WM-F601

The WM-F601, known outside North America as the WM-F501, is a compact radio Walkman that balanced portability with a relatively mature late-1980s feature set. It offers auto-reverse playback, Dolby B noise reduction, Mega Bass, and AM/FM stereo reception inside a smaller body than many of the radio-equipped models around it, all powered by two AA batteries. This model clearly aimed to make the tuner branch feel less bulky and more naturally portable.

Sony was starting to compress the full-features radio Walkman into a more compact form without pushing it down into the budget end of the market. It was not a stripped-down tuner player, but a more pocketable interpretation of a category that had often leaned larger.