Sony Gaming Headsets coming soon? (update 2)

It looks like Sony will have 3 new gaming headsets this year, the YY2961 (above), the WH-G700 (YY2960) and WH-G900N (YY2959). Very little information exists about them, I have a longer post about the WH-G900N here.

Sony LinkBuds Engineer Interviews

Sony unveiled their new Linkbuds last week, and as is the case from time to time, Sony Japan has released an interview with some of the designers and engineers. I will not be copy and pasting the entire interview here, having read through it, I will post some of the interesting bits and post my thoughts about what the interview reveals. The full interview can be found here, but it is in Japanese, so you will need to translate it.

Sony unveils the Linkbuds (WF-L900)

Press Release

Sony Introduces LinkBuds, a new frontier for headphones

• Sony’s unique ring design with audio transparency links online and offline worlds for a “Never Off” wearing experience.
• LinkBuds feature a compact and comfortable design so you never have to switch off.
• Enjoy clearer calls and conversations, and authentic, natural sound, all while you tune in to the world around you.
  

Sony's WF-L900 gets a teaser (update 2)

Sony's WF-L900 or possibly Linkbuds will be debuting next week. Sony Japan also has a teaser up on their website. The design has leaked already, here and here for those interested.

Sony announces new Signature Series Walkman

Press Release

Sony today introduced two new premium music players – the NW–WM1ZM2 & NW-WM1AM2, raising the bar to new heights in High-Resolution Audio listening, to satisfy the most demanding audiophiles.

Designed to immerse you in sublime, nuanced sound, the NW-WM1ZM2 has been fine-tuned from years of audio mastery and crafted from the very best materials. This new addition sets a new benchmark for Sony’s award-winning signature series, offering an exquisite listening experience in an ultra-premium design.

The NW-WM1AM2 allows you to completely lose yourself in high-quality audio with a richer, smoother and more expansive sound field compared to its predecessor.

Both music players let you download and stream from endless catalogues of music with Wi-Fi compatibility, taking your listening enjoyment to the next level.

Extraordinary sound begins with exceptional components

Throughout the history of Sony’s premium range music players, audio mastery has been accomplished through a combination of meticulous assembly of exceptional components. The NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 are products of this philosophy.

Purer materials for a purer sound

The NW-WM1ZM2 has a 99.99% purity (4N) Gold-plated Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) Chassis. This realises a stronger digital ground and higher rigidity, enabling clear, expansive sound, so you can experience each instrument as if it were performing live.

The NW-WM1AM2 uses an aluminium alloy frame which provides a highly rigid case that’s resistive to electrical noise and other interference creating a stable, high quality sound.

Revel in authentic sound reproduction

With the use of S-Master™ HX digital amp technology, independently developed for Walkman®, the NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 bring you stunningly faithful sound reproduction. The full digital amplifier further creates a rich and full-bodied sound, with the help of a high-quality lead-free solder.

Taking inspiration from the ground-breaking DMP-Z1, both music players feature an even stronger power supply than their predecessor models, both in the analogue and digital block.

The NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 have upgraded fine-tuned capacitors – various FT CAP3 capacitors (High polymer Capacitor) and a large solid high polymer capacitor which offers large capacitance and low resistance. While an OFC milled block covering the digital block, allows both music players to bring you sound that appears to rise-up from silence.

Perfect Signal Integrity

 

To achieve a powerful and smooth sound quality, Sony has selected a thick KIMBER KABLE® to run from the amp base to the balanced headphone jack on the NW-WM1ZM2, much like the renowned DMP-Z1. This carefully selected component helps transmit high quality audio signals, leaving just you and the music.

The NW-WM1AM2 uses a low-resistance OFC cable which offers low distortion and superior channel separation.

To realise both music player’s evolutionary sound, a dual clock and fine sound register have been precisely placed within each Walkman®. For the first time, Sony has begun using a reflow solder containing gold, whose effect is significant in the overall improved sound localisation and wider sound space.

Get the most out of your music, whatever the source

The NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 both integrate a DSD Remastering Engine where PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) audio is resampled into an 11.2 MHz DSD (Direct Stream Digital), giving you even more ways to enjoy your music.

With the NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 you can also inject more life into your music by upscaling compressed music files in real time with DSEE Ultimate™. This evolving algorithm now offers even more benefits for CD-quality (16 bit 44.1/48kHz) lossless audio. By restoring acoustic subtleties and dynamic range, the user can experience a more complete listening experience.

Hear every note as the artist intended

Both Walkman’s are also compatible with Balanced Connection and High-Resolution Audio, allowing you to experience your most loved tracks, just how the artist intended.

Music on the Move

 

 

The NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2 are now Wi-Fi compatible and run Android 11, giving you access to a vast collection of genres and artists, from all around the world. You can choose to either listen from your favourite music streaming and download services or connect to a PC to download tracks and playlists from your own personal collections, ensuring high quality sound playback.

All new optimised usability

With a larger 5.0” (12.7cm) display, both music players introduce a new smooth and responsive touchscreen that has been upgraded to HD (High Definition), optimising the user experience. You can also personalise your home display on the Walkman Home Screen to suit your individual needs, making your Walkman truly your own.

To ensure you can immerse yourself in your music wherever you are, both premium models give you up to 40 hours of non-stop 96kHz FLAC High-Resolution Audio playback.

A USB Type-C port features on both models, offering fast music file transfer and easy connectivity with a range of devices.

The NW-WM1ZM2 offers 256GB of integrated memory and a microSD card slot, while the NW-WM1AM2 offers 128GB of integrated memory and a microSD card slot, allowing you to take even the biggest music collections, wherever you go.

Sustainability matters

Sony’s products are not only designed to be stylish, but also with the environment in mind. Zero plastic  is used in the packaging material for the NW-WM1ZM2 and NW-WM1AM2, reflecting Sony’s commitment to reducing the impact of our products and practices.

Pricing and Availability

The NW-WM1ZM2 will be available from April 2022 and priced at approximately €3700.

The NW-WM1AM2 will be available from April 2022 and priced at approximately €1400.

End of Press Release

So here they are, 2 new Walkmans to replace the WM1-Series. The prices are steep but expected. Unfortunately there are no high resolution photos yet, so once I find some, I will replace the smaller versions with full size ones.

The  NW-WM1ZM2 will come with 128GB internal memory and the NW-WM1AM2 will have 256GB.

My question now is, will be see replacements for the A and ZX Walkmans this year? Personally I would love to see a non-Android A60 but doubtful. I would love to pick up the NW-WM1ZM2 but at 1400 euros, I think I will save that money for a new laptop instead. Unless Sony wishes to send me one :D

Finally, guess no Signature Series WF model. I was hopeful but guess the YY2950 is something else. Hopefully we will not have to wait that long for its debut or leak.

Is the YY2954 the new Sony WH-1000XM5? (update)

A new Sony model has shown up on the FCC, the YY2954. The FCC filing does not reveal much, but we are most likely looking at the new WH-1000XM5. The headset is labelled as "engineering prototype" rather than pre-production like in the WH-1000XM4 filing. The internal battery rating is now 3.8V compared to 3.7V on the WH-1000XM4.

Sony WF-L900 leaked (update)

Many thanks to TechInsiderBlog on Twitter for the leak, make sure to give them a follow and check out their twitter for larger size photos.

New Sony Signature Series Coming

Here we go, a new Sony Signature Series is coming soon. The information/teaser can be found on Sony Japan's website here. So we are probably looking at the new WM1-Series, YY1298 and YY1299 or ICX-1298 and ICX-1299. The tagline "Walk to the new next level of sound" does not reveal much but perhaps the new level might be Signature Series and Android together perhaps? Or is it alluding to something else?