally all in one MP3 players and headset devices are quite large but this device sets the bar for size.
“These devices used to look like earmuffs, the W series is sleek and stylish and completely different,” commented Colley.
One of the possible problems posed for this device is that there is no screen to navigate your music library, therefore Sony have introduced a new technology called ‘ZAPPIN’ which allows users to cycle through their library and listen to a short snippet of their songs for either a four or 15 second preview.
This allows people to stay constantly on the move and find their favourite songs with ease.
Both the X and W series Walkman MP3 players come supplied with ‘content transfer’ software, which allows you to transfer non-DRM music files from online music services such as iTunes straight to the Walkman, just by dragging and dropping from one application to another.
Both will be released in April 2009, the recommended retail price is still to be confirmed.
[Wed 04/02/2009 11:43:05]
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