Sony’s gold-plated Walkman player reaches $5,900 with Android 16
Walkman returns with premium pricing
Sony last week brought back the Walkman name with three updated portable music players. The devices run Android 16 and include touch screens, with prices that reach $5,900.
The entry model, the NW-ZX900, costs $1,900 and has a five-inch touch screen with 64GB of onboard storage. Sony’s flagship NW-WM1ZM3 has a screen of the same size and 256GB of memory.
Sony’s materials and sound claims
Sony says some components use oxygen-free copper, which it links to sound quality. It also describes low-resistance, gold-plated screws as helping provide a stable ground connection and says they support bass, soundstage and high frequencies.
The players are housed in carefully milled copper slabs. The NW-WM1ZM3’s case is gold-plated, and Sony also says its cabling reduces noise and preserves signal integrity.
Bluetooth alongside wired connections
The new players include Bluetooth connectivity as well as wired headphone ports. The article describes Bluetooth as a potential drawback for music quality, contrasting it with Sony’s emphasis on sound fidelity.
The NW-WM1ZM3 is identified as an Android device, like the range’s other updated products. Its $5,900 price makes it the costliest model described.
Key points
- Sony revived the Walkman brand with three Android 16 music players.
- The NW-ZX900 costs $1,900 and includes 64GB of storage.
- The flagship NW-WM1ZM3 has 256GB of memory and a gold-plated copper case.
- The players offer both Bluetooth connectivity and wired headphone ports.