Sony has just pumped new life into the good old Walkman name with the WH Series of headphones. These 3-in-1 Walkmans can be used as wireless headphones, speakers, or MP3 players.

The Walkman NWZ-WH505 comes with 16GB storage to act as a totally independent music player with up to 20 hours battery life on a charge. And in Sony style a three-minute charge delivers a good hour of listening. Of course there is a cable supplied to carry on listening to your mobile should you need it. This is probably ideal when in speaker mode, which likely chews up plenty of power.

When in headphone mode you get powerful bass thanks to the 40mm dome driver unit and a 5-25,000Hz range. There is also a selection of modes including dynamic, enhanced bass, clear or sustained mid-to-high range vocals. And in speaker mode Sony's xLoud and VPT create immersive surround sound. Just make sure you notice which setting it's on or you may get attacked on the bus.

Sony will also release an NWZ-WH303 version that has smaller 4GB storage onboard, a 30mm driver, and a 30-20,000Hz sensitivity range. This version will be available in white and black, where the WH505 comes only in black.

The new WH303 and WH505 Series Walkman models will be available from October, priced at £99 and £179 respectively.