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Sony sneaked in a D-NE330

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pata2001

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pata2001 Newbie

pata2001

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I was shopping at Target today, and to my amazement, there's a new Sony AtracCD PCDP, NE330. It's not even listed in sonystyle USA yet. Looks like it was only marketed in certain Asian (not all Asian countries) and European countries. It's pretty much a poorman's NE920. The controls are similar, using jog lever instead of buttons like NE320 and family. The LCD is on the left side of the lid, side by side with the controls, instead of up+down arrangement ala Ne920, non-backlit. What interesting is, there is a big label on the box, promoting that the unit has 15mW + 15mW output! It's been a while since we see that kind of output in sony portables. Color is black, and it comes with a non-LCD key-chain remote, like the ones included with Psyc NE320s. I didn't check the price, but maybe $50?

Anybody want to get this and test the output? :mellow:

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Damage Newbie

Damage

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DANG YOU! I was going to post this first, considering I did drop $49.99 + sales tax on it tonight.

Ah, wait, I'm day late and a dollar short. :D I'll get a review up soon, but I'm getting a bit excited about D-NE30 after all, and hopefully they've fixed that terrible firmware bug that made the D-NE20 useless.

One interesting note. The unit does not ship with any software at all (at least my unit didn't). No Connect (which I think was probably the candidate until player was aborted), no SonicStage 3.x. Instead, it comes with 5 track download coupon for Connect Store, which I don't think did come with other low end units in the past.

Second note. Nevermind that...

Initial impressions: Leaner bass seems outright apparent vs. other D-NE units. The Codec seems improved from the past, but not certain (I'm using a A3P CD that's at least couple gen old from the SS2.0 days).

And for the curious, the unit's made in Malaysia. For all that's its worth (note, all of my D-NE units are made in... Malaysia)

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pata2001 Newbie

pata2001

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DANG YOU! I was going to post this first, considering I did drop $49.99 + sales tax on it tonight.

:lol: What do you think about the claimed 15mW output?

Target now carries 2 models of this unit: a black regular one, and a silver one with FM radio.

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Damage Newbie

Damage

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Why, you're going to have to read my blog to find out now, won't you?

Just to say though, I can't tell with my collection of phones whether or not the 330s are louder than D-NE1, 900, and the 20. I can say for certain that they've cut back a bit on the bass (though added ClearBass 3), and that's about what I can tell at this given moment.

I still want a HD Amp to go with my D-NE9/30 though...

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adam917 Newbie

adam917

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DANG YOU! I was going to post this first, considering I did drop $49.99 + sales tax on it tonight.

Ah, wait, I'm day late and a dollar short. :D I'll get a review up soon, but I'm getting a bit excited about D-NE30 after all, and hopefully they've fixed that terrible firmware bug that made the D-NE20 useless.

One interesting note. The unit does not ship with any software at all (at least my unit didn't). No Connect (which I think was probably the candidate until player was aborted), no SonicStage 3.x. Instead, it comes with 5 track download coupon for Connect Store, which I don't think did come with other low end units in the past.

Second note. Nevermind that...

Initial impressions: Leaner bass seems outright apparent vs. other D-NE units. The Codec seems improved from the past, but not certain (I'm using a A3P CD that's at least couple gen old from the SS2.0 days).

And for the curious, the unit's made in Malaysia. For all that's its worth (note, all of my D-NE units are made in... Malaysia)

What was this bug? Perhaps this one of the many reasons Sony should start allowing firmware upgrades and start doing them, like iRiver and others have already. Currently, the only hope of a problem getting fixed is a replaced unit or another model, or even waiting another year for a new model!
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jonny mac Newbie

jonny mac

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Argos are selling this in the UK for £60 although I'd be amazed if it has the 15mW output. Info there doesn't say.

It would be sweet if they started giving all their portables 15mW outputs, so long as the European ones are hackable. If not, I'd import through Audiocubes, it would be worth it.

Edited by jonny mac
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adam917 Newbie

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Argos are selling this in the UK for £60 although I'd be amazed if it has the 15mW output. Info there doesn't say.

It would be sweet if they started giving all their portables 15mW outputs, so long as the European ones are hackable. If not, I'd import through Audiocubes, it would be worth it.

I could've sworn that power doesn't always directly relate to actual loudness you will get.

My iRiver stuff is at least 12 mW/channel (and my iMP-900 is 18 mW/channnel) and it's not much louder than my old Sony D-EJ711, which has 5 mW/channel. The headphones I'm using are Sony MDR-A35G, but even when I try different models out, it's the same. Only when I use my Boostaroo do I notice a an actual increase, but it's not much still. Straneg considering that the MDR-A35G has a limit of around 50 mW and the iRiver iMP-900 + Boostaroo combo brings total mW to around 24 mW/channel and only at that point does it sound like we're reaching decent potential.

I would like to audition some old (pre-1999) Sony units, as well as this new D-NE330 or any very new units that have the 15 mW/channel one day.

What's anyone here think about all this?

PS: I'm starting to think that it's actually me and my tolerance level. Perhaps I'm becoming more tolerant to louder sounds? Going from Sony's 5 mW/channel -> iRiver iMP-150's 8 mW/channel, to iMP-550's 12 mW/ch, to iMP-900's 18 mW/channel, than adding the Boostaroo on... Could it be just ME that think's it's too high just because I often attempt to block out outside sounds by just cranking it up?

Edited by adam917
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adam917 Newbie

adam917

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Argos are selling this in the UK for £60 although I'd be amazed if it has the 15mW output. Info there doesn't say.

It would be sweet if they started giving all their portables 15mW outputs, so long as the European ones are hackable. If not, I'd import through Audiocubes, it would be worth it.

Well, my aunt's D-NF430 (silver version) has 15 mW/channel (still has the sticker pointing it out on it too!). It sounds like it has 15 mW/channel too, considering my iRiver iMP-900 has 18 mW/ch and the Sony D-NF430 sounds almost as loud as my iRiver iMP-900 in the same headphones on the same CDs.

Unfortunately, that unit doesn't have decent fast-forward and I don't know if it resumes from shutdown or CD removal either. :-( Strange that the track number is 3 digits yet it only shows the track number _within the current folder/album/group_ and not of the CD. (So there may be 25 tracks numbered '001' with this player if you have 25 folders on the CD.) It would be nice to be able to change this so that it shows the track number relative to the disc itself.

Did anyone else get a carry case or mains/AC adaptor with their D-NF430? My aunt got only a non-LCD 'flat' (non-stick) remote. I'm guessing that an LCD remote wouldn't even work on this unit either. I'm surprised that Sony decided against including a carry case and at least a mains adaptor. Where can she get the carrying case for the D-NE430?

I'd say the unit's decent for 60 USD, but any more and it may not be worth it, considering that you would need to puchase the case and mains adaptor separately (if you use it a lot at home like my aunt does).

Edited by adam917
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jonny mac Newbie

jonny mac

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The UK version is crippled. I e-mailed Sony UK and got their usual bumf - "Sony is a repsonsible company... protect customers... 100dB limit...". Europeans can expect a crippled amp at about 1.5 - 2.5 mW.

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Guest Stuge

Guest Stuge

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The UK version is crippled. I e-mailed Sony UK and got their usual bumf - "Sony is a repsonsible company... protect customers... 100dB limit...". Europeans can expect a crippled amp at about 1.5 - 2.5 mW.

Not sure how responsible are they but How can we use bigger Hungry power Headphones wiht such power output :huh::huh:

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MZ-1 Newbie

MZ-1

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I've just seen the D-NF430 as well.

Part of the "Loud Sound" series, as Sony describes it.

The USA version has no AC and no LED remote. That's a shame.

Strange that neither the 330 nor the 430 is advertised on the Sony USA site (though one can download the user manual).

Paul

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adam917 Newbie

adam917

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I've just seen the D-NF430 as well.

Part of the "Loud Sound" series, as Sony describes it.

The USA version has no AC and no LED remote. That's a shame.

Strange that neither the 330 nor the 430 is advertised on the Sony USA site (though one can download the user manual).

Paul

Oh the international versions do have an LED remote? So can you buy the remote and just use it too?
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Guest Stuge

Guest Stuge

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The question is can you plug an LCD remote in that same jack and have the LCD run?

It depends whether model accepts LCD remote .

Like MZ-DH10P US one is supplied with non LCD RM-MC60 but it also accepts LCD remote such as RM-MC40ELK &RM-MC35ELK.

Also See here

May i know for which model you are looking for a LCD remote ??

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Damage Newbie

Damage

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The question is can you plug an LCD remote in that same jack and have the LCD run?

Nope. General rule of thumb is that any CD Model that ships with non LCD Remotes can not power LCD functionalities on the remote. The Remote works, just the screen is blank.

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adam917 Newbie

adam917

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Nope. General rule of thumb is that any CD Model that ships with non LCD Remotes can not power LCD functionalities on the remote. The Remote works, just the screen is blank.
Does this apply even if the model in question comes with an LCD remote only in certain world regions?
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Guest Stuge

Guest Stuge

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Nope. General rule of thumb is that any CD Model that ships with non LCD Remotes can not power LCD functionalities on the remote. The Remote works, just the screen is blank.

Hey,Damage ..So you mean that like I`m getting DH10P from US which is not shipped with LCD remote .So i can`t use 35ELK or 40ElK..

Let me know ..

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pata2001 Newbie

pata2001

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Hey,Damage ..So you mean that like I`m getting DH10P from US which is not shipped with LCD remote .So i can`t use 35ELK or 40ElK..

Let me know ..

Damage's point only applies to PCDPs. I have US DH10P, and the 35ELK and 40ELK work just fine.

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