These wireless headphones have ‘80s Sony Walkman vibes

Headphones had existed for well over 50 years by the time Sony’s Walkman debuted in 1979, but the portable cassette player helped popularize the technology by miniaturizing it. km5’s new Lightwear Headphones Hp1 feature a minimal design similar to the one shipped with the Walkman over 40 years ago, but upgraded with wireless capabilities and more. First debuting last July through a Japanese crowdfunding platform, wider availability of the Lightwear Headphones Hp1 was expected late last year but delays resulted in them only rolling starting late last week. They’re now available through km5’s online store for $189. Featuring a thin and flexible polished stainless steel headband attached to compact earpads that sit on your ears instead of completely enveloping them, the Hp1 are reminiscent of the Walkman’s headphones but with an added square housing on each side with a pair of 120mAh batteries, 40-millimeter drivers, and all the electronics that make them wireless. They weigh in at 103 grams, which is less than half of Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones that are 250 grams. [Image: Without a cable connecting each side of the Hp1 headphones, the battery on each earpad needs to be charged individually, but km5 includes a USB-C charging cable that splits in two on one end. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/km5_hp1_3.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Battery life is rated at up to 24 hours, and although the Hp1 utilizes a more open design that minimizes passive noise reduction, the headphones do offer active noise cancellation as well as a transparency mode to boost ambient sounds and improve situational awareness. [Image: The Hp1 are available in a white or black finish. The white version includes gray or turquoise earpads, while the black comes with black or red pads. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/km5_hp1_4.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] As with the Apple AirPods Max, the magnetic ear cushions on the Hp1 are easy to remove and replace, while the housings feature physical buttons for power, controlling playback, volume adjustments, and for activating Siri or Google Assistant. The headphones support the SBC, AAC, and LE audio Bluetooth codecs, but can also be used wired with a USB-C cable attached to a smartphone or computer.