Various Sony Walkman products ranging from 1979 to 2016, on display at an expo in Tokyo
The following is a partial list of Sony Walkman products which includes products of various formats under the brand. Up to March 2010 Sony built 400 million Walkmans (of which slightly over half - 200.02 million - were original cassette Walkmans) worldwide.[1]
The original Sony Walkman TPS-L2 was introduced on July 1, 1979.[2][3]
Through the 1980s and 1990s, Sony created many versions and variations in the cassette tape Walkman line[4] such as the DD series and WM series.
Below is an incomplete list of cassette tape based Walkman models.
Sony Walkman TPS-L2, from 1979.Sony Walkman WM-F15, released 1984.Sony Walkman WM-28, early 1980sSony Walkman WM-F77, Circa 1986.Sony Walkman WM-41, released 1987.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022)
Sony's first brand extension of the Walkman cassette players were portable Video8 cassette recorders with color LCD displays, released 1989.[8] Video Walkman units for the later MiniDV[9] and Digital8 formats were also released.
DAT Walkman
TCD-D100 DAT Walkman (1997)
Portable Digital Audio Tape (DAT) players called DAT Walkman were made. The first model, TCD-D3, was released in 1990.[10] The final model, TCD-D100, was discontinued in Japan in 2005.
MiniDisc Walkman
MD Walkman logo
The first MiniDisc Walkmans ("MD WALKMAN"), MZ-1 (recorder/player) and MZ-2P (player), were released in 1992.[10] Until end of 1998 4.6 million units of the MD Walkman were built.[11] Production of the final MiniDisc Walkman, MZ-RH1 (Hi-MD), stopped in September 2011.[12] List of models:
supported MDLP
2000: MZ-E500, MZ-E700, MZ-E900, MZ-R900
2001: MZ-E909, MZ-R909
2002: MZ-E10
Net-MD
2001: MZ-N1
2002: MZ-N10
2003: MZ-N910
Hi-MD
2004: MZ-NH1, MZ-NH3D, MZ-EH1
2005: MZ-DH10P, MZ-RH910, MZ-RH10
2006: MZ-RH1
R Series
The MZ-R2 was one of the earliest MD Walkman products, released in December 1993. It was followed by the MZ-R3.[13]
E Series
The MZ-E series models are all exclusively players (i.e. they do not record).[14]
The MZ-E50 was the smallest and lightest MiniDisc player when released in late 1996.[15]
B Series
The first B model was the MZ-B3 recorder from 1995. There were later also the MZ-B50 recorder, released October 2000, the MZ-B100, and the MZ-B10.[13]
G Series
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Sony expanded MiniDisc's possibilities with the introduction of NetMD (NetworkMD). These allowed the use of a PC to convert music from CDs or MP3s into ATRAC3 format, and use a USB cable to transfer the music to the MiniDisc at a much faster rate than was possible when using a line-in cable.
The MZ-N10 was released in 2002. It was Sony's '10th Anniversary' product, released 10 years after the introduction of the MiniDisc format in 1992. The case was made from a magnesium alloy, and the unit featured a built-in lithium-ion battery which provided 24 hours of battery life. The MZ-N10 allowed music to be transferred from a PC at up to 64 times actual playback speed, not including the time required for audio re-encoding. It was also the first MD Walkman to incorporate the ATRAC DSP TYPE S codec, and is today (2006) the lightest recording MD Walkman ever produced. The accompanying 10th anniversary playback-only MiniDisc Walkman, the MZ-E10, was also released. It is the lightest MD Walkman ever produced, weighing 55g (including built-in rechargeable battery) with a thickness of 9.9mm.
Hi-MD compatible players
In 2004, Sony introduced the Hi-MD format. Hi-MD Walkmans use 1GB Hi-MD discs in the same form-factor as regular MiniDiscs, and allow 1GB of files and/or audio to be stored per disc. They also accept regular MiniDiscs, which can be initialized in Hi-MD mode for 305MB capacity per disc (with the added ability to store audio and data, like Hi-MD discs).
Unlike NetMD, Hi-MD Walkmans allow two-way digital transfers to and from PCs virtually unrestricted. Hi-MD also allows the option to record and transfer audio in lossless linear PCM on standard MiniDiscs and Hi-MD discs. This offers sound quality equal to CD (as opposed to lossy ATRAC codecs used on standard MiniDisc/ NetMD).
Hi-MD Walkmans introduced from 2005 onwards allowed direct playback of MP3s without the need to transcode the MP3s to ATRAC format. However, SonicStage is required for transfer onto the disc itself. Playable audio cannot be transferred to the devices without SonicStage.
DVD Walkman (formerly DVD Discman)
In 1998 portable DVD players called DVD Discman were released. New models from 2001 were rebranded as "DVD Walkman".
Walkman (formerly Network Walkman)
Released in 1999, these would be the first "memory type" Walkman, which remain the only current product type still in production. Initially from 2000 these products were collectively called Network Walkman to distinguish from other types of Walkman such as the cassette one. By 2006 the branded name for memory type Walkman became solely Walkman,[17][18] which continues to this day.
As Sony did not initially support the MP3 format, which was already the dominant format among its industry competitors, Sony's players were not officially called "MP3 players". At the start, the Memory Stick flash players were officially called (albeit not necessarily marketed as) "Portable Memory Stick Audio Players"; embedded flash players were officially called "Portable IC Audio Players"; hard disk players were given the official moniker of "Portable Hard Disk Audio Players". From 2005, all digital memory devices of the Walkman line were simply called "Digital Audio Players" or, as video capabilities became more common, "Digital Media Players".
From 2007 to 2015, Walkman players for export markets had a NWZ- product code prefix instead of NW-. The main difference was the removal of compatibility with the ATRAC audio codec.
Memory Stick Walkman
NW-MS7
MS Walkman logo, used on the NW-MS7 player
The NW-MS7 "Memory Stick Walkman" was introduced on September 22, 1999 during a Walkman 20th anniversary event as Sony's first foray into the portable solid state music player industry.[19] The player was very small and light (69 g) with a "stylish" design.[20] It shipped with a white 64MB MagicGate Memory Stick and built-in battery, selling it alongside the later NW-E3 (64MB built-in and using two AAA batteries for 4 to 5 hours playback duration). The player could only play ATRAC formatted files, Sony's proprietary format, so was not technically an "MP3 player". The user needed to transfer songs via USB with bundled software OpenMG Jukebox (only works with Windows 98 software, later known as SonicStage). Any files not in the ATRAC format (i.e. MP3s) needed to be converted before they could be transferred and played. Popular software players at the time, such as Winamp, did not support the ATRAC format, leading to users needing to store both MP3 and ATRAC copies of songs on their computers. Additionally, only new MagicGate Memory Sticks were supported.[21]
Sony also advertised the player as having "robust" copyright protection by adhering to standards including Secure Digital Music Initiative. It would only play protected legal music downloads.[22]
It was released on December 21, 1999 in Japan with a price of 45,000 JPY,[19] followed by January 2000 in the United States for $399.[23] It was the first and only memory type Walkman to use the classic "WALKMAN" logo, with the NW-MS7 branded as MS WALKMAN. In 2000 the current "W." logo was created to fit more easily on the increasingly shrinking size of devices, and the Walkman brand was unified.[24]
NW-MS9/MS10/MS11
NW-MS10 (2002)
The Memory Stick-based Walkman was updated with the NW-MS9 and NW-MS11, with it now coming under the umbrella Network Walkman naming.[25] These players came bundled with either 64MB/128MB MagicGate Memory Sticks and used a gumstick type battery. Software continued to use OpenMG. The NW-MS9 now had a thin metal body and had 64MB of internal memory and was priced $330.[21] Release in Japan of the MS9 was December 2000 and April 2001 in Europe.[26][27] In Canada it was released in August 2001.[28]
NW-MS11 was released in Japan in October 2001 and came with a 128MB Memory Stick.[29]
NW-MS70D/MS90D
The last Memory Stick-based Network Walkmans were released in 2002, although these new models also included internally embedded flash memory.[21]
Model NW-MS70D had 256MB of built-in flash memory. It could also be expanded by its MagicGate Memory Stick Duo port. However, at the time, the Memory Stick PRO Duo had not yet been released, so the maximum capacity remained at 384MB with the additional memory stick. Another criticism was that it was incredibly expensive, priced equivalent to a 15GB iPod. It also mandated the use of notoriously buggy software (SonicStage) and could only play music encoded as ATRAC3, ATRAC3Plus, or WAV. It was, however, the smallest digital audio player available at the time, termed "ultra compact" by Sony. It was also solidly built with an aluminium shell and a titanium finish.[30] It had a 44-hour battery life.
Despite a heavy marketing campaign, sales of the memory stick models were limited. The devices were much more expensive than competing iRiver and Mpio players that did not require SonicStage or ATRAC transcoding. Inexpensive Zen and Muvo players from Creative Labs further hindered Sony's sales.[21]
The alternate model, the NW-MS90D, used the same software as NW-MS70D, and had a maximum capacity of 640MB. It, too, was extremely costly. The most conspicuous difference in the higher-numbered model was its 512MB built-in memory and its new black shell. Due to its price and limited capacity, it was still largely ignored by the general public and shared the fate of its MS70D sister. Around this time and particularly with these models, the obligatory SonicStage software started to gain a negative reception.[21]
The NW-MS70D, released in Europe in 2003, was the first device using Sony's Virtual Mobile Engine (VME) digital signal processor.[31][32]
After the MS70D and MS90D, no more Memory Stick type Network Walkmans were released. Future Network Walkmans would only have embedded flash memory or hard disks.
Hard Disk Walkman
NW-HD1
As Sony was losing market relevance amid the widespread success of Apple's iPod range, the company developed for the first time a hard disk-based player. The NW-HD1 was announced on June 30, 2004 dubbed as “the world's smallest portable audio device”.[33] It was smaller and was advertised as having better sound quality than the iPod at the time. The HD1 featured a seven line 1.8 inch LED display and had a 20GB hard disk. The device was brushed in high quality aluminum.[21]
However, the unit would only play Sony's proprietary format, ATRAC3, whereas other players on the market would play the more open and much more widely used MP3 format without having to be converted to ATRAC3.[21]
Sony did upgrade the HD1 to play MP3s but it still needed SonicStage to transfer the files. The NW-HD1 did not sell as well as Sony had hoped - its asking price of $399 was $100 more than a 20GB iPod.[21] Its successors, the NW-HD3 and NW-HD5, also failed to make a major dent in the iPod's sales.
NW-HD3
Sony Walkman NW-HD3, the first to support the MP3 format
The successor to the hard disk-based NW-HD1, the NW-HD3 was a very similar design, but it could now play MP3s natively.[21] It was announced on November 30, 2004.[34]
NW-HD5
NW-HD5
Sony's next model, the NW-HD5, was announced in April 2005 and released July 2005[35] and was an updated design from the HD1 / HD3, boasting a simpler control system, an upright handheld format,[36] a user-removable lithium-ion battery, better file format compatibility, a unique "Follow Turn Display" that would automatically align itself based on how the player was held on startup, and updated software. A main feature was its advertised running time of 40 hours, when using low-quality format settings, i.e., 48kbit/s ATRAC3 files, and no player-based audio enhancements (although the player does include these). Playback of 128kbit/s MP3s was rated at 30 hours. The player was available in black, silver and red and was not sold in the Canadian market. The NW-HD5 was in direct competition with the 4th generation iPod.
Unfortunately, the NW-HD5 was shipped with a cosmetic design flaw which meant that the buttons developed small visible cracks under their plastic coating. Although this did not affect functionality, many customers complained. Sony United Kingdom Limited allowed owners to send the units back to be re-fitted with slightly raised, crack-resistant buttons.[citation needed] Perhaps because of this problem, the NW-HD5 was on the market for a very short time before being pulled in preparation for the next model. The HD5 model was replaced by the A Series (NW-A3000 and NW-A1000) which was also hard disk based.[37]
In January 2006, the NW-HD5 became unavailable as a normal purchase from retail electronics stores and was relegated to online auction sites and used-electronics warehouses as a consumer item.
The A Series was first introduced September 2005 as the top flagship range. Apart from the very first model, all of these are flash memory based players. Over the years, many generations have been produced which continue to this day.
Sony NW-A1000 series, the final hard disk based Walkman (2005)
Sony NWZ-A800/A810 series (2007)
NWZ-A840 series (2009)
NWZ-A10 series (2014)
NW-A100 series (2019)
B Series
NWZ-B135F/P (2008)NWZ-B163FR (2011)
The B Series are ultra portable, entry-level, USB thumb drive style players for the overseas market. The original series, the B100 released in July 2007, was a line of 1GB (NWD-B103/B103F) and 2GB (NWD-B105/105F) multifunction MP3 player and voice recording function. It was the first Walkman digital music player to not require SonicStage software - allowing simple drag and drop[38] - but it has been shorn of the ability to play back ATRAC and AAC music files.
The Auto-Transfer option allowed this Walkman to search for all the MP3 files on the PC and then copy these files directly to the Walkman. It also could record CDs directly from a Sony compatible Hifi system via USB connection without any PC (the NWD-B105 also supported WMA files). It also came with a three-line colour display; the voice recorder (MP3) came with bit rates of low (96kbit/s), mid (128kbit/s) and high. Models with the built-in FM tuner ("F") had 30 preset stations with a frequency of 87.5–108.0MHz, with the capability to record and play FM content. The five preset equaliser also had a custom setting option.
In September 2008, its successor the NWZ-B130 series was launched.[39]
The NWZ-B140 was introduced in 2009 featuring the ZAPPIN song search technology[40] which it inherited from the NWZ-W202 player.[41][42] The NWZ-B150 series was introduced in April 2010 with a 3 line LCD display.[43]
The B160 series was introduced in June 2011.[44] These were followed by B170 series in early 2012,[45] and the current series, B180, in April 2014. The B180 series consists of one 4GB model, NWZ-B183, and its FM radio variant NWZ-B183F, and has 20 hours of battery life.[46]
The E Series were the very first to be branded Network Walkman in 2000, shortly after the Memory Stick Walkman. They started out as lightweight, portable, gumstick style music players,[47] before turning into budget-oriented candybar style players with colour displays.
The F Series was introduced in 2012 as the replacement of the Z Series. They are portable media players running the Android operating system. The first series, F800, came with Android Ice Cream Sandwich software and was also the first Sony Walkman to support the FLAC format.[48]
M Series
The M Series (sole model NW-M505) is a small thumb drive styled player released in Japan in December 2013 for 18,000 yen.[49] The M Series is similar to the E Series except that it is metallic, more expensive, a higher build quality, and features noise cancelation, S-Master MX amp, NFC, Bluetooth with aptX, and a microphone for hands-free phone.[50] In addition changing songs has a twisting "shuttle switch" like the older E400/E500/A600 Series instead of buttons.[51] In Japan it was released in 4 colors topping out at 16 gigabytes (NW-M505). It was released in Europe in late 2014 but only came in black and 8 gigabytes (NWZ-M504). Also release that year in Asia Pacific region. No successors were released in the series.
Sony used the "S2 Sports" brand from other Walkman types for certain fitness-friendly small Network Walkman players. The NW-S4 Sports Network Walkman had a sleek pen shape and a sporty water resistant design and came with an arm strap and 64 megabyte of embedded flash memory. It was released in April 2001 for $200.[52] Later in 2004, the NW-S23 S2 Sports Network Walkman was released with 256MB internal flash memory.[53] A 128MB version called NW-S21 was also released.[54]
After 2006, the S Series was repurposed and a wide range of players have been released to this day.
Sony NW-S700 series (2006)
Sony NWZ-S610 series (2007)
Sony NWZ-S630 series (2008)
Sony NWZ-S760 series (2011)
W Series
A wearable Walkman from the W series
The W series (Wearable) is a wearable music player built into a set of headphones. The original model, the NWZ-W202 was released in 2009 and had 2GB of internal memory and could play 11 hours of music and can "quick-charge" for three minutes to yield up to 90 minutes of playback. It can play back MP3, AAC (unprotected only), and WMA (subscription included) files. It was the first Walkman with Zappin, a Sony function which allows the user to browse through tracks by playing a snippet of the chorus of each song.[55]
The original model was followed by the W250 series coming in 2GB (NW-W253) and 4GB (NW-W254) capacities. In July 2011 the W260 series was introduced which is significantly smaller and lighter.[56]
The W270 series, which is fully waterproof, was released in April 2013. Model NW-W273 has 4GB internal memory and NW-W274 has 8GB.[57] Later that year the NW-WH505 and NW-WH303 were introduced, which is a music player combined into a conventional headphone.[58] A higher end variant of the W270, called WS615, features 16GB of memory, Bluetooth and NFC.[59]
In January 2016, the WS410 series (WS413 and WS414) were announced with a new salt water and dust proof design, and an Ambient Sound feature.[60]
The successor to the WS610 series was released in 2017 as WS620, coming in 16GB (NW-WS625) and 4GB (NW-WS623) capacities. Like the WS410, it has improvements in salt water and dust resistance, and it also now has the ability to play FLAC audio files.[61]
WM1 Series
Introduced at IFA 2016, the NW-WM1A is a top-end portable media player retailing for €1200, and has 128GB internal memory. A gold plated edition called NW-WM1Z was also released, retailing for €3300 as part of Sony's Signature Series. Model NW-WM1Z had 256GB of storage[62][63]
Models NW-WM1AM2 and NW-WM1ZM2 were introduced in February 2022, with Android replacing Sony's own operating system. It also had a USB-C port replacing the proprietary WM-Port for data connection.[64]
The Sony Walkman X series was a touchscreen audio and video player that was on the market from 2009 to 2010, designed to compete against the iPod Touch.[65] It has a 3-inch (76mm) OLED touch screen, internet access through Wi-Fi and digital noise-cancelling as well as applications for Slacker and YouTube. It was available in 16GB and 32GB versions. No revisions of the X Series were made; it was replaced by the Z Series.
Between 2005 and 2011, Walkman-branded mobile phones from Sony Ericsson were released. These were mobile phones with extra emphasis on music playback. The first such device was the W800, and the last device that used Walkman branding was Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman.
Walkman-branded mobile phones by Sony Ericsson were first released to Japan in 2006, under partnership with operator KDDI (owned by au). The first model was the W42S 3G phone in 2006 with 1GB internal memory and expansion with Memory Stick Pro DUO. It was marketed as the "Walkman Phone".[67] It could download music directly to the handset without PC connection using KDDI's web music store.[68] Succeeding models were released called Walkman Phone W52S, Walkman Phone Xmini (W65S), and Walkman Phone Premier3.
After Sony's mobile division ceased to be a joint venture in 2012, Sony Xperia smartphones from 2012 to 2015 came with a Walkman-branded Music application.
Sony has partnered with various companies, brands, and music bands to release special Walkman digital audio players (most exclusive to Japan). Below are some editions:
Franz Ferdinand black colored A Series (A1000) in January 2006 in Japan (only 100 manufactured)[69]
Peanuts limited edition S Series (S310) released in Japan in March 2021.[86]
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