The Story of Sony's First Portable CD Player

How Sony Took CDs Mainstream

In the early 1980s, Sony introduced the compact disc to the world, but many people still preferred their LPs and Compact Cassettes. Classical music lovers and audiophiles embraced CDs through Sony’s CDP-101, though the format hadn’t made much headway with everyday listeners. Recognizing they needed a more compelling product, Sony developed the D-50—the first portable CD player that helped CDs reach a wider audience.

A Compact Dream Takes Shape

Kozo Ohsone, head of Sony’s General Audio Division, reportedly walked into a planning meeting holding a small block of wood that was 13.4 cm wide and 4 cm thick. He told his team, “This is the size we’re aiming for,” then challenged them to shrink a CD player into dimensions similar to four stacked CD cases. People laughed initially but understood the seriousness of the task. Designing a small, affordable player was no small feat, yet the idea caught the attention of engineers who were eager to see if it was possible.