▸MZ-EP10

053   |   Sony   |   '97  07.05

The Essence of the Walkman I

Sony's press release stated that the domestic MD hardware market in Japan officially entered the popularization phase in '96. Home audio systems with MD reached 50% of total sales by '96, and it was expected to exceed 70% by '97. Against the backdrop of growing demand for portable MD players, the MZ-EP10 and MZ-EP11 series with the same concept were introduced.

The entry-level design of the MZ-EP10 seems to challenge Sharp’s famous Slot In disc exchange mechanism, featuring Sony's self-developed "Head Loading Mechanism" for vertical disc insertion and ejection. This mechanism allows easy and efficient single-handed operation.

The highly versatile body that accommodates an AA without the need for an external battery pack maintains an excellent thickness of 18.5mm. Optional accessories include an external DC adapter and car power support. The low-power LSI developed from the MZ-E50 and MZ-E30 requires only 1.5V and offers a supercar-like one-hour rapid full charge.

Unfortunately, still old style remote control which can display katakana, English, and numeric characters for track and battery information but lacks backlight illumination. It comes with basic wired remote control and uses a separate  design, allowing users to purchase replacements, but they are limited to Sony Micro Plug earphones.

Compared to mainstream MDs, which often compete on size and battery life, this model focused on user experience design. Perhaps it was this initial concept that earned it the Good Design Award that year.

MZ-EP11