Sony Walkman Exists in 2023? 

if i had infinite money i’d probably buy one but i can’t spend that cash on something just because it’s neat

It was nice to see a tech review like this that does a good job of understanding why this device exists instead of just reviewing it like an incomplete smartphone. I’ve tried using dongles with my phone and while that solution “works”, they’re awkward enough that I decided carrying a second device was actually the less inconvenient option. Wound up going with a Hiby instead of a Walkman, though. Compared to other devices in the same product category, the Walkman line mostly seems to compete on specs with stuff around half its price. And the “you can walk into a store and buy it” purchase convenience advantage vanishes if you live in a country where volume limiter regulations mean a device with laughable power output unless you import instead like you’d do for the competition anyway.

This would work for my husband. He is still using an old iPod Touch. It uses the original 30 pin sync/charging cable. The Touch is starting to show its age. My husband wants to keep his music off his phone.

What's that weird port that Ken keeps plugging his headphones into? Some sort of jack... for headphones? A headphone jack?! That can't exist in a portable device.

I have one lol only because it helps make my phone battery last longer & if it runs out of battery then of course I can just switch to my phone! Good way to make your phone battery have a longer battery life in the long run also without wearing it down so much because lets be honest, we all listen to music for more than at least 30 minutes.. awesome work here ken!!

The Walkman CD players were good! I had one that lasted forever in elementary school. I had a few Walkman MP3 players in middle school & early in high school, I’ll say 2006-2010. I can actually remember the CD player killing the cassette player, mp3 player killing the cd player & smartphones killing the mp3 player and 29. I work with a few people who just graduated high school and they thought I was old when I asked them if they remember ripping and burning CDs 🤣😭

I mean the Walkman outlived the iPod so there's that!

Hey your acting on spiderman is on point. Keep up the good work. I did not know that you’re a youtuber as well.

It's SUCH A SHAME that LG left the mobile phone business.. It was known that they had ONE HELL OF A built in Quad DAC in some of their phones G and V series (ThinQ etc) because you had both a phone, and a high quality music player all in one unit... 🤔👌 😎🇬🇧

I desperately wanted a discman as a kid but never got it. My first mp3 player however was a Walkman and one of my first phones was a Walkman phone so even though I’m an apple Stan who can no longer be bothered with downloading everything when Apple Music tells me what to like and collects all my fave music for me, I’ll always have a soft spot for the Walkman product segment.

I would like to hear his take on some of the portable DAC/AMPs available. I'm talking about the those from brands like Shanling, FiiO, and Qudelix. They are cheaper, smaller, and give you the option to use them with a wire or with Bluetooth. I personally use the BTR5 from FiiO, because my wire headphones sound better than my Bluetooth ones, and sometimes that is what I want to use on the go; it cost less than a third of the price than the Walkman. You can even get a neckband from Moondrop, Little White, use it with adapters and now you're all set. These all have their use cases even for non-audiophiles but for people not interested in audio it might not matter.😁

It would've been a more compelling buy if it had both 3.5 and 4.4 balanced out, which is very useful when you want to drive some IEMs such as Planars like Timeless and Wu Zetian Heyday. But for the price, I'd rather just refurbish an old Android phone and install LineageOS and get a USB-C Dual DAC like the tanchjim Space or the Truthears Shiro + add a microSD card if possible

I have a Sony Walkman NW-A55 which I purchased back in 2021 when I was working from home. I listened to mostly my own music library, and I found I had too much music to fit on my smartphone at that time (this was when smartphones were getting rid of expandable storage and higher storage models were quite expensive). I really loved it, and it worked well for me. The model I had still used Sony's own OS, as Sony's Android powered Walkman models at the time had horrendous battery life, 10 hours or so on a charge, whereas their own OS models were getting 30 - 40 hours. Now though, I'm back to working in an office and so I can't really use headphones. Not to mention I was able to get a good deal on a phone that, while still lacking expandable storage, has enough capacity to hold my full music library. Nowadays, I use a small Bluetooth speaker on my desk and either play local files from my phone or stream audio from my Wi-Fi connection. I still have the Walkman, but it's use-case for me has diminished enough that I rarely use it anymore. Still glad they exist though, and for the right person they are most certainly a great choice.

So nice that you really get into the weeds of the features here. It made me double-check the specs and realize it's also a USB-C DAC! It suddenly became appealing to me because I have forever looked at DAC/AMP reviews but never considered myself audiophile enough to want a dedicated one. That Walkman does seem like a device that can fit in specific use cases very effectively.

I have a Sony A55. I only use it with my iems. It wont drive proper headphones but the sound. Man the sound is amazing even after 3 years. I find that it was a great investment. The dap is so good and it gives life to actual instruments bein played. If you like computer generated audio you don't need it. Use your phone.

I recently bought an LG G8 unlocked with its quad-DAC for $105 on amazon. Android 12, excellent screen, microSD and 128GB of internal storage. My old iPod touch was dying so I went that route instead for a secondary music-only device and I'm very glad I did.

Man! Denki is underrated. 😪

very informative video! I will have to look up that walkman! I always wondered if they would ever come out with one again.

Got one recently. The apple dongle I use on my iphone actually has quite decent sound quality, but I just don't like the form factor and the fact that there are so many distractions on my phone. It's hard remembering what it's like paying full attention to the music I'm listening to, and for me the small walkman reminds me of the fun I had listening on iPods. I usually just download my Apple Music library in hi-res and listen in airplane mode. For enthusiasts who already spend some money in quality wired earphones I think the walkman A series is well-designed and well-priced!

I was excited to see this product line make a comeback and I have been considering leaving my phone behind and just relying on my watch so a dedicated device sounds fun. However... I do not like that there is no clear future for devices like these. The older ones had no operating system and their lifespan was limited by the availability of the medium they played and the mechanical quality of the parts they were made of. I don't think we will ever see anyone successfully revive this style of player so really it does come down to audio quality and expendable income. If the audio quality was otherworldly then sure... but at the end of the day it's just an android device that can DAC it up a bit. Love the channel btw.

I bought one and love it. I don't use it for streaming and I don't connect it to wifi. I like being in control of my own files and just dragging and dropping my music files onto the micro SD, inserting it back into the player, rebuilding the data base and listening to my files independently of a phone or the internet. The only time I link to wifi is to check for an update otherwise it's not connected. Another big plus is how much better my files sound on this vs my iPhone. I listen to mostly Old Time Radio Shows(showing my age) and I was very impressed how this tiny player made them sound which is very impressive when you consider how low quality some of these files are. This little player has impressed me so much I'm now willing to look at the higher end units down the road. My only concern is battery replacement?

Hey. Thank you for this review. Great job. Would you recommend this player for using with Apple Music? How is the performance there?

Great video and very informative. Btw, which Sony model headphones are you using in this video? Thank you.

Spotify should create a direct competitor of walkman. Sometimes i want to disconnect to my phone but i just can’t do it because of Spotify.

ken that's no walkman, that's Bocchi Za Walkman!

Definitely a niche product but I'm glad it's still around

Great video. Really sold me on it till the end bits about the updates and the sluggishness. If it had a stronger processor and more current android, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

I think it's reasonable to carry a dedicated listening device especially in today's day and age where everything you do is condensed in to a smartphone, which hopefully will decrease the amount of time interacting with smartphone. Or at least, that's how I justified myself If I happens to owns it.

I have a FF15 themed Sony Walkman that I purchased back in 2019 to use as a dedicated audio player while commuting. I only got to use it for a few months before the pandemic happened and caused it to collect dust since then. After watching this video I might just start using it again when the opportunity arises.

I have that NW-A306 since I am not using my phone as my PMP. the USB-C can be use if you want a DAC/AMP or USB-C to 3.5mm to amplifier. though the sound stage is already superb, you can still use a DAC or amp - still depends on you.

Lol the lag at 5:32 just opening a song in Spotify - ngl apart from being able to use this as a USB DAC for your computer, I fail to see the value proposition in this vs. a used LG G-series or V-series with a Quad DAC. For example you can pick up an LG G8 for like $50-75 USD; it'll run exponentially faster, has vastly superior battery life, is still decently compact at "only" 72mm wide, has MicroSD support up to 2 TB, can play back pretty much any format the NW-A306 can (including FLAC, DSD, etc), and can drive medium to high impedance headphones. Oh, and you can use it as a backup or beater phone too. All that for close to $300 cheaper than the Walkman...

I have the zx707 and I love that thing. Phones cannot get close to what it does. But yes I agree it's laggy at times and that bothers me. But one thing people should know is the built in player sounds way better than streaming on it

You really make sensible content. That's why I like your content

I have a Sony NW-A55l which isn't an Android driven device like this but if they have followed the same software operation then the bookmarks will be a disaster for podcast listeners or audiobook users. First issues is basic navigation, if you switch the device on go into the file tree to find a track to play it will let you step backwards from the track out to the main file tree with navigation buttons BUT if you start the player at a track the backwards navigation button will only take you the the album and no further so if you want to jump to another album from the same artist you have to go to the top of the file tree and find it from scratch. If you save tracks to one of the 10 bookmarks lists you have to remember which list you're using as you can't rename them or go into them when saving to check the contents. Saving a podcast or audiobook in the bookmarks list starts it from the beginning, not from where it was bookmarked, I get this when saving a song but there needs to be an option for other content, not much fun scrolling through a 10 hour audiobook to see where you left off... Final issue is that when you've pulled up the bookmarked content and played it the player will not go to the next item in the folder where that content is located, it goes to the next item in the bookmark list, so if you bookmark a podcast and want to run straight onto the next one in the folder you have to stop the player at the end and go to the top of the file tree to find the next from scratch. This somewhat negates the point of bookmarking in the first place.

Great nuanced review with an understanding of what this is actually for. Super like for Ikenai Borderline, the Bocchi the Rock wallpaper, and Yurucamp keychain!!!

I really appreciate this review for actually understanding why someone would want to purchase this. Most reviews I've seen for the recent android Walkman's boil down to "its just a small, laggy smartphone, just use Spotify lol" and completely ignore why these Walkman's are what they are. My NW-A105 lets me chuck a 1TB MicroSD in it, and haul around my entire Hi-Res music library in a tiny little device. And because my music is stored locally, I can just keep it permanently offline and disconnected from my accounts and services, making it nice and separated from my other stuff. I cant really do any of that with my main phone, it doesn't even have expandable storage ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I've been looking into dedicated music players for my workouts and this seems to fit the bill nicely

Lol, love your raps bra. They make my day.

I still use my ipod touch, because I bought alot of music 10 years ago and put all my cds on it. Mixed music, rare cds, plus I didn't have to buy it twice. Love my ipod!

Amazing video. Nice shots, Little Bit of history - congenial Guy. Subscribed. ✌🏻

the best solution i think is somthing like the Fiio BTR5 external DAC. It has an USB C Port so you can connect your Phone by USBC to USBC Cable or it has also Bluetooth on Board. And the Bonus is it has an balanced Output 2.5 mm Port as well as the normal 3.5mm Jack. And with its Software you can change the settings on your needs included a 10 Band Equalizer to adjust it to your Headphone.

Excellent review. Subscribed.

I had one back in 2010 I think. Those things were awesome back in the day. Great ipod competitor.

Bringing DAPs instead of phones when I'm outside really helps me take things easy once in a while. Bought a cheap android OS DAP a few months ago and I've been using it more than my phone outdoors.

One of my favourite phones ever was my Sony Ericsson W810i Walkman-branded feature phone. It unfortunately used the Memory Stick Duo format like the PSP but was a great little music player for the time and overall fun device.

Hi - great video! Very fun and informative! Can it play RU-vid music videos which have been downloaded (within RU-vid), and do the downloaded video use the SD card memory for this please?

My first cassette player back in highschool 1998 is a sony walkman with feather touch button. Yes they put feather touch button as a features back then.

I still use and carry my ipodtouch around with me everywhere I go, I listen to my music, podcasts and audiobooks through the ipod and not my phone, so carrying a secondary device around will not be a problem. I am looking to replace my ipodtouch as it is getting old and some of the apps are getting harder and harder to use.

thanks for the video, how does the sound compare to your modded ipod..

How does this compare in sound quality to your modded iPod?

I love that Sony still maintain a camera shutter button in it's fones. I wonder how amazing would be a Walkman phone with media control buttons (maybe in the left side that's usually empty on most phones), a proper DAC and headphone jack.

I don’t have this one but I have one like it and it’s so fun to go to cd shops and look for CDs for my favorite albums to rip, also the sound quality is great. It’s totally not necessary since most people Have smart phones but sometimes I just wanna put my phone away and actually listen to and enjoy my music. It’s a lot of fun to listen to the same songs on this device and hear the details you could have never heard from the radio or through a RU-vid video. If you got the money and love music, it’s a good buy.

Thanks 👍 Great review

it's really cool & i would buy one but over 300 is wayyy to steep i thought it would be more in the under 100 or maybe 150 max

Good video Ken :)

a smartphone would still suffice for me, this isnt targeted for people like me whose already comfortable with a smartphone as its primary music player. its a neat device ngl, but its mainly for enthusiasts. i dont see myself using this down the line, even if i had the money for it. also, neat bocchi cameo there.

I had a Sony Minidisc recorder Walkman when I was in high school some 20 years ago. It was a fantastic device and I was always really saddened that the format didn’t take off as it should’ve.

If you think that is crazy I have the NW-WM1ZM2 Walkman and oh boy is it big, heavy, and more importantly expensive but I absolutely love this thing it's like a little Bible on me and it goes everywhere I go and I'll probably have it with me for a good long while

Does it support gapless playback?

Is this compatible with iTunes? Like if you have playlist on iTunes, can you just drag and drop the playlist over to the Walkman?

If I can transfer my 1200 + iTunes library over I'd consider picking one up.

Cool! I had a Sony Walkman mp3 up until 2012. I had SO many songs on it. Memories! Now I just use my phone for music.

if u want something small but still have android os and acceptable audio for walkman alternative..i recommend the xperia compact xz1..this is what i carry as the walkman.. it is also pretty cheap..

I love my walkman. I have an NW-A105. It's awesome but the battery life could be better.

Is there an external speaker?

As a person who doesn’t use phones most of the time, this device is a perfect fit for me

That wallpaper!🔥🔥🔥

i had walkman casette n cd back then but my fav music player is ipod nano 6gen the one u can make as watch... i hope they didnt get rid of it... gud thing i still have it using it in my car with 3500 songs in it

great review. the practicality is kinda lost on something so expensive when you can get one of LG's last smartphones at like ~$150, which has 128 gb and is a full fleged smartphone with a built in DAC. I mean, if you're going to carry around another device in your bag anyway, why not buy a second smartphone with ALL of the features of a phone, with a DAC, and also as with a second screen functionality? Ex: LG V60

I bought a couple Walkman MP3 players in 2008/2009. I liked them because they were drag and drop from my laptop without the use of a program like iTunes. Problem was, they were limited in size. I had a 8GB then a 16GB, with the initial software on them they were a little less than that though. I eventually relented and got the 160GB iPod. It's still the only Apple product I've owned to this day.

I might buy one in few months Got bored of getting phone calls or having people asking to take pics of them

Looks neat, though, for $350 I don't know .......I have my SanDisk for the past 12 years still works. Boochi the rock wallpaper nice!

You should try the ZX707 or the NW-WM1AM2, my personal favourite.

Walkmans are brilliant for people who want to own music and listen to albums. I have a Sony and so do both my kids.

let me tell you i run A-45 walkman and HR audio is awesome and not my highest priority this thing is a beast to store all your music. I have 360 gigs on this, 2000 songs and I still have 345 gigs. i highly recommend if you want HR audio and have a sizeable library.

I've been waiting for an android base mp3 player, Sony has it but its pricey, I may purchase this one during the holidays, Thanks for the Review

I like to play music from my phone onto my JBL speaker but hate when phone calls and texts ruin my playback !

HOW LONG ARE U GOING TO USE THAT EXPENSIVE DEVICE?

How is it compared to fiio?

Oh man now I have a mental image of Bob Ross wearing tights 😩

Sticking with iPod classic as I want the nostalgia and no other distractions. This is a cool device though.

I think it is cool. Hope to sticks around.

Those Macross Albums though 🔥🔥🔥

Honestly, given that I have a Walkman NW-A45, I couldn't see getting the A306. And with how rarely I listen to music from my phone with wired headphones, I can't really see myself getting a DAC that plays nice with iOS (though that's more likely than buying the A306). To me, this seems more like a device for someone who's getting either their first dedicated digital audio player or is getting their first one since the days of the iPod and Zune.

Respect for having Gran Turismo 2 song on the Walkman

Questions how many sony can you download on sony 16g

Ken, forgot to mention that I the japanese imported model sony walkman is not volume limited compared to u.s. model. The u.s. model for the sony walkman is volume limited where as the japanese imported model sony walkman volume limit is uncapped. I still have my portable sony walkman cassette player, sony walkman portable mini disc player and portable sony walkman disc man. I just need the japanese model of the sony walkman to add to my sony collection plus it runs android too which is something that I want in a sony walkman. I have the fiio m11 android dap, fiio q3 dac amp for traveling, schiit fulla 2 dac amp and schiit hel 2 dac amp for use at home. The schiit hel 2 dac amp works with android from the usb c port since it works on my sony xperia 1 iv however it will drain more of your phones battery. My akg lyra mic also has a usb c port and also works with my sony xperia 1 iv. The only amps I have not tried with android yet are any of the analog tube amps for analog sound. I prefer the sound of analog with its analog warmth sound from tube amps and from vinyl. I would take analog if I had to choose between digital and analog. Most music record in digital are compressed and sound too fatiguing to listen with the boosted treble and muddy bass. The loudness wars made music hard to pick out the details since music needs the dynamic range to hear sounds from the quietest parts of the track to the loudest parts of the track. Whenever I buy a cd and rip them to wav or flac, the music is very loud when I barely turn up the volume and my ears start ringing because the way the music was mixed and mastered very loudly with boosted treble and boosted bass that muddys the bass. I also have the sony xperia 1 iv android phone and a sony 4k blu ray player. My sony xperia 1 iv can barely drive my sennheiser hd 600 open back up headphones but my sony xperia 1 iv can drive my neumann ndh20 close back headphones since they are 150 ohms compared to 300 ohms on my sennheiser hd 600. I use my sennheiser hd 600 even when traveling by bus. Sometimes I switch between my sennheiser hd 600, fiio fa1 iems and my neuman ndh20 depending on what I feel like using at the moment. I also have a pair of moondrop quarks the 3.5 mm port non dsp version as a back up. I just wish sony had a hifi dac like the lg v series of phones, htc phones, zte axon 7 and even the newer asus rog phones.

Tough sell is an understatement 😅

am still rocking a cd player for music and audiobooks so that's that

what is the tiny backpack thats in 2:54 ?

Believe it or not. I'd use it for PS1 and lower emulation. The form factor plus certain android bluetooth controllers would just make it neat. Being a walkman would be secondary to me. Also if anyone is wondering "why not just buy an emulation device?" I say why even buy a walkman in 2023? Because it's novel.

Would love to see you guys take a look at their newest mid ranger the ZX700!

The only way for me to justify the purchase for this walkman is the headphone. Any recommendation for good budget headphone? I have a Samson SR850 which I really like the sound output but the cable is too long to my liking.

I actually currently use a Walkman a55 for all my music consumption

I have a Sony walkman NW-A55 I love it 😁

i bought one of these and a flip phone instead of a new phone and honestly it rules

my mum has one of the older ones, she loves it still even when her phone can do the same she like to still use it.

I like having a dedicated music player then using my phone no notification distractions

the bocchi wallpaper and the fact u were playing idol by yoasobi earned this video a like

with Apple's iPod failed to get more new customers interested context of their phones and others captured the market completely, Walkman coincidentally became the audio brand that survived in the new era