SPECIAL EDITION

▸MZ-EPS11

078   |   Sony   |   '97

Limited Luxury

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. As home recording and editing environments became more sophisticated, the demand for MD players was anticipated to grow even further.

Emphasizing the convenience of pocket-sized disc swapping, the MZ-EPS11 seems to challenge Sharp's famous Slot In mechanism. Sony developed its own "Head Loading Mechanism," a vertical loading system that allows efficient single-handed disc insertion and ejection.

This model is a limited edition of the MZ-EP11, set to be released in July, possibly earlier than the EP11 in June. The main difference lies in the gold-plated head-loading mechanism, adding a touch of luxurious elegance. However, being a non-premium series, it remains relatively unknown and rare, with an estimated production run of only 10,000 units.

Inherited from the MZ-E50 and MZ-E30, the low-power consumption LSI requires only 1.5V and supports a rapid one-hour full charge.

As an early MD player, it features a body compatible with AA x1, offering high flexibility without the need for an external battery pack while maintaining an excellent overall thickness of 18.5mm. An optional external DC adapter supports car power supplies.

Unfortunately, the new Stick Controller remote was not introduced. Instead, it comes with an LCD remote that can display kana, English, and numeric characters for track and battery information, though it lacks backlighting. The separate design allows users to purchase replacements, but only Sony Micro Plug standard earphones are compatible.

While mainstream models compete on size and power, this model focuses on user experience design, which perhaps earned it the Good Design Award that year.

MD1500