Monday, June 13th 2022

Sony Electronics Debuts Two New Premium Music Players, Starting at US$1,399.99

Sony Electronics Inc. today introduced two new premium music players, the NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2, raising the bar to new heights in high-resolution audio listening, to satisfy the most demanding audiophiles. Designed to immerse the listener in sublime, nuanced sound, the NW-WM1ZM2 has been fine-tuned from years of audio mastery and crafted from the very best materials. This new addition sets a new benchmark for Sony's award-winning signature series, offering an exquisite listening experience in an ultra-premium design.

The NW-WM1AM2 allows music lovers to completely lose themselves in high-quality audio with a richer, smoother and more expansive sound field compared to its predecessor. Both music players let the user download and stream from endless catalogues of music with Wi-Fi compatibility, taking the listening enjoyment to the next level.
Extraordinary sound begins with exceptional components
Throughout the history of Sony's premium range music players, audio mastery has been accomplished through a combination of meticulous assembly of exceptional components. The NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 are products of this philosophy.

Purer materials for a purer sound
The NW-WM1ZM2 has a 99.99% purity (4N) Gold-plated Oxygen-Free copper (OFC) Chassis. This realizes a stronger digital ground and higher rigidity, enabling clear, expansive sound, so the listener can experience each instrument as if it were performing live.

The NW-WM1AM2 uses an aluminium alloy frame which provides a highly rigid case that's resistive to electrical noise and other interference creating a stable, high-quality sound.

Revel in authentic sound reproduction
With the use of S-Master HX digital amp technology, independently developed for Walkman, the NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 deliver a stunningly faithful sound reproduction. The full digital amplifier further creates a rich and full-bodied sound, with the help of a high-quality lead-free solder.

Taking inspiration from the ground-breaking DMP-Z1, both music players feature an even stronger power supply than their predecessor models, both in the analog and digital block.

The NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 have upgraded fine-tuned capacitors - various FT CAP3 capacitors (High-polymer Capacitor) and a large solid high polymer capacitor which offers large capacitance and low resistance. An OFC-milled block covering the digital block allows both music players to deliver sound that appears to rise up from silence.

Perfect Signal Integrity
To achieve a powerful and smooth sound quality, Sony has selected a thick KIMBER KABLE to run from the amp base to the balanced headphone jack on the NW-WM1ZM2, much like the renowned DMP-Z1. This carefully selected component helps transmit high quality audio signals, leaving just the music.

The NW-WM1AM2 uses a low-resistance OFC cable which offers low distortion and superior channel separation.

To realize both music players evolutionary sound, a dual clock and fine sound register have been precisely placed within each Walkman. For the first time, Sony has begun using a reflow solder containing gold, whose effect is significant in the overall improved sound localization and wider sound space.

Get the most out of music, whatever the source
The NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 both integrate a DSD Remastering Engine where PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) audio is resampled into an 11.2 MHz DSD (Direct Stream Digital), providing even more ways to enjoy music.

With the NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 listeners can also inject more life into their music by upscaling compressed music files in real time with DSEE Ultimate. This evolving algorithm now offers even more benefits for CD-quality (16 bit 44.1/48 kHz) lossless audio. By restoring acoustic subtleties and dynamic range, the user experiences a richer, more complete listening experience.

Hear every note as the artist intended
Both Walkmans are also compatible with Balanced Connection and High-Resolution Audio, allowing listeners to experience their favorite tracks, just how the artist intended.

Music on the Move
The NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 are Wi-Fi compatible and powered by Android 11, giving access to a vast collection of genres and artists, from all around the world. Consumers can choose to either listen from their favorite music streaming and download services or connect to a PC to download tracks and playlists from personal collections, ensuring high quality sound playback.

All new optimized usability
With a larger 5.0" (12.7 cm) display, both music players introduce a new smooth and responsive touchscreen that has been upgraded to HD (High Definition), optimizing the user experience. Consumers can also personalize their home display on the Walkman Home Screen to suit individual needs, making each Walkman truly unique.

To ensure listeners can immerse themselves in the music wherever they are, both premium models deliver up to 40 hours of non-stop 96kHz FLAC High-Resolution Audio playback.

A USB Type-C port features on both models, offering fast music file transfer and easy connectivity with a range of devices.

The NW-WM1ZM2 offers 256 GB of integrated memory and a microSD card slot, while the NW-WM1AM2 offers 128 GB of integrated memory and a microSD card slot, allowing listeners to take even the biggest music collections, wherever they go.

Sustainability matters
Sony's products are not only designed to be stylish, but also with the environment in mind. Zero plastic is used in the packaging material for the NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2, reflecting Sony's commitment to reducing the impact of our products and practices.

Pricing and Availability:
NW-WM1ZM2 has a suggested retail price of $3,699.99 and is available now to purchase at Sony Electronics and other authorized dealers.
NW-WM1AM2 has a suggested retail price of $1,399.99 and is available now to purchase at Sony Electronics and other authorized dealers.
Source: Sony
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51 Comments on Sony Electronics Debuts Two New Premium Music Players, Starting at US$1,399.99

#1
Chane
I'm getting Zune vibes from this. I'm not sure what the market is for these. My phone is perfectly capable of delivering high-resolution digital sound and if I wanted quality analog sound there are plenty of DACs out there.
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#2
Octavean
~$1399.99 USD,….??? Are we sure that we aren’t talking about the Japanese Yen instead of USD,……???
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#3
Arkz
lol wow. They really just said the gold plated chassis makes the sound better... Oh boy.
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#4
ERazer
watch, someone will buy this and pair it with Dre headphones
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#5
Wirko
The dreaded touch interface. I can operate my 2003 audio player (mostly) without looking, it has six fixed-function buttons, that's why I'm still keeping it.
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#7
Athlonite
Purer materials for a purer sound
The NW-WM1ZM2 has a 99.99% purity (4N) Gold-plated Oxygen-Free copper (OFC) Chassis. This realizes a stronger digital ground and higher rigidity, enabling clear, expansive sound, so the listener can experience each instrument as if it were performing live.




Has someone at Sony been smokin sushi again
Posted on Reply
#8
Valantar
So, Sony launches a premium portable audio player to cash in on the clueless audiophile market.




And another model targeting the "have no brain but SO much money" market.
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#9
freeagent
Audio gear easily surpasses the price of computer gear, it’s been that way since the dawn of time :D

That mainstream stuff as good as it is, is garbage.
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#10
Chomiq
I miss my Sansa Clip+. That thing was super tiny and running it with rockbox firmware was blast.
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#11
bearClaw5
I have one of their lower end units, the NW-A45 and it's great. What's terrible about these models are they are android based. These are just expensive phones.
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#12
Ferrum Master
bearClaw5I have one of their lower end units, the NW-A45 and it's great. What's terrible about these models are they are android based. These are just expensive phones.
Their Alpha cameras are also android based, that makes them by any means worse if they own their own sensors and HW accelerator image DSP ASICs?

So what's what? What was first? Chicken or egg? It is a CPU with custom GPIO, attached devices via SPI/i2s etc and a screen hooked up for human interfacing. That can be a phone or a car motor ECU with telemetry data or even both.

You can call anything a phone these days then as you can run doom even on a pregnancy tester adding a serial modem is even more trivial.

They are clearly targeting their own audience with this nothing more or less.
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#13
Synthwave
ValantarSo, Sony launches a premium portable audio player to cash in on the clueless audiophile market.




And another model targeting the "have no brain but SO much money" market.
Nah, bro, the REAL audiophiles are anything, but clueless.
Posted on Reply
#14
ZoneDymo
"audiophiles" are some of the most gullible people
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#15
zlobby
LOL, what a bust!

Best features are 48k FLAC?

Check Cayin, Shanling, iBasso, FiiO - they offer way better hardare (and even designs, some of them with discrete tubes) for the same price. Sony lost their marbles.
Posted on Reply
#16
TheUn4seen
ZoneDymo"audiophiles" are some of the most gullible people
Don't confuse audiofools with people who actually care about sound quality and know a thing or two about achieving their goal.

There's a lot of marketing gibberish here. Sony made some of my favourite players so the sound quality is probably there but damn, touch interface on a portable player is just beyond me - unless you use a portable player as a stationary one, which I know some people do.
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#17
Readlight
Which exclusive component costs in this small plastic glas box 2000 euro.
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#18
Steevo
April fools day?

I mean, did Sony have a stroke and think the Ipod hadn't been invented yet?


Reflow solder using gold which bla bla bla superior effect which cant be technically reproduced since the humidity in the room you test in is different, or your ears didn't pop during takeoff, or you didn't use the headphones they used which they lost....... this shouldn't be seen as anything other than market drivel for the same people who buy Audiophile SSD's and rocks for cables.
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#19
Valantar
SynthwaveNah, bro, the REAL audiophiles are anything, but clueless.
Depends what you mean by "real", I suppose. People buying >$500/m speaker wire? Clueless. People buying premium AC power cables for their stereo equipment? Clueless. People spending tens of thousands on stereo equipment but unable to decisively differentiate it from much, much cheaper gear in a double blind test? Clueless. The hi-fi world is built on and runs on cluelessness. There are sensible people who care about sound quality, sure, but those are not the group typically called audiophiles.
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#20
Tartaros
For those saying this is nuts, these are REALLY cheap dedicated players. The real nut ones are in the 5 digits.
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#21
kinjx11
I have the FF7 Remake edition, the sound quality is amazing but the OS is slow as hell and it's Android 9 ?!! not worth it
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#24
Andyr
Don't forget to buy an audiophile network cable to go with it...
Posted on Reply
#25
ARF
Guys, these are for:
1. Audio industry professionals - maybe music stations employees;
2. People with too much money.

If you don't belong to either of these, then this is clearly not for you - you are not the target for these niche products. :)
Posted on Reply
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