MZ-E35: Good Intro/2nd Player; There's Room For Improvement
Written: May 18 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Size, Button Cover, Durability, Price
Cons: Battery Life, Lack of Backlit Remote
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| TheNihcman's Full Review: Sony Walkman MZ-E35 Personal MiniDisc Player |
When I first saw the Sony MZ-E35, I noticed one thing; the $449.95 MSRP. I said to myself… “Who would buy a player for the more than the price of a portable recorder!?!” After seeing my friend go out and purchase one, I decided to give it a try. At the time, the MZ-E35 was one of the smallest MiniDisc players on the market; and in fact, it still is.
One unique feature I noticed about it’s appearance is that there is a sliding cover that goes over the function buttons of the player (e.g. Play, Pause, etc.) This is extremely handy, because sometimes the Hold switch just isn’t enough. Somehow it’ll always turn off, and you’ll interrupt the song with an accidental button press. With the cover, there are now two protections against accidental track change.
Next, the durability is fairly good for the size. The magnesium-alloy body seems to be scratch resistant, and can take a lot of hard hits before denting. This is ideal for people who plan on using it on the street and keep it in their jacket, pocket, or their backpack, purse or other carrying item. When you hold it in your hand, it seems, and is very stable, unlike the MZ-E80.
One flaw about the MZ-E35 is the poor battery life. On a 3-4 hour charge of the supplied NiMH rechargeable battery, the battery will only give you 3-4 hours of play time. This is a near 1:1 ratio, and is obscene in modern MiniDisc players, which tend to last more than 20 hours on a 4 hour charge. If you use a AA battery, the battery will last about 5-6 hours; so when switched with the NiMH battery, you can actually squeeze 9 hours out of it.
Another flaw about this player is the lack of a backlit remote. It comes with the same remote as the MZ-EP11; the RM-MZ35. Although it does have a nice shape and is very easy to operate, in dark or poorly lit areas, you’ll have trouble using the remote. However, for you Discmen converters, the remote is very handy, and you can operate the MiniDisc from the remote, so you don’t have to keep taking it out to change tracks or stop playback.
Today, the $449.95 MSRP is outrageous; you can buy an MZ-E90, or an MZ-R90 and keep $100. However, due to the time since it was released on the market, you can easily purchase one for under $160. I would recommend this player to only certain people. For those who have a home recording MiniDisc system, and are just looking for a portable player, this is almost ideal for you. I find that if you purchase an extra rechargeable battery, ($20-30) the battery life will suffice, as long as you continue to charge and switch them. For people that are just catching on to the MiniDisc craze, I feel that this is not the player for you. The battery life will come back to haunt you. People who have recording portables: Unless you’re looking for a second player, this is not the player for you.
Recommended:
Yes
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TheNihcman
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