About the Company
Aurex — Japanese Hi-Fi Brand & Reel-to-Reel Tape Deck History
Brand: Aurex
Country: Japan
Parent / Manufacturer: Toshiba (brand used primarily in Japan & in export hi-fi lines)
Product Type: Consumer audio equipment — including reel-to-reel tape recorders, turntables, speakers, tuners, etc.
Era of Tape Deck Production: 1970s–early 1980s
Market: Hi-fi consumer segment (not pro studio gear)
Aurex was a Toshiba audio brand used to differentiate high-end and premium consumer audio products from Toshiba’s regular home electronics. The name stems from combining “Audio” with the Latin “Rex” (“king”), reflecting an ambition to position the line as a top-tier audio choice.
Brand Background
Origin & Meaning: The brand Aurex (オーレックス) was introduced by Toshiba for its higher-end audio products, particularly during the hi-fi boom of the 1970s and early 1980s.
Product Range: Beyond reel-to-reel decks, Aurex covered turntables, amplifiers, cassette decks, speakers, tuners, and later evolved into modern audio products after brand revivals decades later.
Reel-to-Reel Market Position: Aurex’s reel-to-reel tape decks were consumer-oriented hi-fi machines aimed at home users who wanted quality tape playback and recording without stepping up to pro studio gear.
Reel-to-Reel Tape Deck Production
Core Models & Technology
• Aurex PR-9020
A representative consumer-grade reel-to-reel tape recorder sold under the Aurex brand.
Solid-state electronics with stereo, 4-track (¼-track) operation.
Dual standard speeds — 3¾ and 7½ ips.
Three heads and three motors — allowing simultaneous monitoring and recording/playback.
Typical high-end consumer specs for the era (mid-1970s).
Other Aurex tape decks from the period were similar in philosophy: hi-fi consumer designs with solid-state circuitry, robust head configurations, and performance aimed at the upper end of mass-market equipment rather than professional studio decks.
Era & Evolution
1970s: Aurex production of full-size reel-to-reel machines like the PR-9020. Solid-state designs replaced earlier tube equipment industry-wide by this point.
Late 1970s–1980s: Continued production as hi-fi progressed, with improvements in head technology, noise reduction, motor control, and tape handling aligned with global trends. Aurex remained a premium Toshiba audio brand with a loyal following in Japan and exporting some hi-fi components.
1980s End & Hi-Fi Shift: As the home audio market shifted toward cassette and disc formats, reel-to-reel waned. Aurex continued in other product lines but reel-to-reel became a smaller niche by the early 1980s.
Technical Characteristics of Aurex Reel Decks
Electronics Solid-state
Track Format ¼-track stereo
Speeds 3¾ & 7½ ips
Heads 3-head systems (erase / record / playback)
Motors Multi-motor systems
Target Market Consumer hi-fi audio
Brand Legacy
Hi-Fi Heritage: Aurex stands today as part of Toshiba’s legacy hi-fi portfolio, lauded among vintage audio enthusiasts for its solid build quality and sound performance in its heyday.
Modern Revival: The Aurex name has seen revival in recent years for modern consumer audio products (like Bluetooth cassette players and portable audio gear), but those are distinct from the historic hi-fi tape era.
Collectors & Vintage Appeal: Aurex reel-to-reel decks remain collectible among analog enthusiasts, representing a distinct Japanese brand alternative to Akai, TEAC, and Pioneer in the 1970s consumer tape deck scene.
In Short
Aurex was a Toshiba-marketed Japanese hi-fi brand that produced consumer solid-state reel-to-reel tape recorders in the 1970s and early 1980s, such as the PR-9020, aimed at the upper segment of home audio equipment. While not as prolific as Akai or TEAC, Aurex reel decks are a noteworthy part of Japan’s analog audio history and remain collectible today.