About the Company
Cipher — Reel-to-Reel Tape Deck Brand
Brand: Cipher
Country of Manufacture: Japan (recorders marketed internationally, often via U.S. distributors)
Production Period: 1964 – late 1960s
Market: Consumer-oriented reel-to-reel tape recorders
Technology: Initially tube (valve) and hybrid designs → later solid-state (transistor) units
Cipher was a small Japanese reel-to-reel recorder brand active during the mid-1960s, making inexpensive consumer machines aimed at general home use rather than high-end hi-fi or professional recording. These units are rare today and typically rated modestly in terms of sound quality and reliability.
Origins and Market Context
In the 1960s, Japan’s electronics industry was booming and many smaller manufacturers produced branded reel-to-reel recorders targeted at consumers and export markets. Cipher was one of these names — not a major global manufacturer, but a brand under which small consumer recorders were built, likely by one or more OEM factories.
These machines were often sold through distributors abroad (for example in the U.S. via companies such as Inter-Mark Corporation), with Cipher branding applied to units built in Japan.
Product Development & Models
Cipher Tube/Hybrid Machines (c. 1964–1967)
Cipher 1 — One of the earlier models
Hybrid electronics (some tube components with transistor elements) or fully tube in some releases.
Speeds: 1 7/8, 3 3/4, and 7 1/2 ips
Head configuration: Full-track mono (2 heads)
Max reel size: 7″
All-Japan manufacture, offering basic audio recording/playback performance typical of entry-level decks of the era.
Frequency response and wow/flutter figures were modest compared to higher-end brands.
This model illustrates that Cipher initially offered machines in the early mid-1960s that still used tube and hybrid electronics — a transitional era between older vacuum tube designs and fully transistorized decks.
Cipher Solid-State Machines (c. 1965–1968)
Cipher V — Mid-1960s solid-state consumer recorder
Electronics: Solid‐state (transistor)
Speeds: 1 7/8 and 3 3/4 ips
Head configuration: Full-track mono with permalloy heads
Max reel size: 7″
A very basic consumer deck with internal speaker and minimal controls.Cipher VI — Stereo model of the series
Tracks: Quarter-track stereo
Electronics: Solid-state
Speeds: 3 3/4, 7 1/2 ips
Offered features like tape lifter on fast forward/rewind and detachable speakers — a more feature-rich design within the Cipher lineup.
These later models reflect the general industry shift in the mid-1960s to transistor technology, which reduced size, heat, and power consumption while making production cheaper and more reliable (at least in theory) than tube-based designs.
Brand and Distribution
Made in Japan: Although the machines were manufactured in Japan, Cipher itself was essentially a brand label — not a large vertically integrated manufacturer like Sony or Akai. Many smaller Japanese brands in the 1960s operated this way, sourcing mechanisms and electronics from OEM factories and selling them under various names.
International distribution: Some Cipher decks were distributed in the United States by companies such as Inter-Mark Corp., which rebadged Japanese-built tape recorders (e.g., Cipher 1 labeled for the U.S. market).
Performance and Market Perception
Cipher reel-to-reel decks were typically:
Consumer entry-level: Targeted at everyday home users rather than recording professionals.
Modest audio performance: Frequency response, noise levels, and mechanical stability were average to below average compared with mainstream brands of the era.
Short production span: Available mainly during 1964–1968 before Japanese audio markets consolidated around bigger players (e.g., Akai, Teac, Sony).
Collectors often rate Cipher models low in sound quality and reliability — around 5/10 — underscoring their position as budget options during the rise of Japanese audio exports.
End of Production
By the late 1960s, the Cipher brand name had largely disappeared from active catalogs as the reel-to-reel market matured and consolidated around larger companies with stronger global distribution and more advanced technology. Smaller labels like Cipher typically faded as consumer tastes shifted toward higher-performing products.