1996

WM-EX5

50th Anniversary

The WM-EX5 was one of the more visually assertive cassette Walkmans Sony produced in the mid-1990s. It was built around a polished mirrored cassette lid that reflected its surroundings and nearly concealed the tape behind it. Instead of the more familiar side-opening arrangement, the cassette loaded lengthwise like a car stereo, while most transport controls were hidden behind a slide-down rear panel to keep the front unusually clean. Auto-reverse, Dolby B, Mega Bass, AMS, blank skip, and AVLS were all present beneath the style-heavy exterior.

Released in the year of Sony's 50th anniversary, the EX5 feels like a model meant to give the cassette Walkman glamour again at a time when the category was becoming visually familiar. The mirror lid and silver carry pouch pushed it closer to personal accessory territory than most ordinary EX players. It is a mid-1990s Sony object: not subtle, but very self-aware.

Sony marked its fiftieth anniversary with a cassette Walkman, not to challenge Discman or MiniDisc, but to acknowledge where the company began. The WM-EX5 worked as a symbolic object, shaped more by reflection than competition.

Its polished mirror surface hid a side-loading cassette door, and the soft grey trim framed the player with the quiet formality of a commemorative piece. Controls were kept minimal.

Volume, Dolby, and battery indicators lined the top edge, while playback buttons sat behind a sliding rear panel. The bundled remote carried a blue electroluminescent display and provided full access to playback modes, sound presets, and track skip.

Its compact plug allowed easy headphone changes without losing control functions. The WM-EX5 presented the Walkman as a commemorative object, using design and presentation to reflect its legacy rather than extend its technical direction.

Sony Walkman in 1996 View all Walkman models >