WM-3EX

The WM-3EX was the gold-plated premium variant of the WM-3, released in 1981 as a cosmetic alternative rather than a technical redesign. Beneath the finish, it used the same playback-only mechanism, tape selector, and dual headphone-jack layout as the standard model, retaining the familiar horizontal body and control arrangement. What changed was the presentation: a satin-gold exterior that pushed the Walkman a little closer to accessory territory.

It shows how quickly Sony recognized that the Walkman was becoming more than a piece of audio hardware. Even at this early stage, there was room in the range for versions aimed at taste and presentation rather than function alone. The WM-3EX is a small but telling sign that personal audio was already beginning to overlap with personal style.