hi everyone I had one of these 2nd generation Sony Walkmans back in 1981, and was considering finding another. I’m just wondering how robust the mechanism is in this model and what tends to break, and what issues tend to crop up in the electronics..? My latest purchase is a Toshiba KT-vS1 (pictured), which looks great, but the ff/rw functionality being via pressing facial paddles which in turn physically press down the spindles to engage the gears is, in my view, a major design weakness. Maybe there are better Walkman models than the WM-2 that are ‘cassette sized’ which is what I’m after. Any views appreciated on the WM-2, or alternative Walkmans considered more robust Thanks
I'd say the WM-2s are quite reliable, even today. If you like them, most of the DD series is based from them. Though they're all prone to that well-discussed cracked gear problems. The WM-2 (the earlier ones, especially) are more robust, in that matter. National/Panasonic also used the spindle-pushing system in their higher end small units. Their's are well designed and works fine..
soundwise i've allways been a friend of those early Tosh/Pan- units, but as for design, style and handling the WM2 is in my eyes definitively the better unit to grab.
Sony made many different models that you can choose. All these models are about ! "cassette size" walkman units. including DD series , EX series.... It all depends on your budget. A walkman that can fit in your described category can be from $70 to $1500. So its hard to recommend you a specific model when there is no idea about your budget. Sony WM-2 is probably best Sony design when it comes to walkman, It design progressed to ALL DD walkmans. Most common problem of WM-2 is belt issue. WM-2 has a central gear as well but it is different than what you see in other DD series, It is thinner and less prone to crack (usually doesn't crack). Its diameter is slightly bigger than regular DD walkman central gear. Toshiba KT-vS1 is a good looking design walkman. This design is common in many Toshiba walkman units including AS series, RS series.... All Toshiba walkman with this design suffer the same problems: 1- the FFW and REW button are problematic most of the time. This related 2 different issues: crack in the gears and a crack in little black spool cap 2- the tape and Dolby selection buttons on the better models (AS, RS series) usually break during the repair. You have to be very careful and expert not to break these buttons
I have two WM-2 and find repairing them easier than any other walkman, much more so than a DD which is a better system but far more complex. I also like the simplicity of the WM-F1, the headphone amp is really powerful. But it’s quite heavy to carry around. The lightest walkman I have is an EX series, but I don’t like the plastic feel of any of this series
