The Onkyo TA-RW255 dual-transport cassette deck will almost make you forget that cassettes are a dying technology. Almost.

With its two tape transports, the TA-RW255 makes it easy to dub cassettes at regular or high speed, and you can configure the unit to relay-play from one deck to the other. Thanks to auto-reverse on both transports, you can potentially listen to the TA-RW255 for hours without having to change tapes.

Onkyo has loaded the TA-RW255 with useful features. It has Dolby B and Dolby C noise reduction on both decks, and an automatic tape selector detects the type of tape inserted and adjusts accordingly. There is CD synchro recording that starts the cassette recording automatically when an input signal is detected, and a manual record level control lets you adjust the recording levels for the best results. Auto spacing is available to put a long-enough blank spot in between songs to make it easy for song-search systems to function accurately.

The frequency response of the TA-RW255 is a respectable 20Hz to 17,000Hz using metal-bias tape, and the unit has a signal-to-noise ratio of 58dB when Dolby noise reduction is turned off. The TA-RW255 has an accurate electronic tape counter and a fluorescent peak meter. While it does not include a remote control, the TA-RW255 can be operated by an Onkyo IR remote control, such as one that comes with an Onkyo home theater receiver.

While cassettes are becoming rare, many people still have extensive music collections on tape. For them, the TA-RW255 offers excellent playback features in an easy-to-operate unit.

Warranty
1 year