Compact, Budget Sony 6.2″ Active Subwoofer, 40 Watt RMS SA-W101

Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo ("Totsuko") in Tokyo in 1946, growing out of a radio repair business Ibuka had started the year before. The company was renamed Sony in 1958.

Tape and transistors. The G-model tape recorder of 1950 is described as Japan's first, and the TR-55 transistor radio of 1955 was the first Sony-branded product.

ES. Sony describes the TA-1120 integrated amplifier of 1965 as the first all-silicon-transistor stereo amplifier and dates its ES ("Elevated Standard") line from it.

Walkman and CD. The Walkman went on sale in Japan in July 1979. Sony worked with Philips on the compact disc, and Sony's CDP-101 was among the first CD players on sale in Japan in October 1982. Sony still makes ES AV receivers.

STR receivers: stereo receivers from the late 1960s on, such as the STR-6120, and later AV receivers, including ES models.

TA amplifiers and ES separates: from the TA-1120 to the TA-E86 preamplifier and TA-N86 power amplifier (1978).

CDP CD players: from the CDP-101 (1982) and CDP-701ES (1983) to changers such as the CDP-CE305 and CDP-C335 we sell often.

TC tape decks: reel-to-reel recorders until 1985, and cassette decks such as the TC-K61 and the three-head TC-K777ES.

SS speakers: such as the SS-G7 floorstanders of 1978.

CD players. Open and close the drawer several times; hesitation can be an early sign of trouble. Laser pickups wear, skipping is a symptom, and tray belts age.

Cassette decks. Belts dry out and cause slipping or uneven playback, and worn heads dull the sound. Run fast-forward and rewind, and check Dolby.

Amplifiers and receivers. Noisy switches and dirty relay contacts cause many faults, and bias settings drift with age. On tuners, look for blown bulbs and broken dial cords.

Everything we list is inspected, tested and serviced as required here, and comes with our warranty.