Like the latest iPod nanos, Sony's new Walkman products are available in multiple colors, including violet and pink, Sony said. The players also feature built-in noise cancelling technology, embedded within both the player and the accompanying headphones, that can cut ambient noise by up to 75 percent, Sony said.

"While Sony has offered noise canceling headphones, this is the first time that we've integrated the technology into the player itself," said Koba Kobayashi, general manager for personal audio at Sony, in a statement. "We've created an entirely new category and are confident that even audiophiles will be pleased with this Walkman digital music player."

Rivals continue to vie for a larger share of the digital music player market, which has been dominated by iPod almost since the moment the revolutionary device was introduced in 2001. The iPod currently holds an estimated 76 percent market share. Microsoft Corp. is readying its Zune portable media player for release during the holiday season. Earlier this week, French consumer electronics specialist Thomson announced retail availability of the Lyra X3030 pocket-sized 30-gigabyte personal multimedia recorder from the company's RCA brand.

According to Sony (Tokyo), the new NW-S700F series of Walkman players offer up to 50 hours of battery life and include a "quick-charge" feature that offers up to three-hours of playback with just a three-minute charge. The products support ATRAC, ATRAC Advance Lossless, MP3, AAC (non-DRM), WMA (non-DRM) and Linear PCM music files. The players are compatible with the Sony Connect online music service and include SonicStage CP software to import, manage and transfer music collections, Sony said.

Sony's new players include a 2-gigabyte model that can store up to 1,350 songs and will retail for roughly $199, Sony said. The 1-gigabye model, which can hold roughly 685 songs, will retail for about $169, according to the company.

By contrast, the 2-gigabyte iPod nano can hold up to 500 songs and retails for $149, according to Apple.

Reuters reported Thursday that Sony is developing a video Walkman to challenge Apple's high-end video iPod.