2-318-768-81 (1)

D-NF421

Operating Instructions GB

ATRAC CD Walkman FM/AM

Portable
CD Player

Sony Corporation Printed in Malaysia

© 2005 Sony Corporation
 WARNING
To prevent fire or shock hazard,
do not expose the unit to rain
or moisture.

Do not install the appliance in a confined

space, such as a bookcase or built-in
cabinet.

To prevent fire, do not cover the ventilation

of the apparatus with newspapers, table-
cloths, curtains, etc. And don’t place lighted
candles on the apparatus.

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not place

objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on
the apparatus.

CAUTION
The use of optical instruments with this
product will increase eye hazard.

Certain countries may regulate disposal

of the battery used to power this product.
Please consult with your local authority.

CAUTION
• INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION
WHEN OPEN
• DO NOT STARE INTO BEAM OR
VIEW DIRECTLY WITH OPTICAL
INSTRUMENTS
• CLASS 1M INVISIBLE LASER
RADIATION WHEN OPEN
• DO NOT VIEW DIRECTLY WITH
OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS

The validity of the CE marking is restricted

to only those countries where it is legally
enforced, mainly in the countries EEA
(European Economic Area).

2
Table of Contents
Create Your Own ATRAC CDs ...............4 Changing Optional Settings ...............23
Which discs can you play on this CD Setting various functions ..........................23
player? .......................................................5 OPTION items ........................................24
Precautions ...........................................7
On safety ....................................................7 Using the Radio
On the CD player .......................................7 Listening to the Radio ........................27
On handling CDs ........................................7 Emphasizing the bass sound .....................27
On headphones/earphones ..........................7 If it is hard to hear the FM broadcast due to
interference from strong radio waves ......27
Getting Started If it is hard to hear the FM broadcast due to
poor reception ..........................................28
Checking the Supplied Accessories....8
Protecting your hearing ............................28
Guide to Parts and Controls.................8
Turning off the radio automatically ..........28
Preparing a Power Source When listening to the radio on the battery 28
(Dry Battery) .......................................10
Presetting Radio Stations ..................29
Checking the remaining power of the
battery ......................................................10 Presetting stations manually .....................29
When using the AC power adaptor ...........11 Playing Preset Radio Stations ...........31
Changing the Tuning Interval (Except
Playback European models) ..............................31
Playing a CD ........................................12
Basic playback operations (Play, stop, Additional Information
search) .....................................................13 Troubleshooting ..................................32
Locking the controls (HOLD) ..................14
Maintenance ........................................35
Searching for Your Favorite Track/File .. 14
Specifications......................................35
Searching by viewing groups (File View) 14
Optional Accessories .........................36
Searching by viewing a list of
groups/files (List View) ...........................15 Index ....................................................37
Checking CD information on the display .15
Changing Playback Options This manual describes how to use the CD player.
(PLAY MODE) ......................................17 For the supplied software SonicStage, please see
Playback options (PLAY MODE) ...........18 “Installation/Operating Guide.”
Playing groups..........................................19 Notice for users
Playing your favorite tracks On the supplied software
(Bookmark play)......................................19 Depending on the type of the text and characters,
Playing your favorite play lists the text shown on SonicStage may not be displayed
(m3u play list play)..................................19 properly on the device. This is due to:
Playing tracks in your favorite order – The limitations of the connected player.
(PGM play) ..............................................20 – The player is not functionning normally.
Playing tracks repeatedly (Repeat play) ...20 ATRAC3plus is a trademark of Sony Corporation.
Changing Sound Quality ....................21 “WALKMAN” is a registered trademark of Sony
Selecting the sound quality ......................21 Corporation to represent Headphone Stereo
Customizing sound quality .......................21 products. is a trademark of Sony
Corporation.
SOUND items .........................................22 3
 Create Your Own ATRAC CDs
In addition to the usual audio CDs, you can play an original CD, called “ATRAC CD,” that you
create with the supplied software, SonicStage. Using SonicStage, about 30 audio CDs* can be
recorded on one CD-R or CD-RW.
The following is a quick overview of how you listen to music on your ATRAC CD.

Install SonicStage on your computer.

SonicStage is software that takes music downloaded
from audio CDs on your computer and creates original
CDs. It can be installed from the supplied CD-ROM.

ATRAC CD
Create an ATRAC CD.
After selecting your favorite songs from music stored on
your computer, record them on a CD-R/CD-RW using
SonicStage.

Audio CDs,
MP3 files

Listen to them with this CD player.

You can take lots of songs wherever you go on your
original CD.

Please see the supplied “Installation/Operating Guide”

for how to install SonicStage and how to create ATRAC CDs.
* When the total playing time of one CD (album) is estimated at 60
minutes and you are recording on a 700 MB CD-R/CD-RW at 48 kbps
in ATRAC3plus format.

4
Which discs can you play on this CD player?

Audio CDs:
CD-DA format CDs
CD-DA (Compact Disc Digital Audio) is a recording
standard used for Audio CDs.

ATRAC CDs:
CD-R/CD-RW on which audio data compressed in the ATRAC3plus format
has been recorded by using SonicStage*
ATRAC3plus (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding3plus) is audio compression
technology that satisfies the demand for high sound quality and high compression
rates. ATRAC3plus can compress audio files to about 1/20 of their original size at 64
kbps.
Bit rates and sampling frequencies this CD player can play are:
Bit rates Sampling frequencies
ATRAC3 66/105/132 kbps 44.1 kHz
ATRAC3plus 48/64/256 kbps 44.1 kHz
Up to 62 characters can be displayed on this CD player.

MP3 CDs:
CD-R/CD-RW on which audio data compressed in the MP3 format has
been recorded by using a software other than SonicStage*
Bit rates and sampling frequencies this CD player can play are shown below. Variable
Bit Rate (VBR) files can also be played.
Bit rates Sampling frequencies
MPEG-1 Layer3 32 - 320 kbps 32/44.1/48 kHz
MPEG-2 Layer3 8 - 160 kbps 16/22.05/23 kHz
MPEG-2.5 Layer3 8 - 160 kbps 8/11.025/12 kHz

This CD player conforms to Version 1.0/1.1/2.2/2.3/2.4 of the ID3 tag format. ID3 tag
is a format for adding certain information (track name, album name, artist name, etc.)
to MP3 files. Up to 64 characters of ID3 tag information can be displayed on this CD
player.

CD-Extra and Mix-Mode CDs:

CD-R/CD-RW on which CD-DA format data and CD-ROM format data are
recorded together.*
If you cannot play your CD, change the “CD-EXTRA” setting in the OPTION menu
( page 25). Then you may play your CD.
An ATRAC CD on which audio data compressed in the MP3 format has been recorded using
software other than SonicStage can also be played.
With SonicStage, you cannot create a CD on which mixed format audio data is recorded.
* Only ISO 9660 Level 1/2 and Joliet extension format discs can be played.

Continued 
5
 Music discs encoded with copyright MP3 Group
protection technologies
File
This product is designed to play back
discs that conform to the Compact Disc
(CD) standard. Recently, various music
discs encoded with copyright protection
technologies are marketed by some record
companies. Please be aware that among those
discs, there are some that do not conform to
the CD standard and may not be playable by
this product.

Difference in file structures of ATRAC CDs (Maximum directory levels: 8)

and MP3 CDs
ATRAC CDs and MP3 CDs consist of Notes
"files" and "groups." A "file" is equivalent • If ATRAC3plus files and MP3 files are recorded
to a "track" of an audio CD. A "group" on the same CD, this CD player plays the
ATRAC3plus files first.
is a bundle of files and is equivalent to an
• The playback capability of this CD player may
"album."
vary depending on the quality of the disc and the
For MP3 CDs, this CD player recognizes an condition of the recording device.
MP3 folder as a "group" so that ATRAC CDs • Acceptable characters are A to Z, a to z, 0 to 9,
and MP3 CDs can be operated in the same and _ (underscore).
way. • On a disc that has ATRAC3plus/MP3 files, do
not save files in other formats and do not make
The usable number of groups and files unnecessary folders.
• Maximum number of groups: 256 About ATRAC CDs
• CD-Rs/CD-RWs recorded in the ATRAC3plus
• Maximum number of files: 999
format cannot be played on your computer.
About MP3 CDs
Playing order of ATRAC CDs and MP3 CDs
• Be sure to add the file extension "mp3" to the file
For ATRAC CDs, files are played in the order name. However, if you add the extension "mp3"
selected in SonicStage. to a file other than an MP3 file, the player will not
For MP3 CDs, the playing order may differ be able to recognize the file properly.
depending on the method used to record MP3 • To compress a source in an MP3 file, we
files on the disc. A "play list" which contains recommend setting the compression parameters to
an MP3 file playing order can also be played. "44.1 kHz," "128 kbps," and "Constant Bit Rate."
In the following example, files are played in • To record up to the maximum capacity, set the
writing software to "halting of writing."
order of  to .
• To record up to the maximum capacity at one time
on media that has nothing recorded on it, set the
writing software to "Disc at Once."

6
 On headphones/earphones
Precautions
Road safety
Do not use headphones/earphones while
On safety driving, cycling, or operating any motorized
• Should any solid objects or liquid fall into vehicle. It may create a traffic hazard and
the CD player, unplug it and have it checked is illegal in some areas. It can also be
by qualified personnel before operating it potentially dangerous to play your headsets
any further. at high volume while walking, especially at
• Do not put any foreign objects in the DC IN pedestrian crossings. You should exercise
3 V (external power input) jack. extreme caution or discontinue use in
potentially hazardous situations.
On the CD player
• Keep the lens on the CD player clean and Preventing hearing damage
do not touch it. If you do so, the lens may Avoid using headphones/earphones at high
be damaged and the CD player will not volume. Hearing experts advise against
operate properly. continuous, loud and extended play. If you
• Do not put any heavy object on top of the experience a ringing in your ears, reduce
CD player. The CD player and the CD may volume or discontinue use.
be damaged.
• Do not leave the CD player in a location Consideration for others
near heat sources, or in a place subject Keep the volume at a moderate level. This
to direct sunlight, excessive dust or sand, will allow you to hear outside sounds and to
moisture, rain, mechanical shock, unleveled be considerate to the people around you.
surface, or in a car with its windows closed.
• If the CD player causes interference to the
radio or television reception, turn off the
CD player or move it away from the radio
or television.
• Discs with non-standard shapes (e.g., heart,
square, star) cannot be played on this CD
player. Attempting to do so may damage
the CD player. Do not use such discs.

On handling CDs
• To keep the CD clean, handle it by its edge.
Do not touch the surface.
• Do not stick paper or tape onto the CD.
• Do not expose the CD to direct sunlight or
heat sources such as hot air ducts. Do not
leave the CD in a car parked under direct
sunlight.

7
 Getting Started

Checking the Supplied Guide to Parts and

Accessories Controls
• Earphones • Remote CD player

• CD-ROM (SonicStage)
Do not play this CD-ROM on an audio CD player
including this player.

• AC power adaptor
• Operating instructions (This book)
• Installation/Operating Guide

Connect the plug of your earphones/

headphones to the remote securely.

Headphones
or earphones

Remote

8
 Operation button Display
 (play/pause)*/ENTER ( page
12-15, 17, 19-21, 23, 27, 28, 30, 31)
/ ( page 13, 15, 21, 30)
*/ ( page 14, 15, 17, 19-21, 23, 27,

Getting Started
28, 30, 31)
VOL +/– ( page 12)
 CD player:
–•TUNE – button ( page 13, 14, 20,
27, 29)
Remote:
+/–•tune +/– buttons ( page 15, 27)
 Character information display
 •RADIO OFF button ( page 13, 15, ( page 16)
20, 22, 24, 27, 30)
 Atrac3plus/MP3 indicator ( page 5)
 SEARCH button ( page 14, 15, 29)
 Disc indicator ( page 12)
 RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY button
 Battery indicator ( page 10)
( page 27, 29-31)
 Play list indicator
 DISPLAY/MENU button ( page 16, 17,
19, 21, 23, 27, 28, 30, 31)  Group indicator
 +•TUNE + button ( page 13, 14, 20,  Bookmark indicator ( page 19)
27, 29)  Play mode indicator
  (headphones) jack ( page 12)  Timer indicator ( page 24)
 DC IN 3 V jack ( page 11)  Sound indicator
 HOLD switch (on the back of the CD
player) ( page 14)
 OPEN switch ( page 10, 12)
 VOL +/– control ( page 12)
  (play/pause)* button ( page 12, 13)
  (stop)•RADIO ON/BAND•RADIO
OFF button ( page 13, 27)
 /•PRESET –/+ buttons ( page
13)
 Clip

* This button has a tactile dot.

9
 Preparing a Power 4 Close the lid until it clicks into
place.
Source (Dry Battery)
Use only the following dry battery type for
your CD player:
• LR6 (size AA) alkaline battery Press here.

1 Slide the OPEN switch to open the

lid of your player.
To remove the dry battery
Remove the battery as illustrated below.

OPEN switch

2 Open the battery compartment lid

inside the player.
Checking the remaining
Raise
power of the battery
The remaining power of the battery is
indicated in the display as shown below. As
Battery the black indicator section decreases, the
compart-
remaining power is depleted further.
ment lid Press
   
 “Low Battery” *
3 Insert the LR6 (Size AA) battery (not
* Beep sounds.
supplied) by matching the  to the
diagram in the battery compartment.
When the battery is depleted, replace it with
a new one.
Notes
• The display shows the approximate battery power
remaining. For example, one section does not
Insert the 
end first. always indicate one-fourth of the battery power.
• Depending on the operating conditions, the display
may increase or decrease relative to the actual
power remaining.

10
Battery life 1) When using the AC power
adaptor
When using a Sony alkaline battery LR6 (SG)
You can use the player powered by the AC
(produced in Japan)
power adaptor without the battery.
G-PROTECTION

Getting Started
“1” “2”
Audio CD 22 20
ATRAC CD 2) 41 38
MP3 CD 3) 26 24
RADIO ON 30

1)Measured value using the JEITA standard (Japan to DC IN 3V

Electronics and Information Technology Industries
Association)
Playing time shown is approximate hours, when
you use the player on a flat and stable surface and
“POWER SAVE” is set to “ON” ( page 25). AC power adaptor
This value varies depending on how the player is
used.
2)Recorded at 48 kbps
3)Recorded at 128 kbps
to AC outlet
Notes on dry batteries
• Do not throw the batteries into a fire.
• Do not carry batteries in a pocket, etc. with coins
1 Connect the AC power adaptor to
the DC IN 3V jack of your CD player
or other metallic objects. The battery can generate and an AC outlet.
heat if its positive and negative terminals are
accidentally allowed to come into contact with a
metallic object. Notes on the AC power adaptor
• When the batteries are not to be used for a long • Disconnect all power sources when the player is
time, remove them. not to be used for a long time.
• If battery leakage occurs, wipe off any deposit • Use only the AC power adaptor supplied. If
left in the battery compartment, and install new your player is not supplied with the one, use an
batteries. If the deposit adheres to your skin, wash AC-E30HG AC power adaptor (not available in
it off thoroughly. Australia and Argentina). If you use any other AC
power adaptor, malfunction may occur.

Polarity of the plug

• Do not touch the AC power adaptor with wet

hands.
• Connect the AC power adaptor to an easily
accessible AC outlet. Should you notice an
abnormality in the AC power adaptor, disconnect it
from the AC outlet immediately.

11
 Playback

Playing a CD 4 Adjust the volume by pressing VOL

+/–.
VOL +/–

1 Slide the OPEN switch to open the

player lid.
Connect the headphones/earphones to the
player beforehand.

On the remote:
After placing the CD on the tray in step 2,
to  press  and adjust the volume by turning
OPEN switch
(headphones) VOL +/–.
VOL +/–
Headphones/earphones
with the remote


2 Place the CD on the tray and close

the lid.

To remove the CD
Remove the CD while pressing the pivot in
the center of the tray.

Label side up

3 Press /ENTER.
(disc) moves, and the player starts
playback.
/ENTER

12
Basic playback operations (Play, stop, search)
To Operation
Play Play from the first track From stop, press and hold /ENTER ( on the
remote) until playback starts.
Stop Pause/Resume play after pausing Press /ENTER ( on the remote).
Stop playback Press  (stop).
Search Find the beginning of the current track 1) Press  once.
Find the beginning of previous tracks 1) Press  repeatedly.
Find the beginning of the next track 1) Press  once.

Playback
Find the beginning of succeeding tracks 1) Press  repeatedly.
Go backwards quickly 1) 3) Press and hold .
Go forward quickly 1) 3) Press and hold .
Jump to succeeding groups 2) Press (group) + repeatedly.
Jump to previous groups 2) Press (group) – repeatedly.

1)You can operate during both play and pause.

2)You can operate during play of a CD other than audio CDs.
3)You cannot operate when using an MP3 file recorded on a CD-R/CD-RW in a packet write format.

Continued 

13
 Locking the controls
(HOLD) Searching for Your
You can prevent accidental button presses Favorite Track/File
while carrying the player by locking the
controls. Searching by viewing
groups (File View)
1 Slide the HOLD switch on the player On a CD such as an ATRAC CD or an MP3
CD on which a number of files are recorded,
(on the back) or on the remote in the
direction of the arrow. you can search for a file by checking the
“HOLD” flashes if you press any button names of groups (except on an audio CD) or
when the HOLD function is activated. files around the file being played.
You can use the HOLD function for
the remote and the player (on the back) 1 Press SEARCH repeatedly.
separately. For example, even if the The names of groups and files around the
HOLD function on the player is activated, current file appear on the display.
you can operate the player by using the
remote unless you set HOLD on the
remote to on, too. MR.SNO Yo
The Train
To unlock the controls Where do
Slide the HOLD switch in the direction  Group names
opposite to that of arrow.  File names

2 Press + or – to select a group.

3 Press  or  to select a file.

4 Press /ENTER.
The file you have selected starts playing.

To cancel searching
Press .

14
Searching by viewing a list Checking CD information
of groups/files (List View) on the display
You can search for a track/file by checking You can check CD information on the display.
the format type of the music source and the Depending on the region in which you
names of groups and files. purchased your CD player, the default
language may not be “ENGLISH.” Change
1 Press SEARCH repeatedly. the LANGUAGE setting, if necessary (
page 24).
When you are playing an MP3 CD containing
files with an ID3 tag, ID3 tag information
is displayed. (When there is no ID3 tag

Playback
If you play a CD on which mixed audio information, file name or group name is
data has been recorded: displayed.) ( page 5)
The screen for selecting the format type
such as “ATRAC ROOT” and “MP3 Notes
ROOT” appears first. • The characters A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and _ can be
Press /ENTER. displayed on this player.
• Before playing a file, the player reads all file
and group (or folder) information on the CD.
2 Press  or  to select a group and
“Reading” is displayed. Depending on the content
press /ENTER. of the CD, it may take some time to accomplish
this reading.
3 Press  or  to select a file. • If the file does not belong to any group, “MP3
ROOT” appears on the display.

4 Press /ENTER. Continued 

The file you have selected starts playing.

To return to the previous screen

Press  or –.

To cancel searching
Press .

15
 To check information on the display ATRAC CD/MP3 CD
 File name, artist name 3), file number,
Press DISPLAY/MENU repeatedly.
elapsed playing time
Audio CD
 Track number, elapsed playing time
(Artist name, track name)1)

Group name 3), CODEC information 4),
total number of files

Total number of tracks on the CD, total
remaining time of the CD, remaining time of
the current track 2) 
File view screen


File view screen

1)When you are playing an audio CD containing

text informatin such as CD-TEXT, information in
parentheses is displayed.
2)The displays appear only during normal play.
3)During play, “artist name” is not displayed if the
disc does not have ID3 tag information. When
the list of group names/file names appears on the
display, “artist name” and “group name” are not
displayed.
4)Bit rate and sampling frequencies are displayed.
While an MP3 file made at VBR (variable bit rate)
is being played, “VBR” appears on the display
instead of a bit rate. In some cases, “VBR”
appears halfway through playback, rather than
from the beginning.

16
Changing Playback 5 When “REPEAT” appears, select
“ON” or “OFF” and press /
Options (PLAY MODE) ENTER.

You can use various playback options such

as selecting songs you want to listen to, and
playing songs in your favorite order.
For details about playback options, see
 page 18. To return to normal play
You can also play songs repeatedly using the Select “ALL” in the PLAY MODE menu.
playback options you choose (repeat play,
Continued 

Playback
 page 20).

1 Press DISPLAY/MENU until the

menu screen appears.

: PLAY MODE
: SOUND
: OPTION

2 Press  or  to select “ PLAY

MODE.”

3 After pressing /ENTER, press 

or  to select the playback option.
The default setting is “ALL” (normal
play).

4 Press /ENTER.

17
 Playback options (PLAY MODE)

Display on the CD player Explanation

ALL All tracks on the CD are played in a track number order.
For the ATRAC CD/MP3 CD, a playing order is different according to the
setting of the “PLAY ORDER” in the OPTION menu.
GROUP All files in the selected group or all groups are played (ATRAC CD/MP3
CD only) ( page 19).
1 The current track is played once.
SHUFFLE All tracks on the CD are played once in random order.
GROUP SHUFFLE All files in the selected group are played once in random order (ATRAC
CD/MP3 CD only) ( page 19).
BOOKMARK Tracks to which Bookmarks have been added are played. The play of
tracks with Bookmarks starts in track number order, not in the order you
added the Bookmarks ( page 19).
PLAYLIST Tracks in the selected m3u play list* are played (MP3 CD only) ( page
19).
AUTO RANKING The tracks you have played most frequently from the CD are played from
the 10th to the first.
RANKING SHUF Up to 32 tracks, which the player has automatically memorized as the
most frequently played ones, are played in random order.
PROGRAM Up to 64 tracks are played in your favorite order ( page 20).
INTRO About the first 10 seconds of all tracks which follow the current track are
played once.

* An m3u play list is a file in which an MP3 file playing order has been encoded. To use the play list function,
record MP3 files on a CD-R/CD-RW using encoding software that supports the m3u format.
You can play the top 8 lists (listed by file name) on your screen on the CD player.

18
Playing groups
4 Press  or  to select “PLAY MODE,”
and press /ENTER.
1 Perform steps 1 and 2 of “Changing
Playback Options (PLAY MODE)” (
page 17). In step 3, select “GROUP” 5 Press  or  to select
“BOOKMARK,” and then press
or “GROUP SHUFFLE” and press /ENTER.
/ENTER.

2 Press  or  to select a group. 6 When “REPEAT” appears, select

“ON” or “OFF” and press /
If you select a group on an MP3 CD, etc. ENTER.
by searching through all the directories,

Playback
press  or . To remove Bookmarks
If you select a group within the same
During play of a track with a Bookmark, press
directory, press  or .
and hold /ENTER until disappears.

3 Press /ENTER for 2 seconds or Notes

more. • If you try to add Bookmarks to tracks on an 11th
The player starts playback of all files in CD (on a 6th CD when playing ATRAC CDs/MP3
the group you have selected. CDs), the Bookmarks of the CD you played first
will be erased.
• All Bookmarks stored in memory will be erased if
4 When “REPEAT” appears, select you remove all power sources.
“ON” or “OFF” and press /
ENTER. Playing your favorite play
Note lists (m3u play list play)
If the group has no tracks, “Invalid” appears on the
display. 1 In step 3 of “Changing Playback
Options (PLAY MODE)” (page 17),
Playing your favorite select “PLAYLIST.”
tracks (Bookmark play)
2 Press  or  to select a play list.
1 During play of the track to which
you want to add a Bookmark, press
/ENTER until flashes slowly.
3 Press /ENTER.

Continued 

2 If you want to add a Bookmark to

two or more tracks, repeat step 1.
You can add Bookmarks to up to 10 CDs
for audio CDs (up to 99 tracks for each
CD) and up to 5 CDs for ATRAC CDs/
MP3 CDs (up to 999 tracks for each CD).

3 Press DISPLAY/MENU until the

menu screen appears.

19
 Playing tracks in your Playing tracks repeatedly
favorite order (PGM play) (Repeat play)

1 While the player is stopped, select 1 Select “ON” in step 5 of “Changing

“PROGRAM” in step 3 of “Changing Playback Options (PLAY MODE)”
Playback Options (PLAY MODE)” (page 17).
( page 17), and then press /
ENTER. To return to normal play
Select “OFF”.

2 Press  or  to select a track, and

press and hold /ENTER until
display changes.
When playing an ATRAC CD/MP3 CD:
You can also select a file in another group
by pressing + or –.

3 Repeat step 2 to select tracks in

your favorite order.
You can select up to 64 tracks.
When you finish entering the 64th track,
the track number selected first (audio
CD)/file name (ATRAC CD/MP3 CD)
appears on the display.
If you select 65 tracks or more, the tracks
selected first are erased one by one.

4 Press /ENTER.
Playback starts in the selected order.

To check the program

1 While the player is stopped, select
“PROGRAM” in step 3 of “Changing
Playback Options (PLAY MODE) (
page 17), and then press /ENTER.
2 Press and hold /ENTER until the
display changes. Whenever you press
/ENTER, the tracks are displayed in
playing order.

To cancel the PGM play

Press .

20
Changing Sound 2 Press  or  for 2 seconds or
more to select the frequency range.
Quality
For details about the setting of SOUND items, 3 Press  or  repeatedly to
see  page 22. select the shape of the wave.
There are 3 shapes stored in memory for
Selecting the sound each frequency range.
quality
You can set up the “EQUALIZER” setting
and/or “CLEARBASS” setting. If you set Low Mid High

Playback
both at the same time, you can enjoy more
Frequency range
bass sound along with the sound quality you
want.
4 Press  or  to select the sound
volume.
1 Press DISPLAY/MENU until the
The sound volume can be adjusted in 7
menu screen appears.
levels.
Sound volume
2 Press  or  to select “ SOUND.”

Low Mid High

3 After pressing /ENTER, press  5 Repeat steps 2 to 4 to make

adjustments for the remainig 2
or  to select the item you want to
frequency ranges.
set up and press /ENTER.

4 Press  or  to select an option and 6 Press /ENTER.

press /ENTER.
To return to the previous screen
Press .
Customizing sound quality
You can adjust sound quality for each To cancel the adjustment operation
frequency range individually, checking the
Press  for 2 seconds or more.
shape of the wave on the display.
Notes
1 Select “EQUALIZER” in step 3 and • If the sound is distorted by your sound settings
“CUSTOM” in step 4 of “Selecting when you turn up the volume, turn the volume
the sound quality”. down.
“Low” is displayed first. • If you feel a difference in sound volume between
the “CUSTOM” sound setting and other sound
There are 3 frequency ranges; “Low” settings, adjust the volume to your preference.
(low range audio), “Mid” (middle range
audio), and “High” (high range audio). Continued 

21
 SOUND items
To return to the previous screen, press . To cancel the setting operation, press  for 2 seconds or
more.

Item Options (: Default setting)

EQUALIZER  OFF Normal sound quality
(Equalizer setting) SOFT For vocal, stressing middle range audio
ACTIVE Lively sounds, emphasizing high and low range audio
HEAVY Powerful sounds, further emphasizing high and low ranges
compared with ACTIVE sound
CUSTOM Customized sound (see  page 21 for details)
CLEARBASS  OFF Normal sound quality.
(Bass sound setting) 1 Emphasizing bass sound.
2 Emphasizing bass sound more than 1.
3 Emphasizing bass sound more than 2.

Note
If you change the setting of the EQUALIZER item after you have set the CLEARBASS item, the setting of the
EQUALIZER item gets priority.
When you set both the EQUALIZER item and the CLEARBASS item, set the EQUALIZER item first.

22
Changing Optional
Settings
For details about the setting of OPTION
items, see page 24.

Setting various functions

You can set the various functions such as the
language for the menu and the playback order
of the groups/files.

Playback
1 Press DISPLAY/MENU until the
menu screen appears.

2 Press  or  to select “ OPTION.”

3 After pressing /ENTER, press 

or  to select the item you want to
set up and press /ENTER.

4 Press  or  to select an option and

press /ENTER.
When you are setting the “LANGUAGE”
or “PLAY ORDER,” repeat step 3.
Continued 

23
 OPTION items
To return to the previous screen, press . To cancel the setting operation, press  for 2 seconds or
more.

Items Options (: Default settings)

LANGUAGE 1) MENU  ENGLISH Select the language for menu text, warning
(Language for FRENCH
message, etc.
menu, etc.)
GERMAN
ITALIAN
PORTUGUESE
RUSSIAN
SPANISH
TEXT 2) 6)  AUTO Select the language for CD-TEXT, ID3
tag, etc.
ENGLISH
If you select “AUTO,” you can read the text
FRENCH in the following language.
GERMAN
ITALIAN
PORTUGUESE
RUSSIAN
SPANISH
G-PROTECTION 2) 1 Protection against sound skipping is provided with high quality
(To prevent sound CD sound.
skipping) 2 Enhanced protection against sound skipping is provided.
AVLS 1) 3)  OFF The volume changes without limiting the volume level.
(Limiting volume) ON The maximum volume is limited to protect your hearing.
TIMER 1)  OFF The timer does not work.
(Off timer) 1-99 min  is displayed on the player. You can check the remaining
playback time by selecting this option during play.
Press  or  repeatedly to increase or decrease the length
of time by 5 minutes, or keep pressing  or  to increase or
decrease by 1 minute. The default setting is “10 min.”

24
Items Options (: Default settings)
BEEP 1)  ON The beep sounds when you operate the player.
(Sound of operation) OFF The beep is turned off.
SEAMLESS 2) 4)  OFF The CD is played as recorded on the disc, including spaces
(Playing tracks between tracks.
continuously) ON The CD is played without space between tracks.

Playback
POWER SAVE  OFF The POWER SAVE function does not work.
(Saving power) ON Setting of the SOUND items is not effective.
PLAY ORDER 2) TRACK  NORMAL Play back the music source in the order of
(Playback order) recording.
ID3TAG TNO Play back in the order of ID3 tag number.
FILE NAME Play back in the alphabetical order of the
file names.
GROUP  OFF Play back the music source in the order of
recording.
ON Play back the music source in the order of
group names.
CD-EXTRA 2) 5)  OFF Set to “OFF” as long as you can play your CD normally.
(Playback by disc ON If you cannot play your CD-Extra, set to “ON.” You may play it.
format)
TUNE STEP 6) AREA1 7)
Tuning interval is set to “9 kHz.”
(Changing the AREA2 7) Tuning interval is set to “10 kHz.”
tuning interval)

Continued 

25
 Items Options (: Default settings)
PRESET CLEAR 6) Clear? Select this when you cancel all preset stations.
(Canceling all
preset stations)

1)You can also set this up while listening to the radio.

2)You can set this up only while the player is stopped.
3)AVLS is an abbreviation of the Automatic Volume Limiter System.
4)This function works only for ATRAC CDs.
5)This function works only for Audio CDs and CD-Extra CDs.
6)You can set this up only when the radio is turned off.
7)Default settings vary for each area you purchased the CD player.

Notes
• Even if “G-PROTECTION” is set to “2,” sound may skip:
– when the CD player receives stronger continuous shock than expected,
– when a dirty or scratched CD is played, or
– for CD-Rs/CD-RWs, when a poor-quality disc is played or there is a problem with the original recording
device or application software.
• Even if “SEAMLESS” is set to “ON,” the tracks may not play continuously depending on how the source
music was recorded.

26
Using the Radio
Improving broadcast reception
Listening to the Radio For FM, extend the earphones cord.

You can enjoy FM and AM programs.

1 Press RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY

(RADIO ON/BAND on the remote) to
turn on the radio. Earphones

For AM, reorient the CD player itself.

2 Press RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY
(RADIO ON/BAND on the remote)
until the band you want appears.
Each time you press the button, the
display changes as follows:

 FM  AM Note
Keep the earphones connected to the  jack of the

Using the Radio

CD player. The earphones cord works as the FM
antenna.
3 Press TUNE + or – ( + or – on the
remote) to tune in the station you
want and adjust the volume.
If it is hard to hear the
FM broadcast due to
Turning off the radio
interference from strong
Press •RADIO OFF.
radio waves
1 While listening to the radio, press
Tuning in the station quickly DISPLAY/MENU until the menu screen
Press an hold TUNE + or – ( + or – on the appears.
remote) in step 3 until the frequency digits 2 Press  or  to select “OPTION,” then
begin to change on the display. The CD player press /ENTER.
automatically scans the radio frequencies and
stops when it finds a clear station.

Emphasizing the bass 3 Press  or  to select “LOCAL/DX,” then

sound press /ENTER.
1 While listening to the radio, press 4 Press  or  to select “LOCAL,” then
DISPLAY/MENU until the menu screen press /ENTER.
appears.
Continued 
2 Press  or  to select “SOUND,” then
press /ENTER.
3 Press  or  to select “BASS,” then press
/ENTER.
4 Press  or  to select “ON,” then press
/ENTER to enter the selection.

27
 If it is hard to hear the Turning off the radio
FM broadcast due to poor automatically
reception You can set the radio to turn off automatically
1 While listening to the radio, press within a range of 1 minute to 99 minutes by
DISPLAY/MENU until the menu screen 1 minute.
appears. 1 While listening to the radio, press
2 Press  or  to select “OPTION,” then DISPLAY/MENU until the menu screen
press /ENTER. appears.
3 Press  or  to select “MONO/ST,” then 2 Press  or  to select “OPTION,” then
press /ENTER. press /ENTER.
4 Press  or  to select “MONO,” then 3 Press  or  to select “TIMER,” then
press /ENTER. press /ENTER.
4 Press  or  to select the length of time
The noise will be reduced but the radio will you want to set from “1 min” to “99 min,”
play in monaural. then press /ENTER.

Protecting your hearing To check the length of time before the

The AVLS (Automatic Volume Limiter radio is automatically turned off
System) function keeps the maximum volume During play, perform steps 1 - 4.
down to protect your hearing.
1 While listening to the radio, press To cancel the TIMER function
DISPLAY/MENU until the menu screen The TIMER function for the radio will be
appears. canceled:
2 Press  or  to select “OPTION,” then • When you select “OFF” in step 4 of
press /ENTER. “Turning off the radio automatically.”
3 Press  or  to select “AVLS,” then press • When you turn off the radio.
/ENTER. • When you start playing a CD.
4 Press  or  to select “ON,” then press
/ENTER. When listening to the radio
on the battery
To cancel the AVLS function If you connect the external power source plug
Perform steps 1 - 4, changing the AVLS to the DC IN 3 V jack of your CD player, the
setting to “OFF.” CD player will turn off. Turn it on by pressing
RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY to continue
listening to it.

28
 Note
Presetting Radio Presetting will not be completed until scanning
Stations of all receivable stations is finished. If you cancel
presetting before scanning of all receivable stations
is finished, the stations you preset are not stored in
You can preset up to 40 stations: 30 for FM the CD player’s memory.
and 10 for AM.
Presetting stations
1 Press RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY to manually
turn on the radio.
1 Press RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY to
turn on the radio.
2 Press RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY to 2 Press RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY to
select the band. select the band.
3 Press TUNE + or – to tune in the station
3 Press SEARCH for 3 seconds or you want.
more. 4 Press and hold RADIO ON/BAND•
The CD player starts scanning the stations MEMORY until the preset number

Using the Radio

from the lower frequencies and stops appears on the display.
for about 5 seconds when a station is
received.

When the station is preset successfully,

the beep is heard.
The preset number increases by one.
4 If you want to preset the received 5 Repeat steps 3 and 4 when you preset the
station, press /ENTER until the stations in the same band.
preset number appears. When you preset the stations in the
The received station is preset on the different band, press RADIO ON/
preset number 1 and the CD player starts BAND•MEMORY to select the band.
scanning for the next receivable station. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the preset
If you do not press /ENTER within 5 number appears on the display.
seconds, the CD player will start scanning
Note
the next receivable station without storing
Preset number is selected automatically. You cannot
the station.
select the preset number.

Continued 

5 Repeat step 4 until all receivable

stations are preset.
If the stations have already been stored,
the newly preset stations will replace the
old ones.

29
 To change a preset station To cancel all preset stations
1 Perform steps 1 and 2 of “Presetting 1 While the radio is turned off and CD play
stations manually” ( page 29). is stopped, press DISPLAY/ MENU until
2 Press  or  to select the preset the menu screen appears.
number of the station you want to change. 2 Press  or  to select “OPTION,” then
3 Press RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY for press /ENTER.
2 seconds or more. 3 Press  or  to select “PRESET CLEAR,”
then press /ENTER.
“Clear?” appears in the display. When you
press /ENTER, all the preset stations
are canceled.
4 Press TUNE + or – to tune in the station
you want.
Start this operation within 30 seconds
after you finished the previous operation.
If 30 seconds pass with nothing done, start
from step 2.
5 Press and hold /ENTER.
The beep is heard and the preset station
has been changed.

To cancel a preset station

1 Perform steps 1-3 of “To change a preset
station.”
2 Press •RADIO OFF.
The station preset last is canceled, and the
next preset number decreases by one.

30
Playing Preset Radio Changing the Tuning
Stations Interval (Except European
You can tune in the station easily by pressing models)
 or  button. When using the CD player abroad, change the
AM tuning interval on the menu, if necessary.
1 Press RADIO ON/BAND•MEMORY to 9 kHz area: Asia and Europe
select the band. 10 kHz area: the U.S.A., Canada and Latin
America
2 Press  or  to tune in a stored
Change it while the radio is turned off and
station.
CD play is stopped, as follows.

1 Press DISPLAY/MENU until the

menu screen appears.

Using the Radio

2 Press  or  to select “OPTION,”
then press /ENTER.

3 Press  or  to select “TUNE STEP,”

then press /ENTER.

4 Press  or  to select “AREA1” or

“AREA2,” then press /ENTER.

Note
After changing the tuning interval, you need to
preset radio stations again.

31
 Additional Information

Troubleshooting
Should any problem persist after you have checked these symptoms, consult your nearest Sony
dealer.

Sound
Symptom Cause and/or corrective action
The volume does not increase  “AVLS” is set to “ON.” Set it to “OFF” ( page 24).
even if you press VOL +
repeatedly.
No sound, or noise is heard.  Connect the headphones/earphones plugs firmly.
 The plugs are dirty. Clean the headphones/earphones plugs
with a dry soft cloth periodically.
A rustling noise is heard from  Close the lid of the battery compartment firmly ( page 10).
the CD.
SOUND items cannot be set up.  “POWER SAVE” is set to “ON.” Set it to “OFF” ( page 25).

Operation/Playback
Symptom Cause and/or corrective action
The playing time is too short. The  Check that you are using an alkaline battery and not a
CD does not play. manganese battery.
 Replace the dry battery with a new LR6 (size AA) alkaline
battery ( page 10).
Certain tracks cannot be played.  You tried to play files saved in a format that is not compatible
with this player ( page 5).
 Change the setting of “CD-EXTRA” in the OPTION menu.
You may play your CD ( page 25).
“Low Battery” appears on the  Replace the dry battery with a new LR6 (size AA) alkaline
display, and the CD does not play. battery ( page 10).
“Hi DC in” appears on the display.  An AC power adaptor which is rated higher than the one
supplied or recommended is being used. Use only the supplied
AC power adaptor or the car battery cord recommended in
“Optional Accessories” ( page 36).

32
Symptom Cause and/or corrective action
The CD does not play, or “No Disc”  The CD is dirty or defective. Clean it or change it.
appears on the display when a CD  Check that the CD is inserted with the label side up
is placed in the player. ( page 12).
 Moisture condensation has occurred. Leave the CD player
aside for several hours until the moisture evaporates.
 Close the lid of the battery compartment firmly ( page 10).
 Make sure the battery is inserted correctly ( page 10).
 Connect the AC power adaptor to an AC outlet securely
( page 11).
 Press /ENTER after one second or more has passed since
the AC power adaptor was connected.
 The CD-R/CD-RW in the player is blank.
 There is a problem with the quality of the CD-R/CD-RW,
recording device, or application software.
“HOLD” flashes on the display  The buttons are locked. Slide the HOLD switch back
when you press a button, and the ( page 14).
CD does not play.
Playback starts from the point you  The resume function is working. To start play from the first
stopped (resume function). track, press and hold /ENTER ( on the remote) while the
player is stopped until the first track starts playing, or open the
lid of the player ( page 13). Or, remove all power sources,
and then insert the battery or connect the AC power adaptor
again.

Additional Information
During playback of an ATRAC  This player is designed to stop the rotation of an ATRAC CD
CD or MP3 CD, the CD does not or MP3 CD during playback to reduce the power consumption.
rotate but you can hear the sound The player is not malfunctioning.
normally.
“No File” appears on the display  There are no ATRAC3plus/MP3 files on the CD-R/CD-RW.
after you press /ENTER or  A CD-R/CD-RW from which the data has been erased is being
when the lid of the player is used.
closed.
 The CD is dirty.
The LCD display becomes hard to  You are using your CD player at high temperatures (above
see or slows down. 40°C/104°F) or at low temperatures (below 0°C/32°F). At
room temperature, the display will return to its normal
operating condition.

Continued 

33
 Symptom Cause and/or corrective action
Even though you have not selected  If you have selected a playback option other than
“BOOKMARK,” (Bookmark) “BOOKMARK,” (Bookmark) flashes.
flashes.
Play stopped abruptly.  The off timer has been set. Change the setting of “TIMER” to
“OFF” ( page 24).
 The dry battery is used up completely. Replace the dry battery
with a new LR6 (size AA) alkaline battery ( page 10).
The TIMER function is canceled.  The TIMER function for the CD is canceled if you start
listening to the radio.
 The TIMER function for the radio is canceled if you start
playing a CD.
You cannot operate the player,  This phenomenon may occur, depending on the CD you are
and a sequence of 8 numbers or using. Remove all power sources, and then insert the battery
letters appear on the display of the or reconnect the AC power adaptor. Try to operate the player
CD player. again. If the problem persists, consult your nearest Sony dealer.

Radio
Symptom Cause and/or corrective action
The radio is weak or has poor  Replace the battery with a new LR6 (size AA) alkaline battery
quality. ( page 10).
 Move the CD player away from electric appliances (TVs, PCs,
etc.)
 Keep the AC power adaptor away from the CD player.

Others
Symptom Cause and/or corrective action
When closing the lid of the CD  The player is reading the information on the CD, not
player, the CD starts to rotate. malfunctioning.
You cannot operate the CD player  The buttons on the player are kept pressed by mistake.
properly using the remote.  The remote is not connected securely.

34
Maintenance Specifications
To clean the casing
Use a soft cloth slightly moistened in water or
CD player
a mild detergent solution. Do not use alcohol, System
benzine or thinner. Compact disc digital audio system

Laser diode properties

Material: GaAlAs
Wavelength: λ = 770 - 800 nm
Emission duration: Continuous
Laser output: Less than 44.6 µW
(This output is the value measured at a distance
of 200 mm from the objective lens surface on the
optical pick-up block with 7 mm aperture.)

D-A conversion
1-bit quartz time-axis control

Frequency response
20 - 20 000 Hz +1
–2 dB (measured by JEITA)

Output (at 3 V input level)

Headphones (stereo minijack)
Approx. 5 mW + Approx. 5 mW at 16 Ω

Additional Information
(Approx. 1.5 mW + Approx. 1.5 mW at 16 Ω)*
*For the customers in Europe

Radio
Frequency range
• European models
FM: 87.5 - 108.0 MHz
AM: 531 - 1 602 kHz

• Other models
9 kHz step:
FM: 87.5 - 108.0 MHz
AM: 531 - 1 602 kHz
10 kHz step:
FM: 87.5 - 108.0 MHz
AM: 530 - 1 710 kHz

Antenna
FM: Earphones cord antenna
AM: Built-in ferrite bar antenna

Continued 

35
 General
Power requirements
Optional Accessories
• LR6 (size AA) battery: 1.5 V DC × 1
• AC power adaptor (DC IN 3 V jack): AC power adaptor 1) AC-E30HG
220 V, 50 Hz (Model for China)
Active speaker system SRS-Z1
120 V, 60 Hz (Model for Mexico) SRS-Z30
Operating temperature Car battery cord 2) DCC-E345
5°C - 35°C (41°F - 95°F) Car battery cord with car DCC-E34CP
connecting pack 2)
Dimensions (w/h/d) (excluding projecting parts
and controls) Car connecting pack 2) CPA-9C
Approx. 137.8 × 30.9 × 137.8 mm (5 1⁄2 × 1 1⁄4 × Earphones MDR-EX71SL
5 1⁄2 in.) MDR-G04SL
MDR-J20SP
Mass (excluding accessories)
Approx. 196 g (6.9 oz.) 1) Specifications for AC power adaptors vary for
each area. Check your local voltage and the shape
US and foreign patents licensed from Dolby of the plug before purchasing.
Laboratories. 2) When listening to the radio using these
Design and specifications are subject to change accessories, noise may occur. We recommend
without notice. only playing CDs when you use them.

Your dealer may not handle some of the

accessories listed above. Please ask the
dealer for detailed information about the
accessories in your country/region.

36
 H
Index HEAVY 22
HOLD function 14

Symbols I
(Battery) 10 ID3 tag 15
(disc) 12 INTRO 18
1 18
 (Timer) 24
L
LANGUAGE 24
A List View 15
ACTIVE 22 LOCAL/DX 27
AC power adaptor 8
ALL 18 M
m3u play list play 19
AM 27
MENU 24
ATRAC3plus 5
Mix-Mode CD 5
ATRAC CD 5
MONO/ST 28
AUTO RANKING 18
MP3 CD 5
AVLS 24, 28

B O
OPTION 24
BASS 27
Optional Accessories 36
Battery compartment lid 10
Battery life 11 P
BEEP 25 Pause 13

Additional Information
BOOKMARK 18, 19 Play 13
PLAYLIST 18
C
PLAY MODE 17
CD-DA format 5
PLAY ORDER 25
CD-EXTRA 25
POWER SAVE 25
CD-Extra 5
Preset 29
CD-ROM (SonicStage) 8
PRESET CLEAR 30
CD-TEXT 16
PROGRAM 18, 20
CLEARBASS 21, 22
CUSTOM 22 R
RANKING SHUF 18
D
Repeat play 20
Display 9
Dry battery 10 S
SEAMLESS 25
E
Search 13
Earphones 8
SHUFFLE 18
EQUALIZER 21, 22
SOFT 22
F SonicStage 4
File View 14 SOUND 22
FM 27 Stop 13

G T
G-PROTECTION 24 TEXT 24
GROUP 18, 19, 25 TIMER 24, 28
Group 6 TRACK 25
GROUP SHUFFLE 18, 19 TUNE STEP 31

37