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The annual IFA show in Berlin, held in early September, is the autumn showcase event for big-name brand launches. This year was no exception, as Sony introduced the flagship Signature series to celebrate its 70th year. 

The new high-end audio range comprises the MDR-Z1R over-ear closed-back headphone (£1,700) fitted with 70mm HD drivers, which claims to achieve a wide frequency range that extends from 4Hz to 120kHz. A high-class luxury design, it’s made using premium materials and is supplied with a selection of connectivity options (including a 4.4mm headphone jack). 

To partner the MDR-Z1R, the TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier (£1,600) supports hi-res PCM and DSD audio files via the USB input’s built-in DAC. Although it has been designed to partner headsets from the Signature range, it comes equipped with both balanced and unbalanced connections, which enable it to be compatible with alternative headphones produced by other manufacturers.  

Two Walkman music players are also part of the new line, with the NW-WM1A 128GB model (£1,000) finished in black and a premium NW-WM1Z player (£2,500) housed in a gold-plated oxygen-free copper chassis (shown above) that offers 256GB of memory storage. Both music player models feature Sony’s S-Master HX digital amp technology as well as its LDAC wireless streaming tech using Bluetooth. Signature models hit the shops from this month. Click here for further details.