WM-FX303

The WM-FX303 is a midrange radio Walkman that combined analog FM/AM tuning with Mega Bass and standard cassette playback in a straightforward two-AA plastic body. It also includes anti-rolling support and Sony's automatic volume limiting system, keeping the overall experience simple but a little more lively than the plainest FX models. The controls and tuner remained conventional and easy to use.

This radio Walkman probably made perfect sense to huge numbers of people at the time. The FX303 feels built around one clear promise: tape and radio, with a little extra punch. That may not sound dramatic now, but it is exactly the sort of everyday mainstream machine that holds the category together in the mid-1990s.