Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I feel obligated to review this item since I bought it and returned it after being unsatisfied with the sound quality. If you're like me, you're trying to get your tape collection onto your computer. I was looking for the best sound quality first, and if possible, an easy way to make the transfers. The Tape2PC didn't do either. My recommendation is to buy yourself a new dual tape deck that offers auto-reverse and relay play. Most new decks have both features, including the new Sony deck I bought. The Tape2PC boasts that it comes with Audacity audio software, but you can download Audacity for free (just google it). Hook up the tape deck to your computer's line-in jack using an RCA to 1/8" adapter. 99% of computers already have a line-in jack and the ability to record with relatively little white noise added. The Audacity software is easy to use and will let you convert files to MP3 or WAV. If you're comfortable using a computer, the entire process will be easy for you. Reasons to buy Tape2PC: Tape2PC is good for beginners who don't know much about computers. The included software has a wizard that walks you step by step through the process. It will help you name the files and even help split the tape into separate tracks, provided you sit through the whole process and click a button at the exact moment you want to split the tracks (who has time for that?) It auto imports files into iTunes, and from there you can sync to your iPod easily. Reasons not to buy Tape2PC: Number one reason is quality. I thought a USB device would eliminate interference and hums and lead to the best sound quality, but it was less of a factor than I originally thought. The key is the tape deck itself. The Tape2PC deck is a cheap deck at best and even if the USB connection adds no noise, the sound from the deck is lousy to start with. It's mostly noticable on the high-end frequencies - they sound muffled or missing altogether. The Tape2PC is a dual deck, but doesn't have auto-reverse. That means you need to come back to the computer every 25-45 minutes after one side as been recorded, flip the tape over, and start recording the other side. On the other hand, a dual deck with auto-reverse and relay play means you can load up 2 tapes, and have both sides play in sequence. Set your computer to record and come back and hour or two later (or 200 minutes later if you have 100min mix tapes, for example). You can split the tracks manually in the audacity software after the fact. Most computers nowadays can handle recording 200 minutes without running out of disk space. Lastly, using the built in Tape2PC software was sort of a pain because it requires iTunes to be installed and it always converts files to MP3s at a low bit-rate. I wanted to convert them to WAV files (i.e. lossless format) and to do that I couldn't use the included Tape2PC software. I was required to use Audacity, but again that's free so what's the advantage to buying this Tape2PC system?