WM-FX888

The WM-FX888 is part of the last higher-end radio Walkman, continuing the mature FX formula with a cleaner body design, an upgraded remote, and a more polished user interface than the lower-tier models surrounding it. It combined auto-reverse playback, Dolby B noise reduction, Mega Bass with Groove and Revitalizer modes, and 16x AMS track search with a world-band digital tuner for AM and FM reception. The bundled remote added a backlit display and support for charging-stand use, making the machine feel more complete and better suited to regular portable use than many of the simpler late cassette-radio players.

What makes the FX888 interesting is that it shows Sony still preserving a proper upper tier for people who wanted radio and cassette without dropping into the stripped-down end of the format. It was not especially radical, but it still treated the radio Walkman as something worth doing properly. That matters a lot this late in the story.