D-30

The D-30 is a mid-range portable built on the same platform as the D-20, with compact refinements in presentation and feature set. The core transport and dimensions remained familiar, but the finish felt a touch more polished and the controls edged upward just enough to separate it from the most stripped-back models in the range.

Sony had already proven the format by then, so the line is beginning to widen instead of reinvent itself every year. The D-30 makes the most sense as one of the machines that filled out the middle, where buyers wanted something competent and current without paying for the more ambitious end of the range.