Your Headphones Are About to Go Hi-Fi, Whether You Know it or Not

There’s no doubt about it—high fidelity digital audio is going mainstream. Gone are the days of a rigid divide between obsessive hobbyists soldering together homemade amplifiers and hipsters commuting in brightly colored earbuds. Consumers want better quality audio files and the hardware to enjoy them, and brands are happy to oblige with a flurry of gear and services to make it all possible.

Of all the brands exploring "Hi-Res" audio, Sony is pushing harder than the rest. It's hard to believe that in 2015 the internet is going crazy over a Walkman, but the new NW-ZX2 is turning a lot of heads. It's a dedicated music player, will set you back about $1,200, and looks nothing like your middle school cassette player. There's also an in-console car system, a collection of wireless speakers, and headphones to go with the Walkman; it's clear from the gold Hi-Res logos adorning most of its new audio products that Sony believes this is the way of the future.