Sony
TC-880-2
Introduced 1974$1,995 MSRP
The Sony TC-880-2 was Sony's semi-professional flagship open-reel deck of the mid-to-late 1970s, a heavy (80+ lb), four-head, three-motor direct-drive machine with half-track record and quarter-track playback capability. It was one of the most expensive consumer-adjacent decks of its era — roughly twice the price of a Revox B77 in the UK market — and remains a benchmark "monster deck" among collectors today.
MSRP
$1,995
Used market · Good
$5,250
+163% vs MSRP
as of Sep 1, 2026MSRP to used market
From $1,995 at launch to $5,250 today.
Specifications
- Heads
- 4, all ferrite — 1× half-track erase, record, and playback, plus 1× quarter-track playback
- Motors
- 3 direct-drive motors — no belts except the counter
- Weight
- 80.4 lb (36.5 kg)
- Dimensions
- 18.4 × 20.4 × 10.5 in (465 × 515 × 265 mm)
- Tape speeds
- 7½ and 15 ips (19 and 38 cm/s)
- Original price
- US $1,995–$2,495; UK £1,200 (1977), £1,450 (1980)
- Wow and flutter
- 0.02% WRMS at 15 ips; 0.03% WRMS at 7½ ips
- Production
- 1974–1980 years
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz–40 kHz ±2 dB at 15 ips (FeCr tape)
- Current resale range
- Roughly $3,600–$7,000 for serviced units, per multiple 2024–2026 listings
- Signal to noise ratio
- 65 dB with FeCr tape; 59 dB with standard tape
Active listings (0)
No active listings for this component right now.
Similar but better
Matched by the Audiophilia engine on character, specs and market position.
Step up
Studer · reel-to-reel
A80 RC
$7,900$7,000
- A step up in the same category
Analog Audio Design · reel-to-reel
TP-1000
$27,000$27,000
- A step up in the same category
Tascam · reel-to-reel
BR-20T
$3,900$3,000
- A step up in the same category
Revox · reel-to-reel
B77 MK III Stereo Tape Recorder
$19,995$19,995
- A step up in the same category
