WM-FS493

The WM-FS493 is a Sports-series radio Walkman built for exercise and outdoor use, combining water-resistant construction with a digital synthesized FM/AM tuner, auto-reverse playback, three-state Mega Bass, and AVLS inside a larger standing plastic body. Its LCD display also incorporated a clock and stopwatch for lap timing, and the transport uses a three-phase disc motor to keep playback smoother during movement. Even compared with earlier Sports models, this one was clearly built around structured use.

This model is a very mid-1990s kind of Sports Walkman. Instead of trying to look radically tougher, it focuses on making the machine more useful during actual activity. Stopwatch, radio, stable playback, and water resistance all point toward a cassette player shaped by routine exercise instead of by pure branding.