Audio Video News

The iconic Walkman name will appear on what Sony is calling the “world’s smallest and lightest” high-resolution digital music player, the Walkman NWZ-A17, slated to hit store shelves in November with a suggested retail price of $300.

Housed in a brushed aluminum chassis measuring 1.7 x 4.3 x 0.3 inches, the A17 has a 2.2-inch display, supports Bluetooth/aptX/SBC wireless streaming with simplified NFC connectivity, and includes 64 GB of internal memory plus a microSD slot that’s compatible with 64-GB microSDXC memory cards. The player supports resolutions up to 24-bit/192 kHz and plays MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, and ALAC files.

Features intended to support high-resolution playback include a purpose-built S-Master HX digital amplifier featuring a high-grade capacitor, DSEE HX technology for upscaling compressed digital files to better-than-CD quality, and a rigid die-cast aluminum chassis to minimize electronic noise.

The A17’s built-in lithium ion battery is said to provide up to 50 hours of MP3 audio playback or up to 30 hours of hi-res audio playback when fully charged (both with Bluetooth turned off).

Sony also announced the MDR-1A Hi-Res headphones, which will be available in stores at the end of September for $300. The closed-cup headphones include a carrying pouch and feature 1.5-inch drivers and an in-line microphone and smartphone controls.

Read Ken Pohlmann’s take on the future of audio and the brand that revolutionized portable audio playback here.