I bought this player 15-20 years ago for $10 at the Tulsa flea market. The guy had a bunch of them in the clam shell packages. I have been checking to see what they have been bringing online and it doesn't seem to be worth any more than a new Fiio player. Most reviewers online rate old Sony walkmans higher than all the new players so I gave in to my temptations and opened the package this morning. The radio worked and sounded good through the headphones. The tape player tried to work but gave up almost immediately. I watched a video on replacing the belt on this model and the guy oiled the seam of the case to make it come apart easier. I used some tuner cleaner/lubricant and it worked great. It came apart without losing any tabs or leaving any marks. The belt was pretty easy to change and I adjusted the speed before putting it back together. The headphones sound good but the earpads were deteriated. I had an extra set of Yaxi pads so I used them. I have been listening to it all afternoon and am pretty happy with my new Walkman.
With a new belt it will probably work another 20 years. I've had that happen several times where the old belt works for a few hours and then boom, nothing, usually right after purchasing it.
I was really happy that it hadn't turned to goo. I really didn't want to try to clean up the mess. That oil trick was the best thing I have learned in a while. The case came apart so easily. It was just like the difference between changing a tire with and without lubricant.
