WM-1

The WM-1 is Sony's third Walkman model and an early attempt to expand the category. It did not follow the miniaturized direction of the WM-2, instead using a simpler tape transport adapted from Sony's dictation-machine line inside a taller vertical body with a plastic shell over a metal frame. It includes dual headphone jacks for shared listening, mechanical cue and review, a manual tape-type selector, DC input, and a modest 2x30 mW output stage, all powered by four AA batteries. The controls are entirely analog and the machine feels more utilitarian than elegant.

Even this early, Sony was pushing the Walkman category downward and outward. The WM-1 tested whether personal stereo could survive in a less compact, less premium form if that meant lower cost and simpler production. From the moment the Walkman stopped being a single product and became a range, the WM-1 feels like a slightly awkward but useful branch of the family.