Every note as the artist intended

Take your digital music collection to another level with High-Resolution Audio. By capturing and reproducing digital audio at a higher rate than CD (24-bit/96kHz and beyond), High-Resolution Audio allows you to get closer to the original studio recording.

11.2 MHz DSD Native / PCM 384kHz

Supreme quality with 11.2MHz DSD native using balanced headphones and PCM 384KHz/32-bit support.

S-Master HX™

The S-Master HX™ digital amp reduces distortion and noise across a wide range of frequencies for rich, full-bodied sound.

DSEE HX™

Audio upscaling is improved even further by our DSEE HX™ processor which intelligently recognises instruments, voices and musical genres. By identifying these, and the relative energy of the audio, it can accurately rebuild audio lost during digital compression, for a full fidelity experience, even with compressed formats. The DSEE HX processor still works even when you’re streaming music.

High-Resolution Audio wireless 

Enjoy High-Resolution Audio quality music streaming thanks to LDAC, our premium wireless codec. With 3x the bitrate of standard BLUETOOTH® technology, you can enjoy a superior listening experience for all your music. 

Balanced output

A Ø4.4mm balanced connector supplies compatible headphones with fully-discrete left and right channels for less noise and clearer sound.

Aluminium milled frame 

A rigid aluminium milled frame provides strong resistance to electrical noise, helping the NW-ZX500 to deliver clear, powerful bass notes.

Copper milled block

Inside the Walkman’s compact body, components are mounted on a milled block crafted from copper. Thanks to its larger dimensions, compared to previous models, the block results in reduced resistance and improves electrical grounding for the digital section, enabling the NW-ZX500 to realise even clearer sound.

Newly developed FT CAP

Custom-made for Sony and tuned by Sony engineers, the newly developed FT CAP (high polymer capacitor) strengthens the power supply to the amp block for a balanced output. This helps the NW-ZX500 deliver expansive vocals and instrumentation, plus powerful bass notes.

Advanced solder containing gold 

The exceptional conductivity of gold ensures absolute minimum signal loss. For clearer sound and vocals, a premium, audio-grade lead-free solder with a small amount of gold connects the circuit of the NW-ZX500 to the battery.

Crystal oscillator

Two compact low-phase-noise crystal oscillators ensure precision clock stability at sampling rate multiples of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz. With the dual crystal oscillators, the NW-ZX500 is able to achieve audio quality with a good signal-noise ratio and faithful digital reproduction.

POSCAP for enhanced low-range performance

The POSCAP within the NW-ZX500 are used to strengthen the power supply of the amp block for unbalanced output, enhancing low-range reproduction performance for a more expansive listening experience. 

Electric double-layer capacitor

An electric double-layer capacitor has been used as the main power source for delivering power from the battery. Able to instantaneously supply large volumes of power, it can accurately output signals by preventing sudden falls in voltage. The result is clear, powerful bass.

Optimised circuit board layout

By dividing the Audio block (highlighted in red) and the Power/Digital block (in blue), the circuit board layout has been optimised to ensure sound quality is unaffected by digital noise.

Film capacitors

High quality film capacitors deliver voltage with a linear response across frequencies, resulting in reduced distortion and noise.

NFC™ One-touch and Bluetooth® for instant connectivity

Near Field Communication (NFC) and Bluetooth® technology make connecting to your music fast and easy. Just touch your NFC-enabled device to your NW-ZX500 Series for a quick, seamless connection, then start streaming. No NFC? No problem. Connect via Bluetooth and you’re ready to go. LDAC and aptX™ HD audio compatibility is available.

Vinyl Processor

Give the warmth and character of vinyl back to your digital tracks and get lost again in the richness of the melodies and dynamics of your favourite albums. Enjoy subtle reproduction of the low-frequency resonance, tone-arm resistance and surface noise to deliver an authentic listening experience.

Wi-Fi compatible for direct download and streaming

Supported by Android™ and compatible with Wi-Fi, the NW-ZX500 offers you even more ways to listen to your music. Enjoy your favourite streaming and music apps right on your Walkman or connect to a PC to access your music collection.

Supported by Android™

The NW-ZX500 is supported by Android™, giving you easy access to a huge range of media apps and music services.

USB Type-C™ port

The NW-ZX500 features a USB Type-C™ port for easy connectivity with a range of devices.

Compact, handy size

The NW-ZX500 Walkman offers high-quality sound in a compact device – so you can take your favourite music with you anywhere. 

Cassette Tape UI

The NW-ZX500 features a special Cassette Tape user interface and screensaver. The cassette tape visual that appears on your Walkman® display varies depending on the codec of the music you’re listening to.

20hr battery life

Enjoy up to 20 hours of 128 kbps MP3 playback, or up to 18 hours of 96 KHz FLAC High-Resolution Audio playback.

Larger touch panel for easy operation

The 3.6-inch touch panel on the NW-ZX500 is 16 per cent larger than the touch panel on its predecessor, the NW-ZX300. Managing and enjoying your music has never been easier.

Expandable storage for endless playlists

In addition to the 64GB integrated memory, there’s also an SD card slot, enabling you to take even the biggest music collections on the go.

Premium design

Finished in high quality aluminium, the curved body of the NW-ZX500 is designed to sit comfortably in your palm and slide easily into your pocket.

Intuitive side key controls

Easily access play/pause, change music selection and adjust volume using conveniently positioned side panel controls.

Walkman 40th Anniversary 

This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Walkman®. The first Walkman TPS-L2 launched in 1979 and became a design and engineering icon, changing the way people listen to music forever. For the first time, it was possible to enjoy your favourite tracks, albums and artists in high quality sound, anytime, anywhere – and we’ve been doing so ever since.

Learn more about Walkman® history

MQA™ files played and decoded

Master Quality Authenticated is an audio format that compresses large studio quality files without audible loss so you can easily enjoy High-Resolution Audio music on your Walkman®.