About the Company
Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. was a major Japanese electronics company founded in 1947. While best known for radios, televisions, portable audio, and later cassette products, Sanyo also produced a line of reel-to-reel tape recorders during the late 1960s and 1970s, aimed at the consumer and mid-hi-fi home audio market. These machines were manufactured in Japan and built to appeal to home users rather than professional recording studios.
Company: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Reel-to-Reel Production Era: circa 1968 – late 1970s
Market: Consumer / home audio
Typical Technology: Solid-state transistor electronics (with earlier portables including tube-era designs)
Track Formats: Quarter-track and half-track consumer stereo/mono configurations
Typical Tape Speeds: 1 ⅞, 3¾, 7½ ips (some models offered slower or single-speed portable formats)
Max Reel Sizes: Typically up to 7″ for consumer decks
During this period Sanyo brought a range of portable and tabletop reel machines to market, competing with other Japanese brands but ultimately focusing more on value and ease of use than on top-end professional features.
Historical Development
Late 1960s — Entry into Consumer Reel Recorders
Sanyo’s reel-to-reel lineup became more visible from about 1968 onward. Many models from this era are solid-state machines aimed at home recording/playback — often with stereo quarter-track formats and multiple tape speeds for flexibility.
This timing corresponds with Sanyo’s broader expansion into audio electronics, where the company was already producing portable radios and tape recorders and built capability for magnetic recording products.
Representative Reel-to-Reel Models
Here are some well-documented examples of Sanyo reel recorders:
Sanyo MR-801 (c. 1968–1971)
Category: Mid-hi-fi portable recorder/deck
Tracks: 1/4 Rec/PB + 1/2 PB (stereo)
Speeds: 1 ⅞, 3 ¾, 7 ½ ips
Reel Size: 7″
Heads: 2 (stereo)
Features: Portable design, solid-state electronics, broad frequency response up to ~20 kHz at higher speed.
This model illustrates Sanyo’s solid-state consumer approach with multiple speeds and stereo playback.
Sanyo MR-939 (c. 1968–1971)
Category: Consumer stereo quarter-track deck
Speeds: 1 ⅞, 3 ¾, 7 ½ ips
Reel Size: 7″
Features: Built-in amplifiers and speakers on some configurations.
Portable Models (MR-115, MR-120, MR-151)
These were small portable / battery & mains operated decks for home and portable use:
MR-115: Half-track portable with two speeds and simple control set.
MR-120: Portable half-track mono with “mood” tone settings and mixing functions.
MR-151: Small quarter-track stereo portable, including slower 15/16 ips speed for longer recordings.
These models reflect Sanyo’s portable analog recorder offerings that were common in the consumer market before compact cassette completely took over.
Earlier Tube-Era Portable (S-11MR)
Some early Sanyo portable reel machines (e.g., S-11MR) used tube electronics and half-track mono formats before the full solid-state transition.
Technology & Market Position
Solid-State Transition
Most late-1960s and 1970s Sanyo reel decks were transistorized — more reliable, lighter and cheaper than earlier tube decks.
Tape formats were quarter-track stereo on consumer decks, with portable units often using half-track.
Consumer Focus
Sanyo positioned these decks for everyday home recording — radio programs, music, dictation and portable use — rather than professional or broadcast markets.
Features emphasized ease of use, portability, and integrated functionality (e.g., built-in speakers on some desktop units).
Competitive Landscape
Sanyo’s reel-to-reel machines competed with other Japanese brands like Akai, Sony, Teac and Pioneer in the consumer segment. Their offerings tended toward affordable and reliable rather than high-end audiophile performance.
End of Reel-to-Reel Era
By the late 1970s, Sanyo’s reel-to-reel production was largely superseded by compact cassette recorders and players, which offered smaller size, easier media handling, and lower cost. This mirrored the broader industry decline of consumer reel recorders as cassette formats became dominant.
After that point Sanyo focused more on cassette, radio-cassette combos, boomboxes and other portable audio well into the 1980s and beyond.