The Walkman is alive, sleek as ever, but Sony wants a fortune for it
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Sony has just revealed three new high-end Walkman music players, and yes, you read that right. In a world where most of us listen to music on our phones, Sony is still betting that audiophiles want a separate device for their tunes. The new lineup includes the flagship NW-WM1ZM3, the NW-WM1AM3, and the more “affordable” NW-ZX900.
What makes these Walkmans so special?
The star of the show is the NW-WM1ZM3. Its body is machined from nearly pure copper and finished in gold, and Sony has even given the screws a gold coating. According to Sony, all that copper helps the player produce punchier lows, a more spacious sound, and cleaner treble. The company has also reused the chunky Kimber Kable wiring from its DMP-Z1 player to keep unwanted noise out.
The two cheaper models (if you can call them that) skip the full copper treatment. They pair an aluminium frame with a gold-plated copper rear panel. The WM1 models also get an upgraded power setup with two capacitors, while the NW-ZX900 picks up a few high-end parts first used in the more expensive models.
All three players can upscale your regular music files to high-resolution DSD audio, and Sony has now extended this feature to Wi-Fi streaming as well. That’s good news if, like most people, you stopped downloading music years ago.
Battery life is solid. The WM1 models last up to 35 hours with MP3 files and 31 hours when streaming, while the NW-ZX900 stretches that to 40 and 35 hours. You also get a 5.5-inch screen on the WM1 models and a 5-inch screen on the NW-ZX900.
How much will a new Walkman cost you?
This is where things get painful. The NW-WM1ZM3 will set you back $5,899, the NW-WM1AM3 costs $2,999.99, and the NW-ZX900 goes for $1,899.99. You can pre-order all three right now from Sony, B&H, and Crutchfield, and Amazon is selling the two cheaper models.
Is it worth the money?
To be fair, Sony isn’t targeting the average listener. If you own high-end headphones and obsess over every detail, these players might tempt you. However, whether gold-plated screws make an audible difference is something your ears and your wallet will have to decide. Even the cheapest model costs more than most flagship phones, and for most people, a phone and a good pair of headphones will be more than enough.
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