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Sony’s brand-spanking-new E-series MP3 players , and it really is quite special. It feels like a lipstick, but it’ll play considerably more music.

The cap on one end handily pops off to reveal a USB plug and the opposite end has a 3.5mm headphone socket. There’s a small, rather pixellated, but really useful colour screen that seems to float graciously under the glossy surface of the player.

t’s a really lightweight player, but its rugged build quality gives it a distinctly substantial feel. Sound quality is excellent from what we’ve heard so far, and with 30 hours of battery life, that music will keep pumping long enough for most people.