1988 in Hi-Fi

1988 marks a genuine turning point: this is the year Compact Disc sales surpassed vinyl LP sales in the United States for the first time. CD revenue reached roughly $1.59 billion that year against a fraction of that for vinyl, according to RIAA figures — a dramatic reversal from just a few years earlier, when CD players were still an expensive novelty. Falling player prices, an expanding catalog of prerecorded titles, and genuine sound-quality advantages over well-worn vinyl all contributed to the shift.

For component stereo advertisers, this meant CD players were no longer an optional add-on to a "real" system — by 1988, a CD player was quickly becoming the expected centerpiece of a modern home hi-fi setup, alongside (and increasingly ahead of) the turntable.