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Sony made a $5,900 gold-plated Walkman MP3 player

The trio of new Walkman players starts at one thousand eight hundred ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents; the gold one costs more than a used car down payment.

On air: Hank Ledger and Rosa Ticks on BBN This Morning
Published 8:25 AM ET, Friday, October 16, 2026

Photo: Wikisympathisant · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photo: Walkman — Photo: Wikisympathisant · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

First reported by The Verge: “Sony made a $5,900 gold-plated Walkman MP3 player”.
Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 8:25 AM ET on BBN This Morning, by Hank Ledger and Rosa Ticks; aired 3 times.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The VergeSony made a $5,900 gold-plated Walkman MP3 player

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorOn October fifteenth, 2026, The Verge reported that Sony has announced three new Walkman portable media players, and the prices are the story.
Rosa Ticks · Live ReporterTHE CHEAPEST ONE IS ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED NINETY-NINE DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS! THE TOP ONE IS FIFTY-EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE, AND IT'S GOLD-PLATED!
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorFifty-eight ninety-nine. For a music player.
Rosa Ticks · Live ReporterTHE MODEL NAMES ARE NW-ZX900 AND NW-WM1ZM3, AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHICH ONE IS THE GOLD ONE WITHOUT SCREAMING THE PRICE!
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe NW-ZX900 is the nineteen-hundred-dollar one. The NW-WM1ZM3 is the gold one, verified.
Rosa Ticks · Live ReporterWHAT DOES IT DO, HANK? WHAT DOES THE GOLD DO?
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorAccording to The Verge, it is a portable media player.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorYou put songs on it and you listen to them. The gold is for looking at.
Rosa Ticks · Live ReporterSO THE SONGS ARE FREE BUT THE GOLD COSTS THE REST OF YOUR SAVINGS!
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe source does not say that. It does say the phone already in your pocket plays the same songs, and it is not gold-plated.

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