A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.17 - 1996: WM-FS397

 

1996 WM-FS397: The Refined Mid-90s Sports Walkman

The WM-FS397 is refinement, not reinvention. Long battery life, auto-reverse, Mega Bass, anti-rolling protection, and a drop-resistant shell defined the package. Manual radio tuning returned, dialing back gadgetry in favor of reliability.

A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.16 - 1995: WM-FS493

 

1995 WM-FS493: The Feature-Heavy Fitness Walkman

The WM-FS493 rides the mid-90s fitness boom. It combined water resistance with digital tuning, Mega Bass, auto-reverse, and a built-in clock and stopwatch. Timing and convenience mattered as much as playback. Long battery life and sealed construction took priority over mechanical novelty. By this point, Sports Walkman had shifted from endurance to routine.

A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.15 - 1993: WM-SX34

 

1993 WM-SX34: The Everyday Sports Walkman

The WM-SX34 shows the Sports line settling into routine. Auto-reverse, Mega Bass, AVLS, and anti-rolling protection covered the essentials, while radio and Dolby were left out. The standout detail is the extended belt clip that shields the volume wheel from accidental bumps. Nothing here is ambitious, and that’s the point. It simply works.

A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.14 - 1993: WM-SXF44

 

1993 WM-SXF44: Feature Convergence

The WM-SXF44 shows the Sports line at peak feature density. Digital tuning, auto-reverse, Dolby B, Mega Bass, auto volume control, anti-rolling protection, and a small LCD were all packed into the yellow shell. By this point, electronics had overtaken mechanics as the differentiator. This was no longer experimentation, but convergence with Sony’s mainstream lineup.

LP - Jornal de Música - nº 25

 Diretor: João Pedro Costa

ANO I

Nº 25

75$00

Semanário

19 de Abril de 1989

Capa: Pop Dell'Arte

+

Entropia Parva - Tirem-me da Garagem - 7 - pequeno artigo na página 6, por João Pedro Costa;

Pop Dell'Arte - Artigo e entrevista - 3 páginas, 16, 17 e 18, por Rafael Gouveia

Nova Ordem - fanzine de Monção, pequeno artigo na página 10, por João Duarte

Requiem Pelos Vivos - artigo / reportagem / de concerto em Sta. Maria da Feira, página 27, por Artur Abreu

A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.13 - 1991: WM-F2078

 

1991 WM-F2078: The Digital Turn

The WM-F2078 brought early-90s digital logic into the Sports line. Analog tuning gave way to a digital AM/FM tuner and an integrated alarm clock. The sealed yellow shell stayed, but the cassette window disappeared, replaced by electronic feedback. With Dolby B, auto-reverse, and DC-in, it reads more like a rugged everyday personal device than a field tool.

A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.12 - 1991: WM-SXF30

 

1991 WM-SXF30: The Sports Walkman Goes Global

The WM-SXF30 marks the shift from experimentation to standardization. Based on the WM-BF59, it kept auto-reverse, AM/FM radio, and water resistance, but moved production to Taiwan and adopted a more modular build. A metal internal frame improved rigidity, and pressure-relief vents showed lessons learned about sealing. Nothing here was radical, and that was the point.

A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.11 - 1989: WM-AF54

 

1989 WM-AF54: The Late-Era Sports Radio Workhorse

The WM-AF54 distilled the Sports line into a durable radio player built for long runtime. It paired water resistance with an AM/FM tuner, metal/normal tape selection, dual headphone jacks, and strong battery life. The design stayed conservative and bulky, tuned for reliability rather than novelty. By the end of the decade, this was the Sports Walkman’s baseline.