[UPDATE] Sony Japan announces Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary walkman

[OrpheusJoshua 126]

Sony Japan has announced that to celebrate the Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary, they will be selling commemorative Walkmen. Unfortunately, even when viewing the announcement page, no images of this item have been revealed. However, those who sign up with their Sony ID will receive a 10% coupon.

We'll be share to share further news on this unique and unexpected product when it is discussed in a greater capacity.

UPDATE (4/15/2022) : The announcement page has been updated to state that the walkman will come with a pair of wireless headphones and "etc," whatever the latter means. There are still no images for this upcoming product. 

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[Daz_4th 7]

woaahhhh

pretty sick!

[ocean's rage 772]

as in a caseate player?

[meatbun 2]

7 minutes ago, ocean's rage said:

as in a caseate player?

Most likely a portable digital music player, like the one they released to commemorate KH3 in 2019:

 

I bought this but never use it. The Japanese Walkman OS doesn't have any language options (which is strange since this same model in other regions do).

[ocean's rage 772]

2 hours ago, meatbun said:

Most likely a portable digital music player, like the one they released to commemorate KH3 in 2019:

 

I bought this but never use it. The Japanese Walkman OS doesn't have any language options (which is strange since this same model in other regions do).

ok that makes more sense 

[MegaChamp 4]

Is it bad that I don't even remember what that is? lol

[Movies798 1,358]

Pretty weak announcements, in my opinion. So far the Kingdom Hearts Tamagotchi were the best announcement this year. 

Edited April 8, 2022 by Movies798

[hawk222_1550644792 16]

A walkman is like an iphone from waaaaay back in the day. It plays cassette tapes (which predate Blu-ray, dvd, and video tapes) but has no calling capabilities

[Superslash 5]

Basically a bite sized boombox

[Sam N 10]

That uses headphones

[hawk222_1550644792 16]

Listen here, you whippersnappers

[Snakeskin94 13]

This is a bit right?

Or am I really that old 😔

[hawk222_1550644792 16]

One of us, one of us

[Snakeskin94 13]

No plz

Aging is cringe lol

[Daz_4th 7]

who the heII doesn't know what a waIkman is-

okay tbf, they weren't even in any 3rd worId country l've been to so

[OrpheusJoshua 126]

I had to look it up lmao

[Daz_4th 7]

fair enough

ngI tho it's a fitting coIIab, KH is known for it's kiIIer OST so why not have a KH themed music pIayer

[Mys. Carrot 1]

honestly i kinda want one

but the rest of the stuff in shop seems way overpriced, so i cant imagine how much it will cost

[Daz_4th 7]

once l see a picture, l might actuaIIy order one

l've needed a good soIo mp3 pIayer
iPhone isn't exactIy good with custom mp3s

[Mys. Carrot 1]

i just listen to spotify, but they dont have kh1 or 2 music

[Daz_4th 7]

is spotify even worth anything then

[meatbun 2]

43 minutes ago, Daz_4th said:

is spotify even worth anything then

The original KH Walkman came pre-installed with Face My Fears and Don't Think Twice in Hi-Res audio formats (higher sampling rates resulting in better sound - "hear as the artist intended", as Sony markets it). Not even a modern iPhone can produce the same sound as a dedicated device can, even using the same file. Though it comes as no surprise that people from all ages in the States have either forgotten about the Walkman brand or have never heard of it at all, it still remains a linchpin among audiophiles stateside and people abroad - it's still very popular in its home country along with many European countries. I'll wager you're already aware of most of this.

 

Spotify, while super convenient, streams compressed versions of music so it'll never hit the fidelity of typical tried-and-true Hi-Res formats. Most people have dull ears and value the ease of use, accessibility, and access to a huge music catalog over audio quality. I guarantee this isn't making it stateside, just like the KH3 one didn't.

Edited April 8, 2022 by meatbun
removed image upload

[Drakonas 0]

I'll shed some light on this for the underinformed. Digital Audio Players (DAP's) have been continually developed even though the old Walkman's are never heard about anymore.

This does not play Cassettes. It's meant to play digital formats, including but not limited to the MP3 format. There are much nicer quality digital formats like FLAC.

DAP's usually range from $250 to far above $1000, because they have hardware that far surpasses the audio quality of mobile phones, yes even LG's Quad DAC junk (which was actually 99% software).

Most people will not be able to tell the difference. It depends how good your ears are, which are different for everyone. Even with an MP3, you can hear a large difference with good hardware and decent entry-level headphones.

But be forwarned, most of Sony's DAP's are pricey, and they are generally geared towards consumers that have $500+ high end headphones or IEM's. They aren't intended for people to use with $20 Skullkids earbuds.

I have a feeling people will buy these just to sit on a shelf in their collection, which I won't shame, but I wanted to at least clarify since a lot of people don't know the developments in the audio hardware industry amidst this digital age we live in.

[Sam N 10]

Don't think of it as aging; just think of it as dying agonizingly slowly

[Snakeskin94 13]

That's not better 😢