The Walkman was undoubtedly the must-have, “˜it‘ item of the early 80“˜s right through to the 90‘s. Everyone wanted one and, if you were left out in the dark, you probably envied everyone who had one.
The Walkman has also come a long way, evolving with the music industry. From tape cassettes to CD discs to eventual MP3 files, the Walkman has always been there – even though it became overshadowed by devices like the iPod from the 2000‘s onwards.
While a Walkman is not as much of a must-have item today as it was 15 years ago, Sony is still designing and manufacturing new, improved Walkmans. And the latest Walkman, the ZX2, was just unveiled at the 2015 Computer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Sony‘s latest Walkman offering is the successor of the ZX1, that made its debut in July of last year.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the ZX1 and the ZX2, is that this latest Walkman actually runs Android – albeit an archaic version (hello, 4.2 Jelly Bean!). And while you can download apps from the Google Play Store for the device, that‘s not it‘s intended purpose. The main (and perhaps only) purpose of the ZX2 is to listen to high(er) quality music.
There is no two ways about it, the Walkman ZX2 is designed for exceptional sound quality – even if it is it‘s only hook – and is aimed at music/sound junkies, or as the company calls them, “˜audiophiles‘, who are on a quest to find the perfect device to play the perfect sound.
The ZX2 can play music files up to 192kHz/24 bits. It can also play high quality codecs including DSD and FLAC.
However, should your favourite song be of a lesser sound quality than you would‘ve hoped for, the Walkman ZX2 has special tech that‘ll fix that up for you.
Called the S-Master (we‘re assuming the “˜S‘ stands for sound), this tech is set to make even the grainiest of songs more clear. Sony is labeling this technology as a “˜digital amplifier‘.
What it essentially does is reduce distortion and allow compressed music files to play better. This is done through special processing which Sony has called DSEE HX. Together, these technologies work to widen the frequency range of lower quality music files, thus resulting in a better listening experience.
As for the actual look and feel of the device, it‘s pretty standard, “˜what-you-would-expect-from-Sony‘, in design. The matte black casing is rather nice, however, and gives it a touch more of an upscale, classy look.
Size wise, the ZX2 measures 5.5 inches. It also comes with 128GB of storage space through a MicroSD card and the battery is slated to give you 60-hours of music enjoyment when fully charged.
Other features includes Bluetooth connectivity for streaming purposes and NFC technology for simple, touch connection to headphones and speakers.
As for the price, the ZX2 is most certainly not cheap. While the ZX1 retailed for $700, the ZX2 almost doubles in price and will retail in the Autumn for a whopping $1199,99.
Source: The Verge
