About the Company
Belsona — Brand Overview
Brand: Belsona (often followed by model numbers like TRQ-399, TRA-500, TRA-722)
Actual Manufacturer: Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Production Period: Circa 1960 – mid-1960s (approximate)
Market: Consumer reel-to-reel tape recorders sold internationally under the Belsona name
Category: Portable and table-top reel-to-reel audio tape recorders
Electronics: Transitioned from tube (valve) designs to solid-state/transistor technology during the era of production
Belsona was not an independent manufacturer in the sense of Akai, TEAC, or Revox. Instead, it was a brand label used on tape recorders that were manufactured for export by Hitachi — a major Japanese electronics company. Hitachi manufactured these machines and they were repackaged or rebadged for some export/distribution channels under the Belsona name.
Production History & Model Lineup
Early 1960s — Tube Era
In the early 1960s, Belsona branded machines featured tube (valve) electronics, which was still common before transistors fully dominated consumer audio:
Belsona TRA-500 – A table-top reel-to-reel recorder with tube amplification, half-track mono transport, and integrated speaker output. Produced around the early-to-mid-1960s, its electronics included tubes such as 12AX7 and 6BM8.
Belsona TRA-505 – Another tube-equipped tape recorder from the same general period with similar consumer-oriented specifications and build quality.
Belsona TRA-722 – A tube-based model with half-track mono recording/playback, accommodating up to 7″ reels and speeds of 3 3/4 and 7 1/2 ips (inches per second).
These early models were typical of 1960s consumer open-reel machines — portable and functional, but not positioned as high-end audiophile recorders.
Mid-1960s — Solid-State / Transistor Transition
As transistor technology became more widespread, later Belsona machines adopted solid-state circuitry for greater reliability and reduced cost:
Belsona TRQ-399 – A solid-state transistor reel-to-reel recorder likely from the mid-1960s (~1963). This model was battery operated with two speeds (1 7/8 and 3 3/4 ips) and a small reel capacity (~3″), targeting the portable consumer recorder segment.
These models reflected the broader industry shift in the mid-1960s from vacuum tubes to transistor electronics, which improved power efficiency and reduced size — features appreciated in portable units.
Technical & Market Characteristics
Country of Manufacture: Japan (Hitachi facilities in Tokyo) — Belsona branded units were built by Hitachi and then marketed under the Belsona brand for select markets (often overseas).
Product Positioning: Consumer entry-level reel-to-reel machines — not professional studio decks, but affordable recorders for home audio, field recording, and general-purpose tape use.
Electronics Evolution:
Tube (Valve) Era — Early Belsona models used tube amplification typical of the late 1950s/early 1960s.
Solid-State / Transistor Era — Later machines shifted to transistor circuits for efficiency and lower production cost.
Formats & Speeds: Models supported standard consumer tape speeds of 1 7/8, 3 3/4, and 7 1/2 ips, and common track formats like half-track mono or 1/2 track recording/playback.
Legacy
Belsona’s role in reel-to-reel history is mainly as a rebadged or export brand under which Hitachi sold its tape recorders in some markets during the early-to-mid-1960s. Because Hitachi itself was the actual manufacturer, many Belsona machines are now collected as Mid-Century Japanese consumer recorders, but the Belsona name itself was never a major long-running brand with its own engineering or corporate history independent of Hitachi.
Today, Belsona models — especially TRQ-399 and tube deck variants TRA-500/505/722 — are encountered in vintage audio collections and seller catalogs, often valued for their nostalgia and representative mid-60s portable deck design rather than for high fidelity.
Representative Belsona Reel-to-Reel Models
Belsona TRA-500 Early 1960s Tube (Valve)Classic consumer table-top deck with integrated
speaker
Belsona TRA-505 Mid-1960s Tube (Valve)Variant with slightly different styling and components.
Belsona TRA-722 Early-to-Mid 1960sTubeLarger reel capacity and consumer stereo board.
Belsona TRQ-399 ~1963 Solid-State (Transistor)Portable recorder with small reels and
variable speed