Back in 1979, Sony released a small (by the decade's standards) plastic box that would revolutionise the way the world listened to music. Thirty six years and increasingly smaller boxes late, they're hoping to do it all over again with the ZX2 - a high-resolution Walkman.
This isn't an iPod beater, and while it will play the latest Android games, it's not meant to replace your preferred app device either. Sony's newest audio gadget is aimed squarely at music snobs - those obsessed with the highest quality audio you can pump into your ears. It's the sort of thing that sound engineers and people "in the know" only bother listening to.
Supporting a range of high res audio formats, the ZX2 also contains some neat tricks that bumps up the quality of MP3 files. Bass will sound deeper, trebles cleaner, and songs you'd thought you knew every inch of will suddenly gain a new depth that you didn't know they had (so long as they were mixed properly).
Built with a seemingly old-school aluminium frame and matt black rubber, the ZX2 marries new and old with both touch screen and buttons. But it's the price tag that pushes this firmly away from casual listeners: audiophiles can join the sound revolution for £949. Or wait a few years for Apple to bring out a cheaper version.
