Sony NW-WM1ZM3 Walkman: price of $5,899, available in January

• IGN reports a suggested retail price of $5,899, with pre-orders open now and delivery in January.
• Sony highlights a 99.99% OFC chassis, gold-plated screws, 35 hours of battery life, and a 5.5-inch display.

What happened

Sony has announced a new Walkman called the NW-WM1ZM3. In the reporting, the device is positioned as a flagship for high-end audio, with a striking gold-plated finish and a housing that Sony says is made from oxygen-free copper. The naming follows Sony’s existing premium Walkman line, where materials and audio engineering are central.

IGN reports that the NW-WM1ZM3 carries a price tag of $5,899, which the article rounds to about $6,000. According to the same source, pre-orders are now available and release is set for January, although the provided information does not mention an exact year. The price and availability are therefore presented here as reported details, not as a fully specified regional announcement directly confirmed by Sony.

Sony is also said to describe the device as having a precision-machined, gold-plated oxygen-free copper chassis, a 99.99% (4N) pure OFC main body, and an OFC rear panel. Low-resistance gold-plated screws are also mentioned, which are said to provide a stable ground connection and, according to Sony, help with bass, soundstage, and treble. In the supplied information, these claims are listed as product features but are not independently verified.

The reporting also mentions 35 hours of battery life, a 5.5-inch display, and Sony’s DSD Remastering Engine. These are concrete specifications attributed to the NW-WM1ZM3 in the source set, though the battery test method is not explained. For comparison, IGN points to the NW-WM1ZM2 from 2022, which launched for $3,200; used units were reportedly listed on eBay for around $1,500 at the time. That comparison mainly underlines how far Sony is pushing the new model into the premium segment.

Background

The NW-WM1ZM3 fits into Sony’s more expensive Walkman line, where materials and audio engineering are the focus. In the supplied sources, the emphasis is on OFC construction, gold plating, and components that Sony says should improve sound reproduction. The combination of a 99.99% (4N) pure OFC main body, an OFC rear panel, and gold-plated screws is explicitly mentioned in the reporting as part of the design.

The comparison with the NW-WM1ZM2 shows that Sony’s top model was already in the premium segment, but the new version is positioned even higher in price. Where the NW-WM1ZM2 reportedly launched for $3,200 in 2022, the NW-WM1ZM3 is said to cost $5,899. That $2,699 difference makes it clear Sony is once again aiming for a very exclusive audio product with this generation.

The reported 35-hour battery life and 5.5-inch display are also notable specifications in the source set, since they show the player is focused not only on materials but also on practical hardware. The DSD Remastering Engine is also mentioned as part of the audio chain. At the same time, the supplied information does not make clear which playback mode or test standard was used for the battery figure, or whether the price is the same in every region.

The source information also says pre-orders are already open and delivery is expected in January. Because the exact year is not explicitly provided, this summary keeps the timing limited to the month as stated in the reporting. The core of the story is that Sony has announced a new, very expensive Walkman that clearly sits above the previous generation in both materials and price.

Sources

• IGN: "Sony just announced a $6,000 gold-plated Walkman"