Onkyo TARW255 Dual well Tape Deck

by Onkyo

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12 x 17.2 x 4.8 inches ; 11.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 13 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0009MFQ1C
• Item model number: TARW255
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,304 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #12 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Stereo Components > Tape Decks

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Dual autoreverse lets you copy both sides of a tape with the press of a button, or relay-play both sides of two tapes without interruption. The deck also includes Dolby B and C noise reduction to effectively eliminate tape hiss, auto-spacing to insert blank spaces between songs, high-speed dubbing, rec-level control, CD synchro recording, 8-segment peak level meters, an auto tape-bias selector, and a 4-digit electronic tape counter.

Key Technology Feature:
RI (Remote Interactive): With Onkyo’s exclusive RI (Remote Interactive) system capability, you can integrate and operate all compatible components through a single remote control. What’s more, RI capability enables you to simply connect the iPod® to your receiver through Onkyo’s RI Dock for the iPod (DS-A1). Your iPod effectively becomes another Onkyo component from which you can relish a fuller sound that just can’t be experienced through headphones. RI capability will also give you remote operability of your iPod for hands-off control over your digital music.

Product Description

Onkyo Dual well Tape Deck TARW255

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Onkyo Dual Cassette Deck by Paul, February 15, 2007

By 

Paul R. Schradieck (BROOMALL, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Onkyo TARW255 Dual well Tape Deck (Electronics)

I bought this cassette deck to transfer tapes to my computer and then to my mp3 player. It works great. The sound is excellent and it is easy to use.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solidly built tape deck, November 2, 2006

By 

B. George - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Onkyo TARW255 Dual well Tape Deck (Electronics)

The Onkyo Dual well Tape Deck TARW255 is well built and easy to use. The sound quality of the unit is good. I like the fact that Onkyo has reinforcement on the inside of the cassette holders that holds tapes in place. I had some questions pertaining to the unit and OneCall, the vendor that the unit was purchased from, provided very good customer. I am set for some time with a deck that will play my tapes.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OnkyoTARW255 vs. Sony TCWE475 Dual Decks, May 20, 2010

By 

Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Onkyo TARW255 Dual well Tape Deck (Electronics)

This replaces a Sony TCWE475 that wiped out after I tried to extract a jammed tape (no complaints after 10 years of service). I was inclined to get another Sony deck (currently the #1 seller on Amazon), but I'm hopeful the Onkyo may be more capable of handling a snarled tape without self-destructing before my eyes. Also, it's a nice complement--mechanically and visually--to my Onkyo Stereo Amp (TX-8222).

Cassettes are largely dead technology, so some of the features unique to either machine will not be as relevant as once was the case. The Onkyo boasts hi-speed dubbing; the Sony does not. The Sony gladdens a musician's heart with a Pitch Control knob; Onkyo apparently assumes not enough music fans have good enough pitch for such a control to matter. The Sony also comes with an automatic search feature that's not only quite effective but can come in handy for locating "tracks" whether for playing or dubbing; the Onkyo omits this feature. Aesthetically, the Sony's full-sized volume knob (for adjusting auto record) is more satisfying than the shrunken, diminutive knob Onkyo assigns to this function. Otherwise, I give Onkyo points for making their cassette deck more immediately readable and accessible than their receiver, with its many same-sized black buttons that are flush to the receiver's face. The instruction manualsare both complete (but not overwhelming) and clearly written (give Sony a slight edge for especially complete, user-friendly instructions and diagrams. The Sony is slightly lighter and more compact, and sentiment and past experience would lead me to recommend it over the Onkyo, especially when the price appears to be slightly under the Onkyo's. But the "what have you done for me lately" phenomenon has left a bad taste, leading me to recommend the Onkyo, if for only a single reason.

Both the Sony and Onkyo manuals warn against the use of 2-hour cassette tapes (they're thin and highly breakable). Nevertheless, when I'm recording a 2-hour show away from home, that's what I felt compelled to use. The result: one of them jammed in my Sony. When that happens, you're s--d, because there's no way to open the door to get at and remove the defective tape. Neither Sony nor Onkyo has answer for this predicament in their troubleshooting section of the manuals. So my hope, possibly prayer, is that the "apparently" heavy-duty Onkyo will handle defective tapes better than my Sony did. (Face it, nowadays equipment that costs a hundred or two is cheaper to replace than to send out for repair.)

A couple of closing recommendations. Don't buy a used cassette deck or turntable unless it's screamingly cheap and/or you've had a chance to check it out thoroughly. (Loudspeakers and amplifiers are an altogether different proposition.) Also, ignore manufacturers' claims that some of the other tape decks (and turntables) are "specifically designed" for analog to digital conversion. Additionally, be wary of overusing Dolby B and especially Dolby C. With today's compressed recordings, your results will most likely sound more full-frequencied (i.e. no muted treble) without NR. And last, if your computer lacks a simple 1/8" audio input, you can pick up a USB adapter for several dollars. And in most cases (since Sony and Onkyo, for example, don't try to snag innocent consumers with bogus claims about digital conversion), you'll have a better-sounding result because it's been played back on more reliable, proven audiophile equipment). Consumers apparently soon catch on, which is why the "conversion" components with unfamiliar names rarely receive rave reviews on Amazon.