News of a new Sony Walkman (750 British pounds):
https://www.pocket-lint.com/gadgets/news/sony/149229-sony-unveils-new-walkman-with-hi-res-audio
So, it’s an Android device… will it just show up on your network as a Roon endpoint?
All kinds of audiophile goodies! Balanced output! Audiophile solder:
For clearer sound and vocals, a premium, audio-grade lead-free solder with a small amount of gold connects the circuit of the NW-ZX500 to the battery.
More importantly: usb-c. No more wm-port connector. Sweet!
How could anything be more important than being Roon-capable? 
Well, since my Walkman is used only outside of my home, Roon end-point support is meaningless. Oops… did I say that out-loud?
Oh my, it’s a miracle!
The FiiO M6 (mentioned elsewhere here in the Forums) looks to perform much better and cost much less. The problem with Sony and their portable audio gear is that it has always been expensive and not really standards compliant. I have Walkmen and Discmen from bygone ages, and they were top of the line. A Tape is a tape and a CD is a CD, not much to get wrong there (well, 'cept trying to copy protect CDs, ahem). But the Sony digital players have always been weird.
I always love posts that compare two products, based on what someone has read or long-ago experienced. And, of course, one is always MUCH BETTER and COSTS MUCH LESS.
The problem with Sony and their portable audio gear is that it has always been expensive and not really standards compliant.
But, okay, I’ll bite: other than the WM-PORT connector, how are current Walkman products not really standards compliant?
My NW-A55 supports every audio file format under the sun (well, except Ogg/Vorbis), uses standard microSD cards for storage, supports every Bluetooth audio/control protocol there is (both for transmitting to speakers/headphones and for receiving audio from my phone), supports standard headphone connectors, allows music upload via simple drag-and-drop (no PC software required).
Oh, I am talking about my experiences with Sony digital products when digital audio was just starting out. I’m talking about ATRAC and MemoryStick. I just wanted to have a modern (at the time) Walkman, but no, MP3 was just not what Sony wanted to deliver.
So, for 750 GBP in a DAP I really want to see outstandingly high SINAD, and functionality to boot. I don’t see any measurements for the device… so we’ll see. I fear that basically it’s Sony cashing in on the nostalgia of its products from bygone days, and not much more. We’ll see.
I too thought about this and Roon. The new Walkman has some things that interest me. Has fully balanced output, LDAC (with which I am impressed, having used it for a while), TIDAL will be available for it, wifi, USB DAC.
I use an iPhone with Roon on occasion, to drive bluetooth speakers (JBLs - singly or in multiples), but don’t like it with any really good headphones or system. Roon is used around the house here with quite a few endpoints - Ayre QX-5, EX-8, Rendu/Codex, as well as a medium level AV system and the aforementioned 'phones.
Sony tried hard to establish their tech as standards with Elcaset, Minidisc and such like, but never succeeded. What they are doing with hi res in portable seems pretty good to me. As for being expensive - the A40/45 retails at around £150 in the UK…
I use a low end Walkman right now (A45) with LDAC and WH/F-1000XM3s when traveling and find them a good combination. Using the new Walkman with Roon as a front end for active speakers, analogue amplifiers, good headphones in balanced mode (Cardas A8s and Sennheiser HD800S) and the like would be great. I can certainly see the benefits of it.
My Sony (ZX2) has a UPnP app. If it can do this, I’m pretty sure it could be a Roon Endpoint, as they are not so different in terns of data transfer.
I guess the real value, though, would be if it would function as a Roon Core, playing from local storage and Tidal/Qobuz. Given that many users would be existing Roon subscribers, it would really need to sync with your home Core too.
Any idea if the new Walkmans that were announced today would be capable of running the Roon app, and Roon Arc?
It has the play store so likely it will but it’s got limited ram and storage. But as Roon app isn’t bit perfect on Android it will resample it’s output and ARC currently isn’t bit perfect either until they sort it.
I would also look at the Fiio M11S a little more but it’s fully Roon Ready and bit perfect inside your home, as they built in Roon.
it runs ARC app fine and when Roon add bit perfect to ARC for daps DACs it will be feature complete.
The Sony looks good for battery life but lacks a lot f features of other devices.
I don’t think any Sony Android-enabled DAP will ever be Roon-Ready.
Roon ARC has added bit perfect already. Works fine on my Android phone with my Dragonfly Cobalt.
Not for DAPs dacs they haven’t only external USB dacs. Internal dacs are a whole other can of worms.
Hahahah! I have to salute the inventiveness of marketers. A small amount of gold is everywhere. There’s 0,2 mg of gold in every human as well
Sony cripple the audio output with an EU directive volume cap.
This is why I purchased a FiiO M17 rather than TOL Sony.
I ended up importing a NW-WM1Z from Hong Kong, with the High-Gain setting.
As you say, the European versions are a waste of time and money if you want to use your Sony player with headphones rather than IEM’s.