What Type Of Cassette Deck do you own?

Solitaire1 i understand i feel also reel to reel was and are to much expensive nowdays

Ps cassette can sound great, i like the mono versions.

 

It's hard to compare the two because I think the sound quality of both formats depends on the equipment being used for playback and mastering. The MFSL casstte tapes that I own when played back on my Dragon sound comparable to many records, CD releases, or SACD releases that I own.

 

I'm using this mighty fine deck from Sony



Also have an Akai GX-6B from 1986 lying around ...

 

Like that MD30ES

 

TASCAM Mk II.

 

I don't know that they carry the prestige of a Nakamichi but I think they seemed well respected by the Tapehead.nets community. Love the direct drive. Mine has the wired remote too!

 

Just a plain ol' (early) Nakamichi 480. I keep thinking of upgrading to a 3-head Nak, but I never really make tapes.

 

Akai GXC- 570d ll similar in style to the Nak 1000ZXL

 

Do you mean 122 Mk II? That's a beast of a professional deck!

 

That is one incredibly fine deck. Did you buy it new or second hand?

 

I have a Kenwood dual deck I haven't used in a while. Most of my cassettes that I have I've replaced with CDs. I think I'll give it a spin soon now that you mention it.

 

Best cassette decks for pre-recorded cassettes IME are

Nakamichi 480
Technics RSAZ6/7

 

Pre-recorded cassettes from the mid-80s to the early 2000s when they were discontinued are very underrated IMO.

I'm talking about major label tapes issued in Western Europe and North America - quality control was generally quite high, and there were big improvements in consistency, such as XDR, Digialog, chrome tape stock and Dolby HX Pro encoding etc.

There are lots of cassettes from this era that I prefer than the brittle, hard sounding CDs and vinyl from this era!

 

I bought it from a guy in Sweden 8 years ago, he had it since new and just had it restored

 

I also have a mint Nak Cassette Deck 2 I got at Goodwill for $8 recently. Not top of the line, but excellent. And it's a Nakamichi. Need I say more?

 

Lovin' that minidisc deck!

 

I've got a DR-M3 sitting in a closet waiting for new belts. Bought it new. Excellent performance.

 

I have a Willy Hermann serviced Nakamichi ZX-9. I'm constantly amazed at how good I have been able to get cassettes to sound since acquiring it, especially metal tapes. Unfortunately I don't find myself using it as often as I'd like, so I might put it up for sale. Listening to tapes doesn't make much sense for me when I have all these records to spin.

 

Even a so-so Nak beats the pants off most other brand decks out there.

I think what happens is that since cassettes are not really "in" right now, plus most people are not familiar with the brand, the workers just see it as "some old tape player", slap a low price on, and off to the floor it goes.

I will say this - for a Nak, even if it does NOT work for a single digit price or low doubles, one should snag it up and at least attempt repairs or have it serviced.

It is kind of a proud moment to see this forum does have some serious cassette fans.

 

I've a Pioneer CT-959- a great sounding cassette deck.

 

"Even a so-so Nak beats the pants off most other brand decks out there.".

Although there are some amazing Naks out there, that is far from the total truth.
I have several decks that easily rival the best ever Naks. Pioneer CT93 and Aiwa XK-S9000 come to mind.

 

"Even a so-so Nak beats the pants off most other brand decks out there.".

Although there are some amazing Naks out there, that is far from the total truth.
I have several decks that easily rival the best ever Naks. Pioneer CT93 and Aiwa XK-S9000 come to mind.

 

One thing to note about servicing of old decks - not all replacement belts etc. are the same quality, and if cheaper, generic ones are used, your cassette deck will not perform to the original spec.

 

Some of us even use cassette decks to record our own music

I hope I'm not seen to be threadcrapping by sharing these.

Learning How To Rock/Shak(e) EP, by Roktak
Recorded on Akai GX-52, Aiwa XK-007,
Fostex XR-3. Mixed down to Nakamichi DR-3.

Rehearsal at The Joint, London, 2011, by Shak Cohen
Recorded direct to two-track Sony WMD6C.

 

2x NAK RX 505

one over there...



...and one over here