MZ-E30 Review
Kyle Schmitt ([email protected])
I bought the new MZ-E30 at Camera World of Oregon, to replace my MZ-E3.
This is a review of its features and technology.
The Unit Itself
My first impression in the store, was that the unit
was unbelievably small, a little less than 3/4 the length of the MZ-E3,
and still just as thin as the MZ-E3. The whole unit can be almost
overshadowed by a minidisc. The unit is also very light, about 50%
lighter than the MZ-E3 or about 120 grams without battery, remote, and
MD or 160 grams pocket weight.
The unit is also incredibly cool looking, it looks
space-age and high tech. I got the silver chrome colored one, however
the other colors available are blue and sparkling orange. Overall,
this is a nice-looking unit.
The Features & Accessories
This unit is functional as well as nice looking.
Included in the box is the unit itself, a gum battery and case, AA battery
case (with AC adapter input), Ni-MH battery charger, remote, and Sony's
best MDR-E838 ear bud headphones.
The Hi-MH battery lasts about 5 hours (the
manual says 4, but a brand new one lasts longer), with an AA attached (yes
you have to attach the external case to the unit, making it a little bigger
and less neat) you get 10 hours. The battery takes 60 minutes to
recharge fully.
The remote is a full featured remote, with a larger
LCD than the MZ-E3. It is designed so that you can put the unit in your pocket
and control it completely from the remote. The headphones are great, they can hurt
your ears a bit though because of their oval shape. The sound is
also great.
Difficulties
So far I have not experienced
any problems with the unit, the only unusual feature is that there is no
pause button on the main body, so you can only pause from the
remote. The headphone output can be a bit weak (at least with
the MD that I recorded). Overall this a great unit, and I
recommend it to everyone who loves MD, it is well styled and
functional.