D-626

The D-626 is part of the strangest and most forward-looking Discmans of 1993, built around a wireless transmission system that sent audio to matching cordless headphones or a separate remote unit. It still retained three-second ESP and solid 1-bit audio hardware underneath, but the whole machine was clearly shaped around the idea of cutting the cable instead of simply refining the usual portable CD formula.

Untethered personal listening was already on Sony's mind long before it became a normal expectation. The D-626 was a genuine future-looking branch instead of a routine line extension, even if the real-world limitations in range and battery life kept it from becoming a mass-market direction at the time. That is exactly why it stands out.