This archive is independently built and maintained.

If you find it useful, you can support it. Support the archive

1996

WM-EQ2

First Beans
WM-EQ2

The WM-EQ2 belonged to Sony's Beans Walkman cassette series, abandoning the conventional rectangular player shape for a rounded bean-like body with a translucent skeleton shell. Its transparent panels exposed the tape mechanism and moving internal parts as part of the design itself, making playback visibly mechanical rather than hiding it behind opaque plastic. Auto-reverse playback and standard transport controls were integrated into the curved body, keeping the device easy to use despite the unconventional form.

This is one of the clearest examples of Sony trying to keep the cassette interesting through industrial design rather than another round of transport refinement. By the mid-1990s, the Walkman was already a familiar object, and the EQ2 worked precisely by making that object feel unusual again. It feels less like a technical milestone than a playful reminder that portable cassette players could still be visually surprising.

The WM-EQ2 introduced a compact, rounded cassette design that later shaped what became known as the Beans Walkman line. Its translucent shell turned the EQ2 into more of an accessory than a traditional portable player, emphasizing portability and visual identity over conventional form.

The feature set matched its casual intent. Auto Reverse kept playback continuous, Dolby B handled noise reduction, and the transport controls sat along the outer edge to preserve the smooth exterior.

Sony paired the unit with skeleton-style headphones, and the translucent housing let parts of the mechanism show through under certain lighting. The EQ2 also started a short run of variations built on the same tiny chassis.

The EQ3 added luminous material, the EQ5 and EQ7 introduced textured and rubberized finishes, and the EQ9 included miniature speakers. With its small footprint and clear visual identity, the EQ2 set the direction for this mid-nineties branch of cassette Walkman design.

Sony Walkman in 1996 View all Walkman models >
WM-EQ2

Continue

Related Walkman

Walkman in 1996

Sony portable audio in 1996