The best MP3 Sony Walkman (2023): Culturasonora comparisons and reviews

The best Sony Walkman of 2023:

1. Sony NW-WM1A
2. Sony NW-ZX507
3. Sony NW-ZX300
4. Sony NWA105
5. Sony NWA45B
6. Sony NWWS413
7. Sony NWZ-B183

The Sony Walkman NW-WM1A is a more affordable version of the NW-WM1Z, the most expensive Sony MP3 player on the market. It maintains the classy design and sound quality of Sony's most elegant model, but its structure is made of aluminum instead of gold. From our point of view, it's one of the best music players on the market.

Design:

The Sony Walkman NW-WM1A has excellent build quality and is very comfortable to carry with one hand. It comes with an internal memory of 128 GB and integrates a micro-SD card slot that allows you to expand the capacity.

The main difference from its big brother, besides the price, is that it comes with an aluminum casing. The body of this Sony Walkman is very robust. The Sony Walkman NW-WM1A music player has a pragmatic yet attractive design. Integrates touch-recognizable buttons to control playback.

Sound:

After having tested it, we can affirm that the sound quality offered by the Sony Walkman NW-WM1A is excellent. This MP3 player supports any high-resolution audio format, including DSD up to 11.2 mHz.

The sound profile is very faithful and clear at all frequencies. It has a good dynamic range and offers remarkable detail. Bass is deep but controlled and all notes maintain a good presence. Overall, the sound is very well balanced.

The Sony Walkman NWWS 413, as well as other quality Sony MP3 players usually have a warmer and more pleasant sound profile, but the company decided to present this model with a more neutral and faithful sound. This is something we love about this device. The Sony Walkman NW-WM1A can satisfy the most demanding audiophiles.

Connectivity:

The software is also very intuitive and easy to use. However, we recommend that you upgrade to version 1.20 at the time of purchase, as the previous version is somewhat slow. Program 1.20 comes with everything you need, including options such as a sound spectrum analyzer and a Hz meter. The NW-WM1A Walkman also has a program called Music center stored in memory, that allows you to organize files from your PC. You can use this application with any computer running OS X10.8, Windows 7 SP1, Vista Sp2, 8.1 or higher.

Battery:

The Sony Walkman NW-WM1A music player integrates an excellent battery performance. When playing MP3 formats it can last up to 33 hours, playing FLAC formats up to 30 hours, and DSD up to 15 hours. This varies according to the sample rates and bit Depth of each file. The total charging process takes 7 hours.

Conclusion:

The Sony Walkman NW-WM1A music player offers very good sound quality. Any track sounds as if you were in the recording studio. Its sound is well balanced and can read any high resolution audio format. In addition, its build quality is impressive and it has great value for money.

If you are looking for a quality Sony Walkman MP3 player that will last you a long time, this is our first recommendation. It's expensive, but worth the investment. Intrigued? Find the best prices on Amazon.

The NW-ZX507 can play DSD or MQA files natively, has a good memory that allows you to store a lot of songs and has a balanced 4.4mm output.

Design:

The ZX507 is made of anodized aluminum and is available in black or silver. The build quality is superb and it has a compact size that allows you to use it with one hand. This Sony Walkman integrates the best of the company. It features new capacitors that improve sonic detail and bass levels, as well as the flawless Sony S-Master HX digital amplifier.

Its 3.6-inch screen is very responsive and bright. Through it you can access all the functions of the Android operating system. This Sony Walkman is capable of playing formats up to 384kHz/32bit. In addition, its processor improves the quality of compressed songs. The right side integrates large, solid buttons from which you can control playback, manage the volume or turn on the Walkman.

Sound:

We have nothing negative to say in this section: the sound offered by the Sony Walkman NW-ZX507 is simply superb. Dynamics are remarkable and there is not the slightest noise when playing high playback formats. It's faithful and pleasant to listen to. Bass is strong, but kept in check. The tonal balance is impeccable.

The details are sublime when reproducing any genre of music. The Sony NW-ZX507 Walkman offers rich, vivid audio. Percussions, vocals and all instruments are clear and separate. The sound spatiality is one of the best we have heard in digital music players.

Connectivity:

It works with the Android 9.0 operating system and integrates WiFi connectivity. Through the Google Play Store you can download your favorite online streaming programs. The Walkman app designed for this device is very easy to use. It integrates a 64 GB memory, although it also has a port for microSD cards. On the top side there are 4.4mm and 3.5mm connections for headphones.

Battery:

The Sony Walkman NW-ZX507 has a battery life of approximately 20 hours. In addition, it charges quickly via the USB-C charging port.

Conclusion:

Both the design and the sound offered by the Sony Walkman NW-ZX507 are impeccable. It integrates the best components of the company and the audio is perceived with sublime details when playing any type of music, in compressed or high definition formats. It's a portable, rugged and great DAP. To see the best prices on Amazon, click here.

In recent years, companies such as Astell & Kern have dominated the digital music player market. However, Sony's new MP3 player is keeping up. The Sony NW-ZX300 is one of the Sony Walkman MP3 models that the company has launched to satisfy the most demanding audiophiles. From our point of view, it's technically superior to most of the options presented by the competition.

Design:

The Sony Walkman NW-ZX300 has an aluminum structure that provides good resistance against electrical noise and enables clearer and more stable sound output. This Sony Walkman has an internal memory of 64 GB and integrates a touch screen that allows you to control all aspects of playback. On the right side, there are also buttons for on/off, hold, play/pause, volume and fast forward or rewind songs.

The NW-ZX300 comes with the S-Master HX digital amplifier. The company claims that it helps reduce distortion and noise over a wider frequency range. This Sony music player can read audio formats up to 32bit/384kHz and 11.2Mhz DSD natively. It also supports the relatively new MQA and integrates DSEE HX technology that significantly improves the quality of highly compressed files such as MP3s.

Sound:

The NW-ZX300 Sony Walkman NW-ZX300 reads any digital audio format very fast, including high-definition files such as DSD files, which light up during playback with an HR signal. In terms of sound quality, the Walkman NW-ZX300 stands out for its clarity, no matter what genre or format you play. When we tested it, we were surprised by the texture that the notes of some instruments and the vocals can reach.

All frequencies are presented clear and differentiated, the mix is very well achieved. The sound profile is quite neutral and this is a good thing, as it can satisfy audiophiles looking for fidelity. However, it lacks some dynamism and punch when compared to the Astell & Kern SP1000 or the Sony NW-WM1A.

Connectivity:

The top of this Sony DAP or MP3 player integrates two headphone jacks (3.5 and 4.4mm). The Sony NW-ZX300 Walkman also features Bluetooth connectivity for wireless headphone users. On the left side there is an SD card slot that allows you to increase the memory capacity. At the bottom it features a USB port for charging the device, transferring files from your PC or using the Sony NW-ZX300 as an external DAC.

Battery:

The NW-ZX300 integrates a high-performance battery that can last up to 30 hours when playing 128 kbps MP3 files or 26 hours with high-resolution FLAC formats. The total charging process takes approximately five and a half hours.

Conclusion:

The NW-ZX300 has a robust body and offers superb sound quality. It doesn't offer the dynamism of the Sony NW-WM1A, but it's more affordable. In addition, it supports all high-resolution formats on the market. This Sony music player is the best model to enjoy any genre of music with the highest definition possible in its price range. To see the best prices on Amazon, click here.

The Sony Walkman NW-A105 was released alongside the ZX705 to celebrate Sony's 40 years of producing portable music players. This Walkman produces much better sound than any phone, has a robust body, a good battery and premium audio components.

Design:

The NW-A105 is very similar to the more expensive ZX507 model. It has a compact size and its chassis is made of sturdy aluminum. It integrates a 3.6-inch touch screen and many of the same components as the ZX line. It measures 55.9 mm x 98.9 mm x 11.0 mm and weighs only 103 grams.

It's available in black, blue, green, red and orange. On the right side of the Walkman NW-105 are the large controls to manage the volume and smaller ones that allow you to change songs. At the bottom it features the USB-C port and a microSD card slot that allows you to increase the internal memory of 16GB.

Sound:

Inside the NW-A105 Walkman is Sony' s S-Master HX digital amplifier that reduces noise and distortion to deliver very clean HiFi music playback. It also features DSEE HX technology that improves the quality of compressed audio formats. It does this by recognizing instruments and voices and then calculating the information lost during the compression process.

The NW-A105 supports high-resolution formats such as DSD or PCM up to 32bit/384 kHz. Among the codecs you can enjoy are MP3, FLAC, WMA, AAX, ALAC and MQA. We tested it by playing an MQA file from tidal and perceived excellent details in all frequencies. The sound profile is pleasant and all instruments are heard clearly in the mix.

The songs are perceived as rich and the tonal balance is very well achieved. In the menu you can also access different options such as ambient mode or noise cancellation.

Connectivity:

The Android 9.0 operating system runs flawlessly and is easy to use. It integrates Wifi technology that allows you to access any application to listen to music online, such as Spotify, Tidal, etc. Among them, we highlight the Walkman application designed for these devices.

You can also connect the Walkman to your speakers or headphones via Bluetooth using Sony's LDAC technology. With this technology you can transfer approximately three times more information than with the conventional Bluetooth connection. Another good feature offered by this Sony Walkman is its high-resolution DAC. You can connect it to any computer as an external DAC to greatly improve the sound quality.

Battery:

The autonomy of this Sony Walkman reaches 26 hours of continuous playback at medium volumes, a more than sufficient capacity for any user. It also charges quickly thanks to the USB-C port.

Conclusion:

This digital music player integrates the same audio components found in the new expensive Sony ZX line. The Walkman NW-A105 is not the most affordable DAP on the market, but its price/performance ratio is among the best. To see the best prices on Amazon, click here.

The Sony Walkman NW-A45 is a high quality digital music player and is available for a very attractive price. It's one of the best options to listen to high definition music without having to spend a lot of money.

Design:

The Sony Walkman NW-A45 MP3 player has a body made of sturdy and attractive aluminum. It's somewhat thick for its size, but can be easily operated with one hand and is quite light. It features a 3.1″ LCD touch screen with 800×480 pixel resolution that allows you to control all playback options.

In addition, it integrates physical controls on the right side to manage volume, change songs, play/pause or turn the Walkman on and off. The left side has a micro-SD card slot that allows you to expand the 16 GB internal memory, while the bottom features a headphone jack and the charging port.

This Sony Walkman is very easy to use and has fairly intuitive software. The main menu allows you to control all the main functions and is customizable. The upper part has three circles that are used to activate the radio, the Language Study mode (ideal for listening to language learning files) and the DAC mode.

Sound:

The Sony NW-A45 Walkman, like the NW-ZX300 model, integrates the S-Master HX digital amplifier that reduces distortion and unwanted noise for the cleanest possible music experience. Supports most current audio formats , including high-resolutionDSD, PCM and MQA files.

This Sony MP3 player also integrates DSEE HX technology that enhances highly compressed digital files in formats such as MP3, AAC or WMA and brings them closer to the quality of high-resolution formats.

This Sony music player is designed to play any type of format with superb sound quality. It doesn't offer the sonic details of more expensive models, but it stands out in its price range. It also integrates LDAC technology that allows you to transfer, through a standard Bluetooth connection, up to 990 kbps per second. This means you can enjoy your favorite music in better than CD quality wirelessly.

Connectivity:

This Sony MP3 player connects directly to a PC with the included cable to transfer audio files, sort your folders and create playlists. To do so, all you need is a computer running OS X10.8, Windows 7, 10, 8.1 or higher.

The Sony NW-A45 Walkman integrates Bluetooth connectivity, has a radio tuner and can be used as an external DAC by connecting it to a Mac or PC via the included USB cable. In this mode the Walkman replaces your computer's video card with its own hardware. It also features NFC technology that allows you to automatically synchronize any compatible mobile device.

Battery:

The built-in battery of this Sony Walkman can last up to 45 hours when playing MP3 formats, 35 when playing FLAC and 25 with DSD. Total charging time is approximately 4 hours.

Conclusion:

The Sony Walkman NW-A45 has a good build quality and offers remarkable sound quality for its price. It's the best choice if you are looking for a Walkman that allows you to play your favorite music in high definition without having to spend a lot of money. Interested? Check out the best prices on Amazon.

Shanling M0s are another affordable and excellent option.

The Sony Walkman NW-WS413 is an MP3 player with headphones for swimming or exercising. It has IP67/68 water and dust protection, supports various audio formats and has a good battery.

Design:

The Sony Walkman NW-WS413 is a very comfortable aquatic headset. They are slightly larger than the typical in-ear headphones, but they are lightweight and fit perfectly in any ear. They come with ear tips of different sizes and types that allow you to use them anywhere.

This waterproof Walkman comes with a 4GB internal memory that allows you to store up to 1000 songs in PCM format or 2000 songs in MP3 format. This is enough for most users, but if you need more capacity you can opt for the Sony WS414 Walkman. This model is the same in every detail as the Sony Walkman NWWS413 but has 8 GB of memory and is a little more expensive.

The Sony Walkman NW-WS413 is ideal for swimming or any type of exercise. It can be submerged up to two meters deep for 30 minutes and is also resistant to dust and sand. The Sony Walkman NW-WS413 integrates buttons to control all basic aspects of playback and also has one to activate the Ambient Sound function. This mode allows you to hear ambient sound more easily, but uses more battery power.

Sound:

The Sony Walkman NW-WS413 offers very decent sound quality and is also very easy to use. You can play your favorite songs in linear or shuffle mode and the audio feels very clear for a waterproof headset. When you use them for swimming, the quality drops considerably due to the interference that water can cause, but it's quite tolerable.

The sound details offered by this waterproof Walkman are not as sublime as those of high-end music players, but they work perfectly for exercise. They offer a fairly good bass response (which is ideal for any type of athlete) and the sound profile is well balanced.

Connectivity:

Transferring music to the Sony Walkman NW-WS413 is a very simple process. Just connect it to a PC or Mac with the USB 2.0 cable included in the purchase and drag the audio files to the water Walkman playback folder that will appear in the script. It can play LPCM, MP3, WAV, WMA files. This is enough for most users, but if you save your files in other formats you can convert them quickly with software without any problems.

Battery:

The NW-WS413 waterproof Walkman can last up to 12 hours at moderate volumes without using Ambient Sound mode and 7 hours with the function activated. It also has a very useful quick charge. Three minutes of charging is enough to use them for one hour, while a full charge takes approximately one and a half hours.

Conclusion:

The Sony Walkman NW-WS413 is great for sports in or out of the water. The headphones are comfortable, have a good design and offer pretty decent sound quality for a very attractive price. If you want to see the best prices on Amazon, follow the link.

The NWZ-B183 is a very affordable and portable MP3 player from Sony. It offers pretty decent sound quality, integrates 4GB of memory and is very easy to use. It's one of the best options to enjoy your favorite songs anywhere if your budget is limited.

Design:

The Sony NWZ-B183 MP3 player is quite light and compact. It weighs 30g, has dimensions of 8.45 x 2.22 x 1.34 cm and is available in black, blue, red or pink. You can conveniently store it in any pocket thanks to its slim design, yet it has a robust and attractive aluminum body. It integrates three buttons at the top to control the volume and return to the main menu. This Sony player integrates a small screen that displays the playback time, an equalizer, the remaining battery time, the name of the song and information about the artist or genre.

The Sony NWZ-B183 Walkman only emits sound when headphones are connected to it, but it can also be used as a USB memory stick to store any type of files. It has an internal memory of 4GB, which is enough to store up to 1000 songs.

Sound:

This Sony Walkman NWZ produces pretty decent sound quality considering its price, although its audio doesn't come close to the best models on this list. It has five types of equalization settings (heavy, jazz, unique, little, custom). It also integrates the Bass Boost function that adds more depth and punch to the bass.

The NWZ-B183 Walkman NWZ-B183 tunes radios with a frequency range of 87.5-108 mHz and can store up to 30 stations in its memory. It also allows you to record FM programs, a very useful option when you want to listen to a song or program again. Supports MP3, WMA and PCM audio formats.

Connectivity:

The Sony Walkman NWZ-B183 comes with a pair of headphones, but they are not of high quality. We recommend getting a good pair of headphones to make the most of the sound quality it offers. File transfer is very simple.

It connects directly to the USB port of any PC or Mac and has an approximate speed of 5 Mbps. This Sony player cannot project photos or videos, but it allows you to save any type of files for transfer to a computer. You can also view the files with your cell phone if you purchase an adapter (not included).

Battery:

The Sony Walkman NWZ-B183 integrates a high-performance, fast-charging battery. It provides up to 20 hours of continuous playback. The total charging process takes approximately 70 minutes, but 3 minutes is enough to use them for more than an hour.

Conclusion:

The Sony Walkman NWZ-B183 MP3 player is an ideal device for anyone who wants to enjoy quality music at a very affordable price. This Sony player is compact, lightweight and integrates a good battery. It's one of the best cheap MP3 players on the market. To see the best prices on Amazon, click here.

Final Conclusion

All the Walkman MP3 players on this list are all excellent music players and are a safe buy for anyone looking to enjoy their music on the go and with much better sound quality than a cell phone can offer.

• If you are looking for the best audio quality, the Sony Walkman NW-WM1A or the Sony Walkman NW-ZX507 are the best choice. They are somewhat expensive, but they have excellent performance in all aspects.
• The NW-ZX300 doesn't offer the sonic dynamism of the NW-WM1A, but it's more affordable, offers excellent audio quality and has a good internal memory.
• The new Sony Walkman NW-A105 on the other hand, is much cheaper and integrates the same components as the ZX series.
• The Walkman NW-A55 is the best model for listening to high-resolution music without spending a lot of money.
• The Sony Walkman NW-WS413 is perfect for exercising both in and out of the water. It's also quite affordable.
• Finally, the MP3 player Sony NWZ-B183 player is perfect if you are looking for a compact and inexpensive but good quality device.

We also recommend you check out our best MP3 player review, Fiio MP3 players and the individual review of the Fiio X1 II . We leave you with a video about the Sony NW-WM1a Walkman. If you wish to obtain information about audio equipment, remember to visit our website Culturasonora.es, there you will find in-depth and objective reviews of the latest models on the market.

On the other hand, if you need a bluetooth speaker you can check out the Sony SRS-XB43.

Sony Walkman technical features