Akai 626U

Not much information survives on the Akai 626U, and what does exist doesn't match the "audio" category it sits under here. American hi-fi directories from 1987 and 1988 list the VS-626U - a VHS Hi-Fi videocassette recorder, not an audio cassette deck. High Fidelity (September 1988, p.76) and HiFI/Stereo (August 1988, p.94) both carried brief spec-box mentions of this model. Whether the "626U" in those ads is the same kind of product as the "626U" in a vintage audio archive is unclear from the record alone.

Here is what the period sources show. The VS-626U was a table-top VHS VCR with a 107-channel cable-ready tuner, 14 presets, 4-event/14-day on-screen programming, a comb filter, still picture, quick-finder search, auto power-on, rewind, and editing capabilities. It had EP record and playback speeds and a video sharpness control. It measured 17" wide by 4" high by 14.2" deep and weighed 15.4 lbs. The price listed in 1987 was $1,000.

No audio-only Akai 626U tape deck or amplifier turns up in the surviving service literature, review indexes, or period price lists consulted. The 626U designation may belong entirely to the video side, or it may refer to a second, completely undocumented product. No production years, circuit details, or user feedback for an audio 626U have been traced.

Product type (per period sources): VHS Hi-Fi VCR, model VS-626U
Tuner: 107-channel cable-ready, 14 presets
Programming: 4-event, 14-day on-screen
Dimensions: 17 × 4 × 14.2 inches (W × H × D)
Weight: 15.4 lbs
Price (1987): $1,000
Period source: High Fidelity (September 1988, p.76); HiFI/Stereo (August 1988, p.94)