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Sony introduces two new Walkman with Hi-Res Audio, DSD, LDAC and MQA support, plus up to 40 hours of battery life

The Walkman NW-WM1ZM2 costs more than double its non-gold sibling. (Image source: Sony)
The Walkman NW-WM1ZM2 costs more than double its non-gold sibling. (Image source: Sony)
Sony has unveiled two new Walkmans aimed at audiophiles who wanted a dedicated MP3 player. Not only do the NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 support modern streaming services and formats, but the more expensive model also relies on copper and gold for the best possible sound.
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Sony has announced two new Walkmans, the NW-WM1AM2 and the NW-WM1ZM2, which serve as successors to the NW-WM1A and NW-WMZ, both over half a decade old. Technically, the two devices are almost identical, save for the NW-WM1ZM2 having 256 GB of storage to the NW-WM1AM2's 128 GB. In saying that, both support microSD card expansion should you need more storage.

However, the NW-WM1ZM2 stands out from its cheaper sibling because of its housing. While the NW-WM1AM2 relies on aluminium, the NW-WM1ZM2 utilises oxygen-free copper; the same material Sony uses in its audio cables. Additionally, Sony has coated the copper in 99.99% pure gold, purportedly to improve the MP3 player's audio quality.

(Image source: Sony)
(Image source: Sony)

The unique housing comes at a huge cost, though. Sony has not announced all regional prices for the pair, but the NW-WM1AM2 will cost €1,399 in the Eurozone. By contrast, the NW-WM1ZM2 comes in at €3,699. According to Sony, it has equipped both devices with a 5-inch and 1,280 x 720-pixel display, plus a heavily-skinned version of Android 11. Accordingly, the NW-WM1AM2 and the NW-WM1ZM2 support all major music streaming services.

Incidentally, both MP3 players support 384 kHz/32-bit PCM audio, 11.2 MHz DSD, DSEE Ultimate and the MQA format used by Tidal. Alternatively, the pair support LDAC for connecting Bluetooth headphones. The NW-WM1AM2 and the NW-WM1ZM2 should begin shipping in April 2022; neither is orderable on Sony's website yet, though.

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Source(s)

Sony (1) (2) via What Hi-Fi

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2022 02 > Sony introduces two new Walkman with Hi-Res Audio, DSD, LDAC and MQA support, plus up to 40 hours of battery life
Alex Alderson, 2022-02- 9 (Update: 2022-02- 9)