Technics SL-XP7
Bought the portable cd player above in 1986 at a cost of.......£300!!! Was one of the very first (along with a Philips model) and didn't even come with earphones!
After sitting in my garage for the past 10 years I came across it tonight, plugged it in and after a little spring clean with my camera lens pen it's still working!!
I've still got the original box, instructions and supplied rca lead. Does anyone have any idea what it might be worth now, if anything??
Got one of those the day it came out, many moons ago.
I have a small collection of such toys like the first Sony MD portable, Sony Elcasette deck, JVC VHD players and a beast of a digital recorder that uses VHS tapes as a recording medium.
I still use my trusty Philips DCC as it provides a digital output from my old cassette tapes.
I'm not a collector, I just can't bear to throw them away . . . .
Audio/video engineer based in Norway 
Tonya:Got one of those the day it came out, many moons ago.
I have a small collection of such toys like the first Sony MD portable, Sony Elcasette deck, JVC VHD players and a beast of a digital recorder that uses VHS tapes as a recording medium.
I still use my trusty Philips DCC as it provides a digital output from my old cassette tapes.
I'm not a collector, I just can't bear to throw them away . . . .
I did similar Tonya! Got the Technics the day it was released in the UK and still have one of the first Walkman. The XP7 still works great!
Yeppers, call me a cynic but most of my "old" hardware gadgets still work or at the very least are easily servicable, unlike today's stuff that seems to me to be specifically designed to work until the warranty period expires.
But that's what you get when today's hardware is built by robots 
Audio/video engineer based in Norway
I totally agree. the XP7 is superbly crafted of metal throughout and is a work of art compared to my Sony blu ray player which works well but feels like it was made by my 8 year old at school.....
I hear you.
The SL-XP7 felt like it was carved out of a solid block of titanium and even today looks advanced in design.
My first ever front loading CD player, a Philips, always closed with a satisfying "clump" with a motorized drawer that felt like it could pull your arm off..
My current Sony Bluray looks great, performs great, but the drawer is rather flimsy and very lightweight and plasticky.
I guess they try to cut down on weight to reduce the shipping costs these days, but I do get the impression that things today are built to a price instead of a solid unit and using techniques that make repairs almost impossible if not impracticle.
They do say that a certain razor blade company spend millions each year perfecting blades that give a smooth clean shave for a specific number of times then go blunt.
If it lasted longer, it would impact sales dramatically, so I see the point I guess!
Well, that's my New Year's rant over, best wishes to one and all.
Wishing you all have a very musical New Year, wherever you may be . . . .
May your plasma remain fully charged and your lasers stay within spec
Audio/video engineer based in Norway
- Login to post comments
Nice!
David @Frank Harvey Hi-Fi, Coventry
Mitsubishi HC7000 / Oppo BDP103 / Audiolab 8200AP / Rotel RMB1575 / kick ass speaker system