Sony Electronics said on Oct. 15 that its NW-WM1ZM3 Walkman, NW-WM1AM3 and NW-ZX900 were open for pre-order.
Sony's store lists the NW-WM1ZM3 at $5,899.99, the NW-WM1AM3 at $2,999.99 and the NW-ZX900 at $1,899.99, each marked pre-order with estimated delivery of Jan. 12-13, as of Oct. 16.
What the three players cost
The table shows Sony's store prices as of Oct. 16. Sony's release lists suggested retail prices of $5,899, $2,999.99 and $1,899.99 as of Oct. 15.
Who they are for
Sony says the players are designed for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. ASCII.jp reports that Sony's Japanese research found about 80% of current WM1M2 owners are men aged 40 or older, and about 70% of purchases replace an earlier Walkman.
What $5,899.99 adds over $1,899.99
Sony says the NW-WM1ZM3 has a gold-plated oxygen-free copper chassis, a 99.99% pure copper main body and a copper rear chassis. The ZX900 pairs an aluminum-alloy main body with a gold-plated copper rear chassis, per Sony.
Sony also says the WM1 models swap one large capacitor for two, add a larger copper coil in the balanced output filter and cover the digital section with a milled copper block. As of Oct. 16, the release lists none of those for the ZX900, but Sony says it shares the flagship's low-noise regulator and crystal oscillators.
ASCII.jp reports built-in storage of 256 GB on the NW-WM1ZM3, 128 GB on the NW-WM1AM3 and 64 GB on the NW-ZX900. eCoustics says storage can be expanded to 2 TB on all three.
What the gold plating is claimed to do
Sony says screws with a gold-plated treatment, used only on the NW-WM1ZM3, provide a stable ground connection that delivers powerful bass, an expansive soundstage and smooth, extended high frequencies. Sony's release offers no measurements. eCoustics reports no listening results, and we have not tested the players.
Streaming, battery and DSD
Sony says all three players run its DSD Remastering Engine, which resamples PCM audio to an 11.2 MHz DSD stream. This generation applies it to music streamed over Wi-Fi as well as downloaded files. ASCII.jp reports the players run Android 16.
Sony rates the two WM1 models at up to 35 hours of 128 kbps MP3 playback and the ZX900 at up to 40 hours, using Sony's player app on a balanced connection. For streaming apps it says up to 31 and 35 hours, in offline mode on a balanced connection.
Release timing
Sony Japan's product page lists the NW-WM1ZM3 as coming Nov. 27, 2026, at an open price. ASCII.jp reports the same date for all three in Japan. Sony's US release, dated Oct. 15, states no date, while Sony's US store estimates January delivery for pre-orders.
Why it matters
Our assessment: the NW-ZX900 is the cheaper way into Sony's current design, with longer rated battery life than the NW-WM1ZM3. The extra $4,000 buys the copper construction and added circuitry Sony describes, whose audible effect Sony has not shown.
eCoustics argues a dedicated player offers purpose-built circuitry, more amplification power and playback without a cellular connection, while conceding that some phones and portable USB DACs sound excellent. Sony's release makes no comparison with phones. Our assessment: the test for any buyer is their own headphones.
