Yes, you heard right. The legendary music player of the 80s is being released again with the new Sony Walkman 2023 version! Welcome to our article where we will tell you what is known about the Sony Walkman NW-A300 and NW-ZX700 models.
When Apple recently discontinued the iPod Touch line, it may have given up on the idea of a music player that could be used with a smartphone, but Sony continues to create Android-powered Walkmans and has for some time. The first was the Android 2.3 Gingerbread-powered NWZ-Z1000 from Sony in 2012, which appeared like it had been turned into a music player by simply removing the modem from an Xperia phone.
Since then, Sony has created designs with more purpose-built hardware, and today, a variety of Walkman music players running Android are available. Sadly, it appears that only Europe, the UK, and Japan are currently selling these new ones.
New Sony Walkman 2023 specs
There are a few details, however, the Sony Walkman NW-A300 and NW-ZX700 will both run Android and have 2.4/5.0Ghz WiFi and Bluetooth. Since LE Audio isn’t mentioned in the proposal, either it was forgotten about or this is a more recent development. We must wait for the Bluetooth SIG certification to find out if LE audio capability is available.
Both new Sony Walkman 2023 models (Sony Walkman NW-A300 and NW-ZX700) will make use of the S-Master HX digital amplifier chip, which is compatible with Super Audio CDs and Sony’s high-resolution “NativeDSD” audio format. If you’re some sort of barbarian who only streams Spotify in 128kb, Sony’s “DSEE Ultimate” feature dubiously asserts that it can “upscale” your music using artificial intelligence. There’s also a “Vinyl Processor” that will amplify your audio with record player noises for a “genuine listening experience.
Sony Walkman NW-A300 is the consumer-friendly option
We’ll start by describing the NW-A300, which is the more user-friendly of the two. In 2019, the NW-A105 launched this core design with Android 9 pre-installed. This is a newer model of that device with a more modern SoC, Android, and a scalloped back.
The NW-A300 is a diminutive device that, at 56.698.512 mm, is about the size of a deck of cards. But really, just look at these pictures. Sony is no longer the consumer electronics juggernaut it once was, but it still boasts a brilliant product design division. We don’t need a separate music player, but we just want to touch one of these Walkmans, they’re both so pretty.
The front is dominated by a 3.6-inch, 60 Hz, 1280 x 720 touchscreen LCD. 32GB of storage is available, and Wi-Fi 802.11AC and Bluetooth 5 are both supported. That is all Sony will reveal regarding the official specifications. Although it advertises a “longer battery life,” it only offers “36 hours* of 44.1 KHz FLAC playing, up to 32 hours* of 96 KHz FLAC High-Resolution Audio playback” while withholding the battery’s size. With the screen off, that ought to be all.
A fast USB-C 3.2 Gen1 port for quick audio transfers, and a MicroSD card slot are also included. A hold switch, previous, play/pause, next, volume controls, and power are all accessible via buttons down the side of the device.
To summarize the new Sony Walkman 2023 NW-A300:
- 3.6-inch, 60 Hz, 1280 x 720 touchscreen LCD
- 32GB of storage
- Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi 802.11AC support
- Up to 36 hours of battery life
- USB-C 3.2 Gen1 port
Sony Walkman NW-ZX700 is going to be a high-end product
While it may seem expensive for a portable music player, it represents a significant discount when compared to the “NW-WM1ZM2 from the “Signature Series” which costs a staggering $3,700 because of audiophile magic tricks such as a gold-plated, oxygen-free, copper body.
This has a genuine audio amplifier with large, powerful capacitors to power the analog audio output, unlike standard phone equipment. With dimensions of 72.6 mm x 132 mm and a massive 17 mm in thickness, it is significantly larger than the A300. Additionally, it features two audio outputs: a 4.4 mm “balanced” audio port and a normal 3.5 mm headphone connection, both of which are used by high-end audio equipment. Sony undoubtedly has a fantastic headphone selection to match.
However, with an 11 nm processor, eight Kryo 260 CPUs, and an Adreno 610 GPU, this is fairly similar to a Snapdragon 662 sans the modem, despite the unfamiliar Qualcomm model numbers for non-phones. The ZX700 sports a larger 5-inch, 1280×720 display and 64GB of storage due to its larger body. Sony claims that the battery can last for about 23 hours of audio playback, thus running all that amp equipment is draining the battery.
Summary of Sony Walkman 2023 NW-ZX700 is as follows:
- Adreno 610 GPU and eight Kryo 260 CPUs
- 5-inch, 1280×720 display
- 64GB of storage
- Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi 802.11AC support
- Up to 23 hours of battery life
- USB-C 3.2 Gen1 port
New Sony Walkman 2023 price
In Sony’s home of Japan, the 32GB version (Sony Walkman NW-A300) of the New Sony Walkman 2023 is 46,000 yen (about $360), while in Europe, it’s 399 euros (about $430).
104,500 yen (about $818) is the price of the 64 GB version (Sony Walkman NW-ZX700) of the New Sony Walkman 2023 in Japan.
New Sony Walkman 2023 release date
Both New Sony Walkman 2023 models (Sony Walkman NW-A300 and Sony Walkman NW-ZX700) are expected to be in the US and EU markets in late February. If you don’t want to wait until the end of February, you need to buy a plane ticket to Japan, but be careful when buying Apple products from the duty-free shop because there is a small tax tension between Apple and Japan.
