8519.81.41.05 - Telephone answering machines

This category encompasses telephone answering machines, which are devices designed to record incoming voice messages when a telephone line is unattended and play them back upon request. These machines are typically connected to a telephone line and incorporate mechanisms for storing and retrieving audio information.

Distinguishing this category from its siblings, "Magnetic tape recorders incorporating sound reproducing apparatus" (8519.81.41.10) specifically refer to devices utilizing magnetic tape for recording and playback, a technology largely superseded by other media. "Optical disc recorders" (8519.81.41.20) are classified separately as they employ optical discs (like CDs or DVDs) for data storage, a distinct technological approach. "Other" (8519.81.41.50) within this group serves as a residual category for sound recording or reproducing apparatus using magnetic, optical, or semiconductor media that do not fit the more specific classifications.

As this classification represents a leaf node in the HTS database, there are no further subdivisions under this specific code. Therefore, classification within 8519.81.41.05 relies on the definitive characteristics of the apparatus being a telephone answering machine, differentiating it from other sound recording and reproducing devices that may use similar or different media but do not serve the primary function of answering telephones.