D-NE10

The D-NE10 pushed that same file-era formula into a slimmer, more refined form while keeping support for ATRAC3plus, ATRAC3, MP3, and standard CDs. The cleaner body, backlit remote, and optical output gave it the feel of a more complete object instead of a basic utility player adapted to new formats.

By this point, compressed audio on disc no longer needed to be treated as a novelty. The D-NE10 was part of the part of the line where Sony was trying to make the spinning-disc format feel modern again without pretending the category had not already changed.