Get the Hanspeter Roth six test tapes pack. They cover every aspect you could test. Very reliable, full track chrome, excellent price.
Have you actually confirmed substantial wear through some magnification method on the Technics head?
Unfortunately I don't have such device at home, but I'm considering buying in near future not only for this purpose.
Some of those mobile phones with macro shot capability or a magnifying loupe could also be helpful.
I use a watch maker's loupe, I have an ordinary one, and and one with a clip, useful for eyeglass users, that allows both hands to be used.
Also have an inspection lamp, with a ring of LEDs, and a two stage magnifying glass.
Unless your tapes shed material, and you keep the mechanism clean, most good quality heads are durable.
Also have an inspection lamp, with a ring of LEDs, and a two stage magnifying glass.
Unless your tapes shed material, and you keep the mechanism clean, most good quality heads are durable.
Cassette days were years ago.
Added op amp record amp to a Sony deck that really improved performance. I should have tuned the playback cct to the same as the car deck and the Walkman. Bass was weak when played on another deck.
320k mp3 is a lot better now
Added op amp record amp to a Sony deck that really improved performance. I should have tuned the playback cct to the same as the car deck and the Walkman. Bass was weak when played on another deck.
320k mp3 is a lot better now
Since 1974 to the present I have used a cassete deck about six months and sold it, the sound quality was worse than vinyl and factory recorded tapes lasted less than LPs, this was one of Philips worst inventions.
Not all decks are equal...not all tapes are equal...
I saw a movie where they said the vinyl can be listened to 2...3000 times before you hear a difference...They didn't say anything about the stylus shape after 3000 records havinv been played and that made me think it was simply a lie.
Tapeheads do wear off yet not at the rate the stylus does.And tape could have been played at 9cm/sec , especially the 90 min ones.
Nowadays I use them as pure FX in a digital loop.
In my last mod iteration I'm goong to replace the switch monitor with a potentiometer making that a summing nod where I can pan between direct signal and played back signal.Thus the dolby chip becomes an effect not a quality enhancer.
I saw a movie where they said the vinyl can be listened to 2...3000 times before you hear a difference...They didn't say anything about the stylus shape after 3000 records havinv been played and that made me think it was simply a lie.
Tapeheads do wear off yet not at the rate the stylus does.And tape could have been played at 9cm/sec , especially the 90 min ones.
Nowadays I use them as pure FX in a digital loop.
In my last mod iteration I'm goong to replace the switch monitor with a potentiometer making that a summing nod where I can pan between direct signal and played back signal.Thus the dolby chip becomes an effect not a quality enhancer.
Its a finicky format. Needs to be exactly aligned to shine. Azimuth and NR encoding level are its main compatibility traps and frustrations. To add complexity the IEC standard was changed through its life and manipulated between manufacturers also. I have listened to pre-recorded cassettes on well serviced and aligned decks that played easily better than the LP release. But there are also many really bad ones. They were closer to the master tape the way they were produced if done right. Vinyl goes through extra moves like special mastering for the cut and several stamping steps. Decent quality cassettes are more durable than vinyl when not have been exposed to much heat and moisture during their lives. The majority of my old cassettes still play as I remember them. But all of my old vinyls are more noisy than when they were new.
There's absolutely no practical reason to use a cassette deck nowadays. Same goes for vinyl. We only do it for the love of physical formats and the tinkering pleasure.
There's absolutely no practical reason to use a cassette deck nowadays. Same goes for vinyl. We only do it for the love of physical formats and the tinkering pleasure.
Cassettes that I've recorded as far back as the 1980's are still surprisingly decent and enjoyable to listen to.
I recently got into tapes again, just for fun really. I bought a few Nakamichi decks and learned how to restore them. After a few I was able to get a non-working ZX-9 in original condition for a good price. I worked on it for about a month or two and now its in my main system.
It sounds VERY good, and is almost indistinguishable from the hi-res source material on a good cassette (chrome or metal)
It sounds VERY good, and is almost indistinguishable from the hi-res source material on a good cassette (chrome or metal)
Attachments
Yeah, they can sound good... as you said - indistinguishable from the source. Especially your tape deck, which was out of my reach... at that time. It looks simply stunning.
I played with Denon DR-M33HX...
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/how-many-cassette-deck-users-here.388312/post-7072995
.... and was able to get the same sound as the original, with TDK chrome and metal tapes. Interesting thing was that once I adjusted the bias frequency/amount for TDK tapes, I was not able to get 1:1 results with other tapes. Similar, adjusting the bias for Maxell tapes also worked beautifully - but then I could not get the TDK to sound 1:1 (same as the original)... I eventually settled on TDK because they were easier to get. However, I always really adored the Maxell MX tapes... probably something to do with that heavy/dense plastic casing. Ah, that brings memories...
I played with Denon DR-M33HX...
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/how-many-cassette-deck-users-here.388312/post-7072995
.... and was able to get the same sound as the original, with TDK chrome and metal tapes. Interesting thing was that once I adjusted the bias frequency/amount for TDK tapes, I was not able to get 1:1 results with other tapes. Similar, adjusting the bias for Maxell tapes also worked beautifully - but then I could not get the TDK to sound 1:1 (same as the original)... I eventually settled on TDK because they were easier to get. However, I always really adored the Maxell MX tapes... probably something to do with that heavy/dense plastic casing. Ah, that brings memories...
This link/site has some pretty good info: https://walkman-archive.com/articles/which-walkman-sounds-best-01.html
Ha ha walkman..
Now that I think of It ( along with the use of tapes for music playing) the use of dolby was strictly related to headphones, because you cannot escape a 'hiss', ok...dolby was also (together with bias: I loved my First -and only, no recordings nowadays 🤔 -3 head ..
) for dynamic etc..I think that I like emphasis on treble, right? I mean, to play dolby tapes wirhout dolby...and originale cassettes are beautiful, your own DIY mix tapes are beautiful, your first reduction from CD to tape (to play in car) was so and so, MP3 is crap !
Not MP3 but ...what sound source one uses if he says that he likes tape & vinyl but" We only do it for the love of physical formats and the tinkering pleasure"
What does It mean?
A racing car pilot likes to push the acelerator because he(She...)loves the physical formats and for the tinkering pleasure.?!?
Now that I think of It ( along with the use of tapes for music playing) the use of dolby was strictly related to headphones, because you cannot escape a 'hiss', ok...dolby was also (together with bias: I loved my First -and only, no recordings nowadays 🤔 -3 head ..
) for dynamic etc..I think that I like emphasis on treble, right? I mean, to play dolby tapes wirhout dolby...and originale cassettes are beautiful, your own DIY mix tapes are beautiful, your first reduction from CD to tape (to play in car) was so and so, MP3 is crap !Not MP3 but ...what sound source one uses if he says that he likes tape & vinyl but" We only do it for the love of physical formats and the tinkering pleasure"
What does It mean?
A racing car pilot likes to push the acelerator because he(She...)loves the physical formats and for the tinkering pleasure.?!?
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