About the Company
Ross Electronics Corp. was a United States–based electronics brand (from Chicago, IL) that in the 1960s appeared on a series of portable reel‑to‑reel tape recorder/player units. These machines were typically solid‑state transistorized consumer decks often made in Japan or Taiwan and branded for the U.S. market.
Brand / Company: Ross Electronics Corp.
Country: United States (brand use)
Products: Portable reel‑to‑reel tape recorders
Era: 1960s (mid to late) — approximate dates based on catalog listings and surviving items
Technology: Transistorized / solid‑state, battery or mains powered
Production: Units appear to have been manufactured overseas (e.g., Japan or Taiwan) and imported under the Ross name rather than built in large U.S. factories.
Brand History & Context
Unlike dedicated long‑running tape recorder manufacturers, Ross Electronics is documented primarily as a brand label on consumer electronics — including portable tape recorders — sold in the U.S. during the 1960s. Radiomuseum listings for several Ross branded tape machines date them to catalogs from around 1968, indicating that the brand was active in audio products at that time.
Ross was similar to other value‑oriented U.S. brands of the era that imported affordable electronics from Asia and sold them under an American label. The units you find branded Ross today (e.g., Mark‑1805 “Attache” or Mark‑200‑N) reflect this pattern — lightweight transistor tape recorders marketed toward casual home users or portable recording use.
There’s no strong evidence that Ross operated its own dedicated professional tape recorder factory or had a sustained in‑house reel‑to‑reel engineering program akin to larger names like Akai, Revox, or Tandberg.
Documented Ross Tape Recorder Models
Here are some known Ross‑branded reel‑to‑reel recorders — all lightweight, portable, and aimed at casual users:
Ross Mark‑1805 “Attache”
Type: Portable reel‑to‑reel recorder/player
Brand: Ross Electronics Corp., Chicago, IL
Era: Late 1960s (catalog listing ~1968)
Key Notes: Solid‑state design, line/battery power, compact unit marketed as an all‑around portable deck.
Ross Record‑O‑Matic Mark‑1808 / Mark‑1702
Type: Portable tape recorder (part of the Record‑O‑Matic lineup)
Brand: Ross Electronics Corp.
Era: Late 1960s
Notes: Transistorized units with simple functionality; built in Japan.
Ross Mark‑1602
Type: Portable reel‑to‑reel recorder
Technology: 6‑transistor, battery and mains operation
Manufacture: Likely Japanese production branded for export to U.S. market.
Ross Mark‑200‑N
Type: Portable reel‑to‑reel recorder (solid‑state, remote mic input)
Manufacture: Mobile device made in Taiwan, branded under Ross for U.S./North America distribution.
Design Characteristics
Typical traits of Ross reel‑to‑reel recorders:
Portable form factor: Compact units designed for easy carry or casual use, often with integrated speaker and remote microphone options.
Transistor electronics: Most models used simple transistor amplifiers rather than tube circuits — typical for late‑60s portable devices.
Battery and mains power: Many units could run on standard household power or batteries.
Consumer focus: These were entry‑level recorders, not professional hi‑fi or broadcast decks — similar in spirit to other inexpensive brands of the era.
Made overseas: Case markings and documentation indicate the mechanisms and electronics were manufactured in Japan or Taiwan by OEM factories and labeled for Ross.
Community discussions about surviving units (like the Ross Mark‑400 or Mascot Mark‑411) describe them as low‑fidelity, rim‑drive or rim‑belt machines, reflecting their budget nature and casual use rather than precision recording.
Market Role & Legacy
Value‑oriented Consumer Brand
Ross tape recorders filled a niche position in the U.S. consumer electronics landscape of the 1960s, offering affordable portable tape decks targeted at:
Home recording of voice or music
Portable personal use
Beginners and casual tape users
They were not designed for high‑fidelity recording, studio use, or professional audio, and today are generally of interest only to vintage electronics collectors or hobbyists exploring inexpensive portable designs from the mid‑20th century.
Short Production Span
There’s no indication that Ross continued reel‑to‑reel production beyond the late 1960s/early 1970s, and the brand did not evolve into a recognized long‑term reel recorder maker like Wollensak, Akai, or Sony.