One of the major corporative innovators in recent history of audio is celebrating 80th anniversary
Sony Corporation started in May 1946 as a small company named Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (which can be translated as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation) with capital of 190,000 yen and about 20 employees.
Sony History Brief
On May 7th, 1946, Masara Ibuka and Akio Morita raised a company sign on a unassuming (rebuilt from bombing) factory building in Tokyo, Nihonbashi district. Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo soon registered Sony as a brand name and the first Sony product was to appear in 1955. It was a transistor radio so Sony undoubtfuly has roots in audio.
Sony Audio Milestones
First tape recorder in Japan was also made by Sony in the 1950s, it was mostly sold to government for court usage and similar applications, consumer units followed soon. First ever solid state stereo integrated amp? Sony TA-1120 in 1965.
And world firsts? Of course! Sony and Philips are inventors of Compact Disk and first ever consumer player is legendary Sony CDP-101 (1982), a very unusual unit, sought after by collectors for its unique sound. It had no oversampling, predicting, may be inadvertently, the audiophile fashion for NOS DACs 40 years later.
The company’s digital audio inventions — DAT (Digital Audio Tape) and MD (mini-disc) technologies — were spearheaded by Sony hardware: 1987 and 1993.
High Definition Audio? Sony invented SuperAudio CD, a bitstream high-bit rate High Resolution codec system and released a first SACD disc player in 1999.
Sony had input into practically all new home audio developments: from multichannel sound in home cinema to extended range speakers, but the most impactful ideas it has in personal audio.
And y’all know the ultimate trailblazer — the mighty personal cassette player, Sony Walkman, 1979. Personal audio space began with this affordable unit. Finally you choose your music and could have listened everywhere and as loud as you want without disturbing the neighbours.
Sony Now
We skipped the Sony video and TV innovations, there were many. When TV era started Sony soon became an undisputed leader in studio and domestic video tech. As well in entertainment media, photography, medical and many many more diverse industries.
Big news in the TV set sector came early 2026. Sony and TCL Corporation announced partnership. A new joint venture will take over Sony’s home TV and audio with TCL holding 51% and Sony holding 49% of its share. The details how the partnership will work are not very specific, but some analytics imply that sooner or later Sony will move all of its A/V and TV business to TCL.
Anyway it is well out of the scope of this high end audio themed blog to delve deeply into Sony’s rich corporate legacy, present or future. We all know that for 80 years Sony was one of the most important players in many markets. And it still proudly leads the way in many industries. Structurally it is now a huge mega-corporation. Sony Group Corporation unites the following segments: Game & Network Services, Music, Pictures, Entertainment Technology & Services (Mobile Communications/Imaging Products & Solutions/Home Entertainment & Sound), Imaging & Sensing Solutions, Financial Services, and All Other businesses. Its subsidiary Sony Corporation oversees Sony Electronics Corporation Sony Imaging Products & Solutions Inc., and Sony Home Entertainment & Sound Products Inc.
Happy anniversary, Sony!
Written by Sergei Taranov
