Sony NW-WM1ZM3 NW-WM1AM3 are two new premium Walkman® digital music players Sony has just announced, updating its Signature Series lineup with upgraded hardware, software and usability aimed at revealing more of the artist’s original intent. Both players bring together Sony’s most advanced portable audio technologies, built around key components made from oxygen-free copper for uncompromising sound quality.
Sony NW-WM1ZM3 NW-WM1AM3: gold-plated copper chassis and premium power circuitry
The flagship NW-WM1ZM3 is built around a precision-machined, gold-plated oxygen-free copper (OFC) chassis, with a 99.99% (4N) purity OFC main chassis and an OFC rear chassis secured with gold-plated screws for a stable ground connection. Thick KIMBER KABLE® wiring, inherited from Sony’s DMP-Z1, further reduces noise. The NW-WM1AM3 follows a similar philosophy with an aluminium-alloy main chassis and a gold-plated OFC rear chassis. Both models replace the previous single solid high-polymer capacitor with dual large solid high-polymer capacitors, paired with hand-soldered OFC wiring for cleaner, more stable power.
S-Master HX amplification and DSD Remastering
Sony’s S-Master™ HX digital amp technology now includes a look-ahead noise shaper that predicts quantisation noise in advance, delivering clearer, faster sound reproduction with support for Native DSD format and balanced, high-power output. All models run Sony’s DSD Remastering Engine, resampling PCM audio into an 11.2MHz DSD ultra-high-frequency stream whether music is streamed over Wi-Fi or played from local storage.
Larger screen and longer battery life
Both players now feature a larger 5.5-inch screen, with a customisable Walkman® Home Screen interface and a bigger, clearer album cover display. Battery life stretches to up to 35 hours of 128kbps MP3 playback and up to 31 hours of streaming in offline mode with a balanced connection. Sony has also eliminated plastic from the packaging of both models. Full details are available via Sony’s own product page.
Who the Sony NW-WM1ZM3 NW-WM1AM3 are for
The two players are aimed squarely at music enthusiasts and audiophiles who still want a dedicated, pocketable source rather than a smartphone with a DAC dongle. The flagship NW-WM1ZM3 targets listeners chasing the very last word in portable sound, with a gold-plated chassis and KIMBER KABLE wiring borrowed from Sony’s flagship DMP-Z1 desktop player. The NW-WM1AM3 is pitched as the more accessible entry point into the same engineering philosophy, trading some of the exotic materials for a more conventional aluminium-alloy build while keeping the same S-Master HX amplification and DSD Remastering Engine. Both are designed to be used either as standalone players or as a high-resolution transport feeding an external DAC or amplifier. Together, the two models give Sony a genuinely compelling two-tier flagship lineup, with enough shared DNA that neither feels like a compromise next to the other.
Pricing and availability
The Sony NW-WM1ZM3 is available from November 2026 at a suggested retail price of €4,999 / £4,299. The Sony NW-WM1AM3 is available from November 2026 at a suggested retail price of €2,499 / £2,099.
Key specifications
- NW-WM1ZM3: gold-plated 4N-purity OFC main and rear chassis, KIMBER KABLE internal wiring
- NW-WM1AM3: aluminium-alloy main chassis, gold-plated OFC rear chassis
- S-Master HX digital amp with look-ahead noise shaper; Native DSD support; balanced output
- DSD Remastering Engine (resamples to 11.2MHz DSD)
- Dual large solid high-polymer capacitors; hand-soldered OFC wiring
- Larger 4N copper coil in L-C filter; OFC milled block over digital section
- 5.5-inch display; customisable Walkman Home Screen
- Battery life: up to 35h MP3 playback, up to 31h streaming (balanced, offline)
- Plastic-free packaging
- Price: NW-WM1ZM3 €4,999/£4,299; NW-WM1AM3 €2,499/£2,099; available November 2026
For more on Sony’s Walkman lineage, see our earlier coverage of Sony’s Signature Series Walkmans.
