Pioneer
RT-909
Introduced 1978$1,250 MSRP
Iconic slim-line deck with quartz-PLL direct-drive capstan, auto-reverse playback and a fluorescent-lit look that made it a design classic. Mechanically durable; reel motors, pitch control and display electronics are the usual service points.
MSRP
$1,250
Used market · Very Good
$2,500
+100% vs MSRP
as of Sep 1, 2026MSRP to used market
From $2,200 at launch to $2,500 today.
Specifications
- Heads
- 4 — ferrite erase head, hard Permalloy recording head, 2× hard Permalloy playback heads
- Motors
- 3 — FG servo DC dual-capstan drive motor, 2× 6-pole inner-rotor induction reel motors
- Weight
- 47 lb (21.5 kg)
- Dimensions
- 19 × 13½ × 12½ in (480 × 340 × 318 mm)
- Speeds
- 3.75/7.5 ips
- Tape speeds
- 3¾ and 7½ ips (9.5 and 19 cm/s)
- Track format
- 4-track (quarter-track) stereo, bidirectional playback
- Release
- 1979–1984 years
- Original price
- $895 (RT-909); RT-901 non-auto-reverse variant was $795
- Wow and flutter
- <0.04% at 7½ ips; <0.08% at 3¾ ips
- Max reel size
- 10.5"
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz–28 kHz ±3 dB at 7½ ips with LH tape
- Current resale range
- Roughly $2,000–$3,000 for serviced units, per multiple 2024–2026 listings
- Signal to noise ratio
- 60 dB at 7½ ips; better than 55 dB at 3¾ ips
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