WM-FX613

The WM-FX613 pushed the radio branch a little further by combining digital tuning, Mega Bass, and auto-reverse playback inside a durable portable body that stayed recognizably mainstream instead of premium. It uses a straightforward layout and two-AA power system while giving the radio side more precision and the cassette side more convenience than the lower FX machines around it. It felt like a cleaner, more complete version of the ordinary radio Walkman.

Sony is no longer inventing much in the FX line, just getting better at composition. The FX613 works because the right features are present and the wrong ones are absent. That kind of balance is often what defines a mature product category.