About the Company
Hitachi, Ltd. is a major Japanese industrial and electronics conglomerate founded in 1910 by Namihei Odaira. It grew from electrical machinery into a diverse multinational covering everything from industrial systems and computers to consumer electronics. While not primarily known for hi‑fi audio like Sony or Pioneer, Hitachi did produce consumer reel‑to‑reel tape recorders in the 1960s and early 1970s, alongside other audio gear.
Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Deck Production History
Late 1950s–Early 1960s — Entry into Consumer Tape Recorders
Hitachi’s involvement in reel recorder branding traces back to the very early years of Japanese consumer magnetic recorders, where some products were marketed under labels such as Belsona (Hitachi) — a branding used on machines made by Hitachi and sold primarily in export markets around 1960–1962.
Typical Belsona (Hitachi) machines:
TRA‑722 — Tube‑based, half‑track mono with 3¾ and 7½ ips speeds and 7″ reel capacity.
TRQ‑399 — Solid‑state half‑track mono portable with 3¾ and 1⅞ ips, smaller reel size.
These early recorders were consumer‑oriented portable models, modest in performance and technical ambition, reflecting the first wave of Japanese open‑reel recorders entering global markets.
Mid‑1960s – Expansion Under Hitachi Brand
By the mid to late 1960s, Hitachi began marketing reel‑to‑reel tape decks under its own name (e.g., TRQ‑series), as part of a broader audio electronics line that included radios, hi‑fi gear, and later cassette machines.
Models from this period included:
Hitachi TRQ‑520 and TRQ‑330 — early Japanese portable reel‑to‑reel recorders.
Hitachi TRQ‑370 and TRQ‑707 (late 1960s) — solid‑state stereo tape decks.
Hitachi TRQ‑737 and TRQ‑570 (1970s) — continued production into the early 1970s, including slightly more advanced features like improved electronics and stereo playback.
These decks were generally consumer/home hi‑fi offerings, not professional studio machines. They featured half‑track (2‑track) or later quarter‑track (stereo) formats with typical consumer speeds (1⅞, 3¾, 7½ ips).
1970s – Continued Products, Later Shift to Cassette
Into the early 1970s, Hitachi maintained reel‑to‑reel offerings while also developing cassette decks and mixer/stereo systems as cassette tape formats began overtaking open‑reel in popularity.
The TRQ‑777 and TRQ‑730D are among later analog reel decks mentioned by collectors from this era (often with features like auto reverse).
Despite continuing into the 1970s, Hitachi gradually shifted focus mainly to cassette tape technology and integrated audio systems in the mid‑70s onward, as the consumer market moved away from reel‑to‑reel.
Market Position & Technology
Hitachi’s reel decks were not typically high‑end audiophile or professional models. Instead, they were:
Consumer‑focused: Aimed at home recording and playback rather than professional broadcast/studio use.
Mid‑range performance: Earlier models used tube electronics transitioning to solid‑state transistor designs by the late 1960s.
Compact and portable: Many early offerings were portable or tabletop consumer decks, with features typical of the era such as battery operation and internal speakers on smaller units.
Hitachi’s reel equipment often appears less documented than major brands because the company’s primary audio reputation later centered on cassette decks and integrated hi‑fi systems, where it competed more directly with specialized hi‑fi makers.
Decline of Reel‑to‑Reel Production
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Hitachi, like many Japanese electronics firms, reduced its emphasis on reel‑to‑reel tape decks as compact cassette formats dominated and then as digital audio technologies emerged. Hitachi continued making cassette decks, boomboxes, and stereo systems well into the 1980s, but open‑reel offerings became a niche or legacy line before disappearing from mainstream catalogs.
Summary — Hitachi Reel‑to‑Reel History
Brand: Hitachi (Japan)
Era of Production: ~1960s–early 1970s for consumer reel decks
Early Phase: Export branded units under names like Belsona (Hitachi) (tube and early transistor units)
Own‑Name Production: Mid‑1960s onward with TRQ‑series consumer decks
Technology: Shift from tube to solid‑state, basic consumer hi‑fi reel formats
Decline: Phased out in favor of cassette technology as market preferences changed
Notes
Hitachi’s reel‑to‑reel history is typical of large diversified electronics manufacturers of the era — making early portable and home tape decks during the boom in magnetic recording, before market shifts relegated reel‑to‑reel to a niche role.