WM-104

The WM-104 is a cassette-sized playback Walkman from 1986 that built on the same ultra-compact platform as the WM-102 while adding a five-band graphic equalizer and a hold switch. Auto-reverse and Dolby B carry over from the base design, while the gumstick battery system and metal frame preserve the same slim proportions. The equalizer sliders are visible and usable directly from the body, giving the player more personality and more immediate control without pushing it out of pocketable territory.

This model takes a design built around miniaturization and adds just enough extra control to feel expressive. Sony was clearly testing how much customization users would still want even once a Walkman had already become extremely compact. It sits in that mid-1980s space where portability was no longer the only selling point and the listening experience itself was starting to matter more again.