Sony rolls out new Walkmans for audiophiles. The cheap one is $1,600. (2024)

By David Snow

Sony rolls out new Walkmans for audiophiles. The cheap one is $1,600. (1)

Following up on high-end Walkman models released several years ago, Sony recently introduced two new Walkman digital audio players it reportedly plans to start selling in April for $1,600 and at least $3,200.

The pricier one is gold-plated. Just thought you should know, in case you were already reaching for your incredibly fat wallet.

Sony Walkman: Not for everyone anymore

Back in 1979, Sony rolled out its first Walkman portable cassette player. It turned out to be a big deal. But in recent years Sony shifted its idea of the Walkman from a device for everyone with a mix tape to a device for audiophiles. Those are folks who are super-serious about the highest-possible sound quality, and they’re often willing to pay for it.

The priciest recent model went for upwards of $3,200, and its replacement could go for that price or even more. That’s because these new music machines — the NW-WM1AM2 and the pricier, gold-plated “Signature” NW-WM1ZM2 — are packed with enhancements to boost sound quality in “lossless” audio formats, like Apple’s. Players like these handle far more data than lesser gadgets.

Given lossless audio files’ larger size, the new Walkman models support extra storage via SD card slots. The $1,600 model comes with 128GB of internal storage. The $4,200 model offers 256GB.

But the new Walkman models’ enhancements go beyond pure technology. Many small improvements in the build quality, placement and shielding of different types of components play roles in producing and isolating the most premium sound.

You can learn more about the lengths Sony went to in this video:

Sony said it will begin selling the two new Walkman models in Asia-Pacific countries in April. Presumably, broader distribution will follow. You can read more about Sony’s new Walkman models here.

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