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Sony unveils three Walkman Signature Series audio players

Three updated players headline the range, led by a gold-plated model priced at $5,899, aimed at listeners wanting more than a smartphone; the phone also makes calls.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN Tonight
Published 7:48 PM ET, Friday, October 16, 2026

Photo: Walkman — Photo: Wikisympathisant · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

First reported by Popular Science: “Sony wants to DAP up your digital audio with the Walkman Signature Series”.
Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 7:48 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
BBN covered this story before: Amazon's devices chief on failure; Sony's new Walkmans (October 15).

The real story

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

Popular ScienceSony wants to DAP up your digital audio with the Walkman Signature Series

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentOn October fifteenth, twenty twenty-six, Popular Science reported that Sony is updating its Walkman Signature Series with three new digital audio players.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThey're standalone music players for people who want more than a smartphone offers, with flagship performance in a portable body.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA Walkman is back, and one of them is gold-plated! I need to be seen holding this on camera immediately.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentGold plating does not improve sound, Kenji. That's mistake number forty on my list, and it's only lunch.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentForty? I'm having a great day.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe hype says this is the future of listening. It's a music player. Phones got that job done years ago, and they also make calls.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentBut this one doesn't have notifications. It's like meditation, but expensive.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe catch is the price. The gold-plated model costs five thousand eight hundred ninety-nine dollars, and the story is that it plays songs.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFive thousand eight hundred ninety-nine dollars for a device that does one thing worse than the phone in your pocket. That's not premium audio, that's premium marketing.