Sony NW-WM1AM3 Walkman – Reference Sound, Pocket-Sized Chassis

The Sony NW-WM1AM3 is the third generation of the WM1 Walkman, built for listeners who want a dedicated player with flagship-grade audio parts instead of a phone dongle. A milled aluminium frame now carries a gold-plated oxygen-free copper rear chassis, the power supply gets a second large solid-polymer capacitor, and the S-Master HX amp gains a look-ahead noise shaper. Find it at Soundium alongside the gold NW-WM1ZM3.

Key Features

• Gold-plated OFC rear chassis: Screwed directly to the aluminium frame and circuit board for a lower-resistance, more stable ground.
• Dual solid-polymer capacitors: Separate power reserves for the digital and analogue blocks keep digital noise out of the audio path.
• S-Master HX with look-ahead noise shaper: Three selectable shaping types sharpen transients and tighten the low end.
• DSD Remastering for every app: PCM is converted to 11.2 MHz DSD over a wired connection, now including streaming apps.
• 5.5-inch Full HD screen on Android 16: Run your streaming apps directly over Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax, 2.4/5/6 GHz).
• 4.4 mm balanced output: Native DSD up to 11.2 MHz and PCM up to 384 kHz/32-bit from the balanced jack.

Customer Benefits

Everything in the AM3 is aimed at one result: a blacker background and a more solid image from the same headphones you already own. The rebuilt grounding, larger 4N copper coil in the balanced output filter and direct OFC battery feed give vocals more body and the stage more air. Because the player runs Android, you can keep your streaming apps on the device and still get DSD Remastering and DSEE Ultimate upscaling, with up to 33 hours of 96 kHz FLAC playback in Sony's own music app.

Quick Specs

• Storage: 128 GB (approx. 91 GB available) + microSD/SDHC/SDXC slot
• Display: 5.5-inch (13.7 cm) Full HD 1920 × 1080 touchscreen
• Outputs: 4.4 mm balanced, 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack; USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1) with USB DAC mode
• Formats: DSD up to 11.2 MHz, FLAC/WAV/AIFF/ALAC up to 384 kHz, MQA, APE, MP3, AAC, WMA
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax, 2.4/5/6 GHz), Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX, AAC, SBC, LC3
• Battery: Up to 35 h MP3, 33 h FLAC 96 kHz/24-bit (W.Music app); approx. 4 h full charge
• Dimensions: 86 × 157.6 × 23.2 mm
• Weight: 425 g

What's in the Box

• Sony NW-WM1AM3 Walkman
• USB-A to USB-C cable
• Headphone jack caps (4.4 mm balanced and 3.5 mm stereo)
• USB-C port cap
• Operating instructions and reference guide

Ideal For

Balanced-headphone owners, listeners with large hi-res and DSD libraries, and anyone moving up from a WM1AM2 or ZX-series Walkman.

Compatibility

Compatible with Android music and streaming apps, wired headphones and IEMs (4.4 mm or 3.5 mm), LDAC and aptX Adaptive wireless headphones, and Mac/PC as a USB DAC.

Pros & Cons

✅ Pros:

• Copper rear chassis and dual capacitors from the flagship design
• DSD Remastering now works with streaming apps
• Larger Full HD screen and Wi-Fi 6E

⚠️ Cons:

• EU-spec headphone outputs are rated at 0.4–1.1 mW (32 Ω), so hard-to-drive headphones may need an external amp
• At 425 g it is a jacket-pocket player, not a jeans-pocket one

The Sony NW-WM1AM3 takes the parts that made the WM1 range famous and pushes them further, without the cost of solid copper. If you want a serious portable player that still runs your streaming apps, it is a strong place to land, and Soundium can help you match it with the right balanced headphones.