TC-K88
TC-K88B
(1979 - 1984)

The last pre-Esprit unit to appear, early in 1979 for Japan and Europe, slightly later in the US.
The image above comes from a tape-related japanese catalog with both the ES and ESPRIT logos around the K88 deck... which must have helped in some way because there are oodles of them cassette recorders all around. The x-rare RM-50 wired remote control is unfortunately an x-rare rarity.

Unlike the previous pre-Esprit units, rack-handles became an option only but all the technology put forward in Sony's other high-end tape decks was present (TC-K80II, TC-K96R). That I'm aware of, the K88 was the 1st tape deck with a completely mobile and horizontal loading assembly & mechanism. The LCD meter was already used in 1978's TC-K8B (in its biggest incarnation) and would be carried on into the professional successors of the PCM-1 processor: PCM-10 and PCM-100 as well as in some Sanyo and Alpine units.
Japanese versions (TC-K88) had a special rec/play timer position added to the power switch (the original vintage knob ;-) which worldwide units didn't have - perhaps we were deemed not advanced enough to use a timer...

The K88 was very well received in Japan back then and stil is quite desirable everywhere ! I for one own a near new TC-K88B (plus two RM-50s !) and am very proud of it. And it really is an excellent deck, very well built with a sane, simple, system for the drawer's mechanism that slides onto steel and aluminium parts. In fact, there isn't a single piece of plastic anywhere inside or outside the K88 !
And those superb LCD meters...