The on-board technology and the quality of the build materials explains these high-end prices.

The most affordable model, the NW-WM1AM2, has an extremely strong aluminum alloy chassis that’s highly resistant to electrical noise and other interference, delivering high-quality sound with no compromise.

The NW-WM1ZM2 Signature features a 99.99% purity gold-plated oxygen-free copper chassis, again delivering high strength and clear, wide-ranging sound.

In both cases, everything has been considered to ensure faithful audio reproduction, right down to the lead-free soldering.

In addition to regular MP3 files, these audio players can read files in high definition, lossless formats, such as Flac or Apple Lossless.

Note that both devices have a headphones jack coupled with a digital amplifier to deliver a high-fidelity listening experience.

These two new Walkman devices run on Android and are Wi-Fi compatible. The 12.7cm touchscreen display is customisable, and the audio players offer 128 and 256 GB of storage respectively.

It’s also possible to add a micro SD card. Battery life is listed at nearly 40 hours of high-resolution audio playback. Both models should be rolling out in the spring.