What Sony Includes in the New Walkman

Sony audio brings familiar objects to mind: perhaps a pocket Walkman, perhaps a system kept at home. The new Walkman models for 2026 raise a question beyond the return of a name. What does Sony want to preserve by continuing to build music players, when a smartphone already plays music? The care spent on the chassis and power supply suggests where its priorities lie.

Three models were announced in Japan on October 16: the NW-WM1ZM3, NW-WM1AM3, and NW-ZX900, with release scheduled there for November 27. The descriptions of the two higher-end WM1 models emphasize power supply, construction, and signal processing.

The NW-WM1ZM3 uses a gold-plated oxygen-free copper chassis. Sony links its grounding, internal wiring, and power components to sound performance. The NW-WM1AM3 combines an aluminum-alloy main chassis with a gold-plated oxygen-free copper rear chassis. The power system carried over from the previous generation has also been revised. Sony presents components and structures hidden inside as reasons these players differ.

Continuity does not mean staying with cassette tapes. Early Walkmans made stereo music portable; the new models accommodate downloaded tracks and Wi-Fi streaming. Sony says its DSD remastering processing applies to both ways of listening. The source changes, but the company continues to make a dedicated device to process and output the signal.

That choice is expensive. The recommended Spanish prices are €4,999 for the NW-WM1ZM3 and €2,499 for the NW-WM1AM3. These are not South Korean prices, but they make clear that the products are not aimed at every listener. Launch materials alone cannot establish how audible the expensive materials and power design are. That requires comparison with headphones, recordings, and listening conditions held consistent.

Choosing costly dedicated audio equipment today is different from the early spread of portable music. Treating both simply as past glory avoids the question of price. Sony's investment in wiring, power, and output is visible in the design; whether it is worth the cost to a particular listener needs listening and comparison. The name is familiar, but the lives of the people it must persuade have changed.