{"product_id":"sony-walkman-tps-l2-1979-1981","title":"Sony Walkman TPS-L2 (1979-1981)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSony Walkman TPS-L2 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e🥇\u003cstrong\u003eFirst Commercially-Released Portable Stereo Cassette Player \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sony Walkman TPS-L2, launched on July 1, 1979, was the world's first low-cost personal stereo, fundamentally changing how humanity interacted with music and public space. Originally inspired by Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka’s desire to listen to opera during long-haul flights, the device was a modified version of a journalist's voice recorder, stripped of its recording head and outfitted with a high-fidelity stereo amplifier. To mitigate early company concerns that personal listening was \"anti-social,\" the blue-and-silver metallic unit featured two headphone jacks and a unique \"Hotline\" button, which activated a built-in microphone so two listeners could talk over the music without removing their headphones. The pocket-sized player became an instant global phenomenon, selling over 30,000 units in its first two months alone and anchoring the Walkman brand for decades to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource: \u003c\/strong\u003eeBay \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony","offers":[{"title":"Sony Walkman TPS-L2","offer_id":53777443488054,"sku":null,"price":1979.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0740\/4447\/3654\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_32803db3-9aae-431a-b387-828fadaf6fe1.png?v=1774221798","url":"https:\/\/www.westporttechmuseum.com\/products\/sony-walkman-tps-l2-1979-1981","provider":"Westport Tech Museum","version":"1.0","type":"link"}