Sports series 3 – the Walkman® is up for the challenge

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Human beings love a challenge. We love to push ourselves, to set goals, to redefine our limits.

Back in 1875, the first person succeeded in swimming the English Channel. There wasn’t another successful attempt until 1911 – after 80 failures – but now over 1,700 people have completed the 37 km swim.

Now we’ve had ultra-marathons across the Sahara, the first ‘free solo’ climb (with no safety gear) of California’s 3,000 ft El Capitan mountain, and almost 7,000 ascents of Everest since 1953.

Our sporting challenges get ever more ambitious. We’re also breaking down barriers like access to sport for those with disabilities, to levels unimagined at the birth of the Paralympic movement in the 1940s and 50s.

 
Music on the move

When the first Sony Walkman® came out in 1979, not everyone thought it would be a success. Critics said no one would want a music player that couldn’t record, but it ended up being an icon. It was the height of 1980s “cool” to put on your Walkman, press play on the cassette tape and go for a jog. Times may have changed, but so has the Walkman! If you’re looking to test yourself with a new sporting challenge, the Walkman is ready too!

Meet the Sports Walkman

The latest Walkman range includes the NW-WS410 Series and the NW-WS620 Series – ‘all-in-one’ models designed for sport. Combining Sony Walkman MP3 players and wireless headphones [1], they offer total freedom of movement, top quality audio, and few limits in terms of training and terrain.

They’re ready for extremes because:
- They’re saltwater-proof, so you can actually wear them in the sea. They can also be washed after tough gym sessions
- The sealed design protects against sand, dust, grit and water
- They withstand temperatures from -5°C to 45°C (great for hiking and climbing)
- For safety and coaching, there’s Ambient Sound Mode for when you want to reduce volume quickly and hear what’s going on around you.

Vital statistics
- Both models weigh in at just 32g
- Their build is ergonomic, secure and stable, with a design that’s comfortable enough to wear for long periods
- 12 hours’ battery life will go the distance, plus you get Quick Charge capability
- You have space for your playlists with plenty of internal memory [2]
- Controls are built-in. It’s easy to drag and drop files from different music services and play different formats (including WMA, AAC-LC and L-PCM).

The NW-WS623 also has Bluetooth so you can stream music or take calls on your smartphone. With the NW-WS625 model, there’s a splash-proof Bluetooth remote control (to wear on your finger or wrist) for taking calls or changing tracks.

We think the Sports Walkman is the ultimate sporting companion, so now it’s over to you. What barriers will you break down? What challenges will you set? Let us know in the comments below.

NOTES:
1) Bluetooth with NW-WS620 Series only.
2) NW-WS413 and NW-WS623 have 4GB, NW-WS414 has 8GB and NW-WS625 has 16GB.