Sony adds two Walkman portable music players to its audiophile lineup
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Sony adds two Walkman portable music players to its audiophile lineup
Note: The official pricing of S$1,299 and S$479, respectively, have been revised down by Sony on 12th January 2022. Please refer to the updated prices below.
Sony has announced two new Walkman portable music players with updated components, improved tuning, and longer battery lives for audiophiles who only want the best for their earholes.
In addition to the high-end Walkmans launched last year, Sony now also offers the Walkman NW-ZX707 and NW-A306 to its storied series.
NW-XZ707 now packs a larger 5-inch, touch-controlled TFT display (720p) with LED backlighting, and support for Wi-Fi 802.11ac on the Android 12 operating system.
It uses FTCAP3 high-polymer capacitors and an 8mm coil for output. The native support for DSD (direct stream digital) via its DSD Remastering Engine resamples PCM (pulse code modulation) audio into 11.2MHz DSD. It also has 64GB onboard storage with MicroSD card support. Sony claims it can offer anywhere between 21 to 25 hours of continuous music playback, depending on the audio format and music output method.
Notably, the NW-XZ707 supports high-res Bluetooth codecs (LDAC, AptX, AptX HD), on top of common audio codecs like SBC and AAC seen in Bluetooth 5.0. Though, you’re likely to prefer wired audio if you’re dropping good money on Sony’s audiophile-grade players.
The other Walkman, NW-A306, opts for a more compact form factor with similar perks. It’s just 113g (half the weight of NW-ZX707’s 227g), with a smaller 3.6-inch TFT display (720p), but it still offers the same Bluetooth codec support, Wi-Fi compatibility, and external storage support via MicroSD card. Battery life goes anywhere between 14 to 36 hours, depending on the quality of the music file and output method as well.
Both new Walkmans have S-Master HX digital amplifier technology built into the device, reducing distortion in its native DSD format playbacks. Both models also use a reflow solder that contains gold, helping to improve conductivity and sound localisation.
The updated software for both models also sees an improved DSEE Ultimate sound reproduction that helps restore CD-quality audio (16-bit, 44.1/48kHz), granting a more complete listening experience. Users can also apply DSEE Ultimate to Wi-Fi streamed or downloaded music, and even via wireless headphones.
Sony’s Signature Walkman NW-ZX707 retails at S$1,199, while the Walkman NW-A306 goes at S$479. Both portable music players hit the shelves from end-January 2023 onwards.
