Guide Note:

CD Players have been in existence since the Compact Disc was first produced in 1982. Sony introduced the first player, designed specifically for users to listen audio content contained on any given CD. Despite the growing popularity of MP3 players and iPod systems, the CD Player and the portable CD Player still continue to be used in homes and cars, as well as computers.

Fast Facts:

1. Release Date: October 1, 1982
2. Manufacturers: Numerous, first by Sony
3. Pricing: $60.00 and up
4. Come in stand alone, portable, and multi-changer

When the CD Player was first introduced, most people were either utilizing a record player, 8-track cassette deck, or tape cassette deck as a means to listen to music or other audio. Consumers would become frustrated by a lack of quality because tracks were produced in analog, as well as a short window of usability before scratching of records or stretching/snapping of tape forced another purchase. The CD player allowed users to not only have an increase in sound quality, as most CD's are digital recordings, but also a longer life of the recording playback capability.

The first CD Player was produced by Sony in October of 1982. Earlier that summer, the 1970s disco group ABBA released an album called The Visitors, the first ever released on CD. Before long, CD Players became the dominant form of audio indulgence.