Sony Walkmans were all the rage during the ’80s and ’90s and became ubiquitous among the cultural zeitgeist. But, it (and the many similar music players that followed in its footsteps) slipped into obscurity with the advent of streaming services and smartphones.
Yet, Sony never gave up on its Walkman series which started out as a cassette player only to turn into an MP3 player too.
As reports from the latest CES (Consumer Electronics Show) indicate, it seems Sony is betting on a resurgence of interest in MP3 players, particularly among users with audiophile inclinations.
Sony’s latest Walkman model, NW-A306 includes a quality DAC converter and amplifier, that, according to the company are set to “reduce distortion and noise across a range of frequencies, for a rich and full-bodied sound,” which are supposed to make the sound much better than any regular smartphone.
There’s support up to the highest definition FLAC lossless files and onboard DSEE Edge AI audio upscaling for CD-quality tracks.
It’ll also play these tracks for longer with some impressive battery life. Sony claims the NW-A306 will last up to 36 hours when listening to standard 44.1kHz FLAC files, up to 32 hours when listening to hi-res 96kHz FLAC files, and then up to 26 hours when you use the player to stream over your chosen streaming service.
The NW-A306 will be available in black and blue colorways at launch for £349 and €399 (roughly $400), respectively. There is no word on US availability yet.
