New Cassette Decks?!
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- Опубликовано: 5 авг 2021
- Cassettes are still alive! In this video we will explore some of the best (or worse) tape decks still in production: Buckle up!
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I have recently acquired my father’s old technics system from 1987. I am blown away by how awesome the cassette sounds.
Good job!
Oh my god me too! Same technics from 87, got massive wood grain speakers and an EQ, AMp cassette deck CD player and tuner!
@@mclovinpo they’re lovely aren’t they!
I was blown away too ,
i managed to get a one owner technics seperates hifi from an old couple that bought it in 89 for £40... it is immaculate and does look good with the 1210's from 1990 with it!
Thanks for all the great videos. I've been an audiophile since the age of 12, now 68. I've learned so much in the 2 yrs following you.
I recently bought a 1987 Technics RS-B105, just a basic manual 2-head deck. The seller had replaced the belts and cleaned the pots and said it was refurbed. Didn't sound so great, and recording was terribly dull, it was in very nice cosmetic condition as stated though. I found the original service manual online, with the listings for all the electrolytic capacitor values. Ordered all electrolytic capacitors through DigiKey, choosing mostly Nichicon specific audio replacements. After replacing all the capacitors, oh wow! it sounds amazing! I have never heard Dolby B actually sound any good, the Dolby circuit works perfectly and you want to use it, with all caps replaced it likely sounds better than originally delivered. Well worth the effort to do so. I also needed to adjust the azimuth, but the speed was still perfect. Not sure about wow and flutter, I don't quite have enough knowledge or equipment to measure that, but I hear no audible wow/flutter. Quite impressed with the results.
It isn't a good advice to just blindly change around components, especially if there's less to none knowledge about such electronics (someone with knowledge wouldn't do it anyway).
The key factor is a tightly recalibration to the specs, especially after changing components in the analog audio path.
In decades of servicing such devices I rarely found dead capacitors in the audio path. More often they die in the power supply section. In some production years they tend to leak, notably some ELNA types used to be the "high quality audio" range. But I constantly check 50 or more years old capacitors and they are spot on. No new one will give a better result. New ones are even often times more worse, because they tend to range continuously on the lower tolerance range, which results in slightly lower capacitance as it should be.
So spending much money and changing stuff without any knowledge is like buying "oxygen free" cables with crazy pricing and hoping for the best. In the end all can get worse and finally the decks end up on eBay to rip off people. If such units probably end up by a real technician the eye rolling starts and usually they put back the lid and refuse to work on such ruined machines.
And in the past I saw a lot of such ruined machines by myself. High quality good looking machines. But they end up being a parts donor at best...
What we need is a crowd funded new cassette mechanism project. Once that high end platform is available with good recording heads and a solid transport mechanism, various audio brands can make their own electronics and enclosure with it.
the horizontal industry making all the components is GONE so it`s hard to make such an " obsolete" product.
Great idea but what will the backers get from it?
There’s no need. There are literally thousands of high quality older decks, and most only need new belts. More than there is a demand for.
@@danieldaniels7571 I have a vintage Marantz deck so I have got my self covered for my needs but many will want something new. Do you want want proof? look at the previous video, there are also plenty of high quality tape decks around. And how about Vintage turntables?
@@mightychow They get what every crowd fund backer gets.
Hi, many thank's for this great statement👍 I'm so happy with my "Tascam 122 MK3". Sound's still great after all the years with a small service.
Keep on rocking😎
There’s no shortage of quality used decks. I have absolutely no interest in a new deck. There would be so much less waste if more people repaired and used old electronics.
Hard thing is finding a repair shop these days. Where I live there is none what so ever.
freaks only, freaks just buy weird shit here!
you run a channel too, what weirdo content you can find to make video's about?
@@biga8230 that’s true. Repairing my Sony cassette changer was beyond my skills, and I realize I’m fortunate to live in a big city that had a repair shop that could refurbish it. Most decks only need really simple fixes though that with a little effort most people can do themselves. Belt replacement, cleaning of the capstain, pinch roller, and heads, and head azimuth. There are many RUclips videos to walk you through it.
@@danieldaniels7571 Common problems in most old electronics are very cheap to fix, if you can solder and have a rudimentary understanding of electronics. Tape decks are harder to fix as their mechanics can be difficult to repair and parts can't be had at a regular shop.Btw. You are absolutly right. People should get things repaired and manufacturers should make their stuff repairable.
The problem is not the decks. The problem is the tape. Maxell has shut down production last year. It was the only big manufacturer left. This will also happen with cd's and other new hi-tech media. The only one that has somewhat of a future is the vinyl record. It is so archaic that rebuilding a production facility is not that hard compared to the others.
I came to the same result, when I searched the market for new cassette player. No device has convinced me, so I am now looking on the second-hand market. That makes more sense!
Bravo!
I have found that with the right equipment , vintage gear is the way to go. I have a good amount of vintage along with cassette decks. The sound and build quality is excellent. Unfortunately build quality doesn't seem to matter anymore unless you spend way way more money.
Good way to spend the money is to buy a good/descent old deck and have it serviced. Bought an old Tandberg 320. Amazing deck for a normal 2 head design and pretty cheap where I live.
I have a Fisher 400 stereo receiver.. it's incredible how good music sounds in vintage equipment.
Any advice for old, high quality, take deck / amp models? Im an audio noob and looking to spend €100-€200
@@delatroy i have good luck with yamaha,marantz,and technics
However, belts must be replaced, all electrolytics must be replaced, all bearings must be replaced, the heads must be replaced, at least realigned, and BIAS as well as EQ must be retuned. That's just the first steps. Then comes the fault finding ... But of course: Tandberg and - if you can't find the best - Nakamichi. Everything else: Not worth it.
Cassettes still live !! Thats an amazing thing. My background is an Electrical Engineer/ Technician/ Geek and have spent a lifetime working with the intricacies of communication and sound reproduction and even used Cassettes too but only out of necessity ie in my car pre CD and USB and even though I had high end Cassette players/ recorders I never had a lot of time for the humble Magnetic Cassette tape (nor vinyl for that matter) until one day I came across a Yamaha KX-1200 deck at a recycling centre for just a few dollars, after I cured its minor problems I recorded a DDD CD to tape on it using TDK SA tapes, my god I was blown away I could not distinguish the CD direct from the Cassette recordings I had made. Certainly changed my mind as to the capabilities of the humble cassette.
I still use cassette decks, they just seem like magic! AND I will stick to my Nakamichi RX505, LX5, and 480. The 480 is one of the best used decks to buy! You don't have to have "Willie" work on them, although I did with my RX505 and his work is tops! There are many great guys to tune up an old deck.
Yeah man. I found BX-1, cheap. Replaced the belts and idler. It's like a new machine, sounds fantastic for a mid-low end of its day. Still cost $300 in 1980!
Bummer.....
Troublesome in these times.
The Nakamichi 480 is a very good machine. The transport used in the Nakamichi Dragon is quite similar.
@@fflynnful I do have an issue with one of my 480's. I need to look at the transport and see if the tape is in alignment. Someone suggested a "mirror cassette", seems like a great idea, thus I bought one. BUT on the 480 the view is blocked by the door, yes I did remove the outer door, thus you cannot view the tape transport over the heads and rollers....I do not have measuring equipment, thus I do not want to really throw it out of alignment. The BIG problem is that if you contact any of the guru's of cassette decks, they will not just fix what you want. They want to go through it and that is big bucks! The deck is a 9.5 out of a 10 and has all the original paperwork and both boxes!
That days are gone when superior quality decks were made with 3 heads and 3 motors with dual capstan drive with best possible specification and built to last.
Still have one.
There's little to no point having one at all though. There are no benefits to cassette anymore, plenty of drawbacks though.
Nostalgia aside, there's nothing useful about a cassette. They were poor compared to vinyl and cd from day one, apart from recording. But that recording advantage is pointless now too
Hence the market is limited and basic. Few people will ever buy one over modern alternatives.
@@lunchie80 Simply wrong in every aspect.
@@TheBebe666 You are wrong. I still remember cassettes. They are not better than vinyls, cds digital files or streaming.
I keep a top of the line Nakamichi and a Teac Esoteric for playback transfer for clients. We have every type of external noise reduction made by Dolby, DBX and Nakamichi so we can properly decode just about any cassette, or open reel studio tape.
The sound of cassette on a good cassette Deck is amazing ..
Great that you keep us updated for new cassette decks in the market. Some of these are not that great in terms of specs.
Hopefully we will get better decks in the next few years!
🤞
@@anadialog
Whats the seaside I want to go check.that out ! Which country??
I still have my NAD 616 Double Tape Deck. I've had it for about 23 years and it still works great.
This is an excellent and informative video! This is exactly what I found when comparing new and vintage: I was undecided for to listen to and digitise old cassettes if I have to buy an expensive, new tascam w1200 at around 380/400 euro or a vintage product. I visited a few shops in my area (Milan). In one I found a nakamichi cr3e sold to be serviced for 500 euro or more to which the maintenance cost of a few hundred euro had to be added. Maybe a bit too much for my needs. I went to a second hi-fi shop which had a number of used cassette decks (in Italy, it seems to me, the cassette revival has not strongly started as elsewhere) and also has its own repair workshop attached to the shop. The shop had a bit of everything from an Aiwa excelia to be serviced over 500 euro but also much cheaper vintage decks. For 50 euros I found a Technics m45 that I had repaired for about the same price from the same shop. So a refurbished deck for more or less 100 euro. I chose the Technics following a quick comparison with a Yamaha k950 at the same price but with much more consumed heads and other issues. Checking the specs I noticed that these two 1980s items are already better than the tascam/teac w1200, so I made up my mind: partly on the basis of your very useful advice on the world of cassette tapes and partly because of the low cost compared to the specs of the vintage product compared to the new products. Thank you very much for the work you do in spreading the culture of analogue listening, but I must say that even on digital I find your videos enlightening. Bravo e grazie di tutto!
I still have a Sansui D-W10 cassette deck that I bought new in 1986 and it still works.
I have a Realistic single tape cassette deck. It still works exceptionally well for its age.
Great! I'll bet you've looked after it well.
I am always amazed at how good cheaper consumer tape decks got at the end of the 1980's and into the 90's. I have a Revox B215 but also listen to my Tascam 302's and 122Mk3 and a non pro Pioneer CT606DR which for the price is amazing. The digital noise reducton is incredible. If you get an old deck: Make sure you get it serviced (new belts) and make sure it has HX Pro.
Great advice! A pitch/speed control and HX pro definitely makes all the difference!
@@RealHomeRecording the big majority of audiophile prefer not used noise reduction and hx pro
@@quebecforce111 I can understand no Dolby noise reduction, but what's wrong with HX Pro?
@@RealHomeRecording No Nakamichi decks have HX pro; they don't need it.
In the mid 90's I picked up a new jvc dual tape deck. Still looks and works like brand new. This was the time everybody was dumping the component system and mostly interested in large THX receivers and DVD home theater systems.
The best cassette deck I ever had the experience to use was an early 80's (1981?) Yamaha K-960 Natural Sound in the mid 2000's using NOS (also early 80's) TDK SA-X 90 Chrome tapes. I still have most of them and they sound great to this day. The adjustable bias even made Normal Bias tapes sound fantastic. Wish I still had it!
shortage????
Compact Cassette = DEAD!
was always a crappy system
Good video and always nice to see cassettes getting some more love. I have two Yamaha's, a Technics and a Pioneer all awaiting a service/ refurb- just looking to justify the cost to my wife. Same applies to my R 2 R' s and home 8-track unit. Then again, the outlay should be worth it in the long run ( work in progress). Really liked that Technics with DBX that you featured a few weeks ago.
I’ve got early 90s decks: a nice Yamaha in living room and Sony in the bedroom. They’re still both working and sounding great.
@@danieldaniels7571 - nice one.
I have a Tandberg TCD 910, Just had it serviced. The sound through my Sansui AU 717, is terrific !
I miss my Denon DN-790R with Dolby S cassette deck. 20-20khz / 90 db snr. Great deck with balanced / xlr io. Rewind and forward speeds were quick while gentle on the tape.
I still have a DN-T625 and it's a great sounding machine
Great!
You would probably be amazed how much it would sell for in today's market.
Mmm! Dolby S. :-)
@@AudioGuyBrian Not kidding you… during my divorce, the ex sold it off. Let’s say whoever bought it, got it for pennies.
I have an Onkyo TA-2120 Stereo Cassette Deck, and it produces really good recordings. I got it from Deseret Industries for only $4.24 with tax.
Also AIWA made very Good Decks on the 80s , myself have a Revox b215
Excellent choice!
@@anadialog thx and also a B710, but that’s a Diva , just replaced al caps and she s working fine
I used to repair Audio in the 80's. Aiwa was super low rent for it's time but still better than what you get now.
There are still good vintage decks if you keep looking.
I scored a 1979 JVC kd-a2 at a thrift store. The Dolby NR that is has is not very good, but turn it off and it sounds very close to digital (your own recordings anyway). And that's with type 1 ferric tape. Yea quiet bits of a song you're going to notice hiss, especially with headphones, but for speakers it's negligible. They run for decent prices on ebay for anyone interested. I haven't replaced the belt but I did boil it, it has a very easy to replace main drive belt, I can have it out and back in in about 10 minutes personally.
I have good things to say about Technics m218 decks, I had one briefly, it took a shit on me though, it's hopeless and I have to take the loss. But it sounded very good while it lasted. So that's also another good deck, can be found at a good price.
I recently acquired an excellent, built-to-last cassette deck from the mid 90s in mint conditon.
It came in really nice packaging - a minty Mercedes Benz E-class sedan of W124 vintage ... also excellent, built-to-last and in perfect working order.
Both items produce sublime music when pushed.
The whole deal cost a little less than a new modern stereo setup, and while its sort of "different" ... I couldnt be happier
Wow, thanks for this video. I had been considering that dual-well TEAC
Not only is the Marantz deck not made by Marantz, it's not even the 'real' Marantz brand. Their Marantz Professional name was sold to the Chinese a few years ago.
I feel that way about Victrolas too the real Victrolas record players before they were bought were excellent now Chinese parts
nobody needs tape......
weirdo youtube content only! hits money!!!!
RUclips jobs, weirdo people!
I still use TEAC V 7000 and I am very satisfied. Fantastic recorded sound.
I had a Teac C-3X that I bought in Japan in 1980. It was pretty awesome and I recorded tapes with an external DBX 224. I'm not a big fan of Dolby and I really liked and still do like DBX. I always wanted a Nakamichi Cassette Deck, but was way above my price range. I always loved the cassette medium. I was using cassettes when a lot of people were using eight tracks and I hated those : )
DBX was far superior its downfall was not enough record labels willing to release Titles in that proprietary format. you need the decoder
way ahead of its time
I had a couple decks with dbx noise reduction on them, but never used it much because none of my portable players or car stereos had the dbx decoding. It really did outperform Dolby B though. Shame it never caught on enough to be included on car stereos and prerecorded tapes.
I still have a DBX 224 outboard unit packed away in one of my boxes of HI-FI equipment. I used it mainly with my Teac 3340s 4 channel reel to reel. Reel to reel tape got to expensive and cassettes kept getting better so I switched to cassette
exclusively and sold the Teac.
Beautiful opening!
I had a Toshiba deck, with the dolby noise reduction system. one head one drive and it was a good as anything today, it cost £200 in 77 which was a huge amount of money then, I'm glad compact cassettes and vinyl is making a come back,
Yes, in 80's and 70's the deck manufacturer did seriously for building cassette deck machines with heavy duty designing (for example die cast aluminum alloy parts), but in early years they do it very funny-chip and with many plastic parts, also some beautiful view decks but cheap inside. for example: 3 head decks with one capstan!.
Exactly!
Because of the cost cutting competition...
I love my Denon DRM-700 especially for it's single capstan drive. No skidding, reliable and no W/F. My Nakamichi BX-300 has problems with the tension between capstans...
I'm happy with my Sony TC-K 661S and my parents old Technics RS-B33W. There are enough old tape decks around still if you put a little work into them.
I have a Sony 5 cassette changer, and absolutely love it. Have zero interest in a new deck.
Yeah!
So to recap, we hold on to our Technics decks. Thanks 🙏🏻
Hell, yeah!
And this information is very interested TOO! Thanks!
I'm more than happy with my Revox B215!
I bet you are!
i love cassettes this could be a New era of cassette
I still using my Sony walkman EX-501 and I really enjoy my 80's tape recordings !!
I bought a standard Sony piano key double deck from the early 90s from a guy on Facebook back in 2017 for about $10. It didn't perform the best when I got it, but then I decided to grow a pair, replace the belts and tune the speed pots using a combination of a studio pre recorded cassette of a song along a PC stream to get the speeds just right. However, one thing I have found disturbing is that even in the 90s, a copy of "Nevermind" I bought at a yard sale was recorded disturbingly loud, so I have the feeling that even if cassettes came back in the same way LPs have, there would be actual record labels who wouldn't put out a quality recording.
I have a Sony tc-we505 is a good decks? Just changed belts and other calibration
Tascam used to make a CD recorder (not just a player) with a cassette deck in the same component. Wish I could get my hands on one of those.
I have a Sony 3 head and it does a great job, even with Type I (normal position) cassettes.
I have a working Technics RS-TR474 deck(I think it was a midrange at it time). What level is it, compared with presented new decks?
How I wish someone make new VHS players that can transfer them to digital (without the ugly process with a PC)
I have my Mom's toshiba that does that and it still works.
@@SamuelBarrPhotography what model number?
Panasonic made the DMR-EX99V DVD recorder that copies VHS to DVD - I have one and it works well once you have figured out the hefty instruction manual. I believe it is no longer made but in the UK you can get a used one on eBay for about GBP350 say USD500.
They do ..vhs HiFi to direct drive recording DVD..
What an interesting deck, shame that there isn't bas calibration!
Regarding the sound do you have a better digital capture link?
For the moment on youtube video, i noticed are way more clear high sound (bandwidth isn't all), and the low end are less compressed, and more dynamic, also the wow and flutter is way better! Everything is logical! I really need a 192khz/24 bit for corfimation!
I am so glad that I still own two Optimus cassette decks that are still fully functional, the single cassette auto-reverse auto tape selects HX Pro Dolby B-C noise reduction Optimus SCT-91 and the Dual deck full logic control Optimus SCT-57 with auto tape calibration, HX Pro and Dolby B-C-S noise reduction.
was lucky to find 2 NOS yamaha decks (KX-R730 and KX-360) at a thrift store a few months ago. I do hope cassette decks make a comeback though.
11:16
Panasonic RX-D55 Boom Box ... Sounds real good and records on Type 1 very well with little hiss.
Italy is so beautiful I'm 100% italian I would love to visit one day. Im vintage since I'm old so my Teac V670 3 head do just fine.
This is such a good video and your reactions made me LOL
thanks for the infos Guido!
Thank you!
still love my akai gx-31 had it fully restored and sounds great .
Don't know if anyone noticed, but the frequency response of the new ones is rated at the 4 db down point and not 3db which was the established standard. That is cheating, if it was rated at 3db down the high end might only extend to 10k!
Yes, you are right!! 🤦♂️
They get away with it because the current generation of buyers know no better.
@@graemecarr4325 Creative marketing based on ignorance, been going on longer than either one of us has been alive. Remember Certs breath mints with a drop of Retsyn? General public had no idea what it was so everyone assumed it was a secret ingredient to help with bad breath. They never said what it was outright, so it was not a lie, only misleading. Retsyn is vegetable oil which is used to hold the powder into a tablet shape when compressed. I am sure Life Savers wintergreen mints were made the same way.
@@anadialog I know -3db is 50% less energy than 0 db, since db scale runs on a logarithmic scale and is not linear, I am not sure how that would translate to -4 db. Maybe someone knows out there.
@@zulumax1 Unfortunately all too true but luckily some companies don't indulge in the spin process and you can implicitly trust what they say, one relevant example is Yamaha, such is my trust in their product if I were a religious person I would bow in supplication to the worthiness of their products. LOL cant say the same for most other companies involved in the audio world.
Sei Sempre grande nelle spiegazioni ...e poi capisco proprio quasi tutto..! Incredibile...Grazie Italia...
Troppo buono, grazie Giampiero!
I did buy Tascam CD-580 a few months ago, but returned it immediately because the material used was not of good quality and what really pissed me off was the digital (USB) recorder's recording standards were far lower than I was expecting. It is recording low quality MP3, but such professional devices should be recording linear format. My workplace has a few decades old Tascam tape deck, wish I had it myself, it is much better in quality.
This is why there is absolutely no chance of ever selling my Sony KA6ES.... (great up-to-date video, thanks!)
I am not a rich man. I don't have $10,000 speakers. I have got a set of Marantz from 1985. I don't have a Pioneer 1200. What I have is an AT-LP120XUSB. My receiver is a Sony STR-DH590. My headphones are very old. Philips SBC HP 250. I was sort of disappointed that your review of the TEAC AD-850 (which I have) was not more positive. In viewing VWestlife's video about the AD-850, I purchased one. It is good enough for my lower-end system. Anyways, have a good vacation!
You don't need 10k speakers or other fancy stuff BUT the quality/price ratio must always be paramount. If you have seen my video on how I became an audiophile you know that I listened to normal gear (meaning not high end) which wasn't anything special for decades but that got me into hifi and made me love music even more. I always did loads of research in order to get the best out my small budget and I slowly improved each part, year after year.
Now, these machines do not do that I am sorry. The TEAC models are the best in the list but they have very poor specs, even those found by VWestife, and even worse they are very expensive. What I am trying to say is that for the same price or probably less, you could have gotten a vintage model, which I think is also fascinating, that would have sounded much much better. When possible try to get another deck, for example a mid model by Nakamichi, yes, you can get a Nakamichi for less than the Teac, and then you will decide which one you like more more and sell the other. If you do this keep me updated. Thanks for your comment Saint Michel. I hope you know that is is a suggestion coming from the heart. Ciao!
@@anadialog I watch your videos when they come up. Among the past videos: lubing your tapes, speaker placement, the advantages of having a mono cartridge. I trust you implicitly. I am pushing 70 years old. (My hearing I only got to 10,000! Yikes!) If I were 40, you bet I would go vintage. If I got a better tape player, I'd have to get a new receiver and then new speakers. You know what I am talking about. I am a bit weary of persuing "the perfect sound", which we all want to achieve, but never quite get there. I don't think I will buy another piece of audio gear again. (I said "don't", but you never know!) I just want to enjoy the music in the years that I have left. I've been through some serious medical issues lately and I am lucky to be alive. Incidentally, where are you on your vacation?
@@saintmichael1779 I was missing some pieces of the puzzle, I see and perfectly understand. Thanks for your honesty and frankness.
@@anadialog I find Vwestlife entertaining to watch and I sometimes learn something new. So I am always looking forward to see his video's. But given the fact that he claims you can play your vintage records perfectly safe on a Crosley suitcase player and even enjoy it (After you hacked it with chewing gum and Duck Tape to make it play at all, OK I made that up) I can not take him serious for audio advice.
The same goes for Steve Guttenberg who once claimed you will ruin your records with a Dual 1209 and that cassettes have nothing to offer to true audiophiles. Guy's like Steve give this hobby (because that is what it is) a bad rep.
I agree with you that the TEAC tape deck on offer is a sad affair, just look at the specifications of moderately priced decks of the 80's.
I thank you as always for the items you bring for discussion. Each is unique and contribute to the whole puzzle of analogue (and not only) music reproduction. In my opinion, analog recorders of these days are not more than nostalgic items, since digital recording surpass technically and is mature enough comparing to any existing analog recorders.
I There for suggest that in order to complete your series about recorders, to add a third part, which will deal with current commercially available digital recorders.
Have a great vacation and thank you again.
Could be...thanks!
Do a blind test... Double check.... In the blind tests the outcome is still about 50/50....btw... Pure signal does not mean pleasant signal.....i.e. Jimi Hendricks makes the guitar have additional harmonic content....i.e. distortion.... But listeners think it sounds more pleasant....a stratavarious violin generates allot of distortion!! Pleasant distortion.... And therefore there expensive..
Analogue recording is not compressed and that is why it sounds warmer, spacious and have more life.
@@gautambanerjee6962
Thank you for your comment.
Digital recording is not compressed.
The compression of digital music signal is usually done at post recording process, such as mastering level of CDs (Loudness war) and at various methods of data compression for MP3, AAC, and similar streaming formats.
Lossless format such as Flac and apple lossless do not perform any data change there for any musical change so if digital recording is not compressed than Lossless format will not reduce its quality.
BTW:
a) All analogue recordings are lossy type.
b) All analogue recordings which uses noise reduction methods such as Dolby (A,B,C, S) or DBX or other methods are by definition use a compression (and uncompressing) process to the musical information.
c) Analogue mastering for vinyl or cassette uses analogue compressors for squizzing the master recording onto the limited vinyl dynamic range.
d) The RIAA curve used for vinyl is a compression and uncompressing process.
e) All the above proves that actually true digital recording is the only format that signal can be obtained without any compress / uncompressed within it's production / reproduction path.
This is very informative and exactly type of information I was looking for. Thank you for this video. I'm looking for a excellent quality and excellent condition (if not new) cassette deck to play back KY old tapes that I want to digitize and restore. The music I created on these tapes only exist on these tapes and irreplaceable. That's why it is important I get a high-quality and extremely reliable deck to play these tapes back on. I can't afford to end up with a machine that would ruin my tapes, destroying the music that's on them
United Home Audio should make a cassette deck. They continue to make new reel-to-reel decks that are of the highest quality.
I have bought a technics m13 and it Sounds great at a Type 1 Cassette. The recordings are good
Thanx. Now i know what i've to look for.
I was thinking to buy a new deck to add to my system
After check you video I decide go for a full refurbished Tascam 112R MKII. (Purchased and refurbished in Japan)
At the moment works great and very happy with the purchase
Great decision!
Interesting video! i just bought an old Siemens deck from early 80s for about 40 euroes in great condition, and all the specs are far superior to these new ones, as are those in my early 90s JVC double deck (which i've only ever needed to clean the pinch rollers and the heads). i'd def rather pay for an old one with needed maintanance a few hundred euroes rather than any of these new lousy ones. i could still have the Siemens serviced if need be and pay a couple of hundred and it'd be a great deck (but it doesn't need anything at the moment!)
I still using my Sony walkman EX-501 and I really enjoy my 80's tape recordings !!
Bravo!
Having great fun with my NEW Teac W1200. Have the usb digital output routed to my Sony Tazh1es via my Mac mini running Audacity pass through. Reliving my youth. It sounds great. I have messed with 3 vintage decks from NAD and Sony. All failed to be consistent….and at a cost. I owned a Sony TCFX44b in the 80s. The Teac holds its own……
Still have my Pioneer CT-91a and my Tandberg TCD-3014a ans they both rund and sound like new, and I've had them since right after the great flood, or so it seems. It would be interesting though, to see someone make a high quality cassette deck again. And for TDK to get up from the chair and do the SA, SA-X and the MA-R again.
Please...
Kind regards.
Great stuff!
Picked up some old decks from the 80s and 90s that have been looked after. $50!
Akai Technics, etc.
Lots of used and even the odd new old stock decks available on eBay. I still have a Yamaha deck and 2 Denon CD tape combos that still work
I still have tapes and a nice old Yamaha deck, but rarely use it. Tapes are history to me.
Nice video, though.
I have 2 mid 80’s high end Harman Kardon decks that retailed for 500 dollars back then. It’s a shame no one makes a high quality deck any longer. Imagine how expensive they would be be.
Using inflation calculator, starting at 1985 and ending 2023, it would be equivalent to $1,430.
TEAC V270 single bay deck that I have owned since the 70s all works but soft control button for PLAY. Tooth pic fixes that. Sounds like new. Also, Kenwood T3510 Auto Reverse single bay. Dolby ABC and auto bias sensing. Works perfectly from the 80s I believe. Decks are NOT the problem. It's the 45-year-old tapes. We used cassettes to play mostly album content in our cars back then. Finally, we just bought new music on tape vs albums. Then, of course bought it all over again when CDs came on the scene.
It's nice conversation Thanks
I recently bought the teac w 1200...gotta say I'm pretty satisfied.
YOU are right there are very good used deck on ebay beware fixing them up can be a right pain i have worked on alot if you get the belt kits you may find fixing a right pain
Can you image a new deck, fully features, build by Burmester? Sure, it would cost 50,000€+, but what a beauty that would be.
I am using mid 70s to 80s deck (2 Teacs) why replace them? They need minimal maintenance and just work.
Indeed!
Do you have a list of the labs that refurbish tape decks? I have a Yamaha MT120 that I had done recordings on that I would like to transfer to my PC. The transport quit working....
I know some good labs but in Italy ,( where I live)
Hi 👋, And I have just recently rebuilt my transmission line loudspeaker cabinets with new drivers with new drivers made SEAS 150w ,
Have you ever used a record flatting device, I have been looking at a record Pi device, but can not see them for sale in Europe. Not sure whether it is worth investing in something like it I have about four or five records that are very badly walked one being Led Zeppelin III , I I was given some vinyl last year, approximately 320 45s and about 40 LPs, Do you recommend anything or can you recommend a way of trying to flatten them without doing damage to them or any more damage than necessary,
PHIL FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOULIN FRANCE.
I haven't but I am afraid of those machines because they heat up the vinyl. I think suction or a ring weight are better
@@anadialog hi , okay I will give it a try, thank you for your reply, Phil FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOULIN FRANCE
I still use my Vintage Revox B710 Cassette Deck this is a masterpiece, and I agree the TEAC is the best choice if you want a new machine
I want to thank you for recommending the marantz pm 5005 truly the best amp sounds fantastic
Well good review of decks apparently the new standard for these is "low fi" (not over 15 kHz on high end response) not even close to bottom end Nakamichi decks of past years, so technology on current cassette decks takes a big step backwards. Disappointing. Todays economy means producing low quality goods at low cost = current batch of cassette decks. My thoughts. Thanks for your reviews always the best!
Great video info at least for me, now I need to give me the task to find out a Cassette Deck that my dad just give me, do you mind if you can help me how good, how average or how bad it is ?? I have a Technics by Panasonic model Deck 616 with some of the specs you mention, here some: Wow and Flutter:0.07 (WRMS) - Frequency Response Normal:30-13,000 (US) HZ - Frequency Response FeCr:30-13,000 (US) HZ - Frequency Response CrO2:30-14,000 (US) HZ - Noise Reduction: Dolby: B
Thank you in advance
Gerry
Hi Gerry, the frequency response is kind of low, especially for Chrome...I would look for something better IMHO
@@anadialog thank you very much for you time and feedback,
I am looking for a good tape deck for recording. I would like a deck like the Aiwa SK-X9000, with Dolby S noise reduction and HX Pro. In addition, I would like to record to Type II chrome tape at 120 us EQ. Do any of the decks in this review include these features?
Don't buy these. You can find amazing stuff for cheaper than this and part of cassette history. The Tascam supports al types of tape. The rest is not there.
@@anadialog I've got the Aiwa SK-X9000. It's got HX Pro and Dolby A, B, C and S noise reduction. However, it doesn't include the option to record to type II chrome (or cobalt) tape at 120us EQ. It only includes type II at 70us EQ. Do you know anyone who can help me include this circuit?
This dates me, to say the least - but way back before CD players and computer digital came out, in the late 1970s, I bought a NAKAMICHI 660 DX cassette deck. Compared to the units you're describing in your RUclips video here, it appears to me to be a "Rolls-Royce" of a cassette deck compared to the East-German "TRABANTS" (really crappy two-stroke smoke-belching cheapo cars, for which you had to add crankcase lubricating oil to the gasoline) (floor-sweepings!) cassette decks you're reviewing here.
What is YOUR take on the NAKAMICHI brand (long-since vanished from the market except for used versions appearing now & then on eBay, etc.)? My Nakamichi 660-ZX deck is beautifully made, and still works - I had it serviced, cleaned and lubricated about ten years ago, when there was a cassette-deck repair center still operational in the Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. area. Now, if it breaks, I'm out of luck. There are NO service centers for cassette decks to be found ANYWHERE in the United States now.
Yes, there is hope for magnetic recording systems, I have been working on new digital / analog technology base around my analog digital modulator (ADM) ideas, that I have been using with my AM radio transmitters. As AM radio and magnetic recording have a lot in common in dealing with noise as well as how the record process works, I have one working prototype and now building a second design to work with both cassette tapes and 8 track systems. If anyone is interested what has been tested so far? take a look my article on LinkedIn called the "Next Generation of Cassette Decks".
sorry for a question, why there is no more Dolby system in nowadays decks? maybe for a metter ofr patents issue? it does not exists anymore?
For cost cutting...
Because Dolby stop licensing it unfortunately
I got a used Yamaha off of ebay and made out okay. But then again I do not use it often. It is a model issued in 1985, and it was kept clean - well.
If you know a good shop and you want to get a fixer upper (say, from ebay) check and see what parts it needs or what is wrong with it- and see if your shop has the parts before investing in the deck. In fact you may want to see if your shop is still in business (these days).
This has been my experience.. in some towns and cities, places that will do the work may be hard to come by and you may have to invest some dough (unless you are a DIY kinda guy). But those new decks with the marantz name on them? I got 2 that had to go back to a very reputable dealer. Don't even bother. This is only based on my experience, folks.
I still have my Sony TC-K620 but I think the motor died? It served me well for many years... My favorite blanks were TDK-SA and SAX then Maxell UDXL-II, which also smelled the best! ...next best were Sony UX-S and Metal-SR... I recall not liking Memorex and Fuji DR-II.
There seems to be a surplus of excellent quality vintage decks about available cheap and they are all better than the current crop of floor sweepings from the current manufacturers to not too discerning buyers who never experienced that 70 to 90's quality, so no problems there but what really does concern me is the lack of availability of new premium quality tapes such as were produced in the past by TDK Maxell BASF and the others of good repute in the day.
True but you can find fresh good type 1 cassettes and then you need to be patient on ebay. I will do a video soon on this topic.
I have a W-1200, its a decent deck. It serves it purpose, sound decent on my system and I found buying used, which I have, has never worked out. I have a couple of junk deck now......
Well I can’t complain about any of my good old 80’s cassette decks :-)
I have the CT- S830s from Pioneer its a great tape machine!! 😁
yeap the door gears ,belts, problems, and always clean with Isopropyl Alcohol 99,for heads , capstan, pinchs rollers, demagnetizing every 6 months, i never use doldy it makes the sound heavy , i use auto bias only and i record with the king of tapes TDK D 60 !!!!
Thank you 🎵
Thank you! But what others have found when they have looked inside these decks, they have found that all use the same drive system, some even worse quality. Like you related, it would be best to get a deck from the 80's, maybe even the 90's. Atleast you would have true Dolby systems.
Most of these new decks come from the orient, other than Japan. Look for an older name brand deck which was made in Japan.
When I was in 6th grade I was at my friend's house and he got a birthday present in the mail. He opens it and says "its a cassette, I wanted one." I said "what's a cassette?" because they had just come out and I had never heard of or seen one. After that my dad got Teac decks and I installed a Teac cassette player in my first car. It had "auto-reverse" meaning you changed sides without having to flip the tape, but it didn't have reverse or fast forward - ouch. I always bought LPs and recorded cassettes for my car and brought cases of them when traveling (now in a bin in my basement). I have a few decks, one a Nakamichi, but I haven't plugged them in for 20 years. The only application I can think of is to digitize/recover existing unique recordings. Recording cassettes is obsolete and doesn't make sense.
Trust me, you don't remember how good they can sound compared to today's compressed streamed junk!
@@anadialog You are right when you look at it that way. Records were clearly better than cassettes so I always bought LPs and recorded my cassettes. Because of that I have 30 feet of LPs leftover from before 1989. So when I compare cassettes I compare them to LPs and CDs, not streaming mp3s.
Hi , I have a Nakamichi DR2 , I purchased this back in the early 80s I have only ever had to replace the belts and grease and oil it . And I think it sounds amazing, What is your opinion on it, And I have already enjoyed your territorials on other subjects.
PHIL FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOULIN FRANCE
Unfortunately I never listen to it!
I still use my Tascam 302 now and then. It's a decent deck