WM-EX555

The WM-EX555 is a solid metal-bodied playback Walkman from the 1993 EX range, built around quiet operation and a more polished everyday user experience instead of a single standout technical trick. It offers auto-reverse, Dolby B noise reduction, Extended Dynamic Bass Boost, Automatic Music Sensor, blank skip, and a full-function remote with song-search capability, while dual headphone outputs allowed shared listening without additional accessories. The transport was notably subdued in use, which gave the whole machine a slightly more refined character than many ordinary midrange players.

What makes the EX555 notable is that it is Sony taking the daily-driver Walkman seriously. By then not every model needed a new mechanism or niche function to matter; sometimes the difference was simply that the machine felt quieter, smoother, and more complete over time. The EX555 is part of the branch where refinement itself had become the selling point.