Sony has announced three new Walkman portable music players aimed at serious audio fans. Prices start at $1,899.99 for the NW-ZX900 and climb higher. The top model, the NW-WM1ZM3, has a chassis made of oxygen-free copper finished in gold, and costs around $5,900. All three use Sony's DSD Remastering Engine, which it says makes sound feel more like analog. They also have gold-plated rear panels meant to cut interference. The higher-end models add hand-soldered copper wiring and upgraded power circuits to lower noise even further.
π The Backstory
The Walkman name goes back to the cassette players that changed how people listened to music in the 1980s. This is not the first gold media player from Sony. The previous top model, the NW-WM1ZM2, still sells for about $2,600. These new players are aimed at a small group of wealthy audiophiles rather than everyday listeners. Most people now stream music on their phones instead of carrying a separate player.
π― Why It Matters
The players show that some companies still chase niche, high-price audio gear even as the wider market moves to streaming. They are a marker of how far luxury tech can go, and of how far some buyers will go for the sound they want. It also raises the question of how much luxury buyers will pay for a device that does one simple job.
Sony has announced three new Walkman portable music players aimed at serious audio fans. Prices start at $1,899.99 for the NW-ZX900 and climb higher. The top model, the NW-WM1ZM3, has a chassis made of oxygen-free copper finished in gold, and costs around $5,900. All three use Sony's DSD Remastering Engine, which it says makes sound feel more like analog. They also have gold-plated rear panels meant to cut interference. The higher-end models add hand-soldered copper wiring and upgraded power circuits to lower noise even further.
The Walkman name goes back to the cassette players that changed how people listened to music in the 1980s. This is not the first gold media player from Sony. The previous top model, the NW-WM1ZM2, still sells for about $2,600. These new players are aimed at a small group of wealthy audiophiles rather than everyday listeners. Most people now stream music on their phones instead of carrying a separate player.
The players show that some companies still chase niche, high-price audio gear even as the wider market moves to streaming. They are a marker of how far luxury tech can go, and of how far some buyers will go for the sound they want. It also raises the question of how much luxury buyers will pay for a device that does one simple job.