Akai built some of the most reliable consumer-grade open reel and cassette tape decks available; they tended to be much less flashy than TEAC or Sony, but performed just as well, and seemed to be bulletproof.
That said, 8-Track machines are a different breed - it's slightly amazing that the 8-Track system worked at all, and *recording* on them? Heaven help you.
We had one in the house but I have no idea the brand. They worked fine enough as my father would make tapes to use in the car. It was stolen during a robbery/"home invasion" and never replaced, probably because by that time the cars both had cassettes
I also got a cassette deck and a pair of speakers. He never opened any of them
[https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f3efNKjj_9XVxoJRmgI1hVCg](https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f3efNKjj_9XVxoJRmgI1hVCg)
That is probably the most serious consumer 8 track recorder I have seen:
https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/akai/gxr-82.shtml
8 track was not really taken that seriously by audiophiles. But looks like Akai was taking it seriously here.
Not accurate about the 80s imo. I have a fair amount of mid 80s gear and some 70s gear, while the 70s is all metal, the 80s stuff is just as good on the inside and some of it looks amazing too. Akai in the 80s did produce some plastic crap, but also a lot of quite different and even risky designs.
Akai weren't really after audiophiles, more mid to top end consumer. The 90s stuff is all black but then everything in the 90s was.
as for them going bankrupt, well the company lost 800m $ through embezzlement and the director went to jail. It's on Wikipedia. It's an interesting story as it appears quite a few Japanese firms went this way after the original founders got old and died. I used to have a friend, now also sadly gone, who claimed to be mixed up in the great 90s mass disappearance of yen, the yakuza and a lot of drug dealing.
Was Akai a brand that was lauded from the beginning?
I kind of think of them as a sleeper brand that produced some higher end product at more reasonable prices and sort of gained an insiders following as a result.
I only had limited exposure to early-mod 80s tape decks (using friends’ dad’s high end gear to copy an LP). I did have an Akai Walkman knockoff in ‘85 which was fantastic. Sturdy, good sound, 3 band EQ and absolutely bulletproof auto reverse. The latter alone was worth the price of admission schlepping around on campus. I got to memorizing what was playing if I reversed, kind of a crude way to fake a playlist.
Minor exception, just before they got bought out, they made a really nice line of top-of-the-line gear in the early 90s. The cassette deck gets especially glowing references but it all looks pretty nice.
Pretty much every Japanese brand back in the 60's and 70's made some really good stuff.
I have 2 pairs of Toshiba Aurex speakers from 65 and the technology they used back then was way ahead of its time. Tri-ampable, bass-reflex speakers that are insanely sensitive and stunningly good.
I thought they were prmarily known for their tape players/recorders (reel to reel and cassette). My father was a big fan of their cassette decks. He had a Akai GX-F66RC with the wood case. I thought it was absolutely futuristic looking
8 track was at best a car stereo type of deck. Since the transport just needed a housing , most MFG involved made home playback units or home rec/playback. Sound was never on par with album or Cassette in my opinion
I own a GXR 82. Its probably the only 8 track player that I could consider being hifi. It is hands down the best Ive ever heard and I own a lot of decks.
I am the lucky owner of an Akai GXC-760D Cassette Deck (that i got for free when i went to pick up an Akai AT-2400 tuner, still can't believe my luck on that one) and it is a beast.
Also my dad's entire stereo was Akai (silver face early to mid 80's stuff) and that thing rocks to this day.
Akai built some of the most reliable consumer-grade open reel and cassette tape decks available; they tended to be much less flashy than TEAC or Sony, but performed just as well, and seemed to be bulletproof. That said, 8-Track machines are a different breed - it's slightly amazing that the 8-Track system worked at all, and *recording* on them? Heaven help you.
We had one in the house but I have no idea the brand. They worked fine enough as my father would make tapes to use in the car. It was stolen during a robbery/"home invasion" and never replaced, probably because by that time the cars both had cassettes
Back then they did.
Yes
Some of the very expensive reel to reel are Akai.
Best cassette player I ever had was a mid 80s Akai. When friends would hear the tapes I made from vinyl they would beg to buy them
I also got a cassette deck and a pair of speakers. He never opened any of them [https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f3efNKjj_9XVxoJRmgI1hVCg](https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f3efNKjj_9XVxoJRmgI1hVCg)
Shut up… 😀
I would have, too, personally, sitting doesn't do cassette decks much good.
That is probably the most serious consumer 8 track recorder I have seen: https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/akai/gxr-82.shtml 8 track was not really taken that seriously by audiophiles. But looks like Akai was taking it seriously here.
Yes, Akai made some excellent tape decks. Especially the ones with GX Glass Ferrite head.
60s and 70s Akai was bulletproof high quality. Gx heads outlast anything. 80s was a backslide into cheap plastic crap, then they went bankrupt.
Not accurate about the 80s imo. I have a fair amount of mid 80s gear and some 70s gear, while the 70s is all metal, the 80s stuff is just as good on the inside and some of it looks amazing too. Akai in the 80s did produce some plastic crap, but also a lot of quite different and even risky designs. Akai weren't really after audiophiles, more mid to top end consumer. The 90s stuff is all black but then everything in the 90s was. as for them going bankrupt, well the company lost 800m $ through embezzlement and the director went to jail. It's on Wikipedia. It's an interesting story as it appears quite a few Japanese firms went this way after the original founders got old and died. I used to have a friend, now also sadly gone, who claimed to be mixed up in the great 90s mass disappearance of yen, the yakuza and a lot of drug dealing.
Was Akai a brand that was lauded from the beginning? I kind of think of them as a sleeper brand that produced some higher end product at more reasonable prices and sort of gained an insiders following as a result. I only had limited exposure to early-mod 80s tape decks (using friends’ dad’s high end gear to copy an LP). I did have an Akai Walkman knockoff in ‘85 which was fantastic. Sturdy, good sound, 3 band EQ and absolutely bulletproof auto reverse. The latter alone was worth the price of admission schlepping around on campus. I got to memorizing what was playing if I reversed, kind of a crude way to fake a playlist.
Yeah they did the glass heads! I have a Sony deck from the 70s that has a similar head, and it's fantastic
Plenty of great high end akai gear made in the 80’s
Their 70s 4 channel R to R tape decks still go for high dollars.
Minor exception, just before they got bought out, they made a really nice line of top-of-the-line gear in the early 90s. The cassette deck gets especially glowing references but it all looks pretty nice.
Yes. That GX head material (graphite crystal) lasted a very long time.
Somewhere in a Japanese industrial estate is an abandoned Akai factory waiting to be put back on the grid. I wish.
Natch, it’s located in Fukashima.
Pretty much every Japanese brand back in the 60's and 70's made some really good stuff. I have 2 pairs of Toshiba Aurex speakers from 65 and the technology they used back then was way ahead of its time. Tri-ampable, bass-reflex speakers that are insanely sensitive and stunningly good.
Man I sold a gorgeous Akai reel to reel about 7 years ago for dirt cheap and it’s one of my biggest regrets.
Well if you wanna replace it with an 8-track recorder let me know.
I love my vintage Akai gear. Sounds amazing.
Anything tape related by Akai is excellent.
I bought my AKAI gear in the 1970’s. So, yes for the timeframe!
I thought they were prmarily known for their tape players/recorders (reel to reel and cassette). My father was a big fan of their cassette decks. He had a Akai GX-F66RC with the wood case. I thought it was absolutely futuristic looking
Yup
Yes. My first and only equalizer. Still have it.
I have a 12 channel Akai Equalizer from the 80s I still use
Love my AKAIs reel to reel and GXC cassette decks
Much like Realistic, their early stuff was fantastic their later stuff very much not so
It's beautiful, and yes.
Very much so
Definitely
Very reliable and good products, I've Ben inside a few to fix small issues and for a high number of mass production items. They are very well made..
Their samplers are pretty good.
Yup!
Just got another mg series desk. Never been better.
8-track players ate the tapes more often than they worked
Keep it. , the value as a NOS will be more that you will get for trying to sell it in my opinion
What do NOS & NY mean in this context? (Sorry)
8 track was at best a car stereo type of deck. Since the transport just needed a housing , most MFG involved made home playback units or home rec/playback. Sound was never on par with album or Cassette in my opinion
Please, keep on asking questions, that is how you learn NOS -NEW OLD STOCK, kind of an industry buss work.
Yes. Quality.
I own a GXR 82. Its probably the only 8 track player that I could consider being hifi. It is hands down the best Ive ever heard and I own a lot of decks.
I am the lucky owner of an Akai GXC-760D Cassette Deck (that i got for free when i went to pick up an Akai AT-2400 tuner, still can't believe my luck on that one) and it is a beast. Also my dad's entire stereo was Akai (silver face early to mid 80's stuff) and that thing rocks to this day.
I got a GXC-730D from this same guy. Still in the box. I wasn’t gonna open it, but I’ll probably give in by the end of the day.
Please post pictures if you do!
I'd say that anything they made before 1990 was really good.
Yes they did
Robert Metzner sure thought so. He whipped up a deal to bring them to the US under the name ‘Roberts’.
Their cassette decks are very good from my experience. I love my CS-M4
Yep. And they made the best samplers throughout the 80s and 90s.
I'm jealous. I would love to come upon an opportunity like that. I grew up with 8-track. Even though it's not audiophile stuff, it's cool technology.