Sony debuts gold-plated Walkman player priced at US$5,900

Sony has revealed three new Walkman music players, and the most expensive one costs a whopping US$5,900. The company announced the new devices on October 15 in New York City. They are made for audiophiles — people who care deeply about getting the very best sound from their music. Shoppers can already place a pre-order, but Sony has not yet said when the players will start shipping.

The three new Walkmans are priced at US$1,900, US$3,000, and US$5,900. All of them run on Android, which is the same operating system used on many smartphones. Sony says the players give listeners its "finest portable sound experience," making them stand out from regular music apps or budget players. The most affordable model, the NW-ZX900, even runs the latest Android 16 software, which is a big upgrade from the older Android 12 on the previous version.

One key feature across all three players is something Sony calls the "DSD Remastering Engine." This tool works to make digital music files sound warmer and richer, almost like listening to a vinyl record. When a listener streams lower-quality music, the player uses artificial intelligence to figure out what genre the song is and then improves the sound. That means even a compressed music file can end up sounding much better on these devices.

The flagship model — the most expensive one at US$5,900 — has several special features to explain its high price tag. Its body is made from oxygen-free copper and is coated in gold plating, which Sony says helps improve the sound. Even the screws are gold-plated, and Sony claims they help deliver "powerful bass, an expansive soundstage and smooth, extended high frequencies." The two cheaper models also have some gold plating on the back, but their main bodies are made from aluminum alloy instead.

The two pricier models have 5.5-inch screens with 1080p resolution, which is slightly bigger and sharper than the older versions from 2022. The entry-level NW-ZX900 has a 5-inch screen that has been upgraded from 720p to 1080p. All three models offer strong battery life — the cheapest model can last up to 40 hours when playing music saved on the device. However, Sony's battery estimates are based on low-quality MP3 files, which serious listeners are unlikely to use.

To get the full benefit of these players, buyers will also need high-quality headphones that can pick up even the smallest details in a song. That means the total cost of a full setup could be much higher than the player's price alone. Sony faces competition from other brands like Astell & Kern and several Chinese companies, which sell similar hi-fi players for less money. Still, Sony says the Walkman name stands for a level of quality that sets its products apart.

Sony has been busy in the audio world beyond just Walkmans. Earlier in October, the company launched a special microphone for smartphones that captures spatial audio — a type of sound that feels like it surrounds you — for just US$250. Back in 2023, Sony also bought a well-known headphone company called Audeze, which makes high-end headphones using a special technology called planar magnetic drivers. That technology has already shown up in Sony's newest gaming headphones for the PlayStation.