This is the VZ-V4, Sharp's top Auto Disc system from February 1982.

The odd part is the hierarchy. Sharp already had the VZ-V2 in 1981, and that one also had automatic both-sides playback. But this catalog gives the "world's first stereo system" claim to the bigger VZ-V4 line.

A vertical record player, cassette deck, FM/AM tuner, amplifier and speakers, all sold as one system. Price was ¥185,000 - about $740 then, roughly $2,450 today.

"石" means "stone." In 1960 Japan that was how you counted the transistors in a radio - not "7 transistors," but "7 stones." It's the same character the watch industry stamped on dials for jewel counts: 21石, twenty-one stones - a bigger number on the spec sheet, sold as "better." SANYO's pocket sets here run 6 to 8 stones, superheterodyne, a couple with shortwave.

What's strange is the rest of it. The flagship isn't a radio - it's furniture. The STG consoles put a turntable and a multi-way speaker system inside a wooden cabinet, and the copy calls them "an invitation to the 21st century of sound." Same catalog, same pages: a five-tube radio they hadn't dropped yet, and a reel-to-reel deck that's the single most expensive thing in the book. No cassette anywhere - it wouldn't exist until 1963, of course :) And the logo of Sanyo is not familiar.

STG-400 cabinet ¥44,500, about $125 then, very roughly $1,300 today (¥360 to the dollar back then). The S-21MR reel deck ¥36,000 - around $100 then, ~$1,050 today, more than a whole entry stereo system on its own.

P.S. - this is the oldest catalog I've got in the Museum so far. Not much point linking it, just struck me how far back the paper goes.

The whole catalog argues one thing - that 2-track tape at 38 cm/s is the only serious way to record. The flagships, the A-6100 and A-7030GSL, are built for people who edit tape with a razor: a flip-up head cover so you can mark the splice point with a grease pencil, lockable cue, memory auto-stop.

The odd one out is the A-3340S, a 4-track.

TEAC's SIMUL-SYNC played back the tracks you'd already recorded - through the record head, in sync - while you laid down a new one, so one person could build a four-part arrangement alone. The thing studios did, on a deck in your room, years before the cassette Portastudio made bedroom multitracking normal.

The A-3340S was ¥246,000 in 1974 - about $820 then, roughly $5,000 today.

The Sansui Mighty 70W (Compo Mighty 70W) was a mid-tier model in Sansui’s popular “Mighty” mini-component stereo series, released in 1984. It was heavily marketed with the “Sound Computer” concept, emphasizing computer-controlled convenience features aimed at younger users.

Core System Components (from the original ad):

• P-M70: Computerized 9-track random auto-select turntable (direct drive or belt drive linear tracking with program play, intro skip, memory, etc.)
• A-M70: Integrated amplifier — 35W + 35W (per channel)
• T-M70: Quartz PLL synthesizer tuner
• D-M70W: Double cassette deck with high-speed (double-speed) dubbing and other editing features
• S-M70: 16 cm 3-way speakers (pair)

System price in Japan: ¥188,000 (basic set). Adding the optional player stand (L-33) brought it to ¥190,000. (About ¥220,000 – ¥222,000 in 2026, $793 USD in 1984, $2,300 – $2,500 USD in 2026)

Standout Features:

• Compu-Edit (ワンタッチ自動編集・録音) — One-touch automatic recording and editing from record/tuner to cassette.
• Compu-Selector (ワンタッチ音楽司令) — One-touch source switching between components.
• 9-song random automatic selection on the turntable with intro scan (listen to ~10 seconds of each track).
• High-speed dubbing on the dual cassette deck.
• Overall “computer-controlled” operation for easy, modern playback in the early 80s.

It sat between the entry-level Mighty 7 and higher models like the R77 or D77 in the lineup. The 70W version stood out for its double cassette deck with dubbing capabilities and the colorful, youthful marketing (starring Yu Hayami).

These systems were fun, feature-packed consumer audio products — not ultra-high-end, but reliable and exciting for the time with their convenience tech just before CDs became mainstream. Many units still exist in vintage collections today, though the turntables and cassette mechanisms often need belt/roller servicing.

Sony presents the CDP-101 as the machine that turned compact disc from an ideal into reality.

By June 1985 the same catalog had ES rack players, a separate digital processor, the D-50 portable, the CFD-5 CD/cassette boombox, and CDX car players. Not one product category - a whole system.

The D-50 was ¥49,800 - about $210 then, roughly $670 today. Expensive, but very fast for a format that had only just become consumer audio.

June 1985 catalog for the KP-880DII and KP-770D. Kenwood's DL motor used oil pressure around the spindle to lock it on the rotation axis, then added quartz PLL on top.

The KP-880DII claimed 0.006% wow/flutter; the cheaper KP-770D claimed 0.008% and kept auto-up. Prices were ¥89,800 and ¥69,800 - about $380 and $290 then, roughly $1,200 and $930 today.

October 1981 Sansui "Fresh Sound" centerfold brochure page 1

“Fresh Sound, Fresh Sansui” It’s one of the earliest major catalog appearances of the Mighty series and is one of Yu Hayami’s earliest (and likely the very first) appearances for Sansui.

Overall Layout & Theme

• Left side: Focused on the Compo Mighty series — Sansui’s new youthful, computer-controlled mini-component line.
• Right side: Dedicated to the TARGET series (higher-end or more feature-packed mini systems).
• Central figure: Yu Hayami wearing a bright red outfit, striking a dynamic pose with one arm raised. (I recall another image with strings attached to her hands in another ad) She became the face of Sansui’s marketing from this ad onward.

Key Sections:

1. Compo Mighty (Left)

• Headline: “Computer-wise stereo — Compo Mighty”
• Tagline: “Sleek design for the times, and computer operation that leads the times.”
• Prominent systems shown:
  • Full Mighty stack with turntable on top
  • Mighty M5 and Mighty M7 models at the bottom with prices
  • Speaker models and optional stands

2. TARGET Series (Right)

• Models highlighted:
  • TARGET 88A (top right, flagship)
  • TARGET 55A
  • TARGET 33A
  • TARGET M5
• “EVE FORMATION” — a computer-component system concept
• Lots of price lists (typical for the era: systems ranged from around ¥100,000 to over ¥400,000 depending on configuration)

3. Other Details

• Small circular inset photo of Yu Hayami in white dress (top right)
• Lifestyle photography: systems in modern rooms, people enjoying music
• Bottom left cartoon character promoting the cassette receiver in the Mighty M5. 集中機能のカセットレシーバーで、毎日がラグジュアリー気分。」 (“With the high-function cassette receiver, every day feels luxurious.”) This kind of custom cartoon mascot was very common in early 1980s Japanese advertising to make technical products feel approachable and fun.
• Bottom right small photo of Yu Hayami again

This page perfectly captures the early 1980s Japanese audio boom — emphasizing “computer” features (random play, automatic editing, one-touch controls), stylish design, and youthful energy through idol marketing.

Yu Hayami Quick timeline:

• Yu Hayami was scouted in 1980 (age 14) but had not yet debuted as a singer.
• She made her official singing debut on April 21, 1982 with “急いで!初恋” (Isoide! Hatsukoi).
• Her Sansui campaign (including the TARGET series tie-in song “アンサーソングは哀愁” "The Answer Song is Melancholy" from her 3rd single) really took off in late 1982 and peaked in 1983–1984.

The October 1981 catalog predates her singing debut by about 6 months. At that point she was a promising new model/talent under Sun Music, and Sansui used her fresh, youthful image for their big “Fresh Sound” campaign launch. This appears to be her first major printed campaign with the brand and possibly for any brand.

July 1986 Technics catalog. The SL-P1200 was ¥160,000 - about $1,000 then, roughly $3,100 today - and the catalog spends a whole spread justifying the "CD master" name: class AA sample-hold after the D/A stage, separate L/R conversion, a 96th-order digital filter, PCLN output fader, and the FF-1 one-beam pickup.

It was also built like a working tool: 14.5 kg, top-loading, search dial, auto cue, and pitch control up to +/-8%. A 1987 Studio Sound user report described it as a reference player for professional users. Their test unit had apparently fallen down a flight of stairs and still played normally.

Continuing The Sansui Mighty Series The Sansui Mighty R77 (also called Compo Mighty R77) was a popular mid-range mini-component stereo system from Sansui’s “Mighty” / “Compo” series, released around 1983–1984.

It was marketed as a “high-speed & random playback” system with computer-controlled features — very much in the early-80s Japanese hi-fi style: colorful, youthful, feature-packed, and aimed at young buyers who wanted modern convenience without going full separate high-end.

Key Components

• P-M77: Computerized 9-track random auto-select turntable (linear tracking, intro-skip, program play, memory repeat)
• A-M77: Integrated amplifier — 35W + 35W (per channel)
• T-M77: Quartz PLL synthesizer tuner
• D-M77R: Double cassette deck with auto-reverse, relay play, and high-speed (double-speed) dubbing
• S-M77: 16.5 cm 2-way speakers (pair)

System price in Japan at the time: ¥178,000 (about the equivalent of a nice mid-range setup back then).

Standout Features

• 9-song random automatic selection on the turntable — pick your favorite tracks and it plays them in any order you want.
• Computer Edit / Compu-Edit — one-touch automatic recording/editing from records to tape.
• Compu-Selector — one-touch source switching.
• High-speed dubbing + relay playback on the dual cassette deck.
• Intro scan (listen to the first ~10 seconds of tracks).
• Auto-reverse on the deck for continuous playback/recording.

It was part of a family of similar “Mighty” systems (Mighty 7, 70W, D77, etc.), with the R77 emphasizing the double cassette deck with auto-reverse (the “R” likely stands for Reverse).

These were solid entry-to-mid-level systems for the time — not audiophile-grade like Sansui’s bigger AU/G-series, but fun, reliable, and loaded with convenience features that were exciting before CDs became dominant. Many are still around today in vintage audio circles; the turntable and cassette deck are the parts that tend to need servicing (belts, etc.).

Again Yu Hayami (早見優 / Hayami Yū) is the model and spokeswoman for the brand. She’s still active today as a singer and personality, with a big nostalgic following for her 80s work. These ads are classic examples of Japanese idol marketing from that era.
https://www.instagram.com/yuyuhayami/

These Sansui "Mighty Compo" ads were published in 1982–1984. This is the earliest one — dated to November 1982.

These were part of Sansui's popular "Compo Mighty" mini-component stereo campaign in Japan, heavily marketed with youthful, colorful ads and celebrity tie-ins during the peak of analog hi-fi before CDs took over. The prices (e.g., ¥178,000–¥190,000 systems), tech (9-track random select, double-speed dubbing, computer edit), and fashion in the photos are all classic early-'80s Japanese consumer electronics style.

The woman in these Sansui Mighty Compo ads is Japanese idol, singer, and actress Yu Hayami (早見優 / Hayami Yū). She was the official spokesperson/face for Sansui’s “Compo Mighty” series in the early-to-mid 1980s. She appears in the print ads and TV commercials for models like the Mighty 7, Mighty 70W, and Mighty R77

AIWA put the claim right on the cover: world No.1 reverse time.

The R50 was the trick deck here: side A to side B in 0.2 seconds. Same fold-out also had the FF90 with Active Servo Bias and Dolby HX Pro, plus Wonder Double for high-speed dubbing.

Very 1984. Everything had to be faster, smarter, or both.

Alpha Enterprise, a small Tokyo-Osaka distributor. Four-page leaflet, 26 CDs across four labels - American DELOS (classical), Japanese Real Time (jazz from Freddie Hubbard, Art Pepper, Don Menza, Jack Sheldon, plus Rozsnyai classics), αSound, and Yamaha. Most discs ¥4,000 - about $16 then, roughly $52 today.

The latest recording in the catalogue is Joe Farrell "Sam Day" from March 26, 1982. That same disc is one of five NOW PRINTING placeholders - the jacket art wasn't ready yet. The leaflet must have gone to press just days after. Japan's first CD players, Sony CDP-101 and Denon DN-3000F, shipped on October 1, 1982.

This is the catalog that started the museum for me.

It begins with closed garage doors. Then it opens into different boyish rooms: motorcycles, tools, racing model cars, posters, and a DENON System 80 setup in the middle.

That was the hook. Not one rare component, not a spec sheet, but the whole scene in each room. The catalog sells a place where this stereo belongs, and a person who would want to live with it.

After this one I stopped seeing Japanese audio catalogs as simple product brochures. They became time capsules: rooms, habits, dreams, design choices, and only then the gear itself.

PePe TV was Sharp's 1985 stereo-television line for the youth market - flagship GS-TV5 (TV + cassette deck + tuner in one rack), standalone VG-TV6, and compact CP-TV5. Every model came in red or black, down to the matching speaker cabinets.

UHF and VHF reception both in stereo - which in 1985 was a selling point worth printing on the cover.

Cover talent is Iyo Matsumoto - singer and actress, 80s idol, the same face Sharp had been using on their karaoke catalogs the year before. But on this inner spread three white kittens on the red TV screen, a tiny cat figurine in a polka-dot dress holding a tray with a cocktail glass and a music note - and somehow Matsumoto's two portraits in the corners are doing the supporting role.

Flagship GS-TV5 was ¥130,000 - about $546 then, roughly $1,600 today.

One six-page Matsushita/National catalog from June 1971: pocket cassette recorders, home cassette decks, open-reel machines, 8-track decks, a 4-channel system, microphones and blank tapes.

The top Technics-branded open-reel deck here was the RS-736U at ¥75,000 - about $208 then, roughly $1,650 today. The cover line says "tiny, tiny tape recorder", which feels very honest next to everything happening inside.

October 1981 Yamaha catalog, 20 pages.

The amplifier page alone is wild: BX-1 was a 100W Class A mono power amp, ¥330,000 each - about $1,500 then, roughly $5,400 today. So stereo meant two black cubes. Next to it sits the B-6, Yamaha's first X-amp: 200W + 200W, ¥190,000 - about $860 then, roughly $3,100 today - in that strange pyramid body that later ended up in a design museum collection.

Then the speaker pages have NS-1000, NS-1000M, and NS-10M still sitting together as consumer speakers. The NS-10M is not “the famous studio monitor” yet here - just a ¥25,000 bookshelf speaker, about $110 then, roughly $400 today, before the legend happened.

The cassette decks are in that early-80s spec-war zone too: K-1d and K-9 had built-in dbx for metal tape, with Yamaha claiming up to 100 dB S/N on the K-1d. Very serious, very not universal - dbx sounded great when decoded properly, but Dolby B/C won the compatibility war.

And the vinyl side is not quiet either: PX-1 was ¥480,000 - about $2,170 then, roughly $7,900 today - with a linear-tracking arm and a look that feels more 1985 than 1981.

I also like the color split in this catalog: the serious separates are already going black, while the cassette decks are still mostly silver aluminum. One foot in the 70s, one foot in the 80s.