https://x.com/bandai13 from @Mister X in a previous post. Matsuo Bandai involved in the design of the much anticipated Sony IER-M500 in ear wired headphones to be released in August the pro/semi pro monitors were missing from Sony headphones catalog in an era dominated by wireless environment with an option for five pole balanced wires at an attractive price of about 120 euros I'm going to buy them as spares for my Sony NW- WM1Z. Continuing off topic as a sidenote there was an announcement on X that Sony no longer will supply Sony NW-WM1M2 walkman the last remaining in production, that signifies one very sad moment in the nearly 50 years of walkman production history ,at this point of time no Sony walkman is produced anymore you can buy only what stock remains at shops. There are rumours of a ZX-900 to be released but nothing official yet. The Sony IER-M500
Akira Tanaka is an exceptional case of a walkman designer, not only involved in the design of many 90s and beyond great walkmans he is also an avid walkman enthusiast , after his retirement is very active and popular on X usually in conversation with his colleagues in walkman design of the past. A lot of interesting walkman design details are revealed when ex-designers are telling stories that you couldn't possibly find out in any other way. An example is the opening at the back of the anniversary Sony WM-EX20 with the moving script "established 1979" that was suggested by Akira Tanaka to the responsible designer, an inspiration he had from a watch that you could see the movement behind the glass. Years ago he was interviewed by a special 20th walkman anniversary book (I bought the book a few years after it was published) they printed his first name wrong they told him it will be corrected in the second edition but there was never one. For the moment I'm gathering information of his designs. @Mister X already has posted his X account previously :
