An optical pickup assembly comprising: a housing having first and second portions; a first optical pickup unit having a first objective lens, a first transmission light path, a first laser source, a first reception light path, a first photo detector, and a first beam splitter, wherein the first transmission and reception light paths separately extend from one another between the first beam splitter and the first laser source and the first photo detector, respectively; and a second optical pickup unit having a second objective lens, a second transmission light path, a second laser source, a second reception light path, a second photo detector, and a second beam splitter, wherein the second transmission and reception light paths separately extend from one another between the second beam splitter and the second laser source and the second photo detector, respectively; wherein the optical pickup units are integrated together in the housing with the first transmission and reception light paths and the first beam splitter contained within the first portion of the housing and the second transmission and reception light paths and the second beam splitter contained within the second portion of the housing; wherein the first optical pickup unit is arranged laterally above the second optical pickup unit across a tape path extending in a longitudinal direction and the first optical pickup unit and the second optical pickup unit are positioned at a longitudinal position along the tape path with the objective lens of the first optical pickup unit being laterally higher across the tape path than the objective lens of the second optical pickup unit, wherein the objective lenses of the optical pickup units are longitudinally offset from one another along the tape path, wherein the first photo detector, the first reception light path and the first objective lens are laterally aligned with one another, the first laser source, the first transmission light path and the first objective lens are laterally misaligned with one another, and the first laser source is positioned laterally above the first photo detector and the first objective lens, and wherein the second photo detector, the second reception light path and the second objective lens are laterally aligned with one another, the second laser source, the second transmission light path and the second objective lens are laterally misaligned with one another, and the second laser source is positioned laterally below the second photo detector and the second objective lens. a housing having first and second portions; a first optical pickup unit having a first objective lens, a first transmission light path, a first laser source, a first reception light path, a first photo detector, and a first beam splitter, wherein the first transmission and reception light paths separately extend from one another between the first beam splitter and the first laser source and the first photo detector, respectively; and a second optical pickup unit having a second objective lens, a second transmission light path, a second laser source, a second reception light path, a second photo detector, and a second beam splitter, wherein the second transmission and reception light paths separately extend from one another between the second beam splitter and the second laser source and the second photo detector, respectively; wherein the optical pickup units are integrated together in the housing with the first transmission and reception light paths and the first beam splitter contained within the first portion of the housing and the second transmission and reception light paths and the second beam splitter contained within the second portion of the housing; wherein the first optical pickup unit is arranged laterally above the second optical pickup unit across a tape path extending in a longitudinal direction and the first optical pickup unit and the second optical pickup unit are positioned at a longitudinal position along the tape path with the objective lens of the first optical pickup unit being laterally higher across the tape path than the objective lens of the second optical pickup unit, wherein the objective lenses of the optical pickup units are longitudinally offset from one another along the tape path, wherein the first photo detector, the first reception light path and the first objective lens are laterally aligned with one another, the first laser source, the first transmission light path and the first objective lens are laterally misaligned with one another, and the first laser source is positioned laterally above the first photo detector and the first objective lens, and wherein the second photo detector, the second reception light path and the second objective lens are laterally aligned with one another, the second laser source, the second transmission light path and the second objective lens are laterally misaligned with one another, and the second laser source is positioned laterally below the second photo detector and the second objective lens.