Walkman
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Sony would love if you bought its $3,700 Walkman for over-the-top audiophiles
Sony has released a $3,700 Walkman player built for extreme audiophiles, but will you notice the difference?
Can Sony reclaim its former glory?
The real question facing Sony now: How can it return to being an innovation leader?
Share your favorite memories of the original Walkman
Go back in time! Write a review of the original Sony cassette Walkman from 1979.
Sony's 40th anniversary Walkman is a cassette-free nostalgia fail
Even though it's a long time since cassettes have truly been in vogue, it's still disappointing Sony's 40th anniversary Walkman doesn't let you play music from magnetic tape. If you do pick up the NW-A100TPS, you'll have to make do with a cassette tape interface and screensaver, the color of which changes depending on the type of file you're playing.
Relive the sound of the '80s with a Bluetooth cassette player
If you find that having your music in good quality, being able to skip tracks with fast forwarding and fitting all your media onto one device is just too convenient, then we've got good news: Cassette tapes are making a comeback.
Sony's 230-Walkman exhibit celebrates 40 years of a music icon
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first Walkman sold (the TPS-L2, naturally), Sony is showing off the history of the portable music player in central Tokyo. It will run across the summer, through until September 1st, with writers and experts offering up interviews and talks on the iconic cassette (and CD) player series. Sony has assembled 230 different Walkmans laid out on a "Walkman Wall", and the whole thing shouldn't be hard to find -- a giant neon-yellow WM-F5 will lead the way.
Tech Hunters: How the Walkman changed the way we listen to music
Today, billions of people have access to portable music, mostly thanks to smartphones. The world's music catalog is at our fingertips thanks to Spotify, Apple and Amazon's online store, but it's not always been that easy. It wasn't until 1979 that music lovers could finally get their hands on a true portable player: the Sony Walkman. Even though Sony wasn't the first to introduce magnetic cassette technology, the Walkman was the device that made it popular. The introduction of the Sony Walkman TPS-L2 allowed consumers to carry their pre-recorded tapes -- which were normally bound to car stereos or home music centres -- and place them inside a stylish 14 ounce, bluish-silver player with big buttons that could be strapped to their belt. Initially, Sony believed it could sell 5,000 units a month, but it smashed all expectations by shifting more than 50,000 in the first two. Fast forward to 2010 and the Japanese electronics giant had sold 200 million of the things, with cassettes easily surpassing vinyl record sales on the way. Although the Walkman brand is still alive today, thanks to an updated range of digital music players, it was at its most popular in the 80s and 90s (so much so that the word "Walkman" entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 1986). It's a design classic that revolutionised the world of music, at least until Steve Jobs reinterpreted it for the modern age. Julia Hardy hits the audio highway to find out what a good Walkman can cost now.
Sony made a Walkman for 'Final Fantasy XV' fans
Final Fantasy XV is about to make it's long, long anticipated debut tomorrow, so get ready for the hype (and merchandising). We've already seen a FF XV branded Audi A8, of all things, and Sony has now revealed a limited edition Final Fantasy XV Walkman, headphone and portable speaker. The A-Series Walkman with Hi-Res audio support comes with etched pixel versions of Noctis and Co. on the back, special icons and a fancy box. It starts at 33,880 yen ($300 or so) for the 16GB model.
Sony's gold-plated Walkman needs deep, strong pockets
How much do you love music? Do you love it enough to spend $3,200 on a fancy pants Walkman? That's the proposition on the table with Sony's new gold-plated NW-WM1Z music player. Essentially, Sony continues to position its immortal Walkman brand as a true audiophile experience aimed at fans of High Resolution Audio files (don't worry, it'll play your plain old MP3s too). The basic concept might seem contradictory: a portable media player that pairs with a (non-portable) amp and custom designed headphones. But this isn't a product that's meant to make sense to most people. Audiophiles will know. Or at least, that's what Sony hopes.
Sony would love you to buy its $3,200 gold-plated Walkman
At IFA 2016 in Berlin today, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai reminded rich audiophiles not to forget about Sony. He unveiled the new "Signature Series" reference devices, including the NWM1Z and NWM1A Walkman, MDR-Z1R headphones and TA-ZH1ES headphone amp. The $3,200 (£2,500) NWM1Z Walkman is literally gold-plated, which not only makes it bling, but supposedly reduces "contact resistance and oxidation," according to Sony.
Sony's h.ear wireless headphones ship April 12th for $350
Back at CES, Sony unveiled a full portable audio line under the "h.ear" brand. Despite a range of headphones, a speaker and even a new Walkman, the over-ear wireless headphones were the highlight of the bunch. Officially labeled the "h.ear on wireless" (MDR-100ABN), the headphones pack in Bluetooth with LDAC for higher quality audio, quick NFC pairing, DSEE tech for a fuller sound and Beat Response Control for better bass reproduction. I tried them myself in Vegas and they sound quite good and are plenty comfy, making Sony's latest wireless headphones worth a look. The noise-cancelling cans are going on sale March 27th for $350 and they'll ship April 12th.
Weird noises emerge from a Frankenstein cassette-tape keyboard
Of course everyone knows what a Mellotron is (no, everyone doesn't), but allow us to briefly explain anyway. The Mellotron is a keyboard hooked up to analog tape -- press a key and the instrument plays a corresponding section of sound on the tape. It's the original sampler, popularized by the Beatles, the Moody Blues and a handful of other bands in the 1960s and '70s. And now, it's back with a modern twist. The Crudman, from Brooklyn's Crudlabs, isn't exactly a Mellotron, but it operates similarly by connecting a keyboard to a hacked Walkman. Users can even chain together a few Crudman units for polyphonic sounds. You could even call them polyphonic sprees, if you're feeling saucy.
Sony's 'Metal Gear Solid V' devices flaunt your stealth action fandom
Are you a Metal Gear Solid fan? So much so that you bought an MGS edition PS4, and have no trouble making sense of the series' frequently intricate plots? You'll want to hit up your favorite Japanese exporter, then. Sony has unveiled a legion of limited edition Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain devices, all of which come with game-themed cases, engravings, sounds and wallpaper. Some are more extravagant than others, though. The Xperia J1 Compact phone, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and Xperia Z4 Tablet we can understand, but there are also Phantom Pain versions of the Walkman A16 and audiophile-oriented Walkman ZX2. Yes, you too can demonstrate your fondness for stealth action by buying a soon-to-be-obsolete MP3 player -- something tells us that these models won't be wildly popular.
Take a tour of Sony's massive CES booth
Sony's presence at CES is by far one of the most impressive both in terms of scope and spectacle. This year's booth unsurprisingly focused on the company's ongoing push to make 4K and hi-res audio mainstream mainstays. Its new Walkman PMP and super thin 4K TVs were accompanied by refreshed Handycams, PlayStation 4s, wrist-worn wearables, bluetooth speakers, projectors and a whole lot more. In order to grasp just how massive Sony's booth is, you have to see it for yourself, and you can do just that with our video and photo tours in the gallery below. For more from Sony and beyond, check out our 2015 CES Field Guide.
Sony's expensive new Walkman takes aim at audiophiles
Sony already has a high-resolution player in its Walkman line but, not wanting to sit out the growing audiophile craze, the company revealed another model here at CES: the Walkman ZX2. Inside the player's aluminum alloy frame, there's an S-Master HX digital amp to keep things sounding clear, and DSEE HX tech that upscales those regular ol' tunes (like those being streamed) for better sound quality. In terms of playback, the ZX2 handles media up to 192kHz/24-bit and MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, WAV and ALAC including DSD files. There's 128GB of internal memory that's sure to fill up, but a microSD slot provides extra space. It'll connect to WiFi for streaming and downloads, and the battery is said to last 60 hours on a charge.
Sony adds wearable and high-res music players to its Walkman line
Still use a dedicated music player for listening on the go? Sony has two new options in its Walkman line that'll do just that, and the NWZ-WS613 takes the wearable player and has it double as a Bluetooth headset. Connecting to your smartphone lets you beam tracks or listen to tunes loaded directly on the device with a ring-like controller for controls and calls that won't break your stride. A smartphone app is also capable of tweaks and skipping around -- should you want to limit the number of items in that gym bag. As you might expect, the unit is indeed waterproof to keep the sweat at bay and connects to fitness apps to further enhance those workouts. Does the wraparound look sound like a solid addition to your exercise attire? Parting with $160 in October will secure one of your very own, but for those who'd rather keep the music player and headphones separate, there's an option for that, too.
Sony's secretive new idea division is trying to turn around '20 lost years'
It's been tough times for Sony, and it's very much aware of it. While we hear all about the company cutting loose unsuccessful parts (whether it's PCs or e-readers), the other side of the coin is ensuring Sony can make another hit. Nikkei has done a deep dive (in Japanese and paywalled, unfortunately) on the electronics manufacturers' bid to drum up new business ideas. The next Walkman or the next PlayStation could well come from the New Business Creation department, first suggested by employee Shinji Odajima last April. He was then appointed head of it. "There [are] still plenty of employees in Sony looking for a challenge," he said. An initial meeting for new business idea "auditions" was set to house 300 employees in June: Over 800 turned up. Odajima has now received over 200 ideas -- though he's not sharing those with anyone just yet.
Touring the Sony Archives in Tokyo: Walkmans, robot dogs and a golden guinea pig
Sony has had some tough times recently, and while it's finally started to make some difficult changes in a bid to turn its fortunes around, the Archives building is where the company's success stories live forever. A fair distance from most of Sony's high-rise structures in Shinagawa, it's a well-stocked pantheon to everything that made the electronics maker what it is today. It's open to the public (as long you make an appointment), and the tour includes a rousing TV presentation from Sony co-founders Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, and a walk through 60 years in the electronics business. An AIBO robot will greet you at the door, and if you've spent any time around tech, there's bound to be something here to make you smile -- even if it's just the Billy Joel CD. Our own highlights are right after the gallery.
Sony shows off its waterproof Walkman... by packaging it in a water bottle
If those ads showing swimmers rocking Sony's new Walkman haven't convinced you it's really waterproof, then get this: you can buy one packaged inside a full bottle of water. "The Bottled Walkman" is currently being sold from vending machines across New Zealand in places like gyms, right beside neon-blue bottles of Gatorade. The idea behind the promotion is to get the device out of electronics stores and into the places target customers actually hang out. Of course, the shock value of being encased in liquid certainly makes the Walkman a bit more enticing than if it was sitting behind the front desk. The big question is, who wants to drink a bottle of water that's had a Walkman sitting in it for days (or weeks) on end? Check out a video of the vending machine in action after the break.
The Daily Grind: Do you hold crowdfunded MMOs to a lower standard?
Crowdfunding MMOs seems to be all the rage these days, with young folk tossing money about like it ain't no thing. I don't get this generation with all of its jams and swatch watches and Walkmens. Back in my day, crowdfunding took place in the form of a barn raising. Anyway, I've been wondering if an atmosphere of mutual investment and indie scrappiness has caused us to hold such MMOs to a lower standard than we would otherwise. Maybe you're just so happy that this particular title is being made that you don't mind that it's missing key features, such as avatar heads or hit boxes or localization to any known country on Earth. Are you willing to forgive blemishes and a less-than-complete games because it comes partially from your own pocketbook? And do you actually own a pocketbook? Do you even know what a pocketbook is? Kids these days, am I right? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
