Sony presents three new high-end Walkman: NW-WM1ZM3, NW-WM1AM3 and NW-ZX900

The High-end Walkman family already has official substitutes. Sony has introduced the NW-WM1ZM3 and NW-WM1AM3 of the Signature series along with the NW-ZX900. Its existence had been anticipated in leaks, but now we know the construction of each model, the improvements that the brand attributes to its audio circuits and the prices announced for the US market.

All three play local files and streaming music. The difference between them is mainly in the materials and internal components. Sony has not communicated prices in euros or a sales date for Spain.

Two Signature models with renewed chassis and power

The NW-WM1ZM3 is at the top of the range. Its main structure is machined from oxygen-free copper 99.99% pure and gold plated. The back also uses oxygen-free copper. Sony joins both pieces with treated screws to reduce electrical resistance and improve grounding.

This model uses KIMBER KABLE wiring thicker, coming from the DMP-Z1, which Sony says helps reduce noise. The NW-WM1AM3 uses a aluminum alloy for the main structure and gold-plated oxygen-free copper for the back.

In both Signatures the power circuit changes. Where the previous generation had one high-capacity solid polymer capacitor, the new devices mount two. They are combined with hand-soldered oxygen-free copper conductors. The high-purity copper coil of the balanced output LC filter has also been enlarged. Its flat driver seeks to reduce resistance and distortion, according to Sony’s technical explanation.

The machined copper block that covers the digital section increases its mass by approximately 34% compared to the previous one. Its function is reinforce grounding and reduce interference. That percentage corresponds to the block, not the total weight of the player.

The NW-ZX900 shares processing, but has its own design

He NW-ZX900 is below the two Signatures in price. Combine one aluminum alloy main structure with a gold plated oxygen free copper back piece. Sony features an ultra-low noise LDO regulator and crystal oscillators of the type used in its top players. It does not provide a quantified comparison of the output noise compared to the ZX707.

All three models use the S-Master HX digital amplification. The marking indicates that they support native DSD, balanced output, and a new noise modulator that anticipates quantization noise during signal processing. Another shared function is DSD Remastering Engine: Converts PCM audio to an 11.2 MHz DSD stream. This conversion can be applied to both downloaded and streamed music over WiFi. It should be distinguished from playing a recording that is already stored in DSD: the process does not add information that does not exist in the source file.

The ad also makes clear the difference in size between screens. The NW-WM1ZM3 and NW-WM1AM3 have 5.5-inch touch panels, half an inch larger than their predecessors, while the NW-ZX900 uses a 5-inch one. Sony has redesigned the home screen to allow customization and display larger covers. The official information consulted for this presentation does not detail the resolution of the three panels nor does it establish a performance comparison of the operating system.

Up to 40 hours on the ZX900 and prices announced for the United States

Sony encrypts the autonomy of the two Signature in up to 35 hours with 128 kbps MP3 files. For applications of streaming communicates a maximum of 31 hours. These measurements depend on the conditions specified by the brand, including the use of balanced output; They should not be interpreted as a guaranteed duration with any application, headphones or volume level. For the NW-ZX900, They advertise up to 40 hours with MP3 and up to 35 hours when using streaming applications.

All three can be reserved now in the United States. The recommended price of the NW-WM1ZM3 is 5,899 dollars (about 5,263 euros); the NW-WM1AM3 costs $2,999.99 (approximately 2,676 euros) and the NW-ZX900, 1,899.99 dollars (about 1,695 euros). These are prices for that market and not a conversion applicable to Spain. Sony announces that it will communicate availability at other distributors later. In Europe, its Norwegian delegation places the arrival of the two Signatures in November, but that information alone does not set the Spanish date.

Sony also indicates that it does not use plastic in the packaging materials of these three players, with the exceptions that may correspond to coatings and adhesives depending on the market. It remains to be known the conditions of sale in Spain and to verify in independent tests how much component changes contribute to listening.