Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2 – New from the Sony Walkman Signature Series

Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2, these are the two new DAP models of the Sony Walkman Signature Series, which Sony Corporation now presents. The Japanese consumer electronics company is convinced that these are solutions that will raise the bar in this area.

With two new models, the Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2, Sony Corporation is expanding its range of portable hi-res audio players in the Sony Walkman Signature Series. The solutions are described by the Japanese consumer electronics company as designated premium players aimed at users with particularly high demands.

Users who want to enjoy music on the go via their DAP exactly as it was produced, because this is precisely the claim that Sony Corporation promises for the two new models Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2.

Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2 – raising the bar…

The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 was designed on the basis of many years of experience in audio technology, according to the manufacturer’s promise. It relies solely on the highest quality materials and is completely designed for an outstanding, nuanced sound. Sony Corporation speaks here even of nothing less than a phenomenal sound performance and a premium design, so one wants to set new standards for the Sony Walkman Signature Series.

The Sony NW-WM1AM2 immerses the listener in breathtaking sound, according to Sony Corporation’s description, with this model offering an even fuller, more natural and wider sound field than the previous model.

Both players naturally rely on Google Android as the operating system and are thus also equipped with all relevant interfaces, first and foremost an integrated WiFi module to download and stream music at will. This takes the listening pleasure in Sony’s Walkman Signature Series to a new level.

Sony NW-WM1ZM2 – Gold-plated chassis made of oxygen-free copper

First and foremost, the new Sony NW-WM1ZM2 is supposed to stand out with very special features, and that already starts with the choice of the material for the case. Sony Corporation states that they use oxygen-free copper with a purity of 99.99 percent (4N). But that’s not all, this chassis is also gold-plated.

The manufacturer is convinced that a more stable digital ground connection and greater stability for a clear, spacious sound can be achieved, so the company literally in the product description. They even go so far as to say that this measure makes every single instrument sound as if it were playing live.

Sony NW-WM1AM2 with solid aluminum housing

Clearly more down-to-earth gives itself there already the second new DAP, because with the Sony NW-WM1AM2 one trusts in a robust housing structure from aluminum, whereby one indicates however also here that thereby electrical noise as well as other disturbances are to be shielded effectively. The sound also benefits from the casing, because it is supposed to be stable and of high quality, whatever you want to say with that.

Sony S-Master HX Hi-res Audio Amplifier as the basis

Both models use specially developed Sony S-Master HX digital amplifiers, which, according to the manufacturer, are designed for the highest fidelity and are supposed to deliver a rich and full sound.

Other key features are said to include optimized, precisely tuned capacitors, as well as a lead-free soldering material with gold content and the digital section is separately protected by a block milled from OFC copper.

The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 also relies on a Kimber Kable cable from RKB Industrial Inc. to connect the amplifier to the balanced output stage. The Sony NW-WM1AM2 uses an OFC cable for this task.

Both models are equipped with dual clocks and rely on separate power supplies for the analog and digital sections.

DSD Remastering Engine

The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2 feature a so-called DSD Remastering Engine, which ensures that all content is converted to DSD at 11.2 MHz, regardless of whether it is now in Linear PCM or DSD of lower resolution.

The two new DAP models, Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2, also feature Sony DSEE Ultimate Technology, which is designed to optimize compressed music in real time, using the latest version that has been further improved over previous generations.

Content encoded in lossy MQA can also be played back by the way, this is mentioned here for completeness.

WiFi for music streaming

Interestingly, Sony Corporation often did without the possibility of accessing content from the network in the past, not so with the two new models Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2. These are equipped with an integrated WiFi module and since the DAP models rely on Google Android 11 as the operating system, a wide variety of apps are also available to access different streaming and download services.

Generous display for ease of use

As befits devices of this class nowadays, the new Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2 also feature generous touchscreen displays. Specifically, these have a screen diagonal of 5 inches and should guarantee intuitive operation.

In addition to the already mentioned balanced headphone jack implemented as a 4.4 mm PENTACONN and an unbalanced 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, USB-C ports are available with a PC or Mac, which are also used to charge the batteries. The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 features 256GB of built-in storage and the Sony NW-WM1AM2 has 128GB of storage capacity, with both models also featuring a microSD card slot for upgrading.

The integrated battery of the two new DAP models is said to offer a playtime of up to 40 hours after all, as the manufacturer puts on record.

Prices and availability

Sony Corporation states that the two new DAP models Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2 will probably be launched in April 2022. Those who are enthusiastic about the Sony NW-WM1ZM2 will have to budget € 3,699 for it, whereas the Sony NW-WM1AM2 will be offered at a much more moderate sales price of € 1.399,-.

It should not go unmentioned that Sony Corporation opted for a packaging without plastic.

Getting to the point

Sony Corporation has taken on a lot with the two new models Sony NW-WM1ZM2 and Sony NW-WM1AM2, that’s clear. After all, they have to compete with competitors like Astell & Kern or FiiO Electronics Technology Inc. who have a very broad product range. The fact that the best possible equipment is used is welcome, but whether it has to be features like a gold-plated copper case in the new Sony NW-WM1ZM2 is an open question. In our opinion, the Sony NW-WM1AM2 is much more down-to-earth.