Remember when you couldn't add apps to and stream music using the Sony NW-WM1Z? With the release of the second generation of this Sony Signature Series Walkman, the NW-WM1ZM2, those limitations are but a distant memory. The second generation of this flagship Walkman from Sony is now supported by Android and compatible with Wi-Fi to accommodate today's audiophile who wants the option of playing locally stored files or streaming from hi-res services like TIDAL and Qobuz. But that isn't the only new feature of the NW-WM1ZM2. It's got a larger, hi-def touchscreen plus better battery life, for starters. I reviewed (and loved) the NW-WM1Z a while back, and I'm excited for this golden opportunity to review the second generation. (See what I did there? The player is gold. It has a gold-plated copper chassis.)
Sony
WM1AM2 Walkman® DAP Music Player
$1,398.00 USDFeatures
Native DSD (direct stream digital) file support1
S-Master HX digital amplifier for pure sound quality
Wi-Fi compatibility for downloading and streaming
128GB capacity and SD card slot
What's in the Box?
Warranty
The Sony NW-WM1AM2 Walkman DAP Music Player sits at the top of the Walkman series alongside its gold-plated sibling the NW-WM1ZM2 DAP. The NW-WM1AM2 DAP is one of Sony's more powerful digital music players with the ability to drive higher-impedance headphones—something most high-end portable digital audio players can't do. This DAP has a bigger screen, better battery life, and larger internal storage than the first-generation NW-WM1A Walkman model. Enjoy the subtlest nuances of studio-quality sound in higher than CD quality with high-resolution audio and up to 40 hours of non-stop FLAC high-resolution audio. The player's ability to handle hi-res audio formats and its use of premium components, such as fine sound resistors and audio-grade capacitors, contribute to its exceptional performance. It's the perfect choice for audiophiles and music enthusiasts who demand the highest quality in portable audio.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: We recommend pairing the Sony NW-WM1AM2 Walkman DAP Music Player with the Silver Dragon USB Cable (Type C connector). The Silver Dragon USB Cable is designed for digital bus transmission when getting the most out of your audio is crucial. Made with UP-OCC silver conductors and high-quality materials, the Silver Dragon USB Cable features reinforced connectors designed to maintain a secure, stable connection at all times. The Silver Dragon USB Cable will offer an extraordinary amount of detail and resolution to your hi-fi system.
Premium Design for the Discerning Listener
The Sony NW-WM1AM2 DAP combines high-grade materials with an array of pleasing details for a music player that looks as good as it sounds. It's equipped with a high-resolution 5-inch touchscreen display, allowing for intuitive navigation and easy access to your music library, with the option to customize the home screen display to suit your needs. A machine-carved aluminum body offers high rigidity, contributing to clear, transparent sound reproduction. Two gold-plated headphone jacks, a 4.4mm balanced connection, and a 3.5mm single-ended mini jack provide listening flexibility so you can switch between your favorite headphones. When one jack isn't in use, the provided rubber caps will protect the headphone jack from dirt, dust, and damage. The left side of the NW-WM1AM2 DAP features a hold switch, which when activated prevents unintentional pressing of buttons while the player is in your back pocket or bag. On the right side of the player is the power button, volume controls, and audio playback controls, as well as a USB Type C port on the bottom for charging and fast music file transfer.
The NW-WM1AM2 DAP is heavier than the Sony NW-A306 DAP and NW-ZX707 DAP, coming in at 10.5 ounces. The overall design of the NW-WM1AM2 DAP is sleek, smooth, and solid with rounded corners and tasteful gold accents. With an impressive 128GB of internal storage and an external microSD card slot, there's no limit to the number of songs you can download and enjoy anywhere, at any time.
Extraordinary Sound begins with Exceptional Components
In Sony's quest to achieve the best possible sound quality on the NW-WM1AM2 DAP, Sony upgraded a number of components. Sony also worked tirelessly to optimize the layout of the various parts – another crucial factor in realizing high-quality sound.
The power supply for the WM1AM2 DAP has been enhanced with the new custom-made polymer capacitor FT CAP3 which improves sound expression and creates a smoother sound, wider soundstage, more transparency, and a broader bass response. Inside the NW-WM1AM2 DAP, an OFC milled block covers the digital block, strengthening the digital ground and improving noise shielding from digital block elements such as the application processor and memory drives. Sony has also developed a new reflow solder containing gold, which is used across the circuit board surface, leading to improved localization and a wide sound space.
A newly developed large solid high polymer capacitor provides large capacitance and low resistance, accurately outputting signals by preventing sudden voltage drops. High-quality film capacitors deliver voltage with a linear response across frequencies, reducing distortion and noise. Additionally, winding inductors in the digital block power supply contribute to a pure sound. The printed circuit board utilizes low dielectric material to achieve accurate signal transmission, while the via holes are filled with copper to further reduce impedance. This results in a wide sound space with clear, bright sound. The difference between normal via holes and filled via holes is illustrated, with filled via holes providing superior performance.
Faithful Sound Reproduction for Pure Listening Pleasure
The Sony NW-WM1AM2 DAP delivers a rich, detailed, and immersive listening experience with a wide soundstage and excellent instrument separation. Supported by Android™ operating system and compatible with Wi-Fi, the WM1AM2 DAP gives you even more freedom to enjoy music anywhere. Listen to your favorite music streaming and music apps on your Walkman, which can be downloaded via the Google Play Store, or connect to a PC to download tracks and playlists from your music collection. Enjoy hi-res audio quality without wires thanks to LDAC, Sony's premium wireless codec. With three times the bitrate of standard Bluetooth, you can enjoy a superior listening experience for all your music.
The NW-WM1AM2 DAP features a range of sound processing technologies to help you get the most out of your music, whatever the source. 360 Reality Audio offers the most immersive listening experience, as real as if you are there at a live concert or with the artist recording in a studio. The DSD remastering engine resamples PCM audio (384kHz/32-bit support) into an 11.2 mHz DSD ultra-high frequency 1-bit audio stream. The single-bit stream delivered to the DAC has a character far closer to that of analog, giving you even more ways to enjoy your music. S-Master HX digital amp technology, independently developed for Sony Walkman®, is compatible with the Native DSD format, and supports balanced and high power output, reducing distortion and noise across a wide range of frequencies for a rich and full-bodied sound. The NW-WM1AM2 DAP also supports MQA audio files. Edge-AI (Artificial Intelligence) DSEE Ultimate upscales compressed digital music files in real-time, restoring acoustic subtleties and dynamic range for a rich sound.
Give the warmth and character of vinyl back to your digital tracks with the vinyl processor. Enjoy a subtle reproduction of the low-frequency resonance, tone-arm resistance, and surface noise for an authentic listening experience. Sony's DC Phase Linearizer effectively replicates a wide variety of sonic signatures to deliver a purer, more analog-like sound. Choose from six phase character settings to match the phase characteristics of various types of analog amps. The volume UI on the WM1AM2 echoes classic analog design – a nice little detail to further enhance your listening enjoyment.
What's in the Box?
- USB Type-C®Cable(USB-A - USB-C)
- Operating Instructions
- Reference Guide
- Headphone jack cap (Stereo Mini)
- Headphone jack cap (Balanced Standard)
FAQ
What audio formats does the NW-WM1AM2 support?
The Sony NW-WM1AM2 DAP supports a wide range of audio formats, including high-resolution formats like DSD (up to 11.2MHz), FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and MQA. It also supports WMA, MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, APE, and MQA.
Can the NW-WM1AM2 be used as a USB DAC?
Yes, the Sony NW-WM1AM2 DAP can function as a USB DAC, enhancing the sound quality of your computer-based audio.
Does the NW-WM1AM2 have a balanced output?
Yes, the Sony NW-WM1AM2 DAP features a 4.4mm balanced headphone output, providing improved channel separation and lower noise.
What is the storage capacity of the NW-WM1AM2?
The Sony NW-WM1AM2 DAP features 128GB of internal storage, which can be expanded using an external microSD card via the microSD slot.
What is the battery life of the NW-WM1AM2?
The Sony NW-WM1AM2 DAP offers up to 40 hours of continuous hi-res audio playback on a single charge. Battery life depends on volume control, ambient temperature, conditions of use, and audio file formats.
Specifications
- Size & Weight
- 80.5mm x 142.5mm x 20.8mm, 299 g
- Wi-Fi Frequency Band
- 2.4 / 5 GHz
- Battery Life - Continuous Playback Music (W.Music App)
-
- MP3 (128kbps) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 40 hrs
- MP3 (128kbps) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 40 hrs
- FLAC (96kHz / 24bit) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 40 hrs
- FLAC (96kHz / 24bit) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 40 hrs
- FLAC (192kHz / 24bit) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 35 hrs
- FLAC (192kHz / 24bit) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 35 hrs
- DSD (2.8224MHz / 1bit) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 25 hrs
- DSD (2.8224MHz / 1bit) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 15 hrs
- DSD (5.6448MHz / 1bit) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 18 hrs
- Battery Life - Continuous Playback Music (Other Music App)
-
- MP3 (128kbps) / Stereo mini-jack: Approx. 18 hrs
- MP3 (128kbps) / Balanced standard-jack: Approx. 18 hrs
- Charging Time (Full Charge)
- Approx. 4.5 hrs
- Built-in Battery
- Built-in Rechargeable lithium-ion Battery
- Charging and Power Supply
- USB power (from a computer via a USB)
- Storage Media
- 128GB (Actual available memory 103GB)
- Playback & Display
-
- Music Searching Methods: All Songs, Artist, Release Year, Playlists, Album, Genre, Composer, Hi-Res, Recent Transfers, Folder, Cue sheet
- Music Play Mode: Shuffle Playback, Repeat Off, Repeat 1 Song, Repeat All, All Range, Selected Range
- Drag and Drop: Yes
- Display Resolution: 12.7 cm (5.0-inch), HD (1280 x 720 Pixels)
- Display Type: TFT colour display with white LED-backlight
- Sound Effects: Direct Source (Direct), 10 Band equalizer, DSEE Ultimate, DC Phase Linearizer, Dynamic Normalizer, Vinyl Processor
- Audio Playback
-
- MP3: 32 - 320kbps (supports VBR) / 32, 44.1, 48kHz
- WMA: 32 - 192kbps (supports VBR) / 44.1kHz
- FLAC: 16, 24bit / 8-384kHz
- WAV: 16, 24, 32bit (Float / Integer) / 8-384kHz
- AAC: 16-320kbps / 8-48kHz
- HE-AAC: 32-144kbps / 8-48kHz
- Apple Lossless: 16, 24bit / 8-384kHz
- AIFF: 16, 24, 32bit / 8-384kHz
- DSD: 1bit / 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, 11.2MHz
- APE: 8, 16, 24bit / 8-192kHz (Fast, Normal, High)
- MQA: Supported
- Headphone Out (Stereo mini-jack)
-
- Frequency: 20-40,000 Hz
- Maximum Power Output (JEITA 16Ω/MW): 60mW+60mW (High Gain)
- Headphone Out (Balanced standard-jack)
-
- Frequency: 20-40,000 Hz
- Maximum Power Output (JEITA 16Ω/MW): 250mW+250mW (High Gain)
- Software
- Operating System: Android 11
- Connectivity
-
- Terminals: Headphone: Stereo mini jack, Balanced standard jack, External memory: Micro SD, Micro SDHC, Micro SDXC
- Wireless Capabilities: Communication system: Bluetooth Specification Version 5.0
- NFC: No
- Supported Bluetooth Profiles: Yes
- Supported Codecs (Transmission): Yes
- Supported Codecs (Reception): No
- Accessibility
- TalkBack: Yes