Sony's stereo IC Recorders also playback MP3s

We've all seen plenty of MP3 players with the ability to digitally record voice, right? Some even record stereo audio with an external mic. Now, Sony brings us an updated version of their digital voice recorder with the ability to playback MP3s. What's the difference? The ICD-SX series of devices features a integrated, highly sensitive stereo microphone for recording stereo audio at up to 20kHz in LPEC format. That's good enough for bootleg recordings at near CD quality. You can record between 13.5-hours (stereo, high quality) and 17-hours (monaural) of audio before needing a USB recharge. Otherwise, it'll playback MP3 (only, no ATRAC) files for up to 24 hours on a single charge. The ¥25,000 (about $208) ICD-SX77 ships with 1GB of flash while the ¥20,000 ($166) ICD-SX67 ships with 512MB — both available in Japan starting March 16th.

[Via Impress]