Digital player sells for $1,119 but for good reason too

Jan 7, 2015 10:57 GMT  ·  By

If you think that $199 / €199 for an iPod touch is a tad too much money for a portable media player, then don’t set your sights on the new Sony ZX2 Walkman, because you’ll end up gasping for air.

Currently being showcased at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the glorious ZX2 Walkman is the digital reincarnation of Sony’s old but insanely popular cassette-players from the ‘90s, carrying the same name – Walkman.

The ZX2 rocks Android instead of electric motors but retains physical playback buttons for the tactile goodness that an audiophile would demand. You also won’t have to worry about calculating your music in minutes, thanks to the generous on-board flash chips that give it 128GB of storage capacity. But that’s not why Sony is asking $1,119 (€943.45) for it.

A masterpiece of digital audio equipment

One of the primary reasons Sony is asking for such an obscene price for what is essentially a re-done iPod touch is the bold matte design with a touch of gold around the jack plug and minimalism from top to bottom. The Walkman brand further adds heft to the price tag, and then, of course, come the insane tech specs that will make any music lover drool over the display unit at their local shop, clutching their wallet.

The ZX2 packs this special digital amplifier that reportedly cuts down distortion and noise to achieve crystal-clear sound, while the built-in DSEE HX technology further improves sound quality. To notice these admittedly subtle enhancements, you’ll need to acquire some equally pretentious headphones.

Sony’s official announcement states that “The NW- ZX2 supports digital music files up to 192 kHz/24 bit and compatible file formats are MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, WAV and ALAC including DSD.”

More specs and extras

The new Walkman’s storage can be expanded to 256GB and the player packs a micro SD card slot, just in case you need to feed it some stuff on the spot. Wi-Fi also feels at home on the player, and it has access to Google Play for apps and games.

It’s essentially a much more elegant iPod touch that costs five times the amount you pay for Apple’s player but looks crazily better (for mature audiences, of course) and outputs the best possible sound for a portable player. Plus, you get bragging rights that you’re carrying an actual Walkman.

Sony ZX2 Walkman / iPod touch (4 Images)

Sony NW-ZX2 Walkman,
Sony Walkman demoAnother closeup of the player
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