WM-EX50

The WM-EX50 is an aluminum-bodied playback Walkman that pushed the EX line slightly further toward refinement and everyday polish by adding a digital clock display with built-in lithium backup to the usual cassette features. It offers auto-reverse, Dolby B noise reduction, manual tape selection, and a three-step Mega Bass system with Norm, Mid, and Max settings, all inside a slim metal case powered by a single AA battery. The lack of a cassette window made the body feel cleaner and more deliberate than many of its peers.

With EX50, you can see how Sony was starting to blend portable cassette listening with compact daily-life electronics in a more subtle way. The clock is not transformative, but it shifts the machine slightly from "audio player" toward "routine object." It reads more as a very early-1990s Sony move: practical, polished, and slightly more electronic than it first appears.