the story
Summer vacation 1993 has begun, your bike is your primary form of transportation, sunscreen is apparently optional, and somebody has entrusted you with a Sony Sports Walkman that looks like it was designed to survive both a hurricane and your terrible decisions. The WM-SXF10 is peak legendary Sony Sports with screaming yellow, chunky gray armor, a cassette spinning inside and absolutely zero interest in being subtle. The strange part is that this one apparently missed the abuse these things were specifically built to endure. More than thirty years later it remains almost ridiculously clean, with only the faintest evidence that 1993 ever got its hands on it, and it’s still completely intact right down to its gaskets and that frequently missing little battery-door spring. We gave it the full treatment in the APD lab, and underneath all that impossible yellow is a tape player that sounds every bit as good as it looks. Load a cassette, snap that ridiculous door shut, grab your bike and go somewhere you probably should have told somebody you were going.
What You Get
• The unit itself — in near mint external condition with very minor bumps and bruises, fully serviced and ready for use, you’ll only need to supply 2 AA batteries. Pictures show the exact unit you’ll receive.
• Your choice of a freshly curated APD 80’s mixtape or a retro prerecorded tape from our archives
• A pair of period-correct Sony headphones (new)
• Original Sony belt clip
• Iconic Sony Sound - arguably sounds better than anything on the market today
• Legendary APD packaging with a custom sticker pack for a gift-worthy unboxing.
Features + Highlights
• Cr02 tape support
• AVLS - save your eardrums if you want
• Iconic Sony SPORTS design
• Intact “It’s a Sony” sticker
• Medium-sized format Walkman build — sturdy, built for real use
Service Provided (Nerd Stuff)
• Full off body cleaning and restoration
• Belt pathways fully cleaned and new premium belt installed
• Motor lubricated
• All contacts cleaned (crackle free)
• NAK-T100 Speed Adjusted, wow and flutter within spec
• Capstans and pinch rollers cleaned
• Head cleaned and demagnetized, azimuth adjusted
• Transport cleaned and lubricated
• Full playback tested
Condition + Character
• This reborn legend has fantastic cosmetics with almost no visible wear happening in it’s 33 years of life (see photos).
• Controls, sliders, knobs and tape door feel rock-solid and responsive.
• Cassette porthole clean and clear.
• Clean and corrosion-free battery contacts.
FCC information: This vintage Walkman is sold as a used device. The FCC’s adopted online-marketplace FCC-ID display rule exempts listings for used devices (47 CFR § 2.803(c)(3)(iii)).