Sony has opened preorders for three new premium Walkman players, topped by a $5,899 model with a gold-plated copper body.
The lineup has three tiers. The NW-ZX900 costs $1,899.99, the aluminum-bodied NW-WM1AM3 costs $2,999.99, and the flagship Signature Series NW-WM1ZM3 costs $5,899. The source gives that flagship as $5,899 in its text but $5,899.99 in its shopping link, and does not explain the gap. Those links point to Amazon for the first two models and to Sony for the flagship. All three ship in January.
Sony supplied the most detail on the top model. It has a precision-machined chassis of gold-plated oxygen-free copper, dual solid high-polymer capacitors, KIMBER KABLE wiring, and Sony's S-Master HX digital amplifier with native DSD support (DSD is a high-resolution audio format). It also has a 5.5-inch touch screen, Android-based streaming, and up to 35 hours of high-res battery life. Sony says the players are "engineered to deliver exceptional sound," which is the company's own pitch. The source lists no specs for the other two.
The price ladder tells you where the money goes. The flagship costs about $2,900 more than the aluminum model and roughly three times the entry model. A touch screen and Android streaming are things a phone also does, so the premium rests on the chassis and audio parts, which is where Sony's description puts its emphasis.
That leaves a practical question the source does not answer: beyond the aluminum body, what separates the $1,899.99 player from the $2,999.99 one? Until Sony publishes full specs for both, the middle of the lineup is the hardest part to judge.