Just reading up on the Aurex Walky AX-W10C, yes this was released last year but some unassuming machine shop in Japan decided to release a modded version coming out in a few days (9/4/25). The website doesn't mention anything, it looks like computer cases are their main product. The X Account has a little more with product testing and the Rakuten Sales Page has much more with specs and broken down photos. It looks like they pulled parts like record and replaced with higher quality components. The original new unit is on ebay for $65 USD, the modded version is selling in Japan for 23,000 Yen (about $230 USD) Fun project, I bet it drives them nuts knowing 30 years ago they were making the cream of the crop. http://www.shop-siomi.com/ https://x.com/SiomiBankin https://item.rakuten.co.jp/shop-siomi/rct-tls-w10c/
This is neat, a "tire setter premium 1." Anybody know what they start with? Large rubber blanks, rubber hose, molded than sanded down to size? I've never found information on how they make the tire portion, this helps explain how they get it down to size which would be easy on a drill press and I think they used to sell vintage attachements for lathes to do something similar. This looks like a shop built jig, much more fun to build it yourself.
Yeah saw these on Buyee....always liked Aurex/Toshiba. Actually those modded ones are sold out...trying to figure out what that small extra red pcb is doing...but better balanced flywheel, some cap upgrades and two probably 'audiophile' opamps (common NE5534 probably), elimminated record function....the basic units are easy to get...wonder if this isn't polishing a turd and sell it on for big bucks.
Nice Walkman, it reminds me of the Sony Yppy Walkmans I have here. Only that one has a piece of fabric wrapped around it to make it cool looking. That idea with the hop-up options reminds me of Tamiya RC cars. You could also improve the standard models with extra replacement parts, which were sometimes shockingly expensive. It does add value to be able to work with the Walkman technology in that way tho. At least if you can buy those components separately to assemble them yourself. What exactly does that "tire setter premium 1" do? Just for grinding down the wheel a little? I regularly used the laser cutter to cut idle tires from a sheet of rubber. These then had to be mechanically finished. A simple wood lathe, a pin, and some sandpaper was enough.
Looks to me that this company Siomi makes precision components for computers and they use their machine to make the idler wheel perfectly round.
