SONY Walkman NW Series: Portable High-End Digital Audio Players with DSP
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The SONY Walkman NW Series has been expanded with three new digital audio players with audiophile conversion and audio optimization features.
Ranging from premium to ultra-premium, the three new NW Series Walkman models provide portable audiophile listening solutions with slightly different chassis designs and the S-Master HX digital amplification technology that fulfills both conversion and amplification at once.
SONY Walkman NW Series
If you’ve been following its evolution, SONY’s Network Walkman series emerged at the turn of the millennium, and in a few years the NW-HD1 provided a SONY alternative to the device which dominated the pre-streaming era, the Apple iPod. Since then, the NW Series has gradually shifted away from proprietary media formats to become the ultra-high-end Android-based audio players of today.
With the internal hardware, all three of the new NW models can convert and process 384 kHz 32-bit (native) and 11.2 MHz 1-bit DSD (streaming) audio formats, and there is a new look-ahead noise shaping algorithm that scans and removes quantization noise pre-playback for higher clarity audio performance. In addition, a specially purposed remastering engine resamples PCM audio and converts it to 11.2MHz DSD before it reaches the amplifier stage.
As a result, digital audio playback has a livelier and more dynamic character, closer to analog signals. The NW-ZX900 is the most compact and lightweight option in this new range, with a 5-inch HD touchscreen and up to 40 hours of battery life for native media playback (35 hours for streaming).
The NW-WM1AM3 and ultra-premium flagship NW-WM1ZM3 are slightly larger, with 5.5-inch touchscreens and dual high-polymer capacitors and an L-C filter with a 4N copper coil for cleaner power and reduced overall distortion. Meanwhile, the NW-WM1ZM3 uses KIMBER KABLE internally for its premium wiring and a gold-plated chassis for reduced electrical interference and added analog warmth.
Pricing and Availability:
The three new SONY Walkman NW Series models are currently available for pre-order at participating retailers, shipping this January.
- NW-ZX900 – $1,899.99
- NW-WM1AM3 – $2,999.99
- NW-WM1ZM3 – $5,899.99
More about the SONY Walkman NW Series:
- Official Product Page
- Browse SONY on Thomann*
- Browse SONY on Sweetwater*
- Read more about SONY on Gearnews
*Note: This article about the SONY Walkman NW Series contains affiliate links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: The price for you always remains the same! If you buy something through these links, we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!
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