New Sorny Walkmans have dropped and I'm compelled to point and laugh.
With three models priced at $2800, $4000 and $8500, this is actually a drop in price from some previous top-spec models.
As far as I can tell, all three are electronically identical, the differences seem to be the amount of gold plating added. I mean that literally, the distinction with the top model is it has gold plated screws and an anodised gold-coloured case.
It seems they just told the engineers to "build it how you feel like building it" (which, to be honest, I'm all for) - but then highlighted each whimsical choice with a bloviatic excuse of making the sound clearer/wider/deeper/whatever somehow (even the screws!). Some highlights:
- Anything made of copper is distinguished as being OFC (oxygen-free copper - the bright, shiny kind)
- The rear PCB frame is pressed OFC and the RF shield over the digital part is milled OFC. In the mid and top-spec models, these are both gold-plated. Copper *is* a better heat sink than aluminium, though.
- Large through-hole capacitors in a couple of places
- Lots of large surface-mount capacitors and coils
- hand-soldered OFC power cables to the PCB
- There's a funkily braided OFC cable to the headphone jack
I'm certain it sounds great, just not "thousands of dollars great".
#sony #walkman
