Sony MZ-E300 MiniDisc Walkman

Amazon.co.uk Review The Sony MZ-E300 is a simple piece of hardware with a single job, playing MiniDiscs while on the move. If that's all you need then it's a winner. This is Sony's entry point into the wonderful world of portable MiniDiscs. The MZ-E300 has a fairly basic specification, but still manages to have that typical Sony style about it. The dinky blue design is compact and only the bulge for the single AA battery spoils the clean lines. It's lightweight too, at under three ounces without the battery. The plastic case is a little prone to scuffing though. The connections are kept to a bare minimum; the headphone jack and that's it. There's not even an input for an external power supply. Luckily battery life is good, with alkaline batteries you should see over 30 hours. If you switch to rechargeables you can expect significantly less, so you might like to carry a spare. There's a bass boost, which you'll be using a lot, and twenty seconds worth of shock protection. Some form of shock protection is vital. Once experienced, you'll never want a player without it. The LCD screen is rather small and you don't get to see track names, which is a pity. There's no backlight either. The MZ-E300 is a MiniDisc player only, it doesn't record, so you'll either need to have access to another recordable MiniDisc system or stick to pre-recorded discs. This is the only real problem, you are probably going to want to record your own MiniDiscs to listen to on the move. On a positive note, the sound quality produced is excellent--which is in itself a very good reason to consider the MZ-E300. The MiniDisc format is Sony's baby and it consistently produces top-notch MiniDisc hardware. The MZ-E300 may lack the bells and whistles of more expensive devices but does what it sets out to do with style. It's best suited as a partner to a full-size MiniDisc player, so you can take your own sounds on the road. --Miles Berkeley Product Description The Sony MZ-E300 MiniDisc playback Walkman is both small and incredibly light; not much bigger than a MiniDisc itself. Its combination of portability and durability makes it a great option for digital music on the move. This model has a smooth face and incorporates its function buttons on the reverse side of the product. The MZ-E300 offers 20-second shock protection, Digital Mega Bass and up to 28 hours of playback using Stamina batteries (not supplied). Comes supplied with a set of Sony Fontopia headphones.