air pod pro gen2 not compatible with sony walkman nw-a55??

for music listening i use a sony walkman nw-a55. i've been using bose over the ear headphones for the past few years, but decided to get something more streamlined. when the air pod pro 2 were announced, i figured that would be a great starting point. they came in today, and they sound great watching youtube and such on my phone. when i paired them with the walkman to listen to music while i did some chores, i get nothing. i went through all 6 codecs on board (LDAC quality, LDAC connection, aptX, aptX HD, SBC Quality, SBC Connection, and toggled enhanced mode on and off for all codecs) i can't get a single thing to work. when i disconnect bluetooth i hear a chime, when i reconnect i hear a chime. then when i hit play i hear audio for about 1/4 of a second, then it goes mute as the device continues to play.

whats odd is my wife has standard airpods. not sure what gen they are, but they work fine with the walkman. so it's just the air pod pro that i can't seem to get to work...

what gives? if i can't figure this out i'll just have to take them back. :( :( :(