WM-FX5

The WM-FX5 is a radio-equipped cassette Walkman often nicknamed the "Mirror Walkman" thanks to its reflective front finish, which gave the player a slightly more fashion-conscious appearance than many ordinary FX models. It combined cassette playback with a global-band digital tuner covering FM, AM, and TV audio frequencies, while 36x music search sped up track access on tape. Auto-reverse and basic sound enhancement rounded out the package in a slim body that still prioritized portable radio convenience as much as cassette use.

This is one of those models where Sony was clearly trying to keep the radio Walkman visually fresh instead of merely practical. The FX5 was not a flagship tuner machine or a technical outlier, but it understood that by 1997 a player could still stand out through how it looked and how quickly it moved through everyday functions. It is a machine built for urban use instead of for hi-fi seriousness.