Not sure are these the last models of Sony Discman , ESPMAX D - E series.. I notice that they are quite reliable compared to the earlier flagship models. The most notable to me is the power usage, with 2AA battery it can last for weeks with hours of listening. That's why I've intended to get few units for personal use and collection.
Definitely not the last as later models would play ATRAC or even MP3 files. I will have to start looking though my catalogues. I agree with your other points. I have a few of these and as well as the great battery life I have also noticed that they are very shock resistant even with ESP turned off. Here is the most recent one I got. The photo doesn't show the colour, which is a Metallic "Gun Metal" blue very well.
I just had a look and this was the last Sony Discman to appear in an Argos Catalogue, ten years ago in Spring/Summer 2011. It was the only MP3 playing CD player in the catalogue. Basic CD own brand players were as low as £15. I don't have many modern catalogues but in Autumn Winter/2007 there was a choice of three Sony Discmans
Marketing people at Sony would be pleased to learn that their tactics to sell more units is still working. I agree, the colors are more festive than usual gray or silver or black fare. I wanted to buy one of these, but bought an earlier, more bulky model that has line out.
I am surprised at how quickly Sony gave up on the Discman, which as I commented in the Last Tape Walkmans thread was before the tape walkman. It is years since I saw a new pre-recorded tape for sale locally, yet most big supermarkets in the U.K. still sell CDs and compilations like the "Now" series are still popular (in fact the first few which were originally only available on tape or vinyl) have been re-issued on CD. i'm not sure if something like Now would make sense on a streaming service since the whole point was to get about 30 chart hits for the price of about six singles. For anyone outside the U.K. wondering what I am talking about https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-...3&hvtargid=pla-1188463066793&psc=1&th=1&psc=1 At the time of posting, the number 1 seller in CDs and Vinyl. p.s. I forgot to say that my VW Golf MK7, which was a completely new model back in 2013 has a factory fitted CD player, although it is inconveniently positioned in the glove box.
@Longman, I am sure you could find a better example to showcase the sensibility of CDs than the Now That's What I Call Music! series. I would not listen to one even if I was given it for free. It is enough that this garbage is played on syndicated Top 40 stations and recently in stores and cafes, replacing 1980s pop fare. It is shoved into one's eyes and ears on YouTube in the Trending section, which is why the Trending section should be avoided like a plaque. At least YouTube still honors my likes and dislikes, so when I log on, it recommends me what I might really like, and two out of three, it gets it right. Have you listened to any of these "the best of the best"? All over-corrected with Autotune/Melodyne even for the singers who can sing, lame lyrics, simplistic music, and the videos that would make young 1980s Madonna shy. Have you watched the videos? Here is one from CD2, position #9: This seems to be a British edition, so there are some brighter spots, like Sophie Ellis-Bextor or Becky Hill, but they are far and between. Everything else is re-processed junk catering to the lowest taste of unwashed masses. Even electronic acts like ATB and Tiesto have crapified their stuff with autotuned vocals, incredible! I wonder are these all UMG acts? They probably are, I am too lazy to verify all of them. My car has a CD player too. I use it sometimes. I have enough CDs pressed at the time when mass-produced and mass-consumed music still was listenable. In the U.K. you can listen to something like The BBC introducing Mixtape. Or you can listen to KCRW from Los Angeles. Or any other radio station that broadcasts decent content over the Internet. But Top 40? Now That's What I Call Music? Thanks, but no.
I just picked that as an example of a high selling CD that you are likely to find (amongst others) at a UK Supermarket. I often see Now CDs in Charity shops and I have to admit my interest falls off rapidly after about Now 40. Of the artists you mention Sophie Ellis Bextor is the only one I recognise (and who I saw when she was the support for the Pet Shop Boys). Here is a the last CD I bought in a supermarket (quite recently). At about £6 for a triple CD of one of my favourite bands (who I have seen more times than I remember) it was a no brainer. I probably have all the tracks elsewhere, but it was great to see their CD on the supermarket shelf. Twenty years ago I would have happily have paid £30 for this. p.s. If you are streaming the BBC listen to Sounds of the 80s. I listened to last nights two hour programme.
Well, I can personally tell you these are far from the last CD Walkmans SONY made. These D-E models you have referenced come from 2001-2002. These models were very similar to some older models of the late 90s but had a re-shelled design updated for the 2000s. That colored jewel on the top and the light color scheme was a big departure for Sony from their earlier look. It was around this time that Sony introduced the PSYC brand. Here is a player from 2002 from that brand: Gee whiz, those neck phones sure were trendy back then.... Here's a model from 2003: Very quicksilver. Here's a more premium player from late 2005, It does MP3 and Atrac. Here's a model sold in 2007. You can tell Sony's quality here went down. Just look at that cheap case... And well.... this is where the models seem to end. I remember this D-EJ011 being sold for years. I even remember it at my local target like 5 years ago.
The earlier models were made according to the idea of a base and a cover, and the buttons were on the base. Can be operated with one hand, when the player sits on a table. With later more compact models the buttons had to be moved somewhere. Now it can be operated when the player is in a jacket's pocket. I don't think that D-EJ011 shouts "cheap!" It is reasonably compact, considering this is not a 1990s model, yet not super-slim, which would be a completely other price point. For a mass-market model that is powered with two AA cells, not with gumsticks, it looks rather nice. Can be powered via bundled AC adapter. Buffering can be turned off to avoid re-compression. Does not have line output though. Does not have radio as well. I have one from the D-E301/E307 line. Mine did not come with the car holder, but did come with a power adapter. Has a separate line output. Headphone level is adjusted with an analog wheel. Buffering can be turned off. Has 1-bit DAC. Not smart enough to realize that if I programmed tracks 1,2,3,5, it should play tracks 1,2,3 without gaps, ruining my bedtime playlist. I should make a video about it
I mean, I personally think all the cd Walkmans are kinda cheap. That's just my opinion though. I've run across them so many times and they always feel cheap in the hand. The metal Discmans don't have a base/top button design. Look at the d-9 and d-15. Metal Discmans.... that's the way to go. I do like your collection though, and the discussion!
Reason I collect them as I mentioned they are reliable and inexpensive. I always like the early metal design but kinda lack of endurance, in fact most of my metal Discman are all dead !!
Did you notice the price of them in the Argos catalogue ? £19.99 which in real terms is probably less than I paid for my first CD back in 1989 when the cheapest mains only CD player was £100 - I did a lot of research before buying a used one. I also recall that I bought my first D-E320 (like at the start of the thread) new for about £40 in about 1999 and was so impressed that a few months later I bought my sister one as a birthday present. I'm glad to have found this photo as people keep listing them on eBay with just a top down photo so it isn't obvious where the display and controls are. The styling is copied from the much more expensive earlier players that could only be operated using a remote making them useless without it.
About 5-7 years ago when I wanted to buy a brand-new/sealed Discman as a present, the only choice from a brand name was not Sony but this Philips: It lasted for a few months, then batteries (left inside) leaked and it was returned back to me, without any thanks... Anyway, these Psyc Sonys mentioned above look nice when photographed but in real life any scratches are 'in your face'. I collected a few but never liked them: For when looks/reasonable price/battery life matters, my personal preferences are with Panasonic: But late Sports models from Sony were all-metal, hefty, feel solid when handled, and look real-real nice: However, the best 'resale value' I see on slim Sonys with magnesium case. they are velvety to the touch, light, and look Real-Expensive. here is mine, with AT protective case: To my ears, none of these Discmans sound any good, but with a decent and more-or-less efficient set of headphones it is easy to check for yourself. I see that @Ken80s has the King, D-Z555, and their second-best, D-250. If King is set at 10, D-250 at 9, I wonder if any of these later beauties get more than 6-7 audio-points
The same "Philips" CD player was in the Argos catalogue until 2016 or possibly later. Of course the real Philips sold of their audio business back in 2014 https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140428005428/en/Gibson-Brands-Announces-Agreement-to-Acquire-Philips’-Audio-and-Home-Entertainment-Business so there is a good chance that the premium priced "Philips" was actually made in the same factory using the same parts as the "Alba" or "Bush"(two other brands that disappeared as a manufacturer, in their case back in the 1970s). Trying to check that date I found a far more recent announcement https://www.philips.com/a-w/about/n...global-investment-firm-hillhouse-capital.html so in future when you buy a Philips Food Processor or Microwave the only thing Philips about it will be the name on the front. Since the same has happened to many other manufacturers, including JVC here in the U.K. I wonder how long it will be before people realise they might as well just buy the cheapest make and ignore the brand name.
These are certainly the ones to collect... sound amazing when recapped, and you just can't get any more premium than these... I used to have one similar to this... It was made by iRiver... Model IMP-350. This thing was a beast! Could play WMA, MP3, CD-RW and of course regular CDs. Had FM radio, SRS, and even a video game built in. The motherboard blew up as what happens to most of these iRivers. I can totally see that, Jorge. The extremely glossy plastic is not only a fingerprint magnet, but a scratch magnet too. Thanks for this info, was going to buy maybe... Yeah, I really REALLY like Panasonic's design sense. Their better stuff is always feature rich, nice looking, and cheap to get from Japan.
