The 70th anniversary is customarily celebrated with a platinum gift. But Sony is bucking tradition by unveiling a gold-plated Walkman.
The Japanese electronics maker, now seven decades old, is releasing a new line of high-resolution personal audio products: two Walkman players, headphones, and headphone amplifier.
Boasting the "highest-quality materials and structures for reproducing the best possible sound," the Signature Series is led by the gilded NW-WM1Z Walkman (right).
Available next early next year for a whopping $3,199.99, the high-end music player not only shimmers in the light, but promises to reduce "contact resistance and oxidation," according to Sony.
For nostalgics bearing more shallow pockets, the company in November will launch its NW-WM1A Walkman, with a $1,999.99 price tag and a touch panel UI.
Both support the 384kHZ/32-bit "Hi-Res" music format, which utilizes separate digital and analog circuitry, as well as technology to upscale lower bit-rate files to "near High Resolution Audio quality," the company boasted.
"This series of audio products faithfully conveys the heart and soul that artists pour into their music, from the sublime resonance of an orchestra to the overflowing passion of a live concert," Dunja LaRosa, head of mobile audio at Sony, said in a statement. "Together, the Signature Series devices push sound to an entirely new level—taking the headphone experience from 'listening' to 'feeling'."
Optimized for hi-res "personal listening enjoyment," Sony's new MDR-Z1R headphones feature a 70mm magnesium dome driver, aluminum-coated diaphragm, and neodymium magnet for "greater velocity, less signal loss, and more natural sound."
Audiophiles, meanwhile, may want to save up for the TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier, complete with a new D.A. Hybrid Amplifier Circuit and Acoustically Tuned Panel for controlling vibration and resonance.
No comments:
Post a Comment