My good:) MZ-E10 review.

[yjs]

After playing around with my E10 for a couple of hours, here's what I came up with. Should help would-be E10 owners a bit.

Sound- 9.8/10
Wow! I'm no audiophile, but once you hear the MZ-E10's sound pumping from the digital amplifier, you will too realise the difference. The difference between the E10 and my R900 is phenomenal. The new EQ will take some time to figure out, but once you start experimenting with it, you'll discover the 'best' setting for each type of music. Presets for the EQ are: Heavy, Jazz, Pops, Unique and two slots you can define and save. You will probably find that Jazz and Unique are used extensively, as they provide a good balance of bass and treble for new E10 users (like me). I have only had this unit for more than 2 hours, and I am currently experimenting with different EQ settings.

Another great feature of the MZ-E10 is the Virtual Surround modes or 'Virtual Phone Technology (VPT) Acoustic Engine' as Sony calls it. It is basically a filter for your music which simulates different listening environments. The unit includes these environments: Studio, Live, Club, and Arena. They accurately emulate the sounds and acoustics of each listening environment, and is great fun to listen to, although I find that it lacks true practicability.

Now, into the actual sound of the unit. With a decent EQ setting, you'll definitely hear a phenomenal change in your music. The trebles are much 'refined' and don't sound like rattling metal. Also, the bass is very smoothed and is very natural. Overall, the sound is excellent, and very natural. Best I've heard, even better than many hi-fi systems. But again, I'm no audiophile, just a MD enthusiast. Of course, it all depends what headphones you are wearing.

Build Quality- 9/10
This unit is extremely light, and will take quite a while for me to get used to it, because I use a 140g MZ-R900! The MZ-E10 is only 55g with the internal battery! The first time you hold it will be magical. Open up the unit and take a peek at the internal, and you will be further amazed. The casing is very thin, and probably very easy to dent. However, everything is put together nicely and there is minimal rattling. Still you need to be very careful when handling this precious gem.

Features- 9.5/10
This is the 10th Anniversary Sony Player, so there must be a gigantic collection of Sony's greatest MD innovations right? Yes, there is and more. For information on the 'Virtual Phone Technology' and the EQ please refer to the first paragraph. In this section I'll talk about the menu system and other physical features etc.

Firstly, the menu system is like any other Sony system, although marginally better organised this time around. Here is a breakdown of the system:

-Upon pressing 'Display' for more than 2 seconds.
-'USEFUL' (Option 1)
--'PERSONAL'
--'Melody Timer'
--'DPC'
-'OPTIONS' (Option 2)
--'AVLS'
--'BEEP'
--'Backlight'
--'Display Options' (In Japanese)
--'PowerMode'

PERSONAL: 'Personal Disc Memory' remembers your EQ, volume, play mode settings etc for up to 20 discs.
Melody Timer: Alarm with cool classical tunes!
DPC: 'Digital Pitch Control' changes the playback speed.

AVLS: 'Automatic Volume Limiter System' protects your hearing by capping high volumes.
BEEP: Turn the beep on the remote on or off.
Backlight: Three options- On: always on. Off: always off. Auto: on when you push a button. (default).
Display Options (In Japanese): select Kanji display mode.
PowerMode: change the different power modes- QUICK, PowerSave or Normal.

Also evident in the MZ-E10 is the 'Group Playback' function and many others! The 'Bookmark Playback' is quite useful. When playing a track that you like, press the Jog Dial in for more than 2 seconds and that track is bookmarked for easy future playback. Up to 20 tracks can be 'bookmarked'. No more cumbersome PGM programming! Overall an impressive unit with impressive features.

Accessories- 9.5/10
The MZ-E10 comes packed with these accessories: Charging stand, AC Adaptor, RM-MC35ELKU remote control, plush carry pouch, MDR-E838SP earphones, and a Micro-plug to miniplug adaptor converter.

The new RM-MC35ELKU is very impressive with a rotating volume dial, a sliding jog dial, 'Bookmark Playback' + and - buttons, 'Stop' button, 'Hold' slider, 'Display' button, 'Playmode/Enter' button, and 'Sound' button. It looks quite good also, a lot better than the RM-MC11EL or the 12ELK. Chrome everywhere and very thin. It's high-resolution LCD can display double lines of text (track name and disc name) simultaneously. Also, there are many animations- a few 'Walkman' animations and one animation for each 'V-Surround' setting. These are quite fun to watch, and is very much a cool gimmick. One complaint is that the Jog Dial slider is quite stiff when the unit is first purchased, although that will go away once the remote is used for longer.

The charge stand is standard stuff, nothing special except for the fact that the wire stays intact beneath the stand and it has awesome suction pads! The AC adaptor is a new one though, it's very small and compact, but I have to use a power transformer anyway to convert voltage. The carry pouch is standard and has been in Sony units for the last 3 years, and the Microplug adaptor is quite useful. Sony finally decided to include some semi-decent headphones with the 10th anniversary units, and went ahead with the MDR-E838SPs. They are not godsend, and is incomparable to my D66 Eggos or the E888s but are good for travelling from and to school or work. Good stuff and they look pretty nifty too.

Value- 8.5/10
Not exactly cheap, when you can get the similar MZ-E710 also equipped with VPT and Digital Amp for around $210 USD, but if you pursue the ultimate in portable electronics, this is money well spent. The amazing size is enough to put you off at least $270 USD for it. A good collection of accessories and some good bonuses such as the MDR-E838s which are not bad.

Overall- 9.5
My first Player-only MD unit has really impressed me with its excellent sound and super-tiny body. Why get the Sharp MD-DS8 when you can have performance and style in one? Bring on the MD-DR7 as the next recorder for me!
Recommended seller: HyperJack.

[Superbaldguy]

I'm wondering if I should get one of these new players.

My E707 is such a sweet-sounding thing, though, and I think I'll keep using what I have until it dies. It's nice to see the widespread use of digital amps in the new units.

[yjs]

Wow. I've just discovered the awesome sound of the 'Live' VPT setting. It really does sound like a concert. Such immersive sound...

[me]

wow, great review! **looks forward to the E710**

For SBG

[yjs]

The E710 without a doubt also a great unit. Basically a E10 with a new skin! The animations are awesome! Some are very artistic!

[dk.BAJ]

i want one now .... how long did you have to wait for it to arrive?

[yjs]

Shipped Friday, arrived wednesday.

[idiot]

I agree with yjs' MZ-E10 review. Last night I looked at my E10 and found a little dent I think It was like a little point no larger than 1mm or the end of a pencil and it was a hole.... So you want a QBric hein yjs

[yjs]

Yeah, Qubric is my next target.. But way too expensive..

With the dent, I think it's something gotta do with production or something. I protected my so well. (only had it for like 1 day).

With my R900, it's been used quite ruggedly although I protected very well aslso, not one scratch or dent!

[idiot]

I just noticed I got a scratch on my Qbric I've "dropped" my E10 twice now.. but each time, the headphone cable stops the unit before hitting the floor.... If your height is normal (I'm not that tall) and you got SP headphones then when you "drop" it, the remote cable will stop it.. but then, it's not very good for the connector on the unit itself..