Which Sony Walkman? Retro Buyers Guide.

With countless cassette Walkman sold across 30 years, choosing a good one can be difficult. This video and the links below will help first-time retro Walkman buyers to narrow down that choice.

I could never hope to cover all the models, so I'm featuring some of my favourites. The links below will give you professional opinions and in-depth reviews on many, many more.

Additional Link:

Ebay links
Sony WM-D6C Professional Walkman

Sony WM-EX Walkman range (Some good, some not so good)

Quick tip - If you know the model you want but it isn't there - used the "Saved Search" Feature on ebay - so you are notified the next time someone lists that model for sale.



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FAQs
Q) Why two intros?
A) One is an intro, and the other is a transition...just like this

Q) Why don't they use 3D Printing to create a new centre gear for the DD walkman range
A) Too thin, too weak - not possible. Check the forums linked above for more info.

Corrections
1) The WM-EX900 does have limited functionality without a remote. The machine has a single button that you can tap once to play or stop. Double-tap to FF, Triple Tap to REW and hold to play the other side.
2) The new brass centre gear for the DD range is a prototype - the finished version will be plastic.

[jch]

I think Sony should bring back a limited edition 40 th anniversary walkman

[chrisb]

you'd make a great TV presenter. Very informative and always well dressed.

[DigitalRiesNL]

*has no intention of buying a walkman, yet watches entire video*

[constantinfriederichs]

I'd say the situation for Sony DDs improved over the years. I replaced the broken center gear in my DD II today, got really good spare parts off ebay and there are good instructions on the internet on how to take everything apart. I had zero experience fixing a walkman, but now it's running better than ever :)

[bailey]

I’m 13 and I just found my mom’s old WM-FX290W. I’m gonna pick up some cassettes and start listening, I’ve always been fascinated by old audio tech

[Whyyouhere]

It was this video four years ago that colored my decision to try cassettes. Being it was my 17th birthday, I bought my first Walkman, and repaired it due to a fault, and I remember being pleasantly surprised. I was under the same opinion most people of my generation are regarding cassettes, until I tried them myself. Now its been four years and I regularly listen to tapes; nearly all my music is on tape, from pre-recorded ones to mixtapes I mastered myself. Why? Because its so much more fun than digital services of today, and I find quite a lot to love with Cassettes. But I never would have even considered it where it not for stumbling upon this video. So thank you, Matt, for introducing me to one of my favorite music formats and one of my favorite kind of devices.

[johnwelch]

I was a young man when the Walkman came out. I worked in a retail store that sold these. It was exciting to see the new models arrive and the competition between Sony and other brands. The Walkman name became universal with personal stereos (as the name Kleenex was with tissues) but the Sony brand was very strong. Sony was the product everyone wanted but as you pointed out the price kept it out of the reach of many consumers.

[petermulder]

Aaaahhh the walkman. The beginning of my hearing problems. Such nostalgic memories.

[jamesa]

The last cassette walkman I purchased was the WM-FS221 around 2000. It was like a tank version of a sports walkman-- waterproof made from highly plastic with a metal hinge that kept it secured. It was heavy in weight but had a streamlined design with a hand strap so that you could hold it naturally. It also came with 4 tuners AM/FM/Weather Band/TV Audio. Very useful and durable unit that served me well.

[caffeineau]

We had a Japanese exchange student come to my school in 1994, he had a walkman that was spectacularly tiny, barely bigger than the cassette, with a small battery stuck on the side. Very impressive for the time!

[Mikeywil]

I was surprised to not see the sports Walkman not mentioned in this video. They always felt like very sturdy units that had a lot of the same features as the higher end units. Them being bright yellow would probably make them less desirable, but if they have a quality mechanism, and have good playback quality, they could be a "hidden gem" of sorts for people searching for a quality Walkman.

[fernandom]

when everything electronic device was made in japan...wonderful years....

[JacGoudsmit]

My first walkman-like tape player was a Philips; it was all plastic, the sound quality wasn't very good and it could only fast-forward, not rewind. But it was affordable when I was 15 years old or whatever.

My next player was a Panasonic with an AM/FM radio and a 3-band equalizer. It looked good, sounded really good too but unfortunately it stopped working for no apparent reason.

I still have the AIWA PX547 player that I bought after that. The lead-acid gumstick battery has a date code of 06-94. That battery doesn't hold a charge anymore but the player still works and it can also use two AAA batteries. This was a high quality player. It has a remote control but no display and no radio either. You don't need the remote to operate the player.

Back in the day, Sony Walkmans were to personal cassette players what Apple is to personal computers nowadays: they were good, but for much less money you could buy something that works just as well. I hope you'll do a video on Aiwa and other players in the future!

[fsfs]

The WM-EX900 (and a couple other models not featured) actually does have one button on it that becomes accessible when the Operation slider is in normal position. There's a guide on the back that tells you how to press the one button to get the desired operation (one press for Play/Stop, two for FF, three for Rew, hold for direction change). The other features are on the remote same as the previous model.

[saedamad]

I still have my first Sony walk, bought it in the 70's working condition 😍

[funkydung.]

Cassettes are making a comeback...i had the sony yellow one with two headphones jacks

[VideoAmateurLuxembourg]

Marty McFly didn't like Sony. He had a Casio watch, a JVC camcorder, an Aiwa cassette player etc.

[zeeaffanzeecrafts]

The Sony Walkman quality sound is so good... Even in 2020...Truly respect that...

[ardmichielsen]

I have a Panasonic RQ-P155 which I bought in 1990. I used it for years almost daily and when I found it back recently it was all a matter of new batteries, put a tape in, connect it to a decent headphone and the machine still works! A very reliable and well constructed piece of equipment.

[Diglicous]

I had an AIWA J400 mkII cassette player/stereo recorder picked up in 1984 and it was amazing piece of kit. Used for 18 years daily. Incredible build quality and reliability. Still sad that it is now not working. Miss this unit so much even in 2024.