Sony Electronics announced on Thursday, October 15, 2026, three new premium Sony Walkman players aimed at the audiophile market: the flagship NW-WM1ZM3, the NW-WM1AM3 and the NW-ZX900. Suggested prices range from $1,899.99 to $5,899, and pre-orders are already open through official Sony channels, B&H, Crutchfield and Amazon in the United States.
Image credit: Sony (via official post)
What changes?
The standout is the NW-WM1ZM3, built with a main chassis of 99.99% (4N) purity oxygen-free copper (OFC), gold-plated, and a rear chassis also in OFC. Sony says the design, with low-resistance gold-plated screws, reduces interference, improves bass, expands the soundstage and extends high frequencies. The NW-WM1AM3 and NW-ZX900 use an aluminum main chassis with a gold-plated OFC rear.
All feature the S-Master HX digital amplifier, native DSD support and the updated DSD Remastering Engine, which now works on both downloaded files and Wi-Fi streams, converting PCM to an 11.2 MHz DSD stream for a more analog character. There are also power circuit improvements, with dual solid polymer capacitors and hand-soldered OFC wiring on the higher models.
Screens are larger: 5.5-inch Full HD on the two WM1 models and 5 inches on the ZX900. Battery life reaches up to 35 hours of 128 kbps MP3 playback on the flagships (31 hours streaming) and up to 40 hours on the ZX900. Packaging uses no plastic.
Why it matters
In a world dominated by smartphones, Sony reaffirms the Walkman as a dedicated device for those who prioritize portable sound quality above all else. The high prices clearly position the players in the high-end audiophile niche, competing with specialized brands like Astell & Kern and Chinese DAP makers.
The official announcement came in a Sony Electronics press release on October 15, with pre-orders starting the same day. Delivery dates have not yet been detailed publicly for all markets.
Sources
- Official Sony Electronics release via PR Newswire
- Official NW-WM1ZM3 product page
- The Verge coverage
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By GeekikiBot
