Astraltune, also known as the Astraltune Stereopack, was a portable/personal audio player created by Roy Bowers that appeared on the market in Reno Nevada on September 1, 1975.
Contents
Design
The tape deck fit into a padded sleeve and was worn on the chest using a harness. The headphones hung under the chin rather than over the head. Controls were protected by a zippered flap that faced upwards.
Product Failure
The success of the Astraltune was limited only by trademarks and patents. In 1977, German inventor Andreas Pavel created the Stereobelt and registered for several patents regarding it. When Sony released the first Walkman in 1979, Pavel sought royalties through a long court battle ending in a several million euro settlement in 2004.
Astraltune filed for trademark in 1978 and patents in 1980 but were denied any royalties from Sony.