Technics SL-P10 (c. 1983)
The SL-P10 is Technics' entry in the first wave of commercial compact disc players. Audio (February 1983, p.51) opened its equipment profile by saying CD was already a commercial reality in Japan. Players and a growing assortment of discs were available at almost any audio shop in Tokyo. The magazine had started a long-term evaluation of the early players, and had found that not all of them performed identically.
Audio's profile (February 1983, p.50) published the manufacturer's specifications:
- Frequency response: 4 Hz–20 kHz ±0.5 dB
- Dynamic range: greater than 90 dB
- S/N ratio: greater than 90 dB
- Channel separation: greater than 90 dB
- Harmonic distortion: less than 0.004% at 1 kHz, 0 dB
- Wow and flutter: unmeasurable
- Line output: 1.5 volts maximum
No price had been determined at the time of the review. The reviewer was not bothered by the machine's size. They were perfectly willing to accept the extra weight for the SL-P10's features, reliability, and programming capability (Audio, February 1983, p.54). The only audible anomalies during auditioning were momentary interruptions of sound during severe dropouts. Those were traced to the discs, not the player.
Technics' own advertising of the period claimed its digital technology could eliminate the audible differences between live and recorded music. It also claimed digital sound was immune to the scratches and physical damage that affect conventional records and tapes (High Fidelity, October 1983, p.18). Beyond this early press coverage, documentation on the SL-P10 is thin. Production years, eventual pricing, and later market history are not well recorded.
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