GoKawiilSony's CDP-101, the first consumer CD player, debuted in Japan on this date in 1982
Sony released the Sony CDP-101, the first consumer compact disc player, in Japan on this day in 1982 at a price of 168,000 yen (about $1,060 today, or roughly $3,700 adjusted for inflation). A planned worldwide launch slipped because Philips' companion CD100 player wasn't ready, so the rollout was confined to Japan until U.S. and European sales began in March 1983.
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The CDP-101 marked the start of a shift from analog vinyl and cassette formats, which degraded with dust, wear and scratches, toward digital audio that promised durability and instant track access. Its technical compromises, such as using a single DAC for both channels, show how early digital audio hardware had to balance cost against fidelity, a tension that shaped adoption speed as prices gradually fell.
- Sony's CDP-101 was the first consumer CD player, launched in Japan on this day in 1982.
- A global launch was delayed because Philips' CD100 wasn't ready, pushing US/European sales to March 1983.
- The CDP-101 used one DAC for both audio channels, causing a slight stereo sync offset of about 11 μs.
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Published there as: “Sony released the first CD audio player on this day in 1982”
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