Sony Announces Second Super Audio CD Player

Seeking to expand the high-end audio market, Sony on Tuesday, August 31, launched its Super Audio CD player in the United States and announced plans for a second, cheaper player to be released in the fall. Coinciding with the players' introductions, Sony Music Entertainment has made 19 titles, ranging from classical and jazz classics to pop and fusion hits, ready for release in support of SACD - an advanced technology extension of the compact disc format that delivers the ""finest sound reproduction available."" At a news conference hosted by Sony Electronics and held at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, Sony President and CEO Nobuyuki Idei, Sony Music Entertainment Chairman and CEO Thomas Mottola, Sony Classical Senior Executive Producer Steven Epstein, musician-composer Wynton Marsalis and Sony Electronics Senior Vice President Home AV Marketing Mike Fidler introduced the new high-end machines and the new technology. The first player is priced at $5,000 and will be available this week. To broaden access to the new format, Sony will introduce a second player at $3,500.