Introduction
Since the debut of the first Walkman the TPS-L2 in 1979, Sony has sold more than 400 million Walkman portable music players, over 200 million of them were cassette players. Over the last 40 years, Sony has produced hundreds of models.
What's the Best Sounding Walkman?
But, what's the best sounding Sony Walkman? Well, most of the music enthusiast would agree that Sony's DD Line are among the best sounding Walkman ever produced. The DD system, with stands for "Disc Drive" has lower sound distortion and wow & flutter than belt driven mechanism. The lower the wow & flutter factor, the more stable the sound. These models also known to have wider frequency response. We can have a dedicated article to discuss the pros and cons of the DD system but to keep it short, let's just say that the DD models are the most stable, accurate and thus best sounding Sony Walkman.
The DD Models
WM-D6: Aimed at the professional market, Sony's WM-D6 was build like a tank. Some of the highlights are the disc drive system, quartz lock capstan servo, Dolby B support.
• Year: 1982
• Dimension: 170W x 38H x 93D mm
• Weight (including batteries): 640 g
• Power supply:
* AA batteries × 4
* Optional AC adapter AC-9
* Rechargeable battery (optional Battery Pack BP-23)
* Car battery (optional car battery code DCC-127A)
• Battery life: Manganese battery 2.5 hours, alkaline battery 5 hours (AA batteries)
• Maximum output: Headphone output 30 mw + 30 mw
• Wow & Flutter: 0.04% WRMS
• Frequency characteristic:
* 40 to 15,000 Hz ± 3 dB (when using metal tape)
* 40 to 15,000 Hz ± 3 dB (when using normal tape)
• SN ratio: 56 dB (METALLIC cassette)
• Noise Reduction: DOLBY-B
• Headphone: Optional (MDR-40T 5,300 yen)
• MSRP: 60,000 yen
WM-D6C: The WM-D6C outperforms any other portable cassette recorders and it even surpasses most professional cassette decks! New in the D6C is the addition of Dolby C NR thus the "C" in the model number. Also it was Sony's first portable cassette recorder to use an amorphous head.
• Year: 1984 ~ 2002
• Dimension: 170W x 38H x 93D mm
• Weight (including batteries): 640 g
• Power supply:
* AA batteries × 4
* Optional AC adapter AC-9
* Rechargeable battery (optional Battery Pack BP-23)
* Car battery (optional car battery code DCC-127A)
• Battery life: Manganese battery 2.5 hours, alkaline battery 5 hours (AA batteries)
• Maximum output: Headphone output 30 mw + 30 mw
• Wow & Flutter: 0.04% WRMS
• Frequency characteristic:
* 40 to 15,000 Hz ± 3 dB (when using metal tape)
* 40 to 15,000 Hz ± 3 dB (when using normal tape)
• SN ratio: 56 dB (METALLIC cassette)
• Noise Reduction: Dolby B, Dolby C
• Headphone: Optional (MDR-40T 5,300 yen)
• MSRP: 64,000 yen
WM-DD: The first DD combined the compact electronic of WM-2, the disc drive capstan servo mechanism similar to the TCD-D5 and the case from WM-5 into one amazing sounding unit. It was available in six fashionable colors: red, blue, green, black, silver and champagne.
• Dimension: 79W x 109.2H x 29D mm
• Weight (including batteries): 290 g
• Power supply:
* AA batteries × 2
* Optional AC adapter AC-39
* Car battery (optional car battery code DCC-127A, PC-200)
• Battery life:
* Manganese battery 4 hours
* Alkaline battery 9 hours (AA batteries)
• Maximum output: Headphone output 20 mw + 20 mw
• Wow & Flutter: 0.08% WRMS
• Frequency characteristic:
* 40 to 12,000 Hz (when using normal tape)
* 40 to 15,000 Hz (when using metal tape)
• Attached headphones: MDR-W 5
• MSRP: 28,000 yen
WM-DC2: Building on the excellent DD3, the DC2 was fitted with a special laser amorphous head and the addition of Dolby C support for even greater dynamic range. The DC2 was offered as a professional playback-only Walkman along side the WM-D6C and WM-D3. The DC2 also has Line Out that most Walkman don't have.
• Dimension: 79.6W x 110H x 33.2D mm
• Weight (including batteries): 305 g
• Power supply:
* AA batteries × 2 Power line
* Optional AC adapter AC-D4
* Car battery (optional car battery code DCC - 70)
• Battery life:
* Manganese battery 3.5 hours
* Alkaline battery 7 hours (AA batteries)
• Maximum output: Headphone output 20 mw + 20 mw
• Frequency characteristic:
* 40 to 15,000 Hz (when using metal tape)
• noise reduction: Dolby B, Dolby C
• Attached headphones: None
• MSRP: 35,000 yen
WM-DDII: The WM-DDII was based on the WM-DD with the addition of Dolby B. The DDII models were cheaper than the DD partly because it no longer come with headphone.
• Year: 1984
• Dimension: 79.6W x 110H x 33.2D mm
• Weight (including batteries): 305 g
• Power supply:
* AA batteries × 2 Power line
* Optional AC adapter AC-D4
* Car battery (optional car battery code DCC - 70)
• Battery life:
* Manganese battery 3.5 hours
* Alkaline battery 7 hours (AA batteries)
• Maximum output: Headphone output 20 mw + 20 mw
• Frequency characteristic:
* 40 to 15,000 Hz (when using metal tape)
• noise reduction: Dolby B, Dolby C
• Attached headphones: None
• MSRP: 24,000 yen
WM-D3: The WM-D3 was one of the three professional portable recorders, the other two being the WM-D6 and WM-D6C. The WM-D3 lacks Dolby C NR and support for recording on metal tapes.
• Year: 1987
• Body size (W x H x D): 125.4 × 82.3 × 37.3 mm
• Weight (including batteries): 370 g
• Power supply:
* AA batteries × 2 Power line
* Optional AC adapter AC-D2
* Car battery (optional car battery code DCC - 70)
• Battery life:
* Manganese battery 3.5 hours
* Alkaline battery 7 hours
• Maximum output:
• Headphone output 20 mw + 20 mw
• Noise Reduction: Dolby B (recording / playback)
• Attached headphones: None
• MSRP: 39,000 yen
WM-DD3: Building on the strengths of the WM-DDII model the WM-DD3 added a quartz-locked to the DD motor giving absolute speed stability under all operating conditions similar to the D6C.
• Year: 1990
• Body size: 79.7W × 110H × 32.8D mm
• Weight (including batteries): 290 g (10.3 oz).
• Frequency response: 10-15000 Hz
• Wow & flutter: 0.08% WRMS
• Power supply:
* AA batteries × 2 Power line
* Optional AC adapter AC-D2M
* Car battery (optional car battery code DCC - 70)
• Battery life:
* Sony batteries SUM-3(NS) battery 4 hours
* Alkaline battery 9 hours
• Maximum output: Headphone output 20 mw + 20 mw
• Noise Reduction: Dolby B
• Attached headphones: None
• MSRP: NA
WM-DD33: The WM-DD33 is basically a restyled DD30 almost all the technical details are the same as the DD30.
• Year: 1991 ~ 1994
• Body size: 82W × 109.8H × 33D mm
• Weight (including batteries): 285 g .
• Frequency response: 10-15000 Hz
• Wow & flutter: 0.08% WRMS
• Power supply:
* AA batteries × 2 Power line
* Optional AC adapter AC-D2M
* Car battery (optional car battery code DCC - 70)
• Battery life:
* Sony batteries SUM-3(NS) battery 4 hours
* Alkaline battery 9 hours
• Maximum output: Headphone output 10 mw + 10 mw
• Noise Reduction: Dolby B
• Attached headphones: None
• MSRP: NA
WM-DD9: The Sony DD9 is known for having the best sound quality of all Walkman's. Some even say that its sound quality can surpass the D6C! The DD9 is truely a special Walkman, it is the only Walkman that has dual motor. It has Dolby B, Dolby C, feather touch controls, Quartz lock and Capstan Servo, auto reverse, DBB or Megabass etc.
• Year: 1989
• Body size (W x H x D): 77.7 * 109.2 * 33.1 mm
• Weight (including rechargeable battery): 330 g
• Power supply:
* Attached gum type rechargeable battery (NC - 6 WM) × 1 AA batteries × 1
* Optional AC adapter AC-D1M
* Car battery (optional car battery code DCC - 70)
• Battery life:
* Manganese battery 1 hour
* Alkaline battery 5.5 hours (AA batteries)
* 2.5 hours (rechargeable battery)
• Maximum output: Headphone output 5 mw + 5 mw
• Noise reduction: Dolby B, Dolby C
• Attached headphones: MDR-E 575
• MSRP: 43,000 yen (excluding tax)
WM-DD100 Boodo Khan: The DD100 was based on the WM-DDII. However, the DD-100 included a switchable loudness circuit that boosted the extremes of the audio frequency range to give a more lifelike sound at low listening levels similar to Aiwa's DSL (Dynamic Super Loudness) or Megabass from Sony.
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