Sony announced a May 21 launch date in Japan of its first Super Audio CD player, a two-channel model priced at a suggested 500,000 yen ($4,115) and targeted to the audiophile market.

The SCD-1, whose initial monthly production will be 500 units per month, will be accompanied by 13 SACD discs from Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), which has priced the discs, mostly classical and jazz selections, between 3,500 yen ($29) and 3,800 yen ($31) compared to the 3,000-yen ($25) prices of standard CDs. Sony will add 10 SACD titles per month to its catalog.

At least for now, none of the first Sony discs will be hybrid discs containing a separate Redbook CD data layer for playback in existing CD players.

Sony also unveiled a 600,000-yen ($4,938) preamplifier, a 900,000-yen ($7,407) amplifier, and speakers priced at 1.1 million yen ($8,203).