Which HI-FI cassette deck to buy?

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chrisb

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Hard to beat the higher end Naks ( I've owned LX5 and LX7 myself), Revox or Tandbergs for performance in a cassette deck.

Without debating the question as to whether this is the "best" tape format for a home system - you'd probably also want to consider where will can find a reliable source of the higher quality tape formulations required to assure reaching the machine's potential, and since any of these machines will be well over 20yrs old, finding service/parts and competent technicians is also a worry.
 
adason

adason

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I personaly like dealing with tapes and still enjoy making recordings. I got four cassette players (pretty good Nak, two top of the line Onkyos and nice JVC, all 3 head models). I got two reel to reel decks, Pioneer RT-707 and four track Teac, the big one. The reel to reel beats the heck out of any cassette player in any contest. If you are willing to deal with reel to reel, you get much better sound quality. I even use external dolby with reel to reel, you get pretty much studio sound. Just for consideration. No personal experience with VCRs for sound.
 
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adason

adason

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sofaspud said:
And maybe it's just me, but I always preferred to turn Dolby off and reduce the treble than turn it on and increase the treble.
Click to expand...
you can't be serious! without the dolby, tape hiss in cassette decks is unbearable (even with the best ones) and if you turn the heights down, you have no hifi, or lofi, pretty much am radio!
 
T

TB

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Joined 2004
Hello adason,
I have seen this system only once in US. I have not even seen it in Technics catalogue. The orginal price was $2000 !!!! Sound was top end. It was very close in quality to reel-to-reel RS-1700 machine from Technics. The only problem can be with maintanance. I am not sure how many units Technics made and which parts were made specifically for this deck ( not shared with other designs ). I am not sure about transport. I guess, it could come from Nakamichi.
Anyway.... I would love to have it just for the look.
 
T

TB

Member
Joined 2004
adason,
I used to live in Europe for some time and remember the sound of some tape decks. The ones mentioned by me earlier were the best in my opinion. The only way to get them is used ( I am not sure about Tandberg in US. How many models they did sell here )I also agree with you about reel-to-reel machines. Interestingly, reel-to-reel decks are back in fassion. You can still get them refurbished for ..... big bucks.
 
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T

TB

Member
Joined 2004
:D
My point was they do exist in used market. I have no interest in tape decks anymore, but if you would like to have it I do not think it would take time to locate the working one. US for Technics was a big market. I think, it will take more time to locate Revox or Tandberg than RS.
Just............ DO NOT GIVE UP !!!!!
 
N

neazoi

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Joined 2007
qrp.gr
adason said:
I personaly like dealing with tapes and still enjoy making recordings. I got four cassette players (pretty good Nak, two top of the line Onkyos and nice JVC, all 3 head models). I got two reel to reel decks, Pioneer RT-707 and four track Teac, the big one. The reel to reel beats the heck out of any cassette player in any contest. If you are willing to deal with reel to reel, you get much better sound quality. I even use external dolby with reel to reel, you get pretty much studio sound. Just for consideration. No personal experience with VCRs for sound.
Click to expand...

Do reel2reels have some kind of dolby mechanism in them? (I would call it a short of companding Companding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia back then)
But they have to have a such circuit for dynamic range expansion don't they?
 
adason

adason

music soothes the savage beast
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I use Pioneer Rt-707 and I preffer it to the 4track Teak I have too. Pioneer was real studio quality deck but was targeting home users. In any case, it sounds great. Nice thing about Rt-707 is that it has no belts. Higher Pioneer model had belts, so you had to replace them from time to time.
pioneer rt-707 - Google Search

Pioneer has no dolby system built in, therefore I use external unit.
 
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