About the Company
Allied Radio Corporation (often simply Allied) was a U.S. electronics distributor and brand best known in the mid-20th century for selling audio equipment, test gear, and components via catalog (as Allied Radio and related subsidiaries like Knight, Roamer, and Wextark). In the 1960s through mid-1970s, Allied marketed a range of consumer reel-to-reel tape recorders under its own brand names.
Allied Radio Corp. was based in Chicago, Illinois (USA) and many of its tape decks appeared in its catalog with parts “Made in Japan,” indicating actual assembly/production overseas for Allied branding.
Production Timeline
Late 1960s – Early Entry
Allied’s earliest solid-state branded tape decks appeared in 1968, such as the TD-1030 Three-Speed Stereo Tape Deck which was featured in the 1968 Allied catalog.
1969–1972 – Primary Production Years
A series of mid-range consumer decks appeared in Allied catalogs around 1969–1972:
TR-1035 – a feature-packed 4-track stereo recorder with built-in speakers.
TR-1040 – another solid-state stereo recorder with quarter-track capability.
TR-1080 – an auto-reversing 4-track stereo model, often better equipped.
These models were typical of solid-state consumer recorders of the era: stereo playback/recording, multiple tape speeds, and all-transistor electronics.
1970–1975 – Expanded Lineup
Into the early- to mid-1970s, Allied continued to offer models such as:
TD-1025 / TD-1099 – budget and medium-priced stereo decks with 2- or 3-head configurations and 7″ reel capacity.
TD-1095 – another stereo tape deck from around 1970.
All these decks typically supported quarter-track stereo (± half-track) and ran at standard speeds (1 7/8, 3 3/4, and 7 1/2 ips).