About the Company
Crown — one of the better‑known American reel‑to‑reel tape recorder brands, though its legacy spans broader audio equipment beyond tape decks over the decades:
Crown — U.S. Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Deck Manufacturer
Brand: Crown
Corporate Origin: International Radio and Electronics Corporation (IREC), later Crown International, Inc.
Country: United States (Elkhart, Indiana)
Reel‑to‑Reel Production: 1949 – 1977
Primary Market: Consumer and semi‑professional open‑reel tape recorders
Technology: Tube → Solid‑state evolution
Note: Crown eventually became best known for professional audio amplifiers and PA products, but its early decades were closely tied to reel‑to‑reel machines before market shifts and format changes ended that line.
Company Origins & Early History
1947: Crown’s roots trace to International Radio and Electronics Corporation (IREC), founded by Clarence C. Moore — a radio enthusiast and missionary engineer — who began building rugged tape recorders for remote use. The first workshop was literally a converted chicken coop in Indiana.
1949: Moore was granted a patent for the world’s first tape recorder with a built‑in power amplifier (15 W) — a significant innovation of the era.
Crown’s early machines were designed to be rugged, user‑friendly, and self‑contained, intended for missionary work, field recording, and general consumer use when tape technology was still nascent.
First Tape Recorders (1950s)
In the 1950s, Crown sold tube‑based open‑reel tape decks under model names including:
Imperial (c. 1954–1957) — mono, half‑track, rugged consumer deck with built‑in amp and speaker.
Royal (c. 1956–1958) — stereo capable, larger 10½″ reel support and wider bandwidth performance than earlier models.
GCR (c. 1956–1959) — solid throughput and tube electronics typical of mid‑50s consumer machines.
These tube designs often used multiple motors and incorporated built‑in amplification (and sometimes speaker systems) — quite advanced for the era when most decks were basic playback or record only.
Evolution in the 1960s
Early 1960s: Crown continued with tube‑based consumer and higher‑end decks. The 700 Series (e.g., models 701, 702, 712, 714C) offered full‑track, half‑track, and stereo configurations with quality transports and broad feature sets.
1963–1964: Crown introduced its first solid‑state reel‑to‑reel decks, starting with models like SS‑824, which marked a shift from vacuum tubes to more robust transistor electronics.
1967 onward: The Pro 800 Series (e.g., CX‑822 / SX‑822) became flagship units, with selectable electronics variants (CX offering more controls than SX) and features such as three‑speed equalization, bias control, and stereo capability.
Throughout the 1960s, Crown’s decks were well regarded for their build quality and innovations like integrated electronics and braking systems, though they competed against Japanese hi‑fi imports that increasingly dominated the consumer market.
1970s & Discontinuation
1971: A major fire destroyed much of Crown’s factory, setting back production — though the firm resumed operations within about six weeks.
Late 1970s: With cassette recorders and hi‑fi Japanese brands overtaking open reel demand, Crown made the decision in December 1977 to cease producing reel‑to‑reel tape recorders, selling its last unit (the SX822) to founder Clarence Moore himself.
After reel production ended, Crown shifted focus more fully toward power amplifiers, public address gear, and pro audio electronics — where it became one of the industry’s major players through the 1980s and beyond, ultimately being acquired by Harman International in 2000.
Legacy
Crown’s reel‑to‑reel era represents about three decades of participation in magnetic recording, starting from early missionary‑focused machines and evolving into serious consumer and semi‑professional decks. Although the format became less popular by the late 1970s, Crown’s push into power amplifiers and professional audio ensured the brand’s survival and growth well beyond its magnetic tape era.
Quick Summary
Crown began in 1947 building rugged tape recorders in Indiana and continued producing open‑reel decks from around 1949 through 1977, transitioning from tube to solid‑state electronics across the 1950s–1970s. Their lineup included early self‑contained machines (Imperial, Royal), mid‑century consumer decks (700 Series), and later Pro 800 Series solid‑state models — before the company discontinued tape deck production as market demand shifted.