Hello readers, After the massive success of the WM-EX77 I imported from Japan late last year, I thought I would have another go at shopping for Walkmans from Japan. So, I was scanning the Yahoo auctions Japan website looking for a new Walkman to import today. I usually look about once every month in case something good happens to get posted. Yahoo auctions Japan always has a plethora of Walkmans to choose from, but I ONLY look for Walkmans based on these three conditions: 1. No battery leakage 2. original accessories/remotes included 3. Good physical condition I base how much each Walkman should cost on these conditions. If the physical condition is really good, I'll pay more than I may anticipate. I should mention I only buy a Walkman if it's mint or close to it unless I need a parts unit. So I found a Walkman that has all three of these conditions fulfilled, and it has them in spades... It's a WM-FX1, the elusive built-in radio variant of the 15th anniversary EX1. Has the main unit, AA battery holder, remote, and some headphones. some of the seller photos: This thing is so beautiful. I've never seen a used Walkman up for auction in this physical condition. I cant see any signs of physical wear from any of the photos the seller took, and he/she/they took a LOT of them from all different angles. I should also mention I paid $50 US dollars for it. I think this is the best deal I've yet to secure on Yahoo Japan. I'm very excited to get into the FX1, and do the belt replacement/repair to it. I hope some users here can offer me some good advice/experience with this model.
Great find, I don't have too many newer models and never used to find any like yours locally. The service manual is hosted on HiFi Engine if you don't have it. https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sony/wm-fx1.shtml So the super-cool thing about this model is that it has AM Stereo! I'm not sure if it's on anyone's AM Stereo List, I don't remember it. Here's a link to stations broadcasting in AM Stereo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AM_stereo_radio_stations
Wow, a fascinating read about the AM stereo. I've seen the AM stereo feature on a lot of Japanese SONY radio products, but have never owned a device with it. I have never found any of the EX1-5 or FX series in America, or frankly, any high end 90s Walkmans for that matter. A quick eBay search reveals that all EX1's or FX1's come from Japan with only a few from Russia or Greece. Unlike you, I actually have only had experience with 90s Walkmans, with the only exception being the WM-DC6. I love the sleek aspect of these 90s high-end units. They really attract me.
thanks for the list ... even if there are no stations broadcasting in stereo here ... maybe only locally on an experimental level ... I've never heard AM Stereo
I've got an AM Stereo Station right down the street, I just need to find a reciever to check it out. Recaptcha, I used to do a ton of thrifts and garage sales between sales calls and found a lot of the old "chunky" models. I did see a lot of low-end 90's Sonys but I've only got a handful that were given to me or part of a larger purchases with the exception of some of the nicer Sports Models, there's a thread somewhere around here where I posted them, they were all found locally.
*UPDATE* So the Walkman has arrived and now lives in my collection... I'm so happy with this FX1. It's one of the only Walkmans I've ever bought that didn't need an extensive cleanup from melted rubber belts. Belt was snapped, but still dry... unit is fully working now with no wow/flutter issues or quirks... which is not surprising. This thing was taken such good care of that the unit's rubber parts are still mint. After new belt, gumstick battery/charger, and Shipping/import fees I've spent in total roughly $100. The images the seller took were just not too great, so here are some glamour shots of this beauty:
