Sony is making a 40th anniversary Walkman though it’s not a cassette player but rather a digital audio player (DAP). Sony has been reusing the Walkman brand for DAPs these days since the stoped making cassette Walkmans in 2010. It will have a touchscreen like the iPod Touch but will come with a case that makes it look like the original Walkman from 1979. It will also have a feature that will show an animation of a compact cassette playing when your listening to music on the touchscreen. The case has a area cut out where it covers the screen so that when the Walkman is in the case and the Cassette animation is playing, it looks from a distance like the original 1979 Sony Walkman playing a tape. I’m sure if you look up close it will not fool anyone but it still looks cool IMO.
I'd say the situation for Sony DDs improved over the years. I replaced the broken center gear in my DD II today, got really good spare parts off ebay and there are good instructions on the internet on how to take everything apart. I had zero experience fixing a walkman, but now it's running better than ever :)
It was this video four years ago that colored my decision to try cassettes. Being it was my 17th birthday, I bought my first Walkman, and repaired it due to a fault, and I remember being pleasantly surprised. I was under the same opinion most people of my generation are regarding cassettes, until I tried them myself. Now its been four years and I regularly listen to tapes; nearly all my music is on tape, from pre-recorded ones to mixtapes I mastered myself. Why? Because its so much more fun than digital services of today, and I find quite a lot to love with Cassettes. But I never would have even considered it where it not for stumbling upon this video. So thank you, Matt, for introducing me to one of my favorite music formats and one of my favorite kind of devices.
I was a young man when the Walkman came out. I worked in a retail store that sold these. It was exciting to see the new models arrive and the competition between Sony and other brands. The Walkman name became universal with personal stereos (as the name Kleenex was with tissues) but the Sony brand was very strong. Sony was the product everyone wanted but as you pointed out the price kept it out of the reach of many consumers.
The last cassette walkman I purchased was the WM-FS221 around 2000. It was like a tank version of a sports walkman-- waterproof made from highly plastic with a metal hinge that kept it secured. It was heavy in weight but had a streamlined design with a hand strap so that you could hold it naturally. It also came with 4 tuners AM/FM/Weather Band/TV Audio. Very useful and durable unit that served me well.
We had a Japanese exchange student come to my school in 1994, he had a walkman that was spectacularly tiny, barely bigger than the cassette, with a small battery stuck on the side. Very impressive for the time!
My brother's friends father travelled to Japan quite often back then for work and remember him having something similar (or perhaps the same). I was definitely jealous of that as a teenager.
@@colinjohnston8519 Yes and no. Sony bought Aiwa eventually and sold some of the lower end walkmans under their name. But they also had some great models from before them.
Depends on which market. In West-Europe, almost everything was made in W. Germany, there were much less products made in Japan. But for example on the Asian market, a lot of stuff was made in Japan.
My first walkman-like tape player was a Philips; it was all plastic, the sound quality wasn't very good and it could only fast-forward, not rewind. But it was affordable when I was 15 years old or whatever. My next player was a Panasonic with an AM/FM radio and a 3-band equalizer. It looked good, sounded really good too but unfortunately it stopped working for no apparent reason. I still have the AIWA PX547 player that I bought after that. The lead-acid gumstick battery has a date code of 06-94. That battery doesn't hold a charge anymore but the player still works and it can also use two AAA batteries. This was a high quality player. It has a remote control but no display and no radio either. You don't need the remote to operate the player. Back in the day, Sony Walkmans were to personal cassette players what Apple is to personal computers nowadays: they were good, but for much less money you could buy something that works just as well. I hope you'll do a video on Aiwa and other players in the future!
I took a similar route...a couple of Saisho models (Dixons own brand) one with FF only, then one with a 5 band graphic equaliser and a radio. The best machine I had was an Aiwa HS-R20. Unfortunately I don't see many fully functional high end Aiwa machines around any more. One reason I chose to focus on the Sony models this time is because I can still get the gumstick batteries.
Growing up poor I could only afford really cheap Chinese generic portable players. Later on I got one of those huge yellow waterproof Sonys. I think I only used it in the water once.
I was surprised to not see the sports Walkman not mentioned in this video. They always felt like very sturdy units that had a lot of the same features as the higher end units. Them being bright yellow would probably make them less desirable, but if they have a quality mechanism, and have good playback quality, they could be a "hidden gem" of sorts for people searching for a quality Walkman.
throughout high school I used a WM-SXF33 Sports and that thing took a beating by golly, but I dont believe many of the sports (at least the one I had) has NR.
Back then hardware was built to last and quality was prioritized in the development process. This ethos has been significantly reduced to appease demand and accessibility. A good example is how an Atari 2600, SNES, Sega Saturn, and N64 all typically work well if kept in healthy conditions (away from debris & humidity) compared to disc-run consoles which started to see failure as soon as 12 years after their release.
The WM-EX900 (and a couple other models not featured) actually does have one button on it that becomes accessible when the Operation slider is in normal position. There's a guide on the back that tells you how to press the one button to get the desired operation (one press for Play/Stop, two for FF, three for Rew, hold for direction change). The other features are on the remote same as the previous model.
I have a Panasonic RQ-P155 which I bought in 1990. I used it for years almost daily and when I found it back recently it was all a matter of new batteries, put a tape in, connect it to a decent headphone and the machine still works! A very reliable and well constructed piece of equipment.
WM-DDII, WM-DDIII, WM-D6C. As former technician (for Betamax/Video8/Hi8 camcorders in 1983 and later) we had 9 groups with about 80 serviceman and 3 servicewoman repairing all Sony consumer products. I remember boxes full of scrapped Walkmans who where swapped for brand-new ones for the consumer (warranty cases). Wonderfull time (1983-2010). Now i fix DAT recorders. In a few days i hope to receive a working portable DAT recorder the TCD-D3.
Kinda. I know prices are stupid. Yeah, but it's not like Target or any mainstream store in the U.S is gonna start selling Cassettes, let alone type 2's or type 4's
@@thecmm4602 Here in Europe ,FNAC which is s mainstream store like best buy carries brand new pre corded Cassete tapes, I've bought firm then about 6 tapes already Two were type 2 pre corded
no they are not coming back. Although i love them for the good memories, there is no reason for using them instead of mp3 or streaming stuff on a digital base. The ones who tell "they sound better" or "its another music experience" are stuck back in ye olde days.
Mike James thank goodness i got plenty while i still could. damn it i still want my boodo khan DD100. i hope he won't start talking about ghettoblasters because everybody needs a sharp 777 before they end up in museums
Yes! Yes, everyone quick go to eBay and buy a Walkman! Or a boombox! And sell your MiniDisc player or DCC player, before they're worthless. We can make a deal ;-)
7 лет назад+1
ya cause he's the expert right ? show's how dense consumers are.
Picked up a D6C at a garage sale today for US$4.00. Thanks for your video. If I hadn’t already watched this I might not have recognized what a great find it was! It definitely needs some work (missing door window & rubber foot, some battery corrosion, General dust, and I suspect will probably need a new band as well), but it’s worth it.
Awesome! Bought a Sony WM F-18 a few years back brand new in a box. It’s an absolute beauty if you haven’t seen it already, but you most likely have. It’s from 1985 and has an equalizer. It’s much better than the mid 90’s ones I own. Of course the 90’s ones are more budget than this monster
I actually bought the DDII because of this video. A fairly hefty price, but definitely worth it. This one I payed extra for the cog to be replaced. I love this thing dude!
You're so right. I bought my DD Quartz new, some thirty years ago. After watching your video, I toke it out of storage (i.e the attic), put some batteries in it and (after putting a cassette in it) it made the same noise as I had heard in your video. Fortunately I still have the battery lid. I think only a fool is willing to pay 1.600 dollars for it.
You know I just bought my first dd walkman! I encountered the same problem, but It was just a matter of replacing that center gear. Get one on Ebay and fix your old walkman!
Here's a pro tip, get a DD11. This model has an easy replaceable belt drive mechanism and almost all the models suffer from dead capacitors, which means they're pretty cheap. You can replace the 10-12 capacitors in one go, clean it up and have beautiful little machine which actually sounds pretty great.
I had that Walkman at the start of the video, the WM-fx423. Brings back so many memories as soon as I saw it. Its a fairly decent machine for the the cheap price.
A few websites used a picture of that specific model in their articles about the discontinuation of the cassette walkman. Unfortunately I just couldn't find if that really was the last model sold, or just a stock photo they used.
Packaging can sometimes vary depending on the store the product is sold in. I remember seeing personal stereos in blister packaging like that in Walgreens in the US.
i dont even think they sold the wm0fx423 much into the 2000's so highly doubt it was the last one sold, it was a bulky 90's model mostly, fairly budget, very similar to an aiwa that i bought in 1993
I highly recommend the Sony WM-FX313 Auto reverse cassette player. Ive owned one for a few years now n I love it. It didnt break the bank to buy. It sounds great and has been really reliable. And its super easy to service if the belts ever need replacing
You should do a video repairing the WM-DD series Walkman’s! I’d be very interested to see that and replacing the broken plastic gear. Possibly upgrading it with the metal ones would be very interesting too.
The first thing I bought when I got a proper job after college was a lovely little WM-EX53 Walkman :-) So small it had to have a bulge where the battery (single AA) lives. After a decade or so of cheapie (Saisho, Aiwa, and then chunky Sony) ones, it was very luxurious.
Howard Jones I've also had a Sony WM-EX53, actually I still have it lying around somewhere. Indeed a great compact Walkman. Actually preferred it above the bulky Discmans at the time.
Bloody hell you can put together a good show. I'm not even in the market for one of these but your video was compelling enough for me to happily watch through. (As always.)
Pro Walkmans were bootleg machines, and they sounded GREAT. Also really common for documentary and indie film crews to record their sound on Pro Walkmans -- Jon Jost shot several films all by himself with an Eclair 16mm camera and a Pro Walkman to record the sound.
I had the WM-EX662. When it came out it was like a flying saucer for me. I loved it so much and the sound was great. I had the complete silver version.
I'm such a piece of shit. My parents bought me a Walkman when I was a kid. They bought me lots of things. I am sure I wasn't appreciative enough. I am not saying I didn't like or didn't use the Walkman, cuz I did. I just know they did everything they could for me. They deserve a better son.
Man, stop being so tough on yourself. You need to know that it's okay, and there are still people who appreciate you. If your parents are still with you, apologize to them, and it will be okay
My jazz professor back in the 80s had a D6 professional model, and used to record all the Jazz Ensemble rehearsals on it with a stereo mic - the quality was incredible. Could almost master an LP off of it - almost - but ridiculously good quality.
I had many cassette players, but only one Sony Walkman - WM-7. According to The Walkman Archive, it was the worlds first autoreverse Walkman. I loved it because the feather touch control buttons, Dolby B noise reduction and the headset remote control.
I actually had an RCA personal stereo in the 90s because I couldn’t even afford the Aiwa. I was about 14 when I purchased it. It was nice because it had a built in radio and I enjoyed listening to FM broadcast back then quite a bit. I do, however, remember going to Walmart and Garking at the Sony Walkman’s marveling at how thin and light they were compared to my RCA.
eleven38 I have a stereo with me that when I click the eject, the door opens in slow motion, more than five seconds to remove the tape, I always pull it before that
You probably are. There was quite a lot music that never really got put into any format besides cassettes/records. There's some music you can only find in analog formats
Last year (2023) I managed to pick up an open box WM-F200II. It of course needed a new drive belt, but Sony made that fairly easy to do and I've been happily using it ever since. I still own a _lot_ of compact cassette tapes and it's nice to have a portable device to use outside the home.
I remember when I was young, all my tape recorders stopped working. Even my personal tape recorder, or Walkman recorder. All I had was a Walkman which could only play or fast forward. Don’t know how I ever survive without the rewind feature.
I recently got myself a used Sony WM-FX195 which doesn't have as many fancy features as the models featured in this video. Paid like 20$ for it and I love it. It has a new belt in it and sounds pretty reasonable for something that was made back in 1999 and had quite a history since then. This is my first cassette experience and although it sounds not as good as digital, finding cassettes and especially cassettes that sound good for cheap just can't be compared to downloading digital music. Keep the cassette trend going, they've deserved it
Amazing sound from those little guys. Had a walkman but it wasn't from sony, used it everyday. And for everyone wondering about the music at 19:04, it's called Silver Image-Hold My Hands
I had a DD9 - not sure if i threw it away! Absolutely amazing sound and build quality. Wow and flutter were non-existent unless you shook the hell out of the unit. I also had the first Sony Walkman (TPS-L2) which as a kid was amazing because it had a (orange) 'TALK' button which made you feel like you also had a Walkie-Talkie - although you were only muting the music to talk to yourself through the headphones!
The first Sony Walkman I really looked at, and lusted for was around 1980. I have no idea what model it was, but it was one of the high-end super compact silver metal cased radio-cassette units WITH recording. Alas, it was also at least $200! As a self-employed, working stiff, paying solo for his first apartment, $200 wasn't happening. Several years after, I did buy a basic plastic Sony radio-cassette model new, for about $40 maybe. Over the years, I've picked up a bunch at thrift-stores and yard-sales, including a D6-C for $10. But the only other Walkman I ever bought new was sometime in the early 90s. Again, I don't remember the model. But it was black plastic radio-cassette WITH recording, including a mini tie-clip stereo-mic for $90. I still have that one, plus its' twin from a yard-sale. But the walkman I currently use is a WM-FX290 from I'm guessing - late 90s. Cassette/AM/FM/TV/WB two-tone charcoal & silver plastic, digital display, with (according to the flashy sticker still present) 40 preset stations and up to 35 Hours on ONE AA battery! 🙂
I would like to recommend the PANASONIC RQ-SX15 had it when it first came out. great sound compact and good battery life. Aiwa made some great budget ones.
i bought a sony digital am/fm cassette recorder player (no speaker). took the cassette parts out, replaced it with a thin, but good, speaker, made holes in the case, and it plays perfectly! it also has 40 pre-set channels! (a similar unit on amazon is for $100, with only 9 preset channels). i bought another sony, different kind, but did the same thing, and it too, works perfectly! got them from a thrift store for $5 apiece!!!
I had a Sony wma 39. Loved it. Mega bass, multidirectional playback, eq on the front. Accompanied me on my arduous commute to and from college in elephant and Castle. Loved it
I have wm 36 and absolutely love it. I don't take it out its just at the side of my bed and find it really relaxing to listen to takes me back to the 1980s.
At the end of the cassette era, I got an Aiwa unit with a gum stick battery. One thing to note is the older units that had a play push button was pushing the play head into the tape. The units with soft touch leave the head on the tape. Some of the tapes I forgot were in there, the head could cause that portion of the tape to get degraded. Not totally blanked out, but noticeable. I knew what had happened when I flipped the side and heard the same distortion on that side as well.
I'd also say to not discount Toshiba, Panasonic, Sanyo, and Hitachi personal radio/cassette players from the early 1990's. They were just as good, but not as expensive as Sony. Had those last just fine with no problems until either given away (after getting a newer model) or having been stolen.
the walkman professional is on another level all together . journalists in the field used this to do on the spot interviews with a stereo mini mic that popped into one of the outlets on the side . the quality of recording g and playback was unmatched . it had Sendust heads as good as any on full size pro cassette decks. . the rest of them are toys compared to the pro model . i used one as my source on top of my monstrous Polk SDA speakers and the sound was phenomnal.
@Techmoan You left out a great model. This had a speaker which played when you pulled the headphones out. I ended up listening far more with the speaker in my room than walking around with headphones. It became my whole music system through grad school and a few more years. Used it till the belt gave out. A true joy. BTW the professional series doesn't sound as good as a cassette deck so if you're not going to move around with it buy a cassette deck instead. To hook up to your amp.
Well, that would be very hard. It depends on your record player and the amp, so would be very specific It’d depend on the cartridge and cartridge type.
When my tape deck died back in 99, I couldn't afford to buy a new machine that was decent. A friend of mine gave me his sony D6C, and I have been using it connected to my stereo system ever since. It works and sounds great. I don't use it all that much, but when I have a urge to listen to one of my tapes, it's there for me.
Just got my WM-D6C in the mail yesterday. Completely mint condition, not a single scratch on it. It came with its leather case but no other accessories besides the battery cage. The sound from this thing is absolutely insane. If you can find one of these in good condition for a decent price, BUY IT!
I've seen something on Facebook I'd like to see a video on. It's a record eater. They are ways to play your 45s anywhere. Introduced in the 60s. Please like this so techmoan can see it
My first major purchase after getting a job was a Sony Boodo Khan (WM DD100) in 1987. I loved that player and used it for over 10 years until it finally died after one too many drops. Worth every penny.
Not if you ignore the models shown in the video. I got a like new Sony WM-FX403 for $24 shipped from ebay. It works great, auto reverse AVLS 1 and 2 and a Chrome switch. Look for one and you won't regret it.
I miss the one I bought new around 1988 which was the same size as a cassette tape. When you didn’t have a tape and only wanted to used the radio, it would fold down about an inch and became smaller. I love that thing and took with me on my first trip to Europe in the end of 89 and have to my Spanish gf. Now it’s a collectors item and very expensive and desirable. Oh and it was made out of metal. Back then they would come out with so many new models and the thinner the better and most made out of metal. So they were stunning and for a gadget freak like myself, I wanted them all but most only bought when they need one and was not collecting them. So now I’m glad many are making sense of collecting them now. Most no longer work and need repairing. I did about 6 years ago find the first Aony Walkman in mint condition with a brown leather cover protecting and preserving it all these decades. Oh and I was shocked finding at a flea market getting there late and many most likely passed up bc it didn’t work and felt it was iseless. So I manage to get for only $12. Well I tried to get for $8. bc it didn’t work, but the seller said no and I said no problem and I’ll give you $12. A few months lather, I ended up listing on eBay and sold for about $185. in a few days. Yes, you can still get tip dollars on iconic rare items on eBay. I wish I had hundreds of them and would make tons of money. Lol!
kassie2k4 oh yes. I still have my Sony ATRAC3 Plus Discman that I've had fur about 12 years now. Still works great. But love having 300 songs on one CD. A poor mans iPod back in the day lol.
Wav-or-any-sort-of-files through D/A converter to U-matic video tape. That's a thing, I heard. Wouldn't a U-matic machine make a great "walkman" portable player? I remember when I used a full-sized VHS-HiFi- as a cheap alternative to reel-to-reel. Unfortunately my ears were too sensitive to the audible artefacts, then. My ears are older now, so perhaps I should try it. Probably wouldn't hear the flaws these days. Buyt what kind of music to play on it? Rings of Saturn? :/
That's right, the sound isn't all that good. Which is why i used a CD-player and an MP3 player as soon as those were available. Even S3 Rio with its rather horrible sound and just 64MB Flash beat a cassette player. But still, mechanical things have their own appeal.
For a physical format I have to agree, I sadly sold mine on eBay in the early 00's because I needed the money for a move. On to eBay to find another one :-). Edit: After looking on eBay, damn I don't remember MiniDisc being this expensive, but I vow to find one at a decent price. :-)
KRAFTWERK2K6 Keep looking, I found some on eBay from Japan for under $4/each shipped. And there's no reason to avoid used MiniDiscs, either, which you can usually get quite cheap.
+mikokuijn Overall It's not about the sound quality, but the more about owning/using the physical players, and actual MiniDisc, as personally I find the format overall has a weirdly charming effect and, while I currently don't own a mini disc player/recorder it's what makes me want to find one again at a good price, but I do own a media player adapter for my GameBoy Advance/DS Lite that uses Compact Flash cards with a really odd format for the audio, and video which even in it's highest sound quality settings when converting over Mp3, and FLAC files to it sounds like muffled crap with a lot of compression noise over the entire audio file, and the movies are a pixel mess as well, but I still sometimes use it just because of the quarky charm, and also it reminds me how far we have come since the early days of portable digital media players.
Just bought a Wm-fx407 for about 50 on ebay (the belt fell off in transit and was worn out so I had to replace it, and the seller compensated me 22 dollars for the new belt and time, so really I payed about 40 for it) Really happy with it and I think it's a good walkman for the price they go for, had everything you could want on a portable Cassette player, Dolby Nr 2, auto reverse, Mega bass, and an Am/fm radio. It's suprisingly small too, it's a little thick but it fits in my jean pocket fine. Only downside I've noticed so far is that it has tabs instead of screws and you have to pop off 2 of them inside the cassette bay to get the back off. Luckly once you carefully remove the back, the belt is right there along with screws that adjust various things. Cool think is if you need to adjust the speed, theres a hole on the back that lets you get to the screw that adjusts that. Really happy with it though, highly recommend.
These are some fancy Walkmans. The last one I had a WM-FX28 - all plastic and no auto-reverse but loved it none the less. I still remember being at the store with mom to buy it - these things weren't cheap. Used it through high-school. Now I'm gonna have to dig it up the next time I'm over at my parents.
Yup. Have been using for the last year, and it's perfect for tram commutes to university. Set timer to journey time and enjoy. Also surprisingly about 1'5 to 2 times more powerful than my smartphone headphone output is able to pump o_0. And Net-MD is a breeze (works on Win7, wasn't able to make it work on my Win10 laptop however), just drag and drop your fav songs. My main problem is that the aforementioned Net-MD doesn't support japanese characters, despite the player (MZ-N910) having a japanese character set, so I have to rename the files on PC to romaji and then back to kana on the player. Though that has it's own fun too))
The one cassette walkman you need to review if you can get your hands on is the solar walkman that is also waterproof. It came from those awkward yellow rubber feel water gasket knobs, but this unit could be charged by the outdoor sun as well as indoor light. It also used one AA battery for backup. Worked best by the pool or beach.
I'm an old fart and used to be quite the walkman-freak... I still own two of them.. a DD9 and a D100 Boodo-Kan and although I haven't used them in years, I would not sell them because of nostalgic reasons actually. They remind me of better days :)
I've got an old onkyo TA-RW470 (from 1988 I think) Dual deck hi-fi machine. The rubber bands have gone mushy. I can't get to them because of the circuit board, and once I took it out I couldn't get enough grip on the screws. Any ideas?
I've repaired dd walkmans I use a gear from a cheap arse kids rc helicopter just chop it up and glue it in I've done 3 and as far as I know they are still running I'm in Yorkshire techmoan inbox me if you want
As nice as it is to turn a non-working machine into one that works, the DD walkman series had a proprietary gear, meaning there's no way that one from an rc helicopter is the same as the original. It might work, but it might also cause unnecessary noise or even wear over time. You can buy new ones now, the project techmoan mentioned in the video with the replacement gears being made was successful. The brass model was only a prototype, the ones you can buy are made out of plastic. If anyone wants to fix one, get that instead, it's worth it.
I got a SONY WM-D6C for free today! I had to use some contact cleaner to bring it back to life but holy crap! I have been enjoying your videos for awhile and was delighted when I got it...I wish I could have called you and shared in the excitement :)
I still have a Sony WM-F18 that I bought new in the late 1980s that still works although it's developed a slight buzz in the audio output. Non the less amazing that it still functions today after more than 30 years!
I think Sony should bring back a limited edition 40 th anniversary walkman
and make it the wm f10
I walk to work everyday with my sony hd walkman i get lots of FLAC so please dont criticise for that using tapes...
They are
Sony is making a 40th anniversary Walkman though it’s not a cassette player but rather a digital audio player (DAP). Sony has been reusing the Walkman brand for DAPs these days since the stoped making cassette Walkmans in 2010. It will have a touchscreen like the iPod Touch but will come with a case that makes it look like the original Walkman from 1979. It will also have a feature that will show an animation of a compact cassette playing when your listening to music on the touchscreen. The case has a area cut out where it covers the screen so that when the Walkman is in the case and the Cassette animation is playing, it looks from a distance like the original 1979 Sony Walkman playing a tape. I’m sure if you look up close it will not fool anyone but it still looks cool IMO.
Jch *E*
I’m 13 and I just found my mom’s old WM-FX290W. I’m gonna pick up some cassettes and start listening, I’ve always been fascinated by old audio tech
How about today?...Still into old audio tech?
Still going?
you'd make a great TV presenter. Very informative and always well dressed.
I believe too. He is very profesional. He knows what he is talking and make it with passion.
C Bull I agree. I wonder what Mat’s job is. I hope he’s a teacher...
Like a motor trend for music
D Danny judging by his average views and subscriber count, RUclips is probably his full time job.
Been saying this for years
I'd say the situation for Sony DDs improved over the years. I replaced the broken center gear in my DD II today, got really good spare parts off ebay and there are good instructions on the internet on how to take everything apart. I had zero experience fixing a walkman, but now it's running better than ever :)
...same experience ...
I'm guessing we're all talking about that Slovakian Chad who made the repair guide and sells improved parts
@@YourMiddleBroPhil Tomu ver kamo :)
It was this video four years ago that colored my decision to try cassettes. Being it was my 17th birthday, I bought my first Walkman, and repaired it due to a fault, and I remember being pleasantly surprised. I was under the same opinion most people of my generation are regarding cassettes, until I tried them myself. Now its been four years and I regularly listen to tapes; nearly all my music is on tape, from pre-recorded ones to mixtapes I mastered myself. Why? Because its so much more fun than digital services of today, and I find quite a lot to love with Cassettes. But I never would have even considered it where it not for stumbling upon this video. So thank you, Matt, for introducing me to one of my favorite music formats and one of my favorite kind of devices.
Cassettes are the best.
I can't wait to buy my first walkman or cassette player soon.
I hope it will work well.
*has no intention of buying a walkman, yet watches entire video*
DigitalRiesNL why not tho
Buy one tho, I did and am happy with it.
*has just found childhood walkman in attic, watches to see if this lad has it*
Dozens of times
😂😂
I was a young man when the Walkman came out. I worked in a retail store that sold these. It was exciting to see the new models arrive and the competition between Sony and other brands. The Walkman name became universal with personal stereos (as the name Kleenex was with tissues) but the Sony brand was very strong. Sony was the product everyone wanted but as you pointed out the price kept it out of the reach of many consumers.
Aaaahhh the walkman. The beginning of my hearing problems. Such nostalgic memories.
Hope that’s ironic,because i always turned it very loud,but until today i can’t complain about my ears 👂- luckily...🍀
f
My wife blames the Walkman for my hard of hearing problems.
The last cassette walkman I purchased was the WM-FS221 around 2000. It was like a tank version of a sports walkman-- waterproof made from highly plastic with a metal hinge that kept it secured. It was heavy in weight but had a streamlined design with a hand strap so that you could hold it naturally. It also came with 4 tuners AM/FM/Weather Band/TV Audio. Very useful and durable unit that served me well.
I just picked up a FS233. Same design basically.
We had a Japanese exchange student come to my school in 1994, he had a walkman that was spectacularly tiny, barely bigger than the cassette, with a small battery stuck on the side. Very impressive for the time!
My brother's friends father travelled to Japan quite often back then for work and remember him having something similar (or perhaps the same). I was definitely jealous of that as a teenager.
Marty McFly didn't like Sony. He had a Casio watch, a JVC camcorder, an Aiwa cassette player etc.
Aiwa all the way!
I'm an AIWA boi
I'm pretty sure Aiwa was Sony..
@@colinjohnston8519 Yes and no. Sony bought Aiwa eventually and sold some of the lower end walkmans under their name. But they also had some great models from before them.
"All the best stuff is made in Japan!"
when everything electronic device was made in japan...wonderful years....
Mainly just home electronics.
(US and Europe made a lot of electronic devices in the 70/80s.)
Depends on which market.
In West-Europe, almost everything was made in W. Germany, there were much less products made in Japan.
But for example on the Asian market, a lot of stuff was made in Japan.
Little works of art,I’ve got loads of Sony Walkmans of all formats,Cassette,Minidisc,Discman,FM/AM radios,I love them always have,I love Sony gear
My first walkman-like tape player was a Philips; it was all plastic, the sound quality wasn't very good and it could only fast-forward, not rewind. But it was affordable when I was 15 years old or whatever.
My next player was a Panasonic with an AM/FM radio and a 3-band equalizer. It looked good, sounded really good too but unfortunately it stopped working for no apparent reason.
I still have the AIWA PX547 player that I bought after that. The lead-acid gumstick battery has a date code of 06-94. That battery doesn't hold a charge anymore but the player still works and it can also use two AAA batteries. This was a high quality player. It has a remote control but no display and no radio either. You don't need the remote to operate the player.
Back in the day, Sony Walkmans were to personal cassette players what Apple is to personal computers nowadays: they were good, but for much less money you could buy something that works just as well. I hope you'll do a video on Aiwa and other players in the future!
I took a similar route...a couple of Saisho models (Dixons own brand) one with FF only, then one with a 5 band graphic equaliser and a radio. The best machine I had was an Aiwa HS-R20. Unfortunately I don't see many fully functional high end Aiwa machines around any more. One reason I chose to focus on the Sony models this time is because I can still get the gumstick batteries.
I still have my Saisho...red it is! Got most of my stuff from Dixons back in the day.
Muttley i recently unearthed my old Sharp JC-196X. It's a really simple machine, but I think it's better than nothing.
I do wonder, what happened to Aiwa though....
Growing up poor I could only afford really cheap Chinese generic portable players. Later on I got one of those huge yellow waterproof Sonys. I think I only used it in the water once.
I still have my first Sony walk, bought it in the 70's working condition 😍
You brought one in 1979 that’s cool
I'm surprised the belts have not turned into black goo .
I was surprised to not see the sports Walkman not mentioned in this video. They always felt like very sturdy units that had a lot of the same features as the higher end units. Them being bright yellow would probably make them less desirable, but if they have a quality mechanism, and have good playback quality, they could be a "hidden gem" of sorts for people searching for a quality Walkman.
The FS-393's really good on paper, though mine is broken.
Horrendous sound
throughout high school I used a WM-SXF33 Sports and that thing took a beating by golly, but I dont believe many of the sports (at least the one I had) has NR.
The Sony Walkman quality sound is so good... Even in 2020...Truly respect that...
Well, you know what they say..."It's a Sony!"
still got one collecting dust :)
Back then hardware was built to last and quality was prioritized in the development process.
This ethos has been significantly reduced to appease demand and accessibility.
A good example is how an Atari 2600, SNES, Sega Saturn, and N64 all typically work well if kept in healthy conditions (away from debris & humidity) compared to disc-run consoles which started to see failure as soon as 12 years after their release.
Why would anyone want to buy one in this day and age?
The WM-EX900 (and a couple other models not featured) actually does have one button on it that becomes accessible when the Operation slider is in normal position. There's a guide on the back that tells you how to press the one button to get the desired operation (one press for Play/Stop, two for FF, three for Rew, hold for direction change). The other features are on the remote same as the previous model.
I have a Panasonic RQ-P155 which I bought in 1990. I used it for years almost daily and when I found it back recently it was all a matter of new batteries, put a tape in, connect it to a decent headphone and the machine still works! A very reliable and well constructed piece of equipment.
Couldn't agree more whether its Sony or Panasonic.Walkman was such a sweet part of my childhood 😍❤❤❤❤❤
WM-DDII, WM-DDIII, WM-D6C. As former technician (for Betamax/Video8/Hi8 camcorders in 1983 and later) we had 9 groups with about 80 serviceman and 3 servicewoman repairing all Sony consumer products. I remember boxes full of scrapped Walkmans who where swapped for brand-new ones for the consumer (warranty cases). Wonderfull time (1983-2010). Now i fix DAT recorders. In a few days i hope to receive a working portable DAT recorder the TCD-D3.
Cassettes are making a comeback...i had the sony yellow one with two headphones jacks
Kinda. I know prices are stupid. Yeah, but it's not like Target or any mainstream store in the U.S is gonna start selling Cassettes, let alone type 2's or type 4's
@@thecmm4602 Here in Europe ,FNAC which is s mainstream store like best buy carries brand new pre corded Cassete tapes, I've bought firm then about 6 tapes already
Two were type 2 pre corded
And if they do, they would obviously run the cheapest.
Now that I think about it, are they still selling takes for kids?
no they are not coming back. Although i love them for the good memories, there is no reason for using them instead of mp3 or streaming stuff on a digital base.
The ones who tell "they sound better" or "its another music experience" are stuck back in ye olde days.
@@snakeplissken2148 LP''s have come back ..but are crazy expensive
I really miss the smell of freshly unpackaged cassettes. The acrid black plastic, and smell of chemicals from the glossy inlay.
carpii same as when u first took a new vinyl record out of the sleeve.
The smell was propanone (acetone) used to eliminate any moisture.
Yeah torrents doesnt Smells , right kids? My cds still Has its smell
Ever smell a vhs?
You make it sound almost bad. : )
Prices on Ebay just went up......
Mike James That's the only thing I don't like about these videos.
Mike James thank goodness i got plenty while i still could. damn it i still want my boodo khan DD100. i hope he won't start talking about ghettoblasters because everybody needs a sharp 777 before they end up in museums
Prices were ridiculous before this video tbh
Yes! Yes, everyone quick go to eBay and buy a Walkman! Or a boombox!
And sell your MiniDisc player or DCC player, before they're worthless. We can make a deal ;-)
ya cause he's the expert right ? show's how dense consumers are.
Picked up a D6C at a garage sale today for US$4.00. Thanks for your video. If I hadn’t already watched this I might not have recognized what a great find it was!
It definitely needs some work (missing door window & rubber foot, some battery corrosion, General dust, and I suspect will probably need a new band as well), but it’s worth it.
holy moly what a steal!
Awesome! Bought a Sony WM F-18 a few years back brand new in a box. It’s an absolute beauty if you haven’t seen it already, but you most likely have. It’s from 1985 and has an equalizer. It’s much better than the mid 90’s ones I own. Of course the 90’s ones are more budget than this monster
I have a wm-F18 in silver it’s beautiful
I actually bought the DDII because of this video. A fairly hefty price, but definitely worth it. This one I payed extra for the cog to be replaced. I love this thing dude!
You're so right. I bought my DD Quartz new, some thirty years ago. After watching your video, I toke it out of storage (i.e the attic), put some batteries in it and (after putting a cassette in it) it made the same noise as I had heard in your video. Fortunately I still have the battery lid. I think only a fool is willing to pay 1.600 dollars for it.
You know I just bought my first dd walkman! I encountered the same problem, but It was just a matter of replacing that center gear. Get one on Ebay and fix your old walkman!
The DD quartz (DD3) are around 250 euro's. The DD9 is most expensive. I can fix the ticking noise on tour walkman.
Here's a pro tip, get a DD11. This model has an easy replaceable belt drive mechanism and almost all the models suffer from dead capacitors, which means they're pretty cheap. You can replace the 10-12 capacitors in one go, clean it up and have beautiful little machine which actually sounds pretty great.
sound wise is it any worse than dd2 and dd9 tho?
@@user-yk1cw8im4h The snobs would say otherwise, but the DD11 is really good.
I had that Walkman at the start of the video, the WM-fx423. Brings back so many memories as soon as I saw it. Its a fairly decent machine for the the cheap price.
A few websites used a picture of that specific model in their articles about the discontinuation of the cassette walkman. Unfortunately I just couldn't find if that really was the last model sold, or just a stock photo they used.
Techmoan mine came in a cardboard box, that plastic packaging looked cheaper, like it was a knockoff or something. But it was a really good machine.
Packaging can sometimes vary depending on the store the product is sold in. I remember seeing personal stereos in blister packaging like that in Walgreens in the US.
Techmoan tempted to buy one & see if it's as good as I remember. The radio presets & tape side switching is what made it stand out for me.
i dont even think they sold the wm0fx423 much into the 2000's so highly doubt it was the last one sold, it was a bulky 90's model mostly, fairly budget, very similar to an aiwa that i bought in 1993
I highly recommend the Sony WM-FX313 Auto reverse cassette player. Ive owned one for a few years now n I love it. It didnt break the bank to buy. It sounds great and has been really reliable. And its super easy to service if the belts ever need replacing
You should do a video repairing the WM-DD series Walkman’s! I’d be very interested to see that and replacing the broken plastic gear. Possibly upgrading it with the metal ones would be very interesting too.
The first thing I bought when I got a proper job after college was a lovely little WM-EX53 Walkman :-) So small it had to have a bulge where the battery (single AA) lives. After a decade or so of cheapie (Saisho, Aiwa, and then chunky Sony) ones, it was very luxurious.
Howard Jones I've also had a Sony WM-EX53, actually I still have it lying around somewhere. Indeed a great compact Walkman. Actually preferred it above the bulky Discmans at the time.
I have one too! Just ordered a new belt for it.
Bloody hell you can put together a good show. I'm not even in the market for one of these but your video was compelling enough for me to happily watch through. (As always.)
Pro Walkmans were bootleg machines, and they sounded GREAT. Also really common for documentary and indie film crews to record their sound on Pro Walkmans -- Jon Jost shot several films all by himself with an Eclair 16mm camera and a Pro Walkman to record the sound.
This video got me deeply into cassettes and helpEd me with my first Walkman selection. Thanks a bunch been watching for a good while now.
I had the WM-EX662. When it came out it was like a flying saucer for me. I loved it so much and the sound was great. I had the complete silver version.
I'm such a piece of shit. My parents bought me a Walkman when I was a kid. They bought me lots of things. I am sure I wasn't appreciative enough. I am not saying I didn't like or didn't use the Walkman, cuz I did. I just know they did everything they could for me. They deserve a better son.
just ask them to forgive you, and you will be a great son. I hope they are alive.
You're being too hard on yourself. Nobody appreciates what they have as a kid.
that is just beeing a kid, relax
Fucking Slayer
Man, stop being so tough on yourself. You need to know that it's okay, and there are still people who appreciate you. If your parents are still with you, apologize to them, and it will be okay
I LOVED my AIWA CS-J1.
It was Heavy. With an Aluminum body. But,..
That thing Got LOUD 🔊
and had a decent FM Reciever
My jazz professor back in the 80s had a D6 professional model, and used to record all the Jazz Ensemble rehearsals on it with a stereo mic - the quality was incredible. Could almost master an LP off of it - almost - but ridiculously good quality.
Chris Mezzolesta I have a mint D6 being restored. It’s arguably better than the latter D6C or so I’ve been told by my restorer.
Neil Riley did you receive it yet?
I had many cassette players, but only one Sony Walkman - WM-7. According to The Walkman Archive, it was the worlds first autoreverse Walkman.
I loved it because the feather touch control buttons, Dolby B noise reduction and the headset remote control.
I actually had an RCA personal stereo in the 90s because I couldn’t even afford the Aiwa. I was about 14 when I purchased it. It was nice because it had a built in radio and I enjoyed listening to FM broadcast back then quite a bit. I do, however, remember going to Walmart and Garking at the Sony Walkman’s marveling at how thin and light they were compared to my RCA.
I remember the speed of the eject mechanism played a big part in my decision when it came to buying a walkman
Oh yes. Damped eject was the way to go... errr, are we still talking about cassette players?
eleven38 I have a stereo with me that when I click the eject, the door opens in slow motion, more than five seconds to remove the tape, I always pull it before that
I had to have auto-reverse since I was big into cycling and listening to music.
For me it was the one cell battery ( 1,5V ) wich decided if I buyied the walkman or not.
At my local resale shop I always see so many interesting tapes! I feel like I'm missing out on some random and interesting music.
You probably are. There was quite a lot music that never really got put into any format besides cassettes/records. There's some music you can only find in analog formats
When i was young my auntie gave me a walkman Sports WM-SXF10 in the early/mid 90's.
I wish I knew where it has gone.
Memories.....
Last year (2023) I managed to pick up an open box WM-F200II. It of course needed a new drive belt, but Sony made that fairly easy to do and I've been happily using it ever since.
I still own a _lot_ of compact cassette tapes and it's nice to have a portable device to use outside the home.
Very useful, I wish to put together a physical library of my favorite music, and cassettes fit my habit for collecting old stuff. Thanks a lot!
I used to use a pen to rewind tapes in order to save battery back in the days.
yeah batteries back then used to be really expensive!
I remember when I was young, all my tape recorders stopped working. Even my personal tape recorder, or Walkman recorder. All I had was a Walkman which could only play or fast forward. Don’t know how I ever survive without the rewind feature.
Yea we used to do that.
Same here! Used to spin out around
Sony walkman professional... my dream walkman....lots of bootleg recordings of gigs were done with this amazing device
guillermo sahuquillo yep, mine too... just bought one on eBay, hope it arrives ok.
Do one on aiwa models. There was nothing wrong with them at all.
AIWA was the one to have if you couldn't justify the cost of the Sony.
That is not strange since Sony was a major share holder of Aiwa.
BoloYung That was later.
Sanyo too...
I'm an AIWA boi, but I have a Walkman lol. Everything else like my VCR is AIWA tho.
I recently got myself a used Sony WM-FX195 which doesn't have as many fancy features as the models featured in this video. Paid like 20$ for it and I love it. It has a new belt in it and sounds pretty reasonable for something that was made back in 1999 and had quite a history since then. This is my first cassette experience and although it sounds not as good as digital, finding cassettes and especially cassettes that sound good for cheap just can't be compared to downloading digital music. Keep the cassette trend going, they've deserved it
Amazing sound from those little guys. Had a walkman but it wasn't from sony, used it everyday. And for everyone wondering about the music at 19:04, it's called Silver Image-Hold My Hands
Thank's
I had a DD9 - not sure if i threw it away! Absolutely amazing sound and build quality. Wow and flutter were non-existent unless you shook the hell out of the unit.
I also had the first Sony Walkman (TPS-L2) which as a kid was amazing because it had a (orange) 'TALK' button which made you feel like you also had a Walkie-Talkie - although you were only muting the music to talk to yourself through the headphones!
My Sony walkman got me thru high school.
I traded my discman for a mongoose race bmx
College in the 80's-90's MIX TAPES! :)
My iPod touch git me through high school
I had a couple of them, I really wish I knew where the last one went, it was an Aiwa but equal to any of these Sonys.
Techmoan is my drug
Tommy Sands techmoan dosent take drugs, drugs take techmoan
@@rygdoomed442 😂😂😂😂😂👌
Well, I guess, stay in drugs, eat your school, don’t do veggies.
The first Sony Walkman I really looked at, and lusted for was around 1980. I have no idea what model it was, but it was one of the high-end super compact silver metal cased radio-cassette units WITH recording. Alas, it was also at least $200! As a self-employed, working stiff, paying solo for his first apartment, $200 wasn't happening. Several years after, I did buy a basic plastic Sony radio-cassette model new, for about $40 maybe. Over the years, I've picked up a bunch at thrift-stores and yard-sales, including a D6-C for $10. But the only other Walkman I ever bought new was sometime in the early 90s. Again, I don't remember the model. But it was black plastic radio-cassette WITH recording, including a mini tie-clip stereo-mic for $90. I still have that one, plus its' twin from a yard-sale. But the walkman I currently use is a WM-FX290 from I'm guessing - late 90s. Cassette/AM/FM/TV/WB two-tone charcoal & silver plastic, digital display, with (according to the flashy sticker still present) 40 preset stations and up to 35 Hours on ONE AA battery! 🙂
this man has a warehouse to store all his electronic devices. sort of museum...
His passion for old technology is infinite... Bravo Techmoan!.
Where have the years gone? Nice trip down memory lane, I still have my D3, beautifully made & still sounds wonderful.
I would like to recommend the PANASONIC RQ-SX15 had it when it first came out. great sound compact and good battery life.
Aiwa made some great budget ones.
I really love those metal builds!!!
i bought a sony digital am/fm cassette recorder player (no speaker). took the cassette parts out, replaced it with a thin, but good, speaker, made holes in the case, and it plays perfectly! it also has 40 pre-set channels! (a similar unit on amazon is for $100, with only 9 preset channels).
i bought another sony, different kind, but did the same thing, and it too, works perfectly! got them from a thrift store for $5 apiece!!!
I had a Sony wma 39. Loved it. Mega bass, multidirectional playback, eq on the front. Accompanied me on my arduous commute to and from college in elephant and Castle. Loved it
Take a drink every time he says "Beautiful".
Freako "You know that is actually before my time!"
Feeling drunk isbeautifull
Im so really to get drunk.
Damit im drankNaw
i clocked out 3 martinis ago, im barely concious
I've got a Sony MP3 Walkman. The sound is so much better than the tinny iPod Classic I had before.
Apple always tried making people believe their stuff was better than it actually was...They still do...
This could've EASILY had a click-bait title. Major props for never going that route!
How would it be written??? Cmon!
From the age of 10, i already have walkmans, listening to songs all the time. Now, i still listens to song wherever i go
I have wm 36 and absolutely love it. I don't take it out its just at the side of my bed and find it really relaxing to listen to takes me back to the 1980s.
That WM-D6C sound awesome.
At the end of the cassette era, I got an Aiwa unit with a gum stick battery. One thing to note is the older units that had a play push button was pushing the play head into the tape. The units with soft touch leave the head on the tape. Some of the tapes I forgot were in there, the head could cause that portion of the tape to get degraded. Not totally blanked out, but noticeable. I knew what had happened when I flipped the side and heard the same distortion on that side as well.
I'd also say to not discount Toshiba, Panasonic, Sanyo, and Hitachi personal radio/cassette players from the early 1990's. They were just as good, but not as expensive as Sony. Had those last just fine with no problems until either given away (after getting a newer model) or having been stolen.
Agreed. My mum bought a Hitachi one in the 80s and it was so well made and sturdy.
the walkman professional is on another level all together . journalists in the field used this to do on the spot interviews with a stereo mini mic that popped into one of the outlets on the side . the quality of recording g and playback was unmatched . it had Sendust heads as good as any on full size pro cassette decks. . the rest of them are toys compared to the pro model .
i used one as my source on top of my monstrous Polk SDA speakers and the sound was phenomnal.
@Techmoan You left out a great model. This had a speaker which played when you pulled the headphones out. I ended up listening far more with the speaker in my room than walking around with headphones. It became my whole music system through grad school and a few more years. Used it till the belt gave out. A true joy.
BTW the professional series doesn't sound as good as a cassette deck so if you're not going to move around with it buy a cassette deck instead. To hook up to your amp.
I've got a request...could you do a video on different styluses for a vinyl player? I'd like to upgrade mine.
Well, that would be very hard. It depends on your record player and the amp, so would be very specific
It’d depend on the cartridge and cartridge type.
Thank you for the excellent video, I’ve been thinking about finding a walkman myself, and you gave me a lot to consider.
I'm currently rocking a 1981 Sony Walkman WM-1 Myself.
When my tape deck died back in 99, I couldn't afford to buy a new machine that was decent. A friend of mine gave me his sony D6C, and I have been using it connected to my stereo system ever since. It works and sounds great. I don't use it all that much, but when I have a urge to listen to one of my tapes, it's there for me.
Just got my WM-D6C in the mail yesterday. Completely mint condition, not a single scratch on it. It came with its leather case but no other accessories besides the battery cage. The sound from this thing is absolutely insane. If you can find one of these in good condition for a decent price, BUY IT!
0:24 Video was recorded on August 21 2017 day of the eclipse. Nice clock by the way. Military time.
Sony WM-DD33 was 'best of the test' in the Dutch consumer association "Consumentenbond" back in the days.
One of the best. Very low wow and flutter.
I've seen something on Facebook I'd like to see a video on. It's a record eater. They are ways to play your 45s anywhere. Introduced in the 60s. Please like this so techmoan can see it
My first major purchase after getting a job was a Sony Boodo Khan (WM DD100) in 1987. I loved that player and used it for over 10 years until it finally died after one too many drops. Worth every penny.
I happened to have found my dad's Walkman in the model WM-F2,it works as smooth as butter 😍❤❤❤❤👌
They're so damn expensive now..:(
True. You can buy one at Amazon, eBay or Etsy
Depends what model you want. So this is not really true
Now? They always were. Where've you been?
Not if you ignore the models shown in the video. I got a like new Sony WM-FX403 for $24 shipped from ebay. It works great, auto reverse AVLS 1 and 2 and a Chrome switch.
Look for one and you won't regret it.
I got one for 7$, it works
I am holding a YELLOW WM-AF59 Sony SPORTS model I found in the recycling bin a few weeks back!
I just missed the Walkman era by a few years. I've used a Discman though. I want both now but not at these ridiculous prices.
Thanks for the sound test! That was the best part. Please re-post this video once you get the DDs working.
I miss the one I bought new around 1988 which was the same size as a cassette tape. When you didn’t have a tape and only wanted to used the radio, it would fold down about an inch and became smaller. I love that thing and took with me on my first trip to Europe in the end of 89 and have to my Spanish gf. Now it’s a collectors item and very expensive and desirable. Oh and it was made out of metal.
Back then they would come out with so many new models and the thinner the better and most made out of metal. So they were stunning and for a gadget freak like myself, I wanted them all but most only bought when they need one and was not collecting them. So now I’m glad many are making sense of collecting them now. Most no longer work and need repairing.
I did about 6 years ago find the first Aony Walkman in mint condition with a brown leather cover protecting and preserving it all these decades. Oh and I was shocked finding at a flea market getting there late and many most likely passed up bc it didn’t work and felt it was iseless. So I manage to get for only $12. Well I tried to get for $8. bc it didn’t work, but the seller said no and I said no problem and I’ll give you $12. A few months lather, I ended up listing on eBay and sold for about $185. in a few days. Yes, you can still get tip dollars on iconic rare items on eBay. I wish I had hundreds of them and would make tons of money. Lol!
how about a discman / cd walkman version of this video??
kassie2k4 oh yes. I still have my Sony ATRAC3 Plus Discman that I've had fur about 12 years now. Still works great. But love having 300 songs on one CD. A poor mans iPod back in the day lol.
Nice idea!
I had Sony D321. Don't know why it stopped working. Doesn't turn on anymore
InflatablePlane How do you fit 300 songs on a cd?
ATRAC3 compression, comparable to MP3.
Dam you - now I also need to buy a walkman...
iooi Just waiting on a method to convert my Flac files to 8 track.
I wouldn't mind having a DD just for the repair experience.
Wav-or-any-sort-of-files through D/A converter to U-matic video tape. That's a thing, I heard. Wouldn't a U-matic machine make a great "walkman" portable player? I remember when I used a full-sized VHS-HiFi- as a cheap alternative to reel-to-reel. Unfortunately my ears were too sensitive to the audible artefacts, then. My ears are older now, so perhaps I should try it. Probably wouldn't hear the flaws these days. Buyt what kind of music to play on it? Rings of Saturn? :/
Tapes sound like garbage, just listen to the bass on that brand new tape, it's barely there and horribly distorted.
That's right, the sound isn't all that good. Which is why i used a CD-player and an MP3 player as soon as those were available. Even S3 Rio with its rather horrible sound and just 64MB Flash beat a cassette player.
But still, mechanical things have their own appeal.
Minidisc is still my format of choice, really.
For a physical format I have to agree, I sadly sold mine on eBay in the early 00's because I needed the money for a move. On to eBay to find another one :-). Edit: After looking on eBay, damn I don't remember MiniDisc being this expensive, but I vow to find one at a decent price. :-)
Ewww. ATRAC is a degradation from CD quality.
KRAFTWERK2K6 Keep looking, I found some on eBay from Japan for under $4/each shipped. And there's no reason to avoid used MiniDiscs, either, which you can usually get quite cheap.
+mikokuijn Overall It's not about the sound quality, but the more about owning/using the physical players, and actual MiniDisc, as personally I find the format overall has a weirdly charming effect and, while I currently don't own a mini disc player/recorder it's what makes me want to find one again at a good price, but I do own a media player adapter for my GameBoy Advance/DS Lite that uses Compact Flash cards with a really odd format for the audio, and video which even in it's highest sound quality settings when converting over Mp3, and FLAC files to it sounds like muffled crap with a lot of compression noise over the entire audio file, and the movies are a pixel mess as well, but I still sometimes use it just because of the quarky charm, and also it reminds me how far we have come since the early days of portable digital media players.
rjk same here only bought my md recorder and player last year and I can't hear the difference between that and cd imo so..
Just bought a Wm-fx407 for about 50 on ebay (the belt fell off in transit and was worn out so I had to replace it, and the seller compensated me 22 dollars for the new belt and time, so really I payed about 40 for it) Really happy with it and I think it's a good walkman for the price they go for, had everything you could want on a portable Cassette player, Dolby Nr 2, auto reverse, Mega bass, and an Am/fm radio. It's suprisingly small too, it's a little thick but it fits in my jean pocket fine. Only downside I've noticed so far is that it has tabs instead of screws and you have to pop off 2 of them inside the cassette bay to get the back off. Luckly once you carefully remove the back, the belt is right there along with screws that adjust various things. Cool think is if you need to adjust the speed, theres a hole on the back that lets you get to the screw that adjusts that. Really happy with it though, highly recommend.
These are some fancy Walkmans. The last one I had a WM-FX28 - all plastic and no auto-reverse but loved it none the less. I still remember being at the store with mom to buy it - these things weren't cheap. Used it through high-school. Now I'm gonna have to dig it up the next time I'm over at my parents.
Sony has always been a quality brand. I never had any trouble with their products.
You and me both! What Sony products do you have? Had?
Techmoan, I cried when my Aiwa knock-off Walkman died.
Aiwas tape players were no knock off or rip off.
They designed all the early Walkman's for Sony.
I just bought a Japanese-import Walkman... an *MD* one
Yup. Have been using for the last year, and it's perfect for tram commutes to university. Set timer to journey time and enjoy. Also surprisingly about 1'5 to 2 times more powerful than my smartphone headphone output is able to pump o_0. And Net-MD is a breeze (works on Win7, wasn't able to make it work on my Win10 laptop however), just drag and drop your fav songs.
My main problem is that the aforementioned Net-MD doesn't support japanese characters, despite the player (MZ-N910) having a japanese character set, so I have to rename the files on PC to romaji and then back to kana on the player. Though that has it's own fun too))
The one cassette walkman you need to review if you can get your hands on is the solar walkman that is also waterproof. It came from those awkward yellow rubber feel water gasket knobs, but this unit could be charged by the outdoor sun as well as indoor light. It also used one AA battery for backup. Worked best by the pool or beach.
I'm an old fart and used to be quite the walkman-freak... I still own two of them.. a DD9 and a D100 Boodo-Kan and although I haven't used them in years, I would not sell them because of nostalgic reasons actually. They remind me of better days :)
5:13 Sounds like the engine room scene from "Titanic".
sounds like a horse galloping.
I've got an old onkyo
TA-RW470 (from 1988 I think)
Dual deck hi-fi machine. The rubber bands have gone mushy. I can't get to them because of the circuit board, and once I took it out I couldn't get enough grip on the screws. Any ideas?
I've repaired dd walkmans I use a gear from a cheap arse kids rc helicopter just chop it up and glue it in I've done 3 and as far as I know they are still running I'm in Yorkshire techmoan inbox me if you want
Technics Guy you sir are a mcgyper.
Technics Guy which heli is it?
As nice as it is to turn a non-working machine into one that works, the DD walkman series had a proprietary gear, meaning there's no way that one from an rc helicopter is the same as the original. It might work, but it might also cause unnecessary noise or even wear over time.
You can buy new ones now, the project techmoan mentioned in the video with the replacement gears being made was successful. The brass model was only a prototype, the ones you can buy are made out of plastic. If anyone wants to fix one, get that instead, it's worth it.
I got a SONY WM-D6C for free today! I had to use some contact cleaner to bring it back to life but holy crap! I have been enjoying your videos for awhile and was delighted when I got it...I wish I could have called you and shared in the excitement :)
I still have a Sony WM-F18 that I bought new in the late 1980s that still works although it's developed a slight buzz in the audio output. Non the less amazing that it still functions today after more than 30 years!
Is it like a staticy noise or a screechey noise?
It’s a buzz sound like something in the motor is going but I can hear it in the audio output