Rare Sony WM - FX55 Portable Cassette Player Walkman Metal Body.
Item History & Price
This rare model is in good condition. The radio is working fine on both bands. Cassette powers up and indicator light flashes, but does not turn. Probably needs a new belt. Includes the remote adapter for standard plug in, but there is no headphone. Also includes vinyl carrying case shown. Description below is from Radio Museum.
Rare Sony WM-FX55 Portable Cassette Player Walkman, Metal Body, This unusual radio/cassette model used similar mechanicals to ...the WM-EX70. It offered a good range of features, such as auto reverse, full logic operation with remote control, Dolby B NR, “mega bass” and an AM/FM stereo radio with a digital display and the ability to store pre-tuned programmes.Instead of providing a “hold” switch to lock the keys, a sliding cover over the tape transport/radio control keys prevented accidental operation. Five small silver buttons were hidden behind this cover, and unusually, most had a dual function, differing if the radio or tape was selected.Over the years, it had become normal Sony practice for compact Walkman models to house the radio circuitry in the cassette door. The WM-FX55 was different in this respect as all the circuitry was housed together, leaving the cassette door as just that. To package the complex assemblies like this, two layers of printed circuit boards were required. This made the overall depth of the assembly larger, so there was little point in using the flat type rechargeable battery, so two standard “AA” cells were used instead. These were loaded, as the rechargeable types usually were, through a small hinged door in one corner of the case. Servicing the WM-FX55 mechanism would have been difficult and tedious had the designers not fitted easily demountable multi-way connectors between the various electronic subassemblies, an unusual thing to do in a piece of miniature equipment.A full-function remote control unit that operated both the radio and the cassette player was included in-line with the headphone lead. This required that the headphones should have a non-standard plug, but to allow more conventional types of headphone to be used a special adaptor was included with each machine that could accommodate a standard 3.5mm plug.For model FM/AM Radio Cassette Player WM-FX55, Sony Corporation; Tokyo Country: JapanManufacturer / Brand: Sony Corporation; TokyoYear: 1992Category: Broadcast Receiver - or past WW2 TunerSemiconductors (the count is only for transistors)Semiconductors present.Main principlePLL, Phase-locked loopWave bandsBroadcast (BC) and FM or UHF.DetailsCassette-Recorder or -PlayerPower type and voltageDry Batteries / 2 x 1.5 VoltLoudspeaker- only for Earphone!Power out0.01 W (unknown quality)from Radiomuseum.orgModel: FM/AM Radio Cassette Player WM-FX55 - Sony Corporation; TokyoMaterialModern plastics (no Bakelite or Catalin)ShapeVery small Portable or Pocket-Set (Handheld) < 8 inch.Dimensions (WHD)114.5 x 80.7 x 31.8 mm / 4.5 x 3.2 x 1.3 inchNotesPLL Synthesizer Tuner, Frequency response (Dolby B NR off) 40 - 15.000 Hz, Auto Reverse, Remote Control, Mega Bass, 2 x Bass Expansion Circuit.Net weight (2.2 lb = 1 kg)0.230 kg / 0 lb 8.1 oz (0.507 lb)Model page created by Jörg Holtzapfel. See "Data change" for further contributors.
Rare Sony WM-FX55 Portable Cassette Player Walkman, Metal Body, This unusual radio/cassette model used similar mechanicals to ...the WM-EX70. It offered a good range of features, such as auto reverse, full logic operation with remote control, Dolby B NR, “mega bass” and an AM/FM stereo radio with a digital display and the ability to store pre-tuned programmes.Instead of providing a “hold” switch to lock the keys, a sliding cover over the tape transport/radio control keys prevented accidental operation. Five small silver buttons were hidden behind this cover, and unusually, most had a dual function, differing if the radio or tape was selected.Over the years, it had become normal Sony practice for compact Walkman models to house the radio circuitry in the cassette door. The WM-FX55 was different in this respect as all the circuitry was housed together, leaving the cassette door as just that. To package the complex assemblies like this, two layers of printed circuit boards were required. This made the overall depth of the assembly larger, so there was little point in using the flat type rechargeable battery, so two standard “AA” cells were used instead. These were loaded, as the rechargeable types usually were, through a small hinged door in one corner of the case. Servicing the WM-FX55 mechanism would have been difficult and tedious had the designers not fitted easily demountable multi-way connectors between the various electronic subassemblies, an unusual thing to do in a piece of miniature equipment.A full-function remote control unit that operated both the radio and the cassette player was included in-line with the headphone lead. This required that the headphones should have a non-standard plug, but to allow more conventional types of headphone to be used a special adaptor was included with each machine that could accommodate a standard 3.5mm plug.For model FM/AM Radio Cassette Player WM-FX55, Sony Corporation; Tokyo Country: JapanManufacturer / Brand: Sony Corporation; TokyoYear: 1992Category: Broadcast Receiver - or past WW2 TunerSemiconductors (the count is only for transistors)Semiconductors present.Main principlePLL, Phase-locked loopWave bandsBroadcast (BC) and FM or UHF.DetailsCassette-Recorder or -PlayerPower type and voltageDry Batteries / 2 x 1.5 VoltLoudspeaker- only for Earphone!Power out0.01 W (unknown quality)from Radiomuseum.orgModel: FM/AM Radio Cassette Player WM-FX55 - Sony Corporation; TokyoMaterialModern plastics (no Bakelite or Catalin)ShapeVery small Portable or Pocket-Set (Handheld) < 8 inch.Dimensions (WHD)114.5 x 80.7 x 31.8 mm / 4.5 x 3.2 x 1.3 inchNotesPLL Synthesizer Tuner, Frequency response (Dolby B NR off) 40 - 15.000 Hz, Auto Reverse, Remote Control, Mega Bass, 2 x Bass Expansion Circuit.Net weight (2.2 lb = 1 kg)0.230 kg / 0 lb 8.1 oz (0.507 lb)Model page created by Jörg Holtzapfel. See "Data change" for further contributors.
