The new Sony Walkman MP3 player costs $ 4,200 and runs Android 11

Portable multimedia playback devices have been replaced in the last 10 years by smartphones, multifunctional devices that can do “anything”. Meanwhile, the companies that produced such devices have refocused, but Sony remains one of the few companies that still offers such devices, but in an exclusive Walkman range called “Signature”, dedicated especially to audiophiles. The newest models, NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2, reach prices of up to 4,200 US dollars.

The top Sony Walkman is gold plated

These new Walkman MP3 players are so exclusive that they don’t even have clear, brand names, Sony presenting them with the model number, something almost impossible to remember. These two models replace the offer with two similar devices from my old generation, which remain on sale but receive lower prices.

Sony praises the $ 4,200 NW-WM1ZM2 that comes with a 99.99% gold-plated copper metal chassis that promises better grounding and better durability over time. Thus, not only does it look good, but the design positively influences the audio quality played.

The NW-WM1AM2 is a similar device, but without copper and gold. It benefits from an aluminum metal frame, which ensures better shock resistance and better insulation of internal components. This protects the device from interference and noise from electromagnetic fields. It is clear that such capabilities are especially needed to ensure audio quality.

Players are so exclusive that they don’t even get a “regular” brand name

Inside, these players use a proprietary digital amplifier called the S-Master HX, which uses lead-free solder. It connects to the 3.5mm jack with a Kimber Kable cable on the top model, and with a low-strength OFC cable on the cheaper version. Both should reduce the distortion of the sound being played. Some solders on the motherboard use gold, and software algorithms can process the music in real time to ensure the best quality, especially for compression songs.

Otherwise, the devices are equipped with an Android operating system with a proprietary interface and also use Wi-Fi, so most likely you will be able to listen to FLAC or MP3 songs and streaming music.

Compared to modern smartphones, they use relatively small 5 ”screens with HD (720p) resolution. The battery life is 40 hours of playback in FLAC format, but compared to mobile phones, these devices are not permanently connected to the network and do not run as many services in the background. The only other difference between the configuration-level models is the storage. The WM1ZM2 comes with 256 GB of storage, while the NW-WM1AM2 offers only 128 GB.

source: Phone Arena