WM-EX610

The WM-EX610 is a midrange playback Walkman in Sony's 2000 EX lineup and one of the first cassette models to adopt the company's refreshed Walkman visual identity, including the new dotted "W" emblem and a more rounded, ergonomic control layout. Its circular body buttons were deliberately shaped and spaced for easier blind operation, making the player feel more intuitive in a pocket or bag than many flatter earlier designs. Inside, it offers auto-reverse playback, Dolby B noise reduction, Groove bass enhancement, Automatic Music Sensor, blank skip, logic-controlled transport, and long runtime through an external AA battery sidecar, all housed in a compact metal-framed shell.

This model shows Sony still putting real thought into the everyday cassette experience even after the format had clearly entered its late phase. Here, not a prestige model or a nostalgia object, but a carefully updated daily-use player built for people who still relied on tape without wanting anything theatrical. It is a practical Walkman from a time when practicality itself had become the product.