It may seem like a blast from the past but Sony is launching two new versions of its iconic Walkman with one of them carrying a golden price tag.
Originally released in 1977 the Walkman was a defining part of the 80s and 90s but is now attempting to make its way into the lives of a new generation. The two new Walkman models will consist of the NW-WMIAM2 and NW-WM1ZM2 with the first model set to retail for approximately $2200 AUD and the second for $4350 AUD.
NW-WM1ZM2 comes with a hefty price tag but one of the reasons is put down to the fact that it’s gold-plated. These Walkman’s differ from the original as they have a 5-inch touchscreen and storage of up 256 GB with Wi-Fi connectivity and up to 40 hours’ worth of battery.
Interestingly, Sony announced in 2010 that they would cease production of the iconic music player however these new revivals have ignited a nostalgia in people with one Twitter user @tftalbott saying “No one can change the impact the Sony Walkman had in the early 80s”. While another user @gCmG pointed out that the Walkman “sounded better than many of todays phones and music players”.
Sony has described the latest edition of Walkman’s’ as “a new benchmark in pure sound quality and listening sophistication”. Also adding that it’s “Crafted with fine materials and meticulous attention to detail and offer[s] the ease of downloading and streaming music”.
In its heyday the Walkman retailed for about $150 and only played cassettes however over 400 million of the music devices were sold worldwide. Originally the device was created for Sony’s co-founder Masaru Ibuka who wanted to be able to listen to opera music whilst on long haul flights according to Icon.
Both Walkman models are expected to be released in April this year in select Asian countries.
