The price of 3,700 will seem high even to the biggest audiophiles, because the product with the unpleasant code NW-WM1ZM2 does not perform as charismatically as befits the Walkman brand, which marked the history of music playback. Ah, let's take a closer look.
In principle, I have not understood for a long time why such a charismatic brand as SONY, which in the past knew how to create brands such as Walkman or Camcoder, does not give a product to which it attaches a price tag of 3,700 euros a more charismatic and sounding name, such as NW-WM1ZM2. A name is always a "brand" that people want. And if they wanted to bring back memories of the good old days of portable music devices with the NW-WM1ZM2 music player, they might have borrowed a name from the past and gilded it. This is also why in this write-up I will no longer call the product by its code, which was never the name NW-WM1ZM2, but I will call it Walkman Gold. Also because it represents the top of the current range of players on a global scale.
Let's look back...
It started with the music revolution launched by Sony's legendary Walkman® in 1979. The latter captivated millions of people around the world and liberated the way we enjoyed music in headphones anytime, anywhere. The Signature Series accelerates this revolution into a whole new realm of fine audio fidelity – taking the experience from listening to feeling. It is the pinnacle of experience and knowledge, and combines the highest quality analog and digital technologies, and in this way raises the level of the musical experience to a superior dimension. From the magnificent acoustics of a large orchestra to the outpouring of live music at a concert, every vibrant detail – including the passion and energy – is reproduced as the original artists intended.
Sony developers, as passionate as music artists and creators, have created a superior audio experience with an outstanding line of four quality products. Of which the "golden" player NW-WM1ZM2 is also a part.
Walkman Gold - cleaner materials for cleaner sound
NW-WM1ZM2 - hereinafter referred to as "Walkman Gold", has a carrying case made of oxygen-free copper coated with gold that reaches 99.99% purity (4N). This results in a stronger foundation for digital sound and greater rigidity, which ensures a cleaner and wider soundstage so that you can experience each instrument as if you were listening to a live performance.
With Master™ HX digital amplifier technology, developed specifically for Walkman® players, it delivers accurate sound reproduction. The fully digital amplifier produces a rich and full sound, which is also helped by the use of high-quality lead-free soldering material. The player draws inspiration from the revolutionary DMP-Z1 model, compared to its predecessor, it boasts an even stronger power supply for the analog and digital parts.
In addition, it has finely tuned capacitors: several FT CAP3 capacitors (high polymer capacitors) and a large solid high polymer capacitor with high capacitance and low resistance. Meanwhile, a turned element of oxygen-free copper covers the digital part of the player, allowing both players to bring you sound that seems to rise from silence.
With the new player, you can also breathe more life into your music by upscaling compressed music files in real time with DSEE Ultimate™ technology. This ever-evolving algorithm now brings even more benefits to CD-quality lossless audio compression (16-bit audio with 44.1/48-kHz sampling). By restoring acoustic detail and dynamic range, you can have an even more complete listening experience this way.
Kakopak is Wi-Fi compatible and runs on Android™ 11, giving you access to the largest music collections of different genres and artists from around the world. You can listen to your favorite songs via streaming or download services, or connect the player to your computer to download songs and playlists from your personal collection.
You manage content with a 5-inch (12.7 cm) fluidly responsive high-definition (HD) touch screen, which further enhances the user experience. In addition, you can customize the contents of the home screen to suit your preferences, making your Walkman® truly yours.
To be able to immerse yourself in music anywhere and anytime, it provides you with up to 40 hours of continuous playback of high-resolution audio in FLAC 96 kHz format.
To ensure that there is always enough space for storing music, the NW-WM1ZM2 has a built-in memory of 256 GB and a slot for a microSD memory card. Which is a relatively “small amount of internal storage” by the standards it sets.
NW-WM1ZM2 – Walkman Gold, will be available in April 2022 at a price of 3,700 euros. There will also be a slightly different lite version marked NW-WM1AM2, which uses some cheaper materials and will be available with similar features and technologies for 1,400 euros.
