Sony E-Series Walkman (second generation, 8GB, black)
Manufacturer: Sony Part number: NWZ-E344BLK
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The second-generation Sony E-Series Walkman remains an excellent value thanks to its ultralow pricing, pocketable design, handy features, and great sound quality.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace | ![]() | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/07/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Sony E-Series Walkman (second generation, 8GB, black) price range: $80.00
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 09/04/2009
The good: The second-generation Sony E-Series Walkman is very inexpensive and features a compact design with a nice, bright screen. It's easy to use and offers a variety of desirable extras, such as an FM tuner, a user-customizable EQ, and support for Amazon Video On Demand. Sound quality is great.
The bad: The E-Series Walkman has a lower rated battery life than before, and there's still no podcast support. Sony eliminated Rhapsody DNA integration.
The bottom line: The second-generation Sony E-Series Walkman remains an excellent value thanks to its ultralow pricing, pocketable design, handy features, and great sound quality.
Although they have been decently priced in recent years, Sony Walkman MP3 players have never been straight-up cheap--until now. The latest models, including the second-gen E-Series featured here, offer rock-bottom pricing that might make even SanDisk blush. Sony may have cut some corners with features and design, but the company managed to keep its signature great audio quality and solid battery life--and all in the name of proffering the first brand-new 16GB player we've seen that costs just $100 (you can also get an 8GB version for $80).
Like its predecessor, the second-gen Sony E-Series has a fairly standard design, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it makes the player very straightforward to operate. Below the 2-inch screen are the main playback controls: a five-way control pad, a back/home button, and an option key that brings up various contextual menus. One thing we noticed with the second-gen player is that the "up" arrow on the keypad is slightly difficult to press. Sony includes a dedicated volume rocker on the right spine--always a nice touch--as well as a hold switch. The bottom of the unit houses the standard 3.5mm headphone jack and a standard mini USB port--we dig that Sony elected to revert to this more universal connection, though accessory compatibility may be a problem as a result.
The second-gen E-Series is roughly the same size as its predecessor, measuring a compact 3.2 inches tall by 1.7 inches wide by 0.3 inch deep, so it's definitely pocket-friendly and would not be an unreasonable thing to strap to your arm or waistband at the gym. It comes in a two color options--red or black--though the top of the player is all black plastic, which gives the red version a two-tone look.
The main menu of the E-Series is typical of those in the Walkman line, featuring a grid of icons that indicate the player's principle functions. Sadly, there's no option to change the wallpaper or theme for this Walkman: white font on a black background is what you get. In the music submenu, items are sorted by ID3 tag into artists, albums, genres, and so on, or you may navigate by folder (as it is arranged on your desktop). Playlists have their own icon on the main screen and do not show up in the music submenu; it's a bit odd, but not a knock. Tracks are split into sections of letters (A-B, C-E, and so forth) for speedy navigation, and you may browse albums by album art for a more visual experience. Album art can also be magnified on the playback screen, though not to full screen.
Getting music and other content onto the player is an easy process; it works with a variety of jukeboxes (such as Windows Media Player or Rhapsody), or you can use the fabulously light Sony Content Transfer app, which allows for drag and drop from your hard drive or from the iTunes interface. And we're happy to report that the E-Series continues to be Mac-compatible, though Content Transfer is limited to Windows (Mac users can simply use Finder to drag and drop files).
The E-Series Walkman includes a decent smattering of features, which are slightly different than those offered by the Nano--it's a matter of personal preference which you find more suitable. The E-Series supports MP3, secure WMA, unprotected AAC, and LPCM (lossless) audio. The device also plays photos (JPEG) and video (MPEG-4, H.264/AVC, and WMV), though the latter often requires conversion for the screen, a 262K color TFT number with a 240x320 resolution (QVGA). The player supports videos purchased and rented from Amazon Video On Demand, as well. When you get sick of digital, you can tune into the integrated FM radio, which offers an autoscan function and 30 preset slots. Notably absent from this Walkman is any support for podcasts. Also, Sony removed the Rhapsody DNA, which is a bit of a bummer if you ask us.
Performance of the E-Series Walkman is nearly excellent across the board. Music sounds exceptionally clean, clear, and balanced, with a nice presence on the low-end, warm, rich mids, and detailed highs. Sony includes a variety of sound-enhancement options, including four presets and two, five-band custom EQs, so if the flat setting doesn't do it for you, you should have no problem tweaking the sound to your liking. We recommend swapping in your favorite pair of headphones, as the stock earbuds sound just OK and may not be comfortable for everyone.
Videos and photos look bright and crisp on the small screen, and viewing angles are good, though the screen is susceptible to glare. The one disappointment is that the rated battery life for the second-gen E-Series has decreased notably and for no discernible reason. Rather than 45 hours for audio and 8 for video, this player is rated for 30 and 4 hours, respectively. Those aren't bad numbers, but they're also not nearly as impressive as before--we hope CNET Labs will beat them in testing (check back soon for those results).
User reviews
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Decent sound for the money
by dave1881 on October 4, 2009
Pros: Sound is good for the price, didn't bother with the ear buds though but that is to be expected.
Cons: Lack of functionality to create playlist on the go was a surprize and a disappoint. Sometimes you just want to create a list out of the blue. Also had a terrible time trying to upgrade the firmware to the point where I just gave up.
Summary: For the money, it is a nice player. Had I known about the lack of on the go playlists, I probably would not have bought this though as it was ...
Summary: For the money, it is a nice player. Had I known about the lack of on the go playlists, I probably would not have bought this though as it was a really nice feature on my old Creative Zen Micro, which as great until it died after a few years.
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Fantastic budget MP3 player
by Kman Chu on September 26, 2009
Pros: Excellent sound quality, Excellent user interface, solid battery life, works with Rhapsody-To-Go tracks (although it doesn't support Rhapsody channels), slim profile, small but still easy to use, pretty screen, standard USB interface
Cons: Sony removed some functionality from it's previous model, no built-in podcast, lower battery life than previous model, doesn't play protected AAC, included earbuds are crumby, plastic body will scratch easily
Summary: Short version: For $80 this is a brilliant mp3 player and decent FM radio.
Long version:
This is a fantastic mp3 player for listening use. The sound quality is at ...Summary: Short version: For $80 this is a brilliant mp3 player and decent FM radio.
Long version:
This is a fantastic mp3 player for listening use. The sound quality is at least as good as my roommate's iPod Touch. This player may be a little short of some features, but it carries out its primary function exceptionally well. If you're looking for a budget player for listening to mp3s and the radio then I doubt you'll find a better one.
The features it doesn't have that might make you not want it: doesn't do internet, doesn't record video, doesn't record audio, you can't make playlists on the fly with it, doesn't support Rhapsody DNA (but does work with Rhapsody to Go), and doesn't play protected AAC files. If these things aren't important to you then get it.
The sound quality of the player itself though is as good as any mp3 player I've heard. The output amp is strong and should drive most any earbuds well (the included ones are crumby, so if you don't already have some use the money you saved by not getting an iPod nano and get some decent earphones. And the Apple iPod earphones don't count as decent earphones.) The player has a nice heft to it, but the plastic body does feel a little cheap compared to the metal cases higher end mp3 players have.
I use it with Rhapsody- to-Go. So far it works well and I haven't had any real difficulties. However, Rhapsody warns that it's not an officially supported device so they won't help you if you have difficulties.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sony
- Part number: NWZ-E344BLK
- Description: Enjoy your favorite music and videos wherever you go with the full-featured E Series Walkman video MP3 player. Boasting long-lasting battery life, the slim and compact E340 Walkman player delivers up to 30 hours of music or up to 4 hours of video playback on a single charge. In addition to supporting multiple audio codecs and video formats, you can listen to your favorite FM programming via the built-in FM tuner. Plus, a user-friendly interface makes navigating through your music, pictures and videos a breeze.
General
- Product type Digital player / radio
- PC interface(s) supported USB
- Flash memory installed 8 GB Integrated
- Digital storage None
- Weight 1.9 oz
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 1.7 in x 0.4 in x 3.5 in
- Color Black
- Available body colors Black, Red
- Included accessories USB cable, Earbud headphones
- Software type Drivers & Utilities
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards AAC, MP3, LPCM, Protected WMA (DRM)
- Additional features JPEG photo playback
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display LCD
- Diagonal size 2 in
- Resolution 240 x 320
- Backlight display Yes
Audio Features
- Sound effects Clear Bass
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Timer Sleep
- Additional features USB bus-powered, FM radio recording capability
Video Playback Features
- Video playback support H.264, MPEG-4, WMV, AVC
- Still image format JPEG
CD System
- Playback modes Normal, Repeat, Shuffle, Shuffle and Repeat, Repeat 1 song
- Digital audio standards supported MP3, WMA-DRM, AAC-LC, L-PCM
Equalizer
- Equalizer type Built-in
- Equalizer factory preset qty 4
- Equalizer factory presets Pop, Jazz, Heavy, Custom, Unique
- Equalizer user preset qty 2
- Equalizer band qty 5 bands
Radio
- Tuner type Digital Radio tuner
- FM station preset qty 30
- Tuner bands FM
Remote Control
- Remote control None
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural Ear-bud
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included External, 1 x USB cable -
- Connector type 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x USB
Battery / Power
- Battery Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
- Mfr estimated battery life 30 hour(s)
- Power device type None
System Requirements
- Peripheral / Interface devices USB port
- Operating system Microsoft Windows Vista / XP
Product series
-

Sony E-Series Walkman (second generation, 8GB, red)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Digital player / radio, 8 GB, AAC, MP3, LPCM, Protected WMA (DRM), Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Sony E-Series Walkman (second generation, 8GB, black)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Digital player / radio, 8 GB, AAC, MP3, LPCM, Protected WMA (DRM), Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Sony E-Series Walkman (second generation, 16GB, red)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Digital player / radio, 16 GB, AAC, MP3, LPCM, Protected WMA (DRM), Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
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Sony E-Series Walkman (second generation, 16GB, black)
Manufacturer: Sony
Specs: Digital player / radio, 16 GB, AAC, MP3, LPCM, Protected WMA (DRM), Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Sony
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sony products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.sonystyle.com
- Address:
16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA 92127 - Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
- Email: contact@sel.sony.com
- Fax: 941-768-7790








