Akai GX 32 (1968–1970)
The Akai GX 32 is a solid-state, four-track reel-to-reel tape recorder. Akai produced it from 1968 to 1970. It has three motors - one capstan motor and two reel motors - and runs 7-inch reels at 7½ and 3¾ ips. It was built as a quarter-track stereo machine, and the record shows it also had a built-in amplifier rated at 2 x 5 watts.
Surviving documentation is mostly spec-sheet entries, with no deep reviews or service literature. The record does agree on a few things. The machine used 25 transistors, 18 diodes and a single zener diode. It weighed 10.2 kg and measured 400 x 355 x 210 mm. Signal-to-noise ratio is listed at 50 dB. The frequency response figures conflict. One source claims 35-18,000 Hz at 7.5 ips, while another gives a flat 50-15,000 Hz. The first is speed-qualified and the second isn't, so they may be measuring different conditions. Audio (October 1988, p.268) included the GX 32 in its cassette deck listings.
Power consumption is listed as 48 watts (or 2.2 amps, depending on the source), and the unit accepted 110-220V mains. An automatic stop feature is confirmed. No source mentions auto-reverse, so it was probably not a feature of this deck. No original price, no wow-and-flutter figures and no user reviews have surfaced in the available material.
- Type: 4-track, 2-channel reel-to-reel tape recorder
- Speeds: 7½ and 3¾ ips
- Heads: 4-head system
- Motors: 3 (capstan + 2 reel)
- Reel size: 7-inch / 18 cm
- S/N ratio: 50 dB
- Dimensions: 400 x 355 x 210 mm, 10.2 kg
- Built-in amp: 2 x 5 W
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