Sony WM-EX560

The WM-EX560 and WM-EX562 were Walkman stereo cassette players manufactured by the Sony Corporation in 1998. Both units were virtually identical, with slight differences in the remote control style. In the EX560 design, the supplied headphone cord was integrated with the remote control and could not be separated. In addition, the in-line remote control did not have an LCD panel either, and therefore appeared to be a more simplistic low-cost option. This multi-page article is about the EX560 model and shows its features and specifications.

• Remote Control
• Auto Reverse
• Dolby B Noise Reduction
• Mega Bass and Groove
• Blank Skip (BL Skip)
• Automatic Music Sensor (AMS)
• Automatic Volume Limiter System (AVLS)
• Dimensions: 109.0 mm × 79.2 mm × 28.6 mm
• Mass: 145-g

Review

This unit has some good points going for it, such as having a battery compartment that accepts a standard size AA battery. With the Sony alkaline LR6 (SG), you can expect approximately 29-hours of playback operation. Those of you who love bass, you will love the Mega Bass function, and the Groove option provides even deeper bass. The sound quality is great providing you use a good pair of headphones with it.

This unit has a similar tape transport mechanism to the WM-EX552, and the drive belt is fairly simple to replace because it is not hidden under the main PCB. The electronic engineering is centred on three principle integrated circuits. The TA2072AF manufactured by the Toshiba Corporation, provides the preamp, power amp, and Dolby functionality, and interestingly, this IC is also used in the Aiwa PX387, which is why both models sound similar. The system controller is the MSM6576-83GS-K, which provides the logic control, and the MM1279XVBE is the driver for the 3-phase disc motor.

Price/eBay

These units are often for sale in the pre-used auction markets, and they can come in many different conditions. A unit in good working mint condition together with its original packaging and accessories would fetch a tidy sum on a good auction day; however a broken unit on its own with scratches will not be worth much more than the sum of its parts. It is a lovely bit of electronic engineering history for the avid collector, and the rest of this multi-page article shows photographs of some of its design aspects.

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