CES 2015: Revamped Sony Walkman Comes With Big Price Tag

Sony used CES 2015 to cash in on its nostalgic “Walkman” brand with a new high-resolution portable audio player.

Sylvie Barak

January 9, 2015

2 Min Read
Design News logo in a gray background | Design News

The NW-ZX2 (which sounds decidedly less sexy than the “Walkman” nickname) is actually a rather expensive bit of tech, clocking in at a hefty $1,199, a bit of an increase from its current $299 NWZ-A17 model. The price, if you can believe it, also has the chutzpah to exclude headphones.

The cheaper Walkman model comes with Bluetooth, AptX, and AAC streams with playback in high-resolution of FLAC, PCM, AIFF, Apple Lossless, and WAV files up to 192/24. It also decodes WMA, MP3, and AAC files, and can display photos and videos. With 64GB of onboard storage, the NWZ-A17 also has a microSD card slot for up to 128GB more memory.

Also Seen at CES 2015:

  • {doclink 276205}

  • {doclink 276191}

  • {doclink 276190}

  • {doclink 276184}

  • {doclink 276174}

The more expensive model adds DSD file playback, built in Wi-Fi, 128GB of onboard storage (and a slot for an optional extra 128GB), a 4-inch color LCD with touchscreen, more battery life (around 60 hours of music playback), Android OS and LDAC, and a new audio codec from Sony for “high-resolution wireless audio,” which can be played over Bluetooth.

The draw, apparently, is the crystal-clear audio quality, owing to the fact that the device plays uncompressed, high-resolution audio files meant to offer a superior listening experience.

The device is made of aluminum alloy and features a faux leather back, while the innards boast gold-plated copperplate and high-purity, lead-free solder to help cut down on interference and improve overall sound.

Don’t think that sounds like an extra $900 of value compared to the cheaper version? Nah, we don’t either!

But if you do have the cash and inclination to splash out on a new Sony Walkman, for nostalgia’s sake, bear in mind that you might also want the $299 high-res portable headphone DAC/amp to go with it.

Or not.

Sign up for Design News newsletters

You May Also Like