WM-F47

The WM-F47 is part of the stranger multifunction Walkman of 1987, combining AM/FM stereo radio and cassette playback with a three-band graphic equalizer and an integrated solar-powered alarm clock. Its larger plastic body had to accommodate both the equalizer controls and the added clock circuitry, making it feel closer to a compact personal utility object than a pure audio player. The cassette mechanism itself remained fairly conventional underneath the extra functions.

The WM-F47 is part of the stage where the Walkman could already be strange without losing its identity. By the late 1980s, Sony was clearly willing to let some models become hybrids of listening, timing, and daily routine.