In the early 1970s, when compact cassettes were the world standard, Philips researchers were working on a new idea: recording audio signals on an optical plate. By the end of that decade, they had developed ‘the music box for the future’: a new audio playback system based on digital sound recording and optical non-contact scanning using a laser beam. You know it as the compact disc system. This year marks the 40th anniversary of its introduction to the European market. Do you remember your first CD? Share your memories in the comments below. Read more about the innovations and partnerships that made it possible for CD technology to take off in the mid-’80s: https://lnkd.in/e4Ckt8YU #TBT #ILovethe80s Philips Museum
Roger Woods
7mo
A great memory. Dire Straits, of course. I took 12 U.K. journalists to the Salzburg launch, as did Sony and Polygram. Compact Disc led us to CD-ROM and all its derivatives, to DVD and its derivations. Another great Philips invention, there have been so many….
Phil McGee
7mo
Fond memories of working at Philips CD Lab in Eindhoven in the mid 80’s developing shock-resistant technologies for in-car and portable CD players. That was my first engineering job straight out of college. I enjoyed access to the lab’s internal library of CDs which were loaned to staff for home-listening and had plenty of CD discs long before the record stores started selling them in earnest…
Hans Naus
7mo
First generation CD players with analog servo control electronics followed by next generations with more integrated on one full CMOS chip. First generation DA converters in bipolar non stereo later replaced by NatLab 1-bit DA bitstream conversion. What a time. I still have the training material on all the generations of chipsets.
Andrew Albarn
7mo
Level 42 "Level Best", bought at the Galleria in Houston, Texas. I still have it. I didn't even own a CD player, I almost bought one in Houston as well until at the last minute I asked about switching input voltage and got a blank look (we use 220V AC in South Africa). I bought one in Frankfurt on my way home, Philips of course!
Well, here in Argentina, during the 70's we were listening to RECORDS. Long plays ( LP' s ) they were called. And there was an awkward tape, half-way between a cassette and a VHS called a " magazine" ( I wonder if this is the right word in ENGLISH... 😱). The 80's was the age of cassettes, wonderful beasts that' would sometimes get tangled or, worst of all, the tape would crease and/or get torn. 😭. It was only in the 90's when we had access to digital music recorded on shiny discs. My first one was the soundtrack of Julia Roberts' film Dying Young. Total bliss to hear the saxophone of Kenny G full blast in my hi-fi.
Nalini Patel
7mo
Philips was a lifestyle choice even back then. Working for them, briefly, was the best career experience in my early days. My first memory of a CD player is a Philips (gift from my sister and brother-in-law) And the first 2 albums we played? Hot City Nights (amazing mix!) and The Best of Lata Mangeshkar.
Rob Woudsma
7mo
After having bought one of the first CD players (serial number at the back ...0004 😊) in the Philips Personnel shop in Eindhoven, I immediately bought Bach's 6 Brandenburger Concerts on 2 CD's, of course a DDD recording. I still have the 300-series CD player, and... it still works👍. I had the privilege being involved in early chip development for CD playback at Philips Research.
2 first CD's: Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits and Control - Janet Jackson. No ticks, no hiss, super transparant uncompressed dynamics compared to vinyl. The beginning of an audiophile hobby where music (and nerdish tweaking) always has been part of my life. Philips also laid the foundation for a fruitful breeding ground for many excellent engineers and offspring companies in the Netherlands, that still set standards in the global hifi industry today. Grimm Audio, Siltech/Crystal cable, Metrum Acoustics, Kharma, MolaMola, Kii, PrimaLuna to name a few. Still have all my CD's (and casette tapes), bit perfect ripped and stored on my Grimm MU1, sounding better than ever.
Entrepreneurial Operations Executive improving integral value chains through people
7moDire Straits, Brothers in Arms