A history of Sony portable hi-fi

Sony is a global electronics giant that has had a profound impact on the image, audio and gaming industries. Founded in 1946, the Japanese company began by producing radios before swiftly expanding its repertoire to encompass a wide array of electronic goods, including portable audio devices.

From the groundbreaking cassette Walkman to contemporary high-resolution models, here is a look at the history of Sony portable music players, headphones and earphones.

1979: Sony TPS-L2

The release of the Sony Walkman in 1979 marked a seismic shift in music consumption, granting listeners unprecedented freedom to enjoy their favorite tunes on the move. This iconic device came about when Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka wanted to create a portable device to listen to music on long flights. In just four days, a team of Sony engineers adapted the Sony PRESSMAN mono tape recorder into a stereo cassette player, thus creating the Walkman.

Upon its release in Japan in July 1979, the Sony Walkman surpassed sales expectations, with more than 30,000 units sold in the first few months. The TPS-L2 came with a pair of MDR-3L2 headphones, but its dual headphone jack allowed you to add a second pair and listen to your cassette with a friend. The Sony Walkman was powered by two AA batteries and featured a “Hotline” button to activate a built-in microphone and allow one user to talk to the other over the music!

1981: Sony WM-2

The second generation Sony WM-2 Walkman boasted a sleeker, lightweight design. Combined with improved sound quality, it became a highly popular model. Its direct drive mechanism enabled the control buttons to be placed on the front panel. Also on the menu was a new anti-rolling mechanism and support for high-quality metal tapes.

1982: Sony MDR-E252

In 1982, the Japanese manufacturer released its first pair of in-ear monitors, the Sony MDR-E252. Available in black or white, these earphones were part of Sony’s NUDE series (Natural Unequalled Dynamic Earbuds). They were equipped with 16mm dynamic transducers, offering a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz, with an impedance of 10 ohms and a sensitivity of 108 dB. The Sony MDR-E252 included an ingenious carrying case so that the cables didn’t become tangled.

1983: Sony Music Shuttle

In 1983, Sony released a rather peculiar hybrid device. The Sony Music Shuttle was a car stereo that turned into a portable stereo “in 4.5 seconds”, allowing seamless transitions between in-car and mobile listening experiences.

To do this, you simply had to push a button to eject the Music Shuttle’s cassette player, leaving the AM/FM radio tuner in the car’s dashboard. You could then connect a battery adapter and a pair of headphones to the player to listen to your music on the go. The tuner section of the Sony Music Shuttle featured a fader to control four car speakers, as well as a variable high filter and an equalizer boost switch.

1983: Sony WM-F5

In 1983, Sony further diversified its Walkman lineup with the release of the yellow WM-F5 cassette player, specifically developed for use during outdoor sports activities. Made from sturdy ABS plastic, the Sony WM-F5’s case is protected by rubber seals that make it splash-proof. The control buttons are designed and positioned for ease of use during sports sessions.

This sports player also featured a disc-drive system to prevent wow and flutter. Lastly, the Sony WM-F5 model marked the first appearance of the distinctive yellow finish seen in later sports models.

1984: Sony D-5/D-50

Sony made history with the launch of the Sony D-50 (or D-50, depending on the region), the world’s first portable CD player. To develop the latter, Sony took the design of the CDP-101 CD player, reducing the number of parts to create an ultra-compact model the size of four CD cases stacked on top of each other.

The D-50 was launched just two years after mass production of the Compact Disc began. Offering the same features as the full-size player, except for the remote control and repeat function, it sparked widespread interest in this new medium, significantly boosting its adoption by music lovers. The Sony D-50 could be plugged into a home stereo or connected to an optional battery pack for use on the go.

1987: Sony WM-F501

Introduced as the world’s smallest Walkman, the Sony WF-F501 cassette player (WM-F601 in the USA and Canada) was launched in 1987. This model featured a Mega Bass function to boost low frequencies and provide a musical reproduction reminiscent of live concerts. It also incorporated a mechanism enabling the user to switch to the other side of the audio cassette without having to remove it from the player: autoreverse.

1990: Sony TCD-D3

In 1990, Sony unveiled the TCD-D3 Walkman. The latter used the digital audio tape (DAT) format and therefore worked digitally rather than in analog. DAT technology enabled recording at sampling rates equal to, or surpassing, those of CDs. Nevertheless, it failed to gain widespread popularity, with concerns raised by the music industry regarding its potential for unauthorized high-quality copies. Despite this, many sound professionals have embraced it for its ability to record any sound in fine detail.

1991: Sony D-303

The Sony D-303 was the first portable CD player to employ a 1-bit digital-to-analog converter. This allowed a more accurate reproduction with less distortion, particularly at low volumes. Conveniently, the D-303 could be powered using batteries or its AC adapter.

1992: Sony MDR-5700

The Japanese company released its first pair of noise cancelling headphones for consumer use, the Sony MDR-5700, in 1992. This model was used by passengers on flights.

1992: Sony MZ1

In 1992, Sony introduced its first MiniDisc player. This lightweight and compact format marked a significant advancement in personal audio technology, offering recording capabilities akin to cassette tapes while providing the convenience of swiftly accessing digital tracks similar to CDs.

Unlike CDs, however, they were equipped with a shockproof memory to prevent skipping caused by bumps or jolts during transport. Furthermore, they employed a new digital audio compression technology called ATRAC, enabling the storage of more tracks within a smaller space. The icing on the cake was the plastic case that protected the disc from scratches.

1994: Sony GV-S50

The Sony GV-S50, also known as the Video Walkman, featured a 4-inch color LCD screen and an 8mm VCR. With this device, the Japanese firm aimed to build on the success of the audio Walkman and make video available anywhere. However, the GV-S50 failed to spark widespread interest. Unlike the cassette players, its high price rendered it inaccessible and it was difficult to use discreetly.

1999: Sony NW-MS7

As the number of individuals accessing digital music files on their computers increased, Sony Walkman technology adapted accordingly, offering various models equipped with digital memory. In 1999, the Japanese brand unveiled the memory stick Walkman (NW-MS7), swiftly succeeded by the Network Walkman (NW-E3) in 2000.

The memory stick featured in these Walkman models was compact, yet capable of storing up to 120 minutes of music. The NW-MS7 allowed for fast transfer of music files downloaded from the Internet or ripped CDs (approx. 4 min for 74 min of music).

1999: MDR-EX70SL

In 1999, Sony introduced the MDR-EX70SL in-ear monitors, which were equipped with the world’s smallest dynamic driver unit at the time, with a diameter of 9 mm. Additionally, they featured soft silicone rubber ear tips, ensuring a snug fit in the ear while delivering robust bass performance.

2003: Sony NW-MS70D

Sony’s NW-MS70D portable memory stick audio player was an ultra-compact model that weighed only 57g and could store up to 11 hours of music. The NW-MS70D Walkman’s design showcased Sony’s titanium fabrication process, with an elegant case devoid of any traces of assembly.

2008: Sony Walkman A810 Series

In 2008, Sony unveiled an iPod competitor, the Sony NW-A800. In addition to music playback, this new Walkman player also let you watch videos. Its successor, the A820 was released in March 2008, offering Bluetooth wireless capabilities, a larger display, and expanded memory.

2008: Sony MDR-NC500D

Lightweight and highly effective, the Sony MDR-NC500D headphones were presented by the brand as the first noise-canceling model able to provide up to 99% ambient noise reduction. The ANC system used digital signal processing (DSP), and a transparent mode allowed you to hear ambient noise, such as train station or airport announcements, without having to remove your headphones.

2011: Sony NW-Z1000

The NW-Z1000 was Sony’s first Walkman to use an Android operating system. This innovation enabled users to enjoy music and videos, and provided access to over 300,000 apps, downloadable from Android Market (later renamed Google Play Store). Notably, it incorporated Sony’s exclusive S-Master MX digital amplifier, an optimized version of the S-Master full digital amplifier tailored for mobile devices. Lastly, the NW-Z1000 Walkman featured a 4.3-inch anti-glare (800 x 640 pixels) display and offered 20 hours of playback.

2013: Sony NW-ZX1

Transitioning from a Discman portable CD player to a Network Walkman came with a significant drawback: a decline in sound quality. The primary objective of a device with built-in storage was to accommodate numerous files within a limited space, leading to compression.

Therefore, in 2013 Sony introduced its first Hi-Res Walkman, the Sony NW-ZX1. This model was compatible with the main HD audio file formats, supporting resolutions of up to 24-bit/192kHz. Whether your music was encoded in FLAC, ALAC, WMA, or AIFF, you could enjoy superb sound reproduction while on the go.

2016: Sony MDR-1000X

Sony released its first pair of premium noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones in 2016: the Sony MDR-1000X. One of the most effective ANC models on the market at the time, the MDR-1000X featured the Sense Engine touch-sensitive control interface as well as an Ambient Noise mode that allowed users to hear everything going on around them without removing the headphones. This high-end model laid the foundations for the popular Sony WH-1000XM series.

2017: Sony WF-1000X

Released in 2017, the Sony WF-1000X True Wireless earbuds gave the listener complete freedom of movement, and provided industry-leading noise canceling. These completely wireless in-ear monitors were also the first to support Adaptive Sound Control, which detects the user’s activities (traveling, walking, waiting, etc.) using various sensors on the smartphone to automatically adjust the ANC and audio settings.

2019: Sony IER-Z1R and Sony DMP-Z1

Part of the Signature Series, the 3-way Sony IER-Z1R in-ear monitors are equipped with two dynamic drivers, a 12mm magnesium dome membrane for the lows and a super tweeter with a 5mm membrane. As a result, these high-end earphones are capable of reproducing ultra-high frequencies of up to 100 kHz, providing a vast sound field and an impressive sense of presence.

Also part of Sony’s Signature range, the Sony DMP-Z1 is a hybrid between a sedentary headphone amplifier and an audiophile walkman. This powerful Hi-Res Audio model features a dual AKM AK4497EQ DAC, expandable 256 GB internal memory, 2×1500 mW amplification into 16 ohms, and an integrated audio file player.

Sony portable hi-fi: an expertise that’s here to stay

To this day, Sony continues to offer a diverse range of Bluetooth headphones and True Wireless earbuds, as well as Walkman models. While these contemporary high-resolution digital players differ significantly from the original Walkman, they still provide the satisfaction of being able to enjoy your favorite music, no matter where you are and with excellent sound quality.

Not just a portable hi-fi manufacturer, Sony is also a major player in a wide number of domains, such as home hi-fi, cinema, filming equipment, music production and video games. To find out more about the rich history of this legendary Japanese brand, check out our Sony brand guide on Son-Vidéo.com.