Customer Reviews

Onkyo TARW255 Dual well Tape Deck

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Compared to several other brands with similar features, Onkyo delivers big at an affordable price. I bought this to convert cassettes to digital and it works wonderfully. Easy to use, you can tape from cassette to cassette, both sides, without doing any turning over and cueing. It works well with an Onkyo receiver to deliver dolby noise reduction sound that is out of this world. I recommend this tape deck.

I bought this based on the reviews. My cassettes have been gathering dust since the C D's arrived. I bought the ION TTUSB10 turntable, use the EZ Vingl software that came with it. USB connection to computer, and records MP-3 files into the iTUNES program.

I bought the ONKYO TA-RW255 cassettee deck. It plugs into the phone jack on the ION turntable, and goes direct to the computer. Records the cassette music to MP-3 in iTUNES.

The quality of recordings from both the ION and ONKYO are excellent. The only problem was getting the right computer settings in the computer sound card. And the EZ VINYL software has to be active in order to listen to the music if you are not recording. Only annoying thing is the EZ VINYL display is displayed on the screen and cannot be minimized.

When I ripped my C D's, I was able to get excellent quality at 128.8. The EZ VINBYL software, by default records at 297, which means each song is between 3,000-4,000 kbs.

Things have to be simple when you are a senior citizen. I hope this information helps other non-computer savy people make a decision.

this was purchased as a gift, to facilitate the conversion of cassettes to mp3 and ripping cd's.


i have always liked onkyo products, as they tend to be very solid. what made this purchase stellar for me was the auto-reverse feature. now when ripping cassettes its just play and let nature run its course. ok, not so much nature, but a piece of equipment that gets the job done. both wells have auto reverse. you can also have to tapes play on relay, in other words, press play on one and then the other will begin to play when the first one ends. also it has remote control connection jack in the back, i won't need it, since it's hooked up to a pc.

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey (That worked in several electronic stores), I am often asked to write and or discuss various audio products and recordings from the 60's and 70's.

Onkyo TARW255 Dual well Tape Deck

The Onkyo unit gives you the ability to play on both portions of the deck and record on one. Although you may be tempted to use high speed dubbing, take the extra time and record in the normal mode. Very few decks were able to offer trouble free high-speed dubbing.

When nobody knew what the word CD meant, Onkyo was enjoying a solid reputation as a manufacturer of tape decks. Today they are still offering quality at a more then fair price.

This unit offers both Dolby B and Dolby C for noise reduction. At eleven pounds it isn't hard to move its location. The construction of the unit is both esthetically pleasing and designed for the long haul.

As always try to use quality tapes such as Maxell or TDK for the cassette portion and please keep the tape heads clean or it circumvents the idea of a nice investment. Dirty heads will give the playback muddy results.


Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

Review of Onkyo TARW255 Dual well Tape Deck
Purchased this tape deck to transfer to CD's, what little I have used it it seems like it will do what I want.
It arrived in excellent condition, and quickly from AMAZON and ready to go to work.

Horrible deck coupled with atrocious service. Within the first month, it ceased working and Onkyo told me it was a problem of theirs. Thankfully, instead of having to mail it at my expense to an authorized repair center, Amazon exchanged the deck. Two months later, same problem. Customer service was cold, clearly not interested in my problem and handed me the standard answer. Now I have have to pay $20 or more to ship a deck that cost me a bit over $100. I would never buy an Onkyo product again. This could not have been a worse experience, and waste of money. Just horrible!

This deck was purchased for a general music classroom. It did not work out of the box but unfortunately was past the 30 day period when it was tested out. One would not expect a basic tape deck to not be able to play or record cassettes, but it appears to be a fairly common problem with a sensor in the unit. We are now trying to deal with a service center in another state and are out money for shipping on a brand new unit. Poor experience with Onkyo.