Please help me decide a Cassette Deck

[DNICE1]

Hi!

I am looking to add a cassette deck to my hifi setup but not sure which one to go for. I have seen a couple of models from Sony & Technics but don't know which one to go for. Are there any other good brands available?

What I have found on various other websites is people suggesting to buy used Nakamichi decks. Are all Nakamichi decks supposed to sound great or are there just a few selected models to look for and also is it advisable to go for a used Nakamichi? I have seen a few used decks on Ebay. Any feedback will be appreciated.

I am using Marantz PM6002 + Marantz CD6002 + Monitor Audio BR2

 

[Tesler]

Yup! any Nakamichi will be a good performer. I have a Nakamichi DR2 which is a 3 head model, I used to have a DR3 which is a 2 head machine, both of these sound fantastic but the 3 head model allows you to monitor recordings as they happen.

If you are looking for a cassette deck Nakamichi are the ones to look for.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Tesler"]
Yup! any Nakamichi will be a good performer. I have a Nakamichi DR2 which is a 3 head model, I used to have a DR3 which is a 2 head machine, both of these sound fantastic but the 3 head model allows you to monitor recordings as they happen.

If you are looking for a cassette deck Nakamichi are the ones to look for.
[/quote] I AGREE 2000%

 

[DNICE1]

[quote user="Tesler"]

Yup! any Nakamichi will be a good performer. I have a Nakamichi DR2 which is a 3 head model, I used to have a DR3 which is a 2 head machine, both of these sound fantastic but the 3 head model allows you to monitor recordings as they happen.

If you are looking for a cassette deck Nakamichi are the ones to look for.

[/quote]

Thanks Tesler & Sex! I was a bit confused as to go for a new deck or an old Nakamichi. I have seen a Nakamichi LX3 on ebay I wonder if this is a good model? According to the seller it is in good working order.

I have never bought anything like this before from ebay and wondering if it happens to have any faults will it be possible to get it repaired and whether there are any good Nakamichi service centres near London?

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="DNICE1"][quote user="Tesler"]

Yup! any Nakamichi will be a good performer. I have a Nakamichi DR2 which is a 3 head model, I used to have a DR3 which is a 2 head machine, both of these sound fantastic but the 3 head model allows you to monitor recordings as they happen.

If you are looking for a cassette deck Nakamichi are the ones to look for.

[/quote]

Thanks Tesler & Sex! I was a bit confused as to go for a new deck or an old Nakamichi. I have seen a Nakamichi LX3 on ebay I wonder if this is a good model? According to the seller it is in good working order.

I have never bought anything like this before from ebay and wondering if it happens to have any faults will it be possible to get it repaired and whether there are any good Nakamichi service centres near London?

[/quote]

Like Bang and Olufsen with Nakamichi you are paying for the name. Sony's build quality and specs are just as good. I've had one for 15 years and it's brilliant. Although I don't use it much nowadays.

 

[Anonymous]

Not so sure that Nakamichi is all style and little substance - the decks are great - however I was very happy with my Denon DRM-700 for many years. Using a decent tape it blew away a circa 1995 CD player in that it was really hard to tell the difference in recordings from the CD player, whereas recordings of the LP12 were clearly lossy. At the time I think it was more or less the deck of choice unless you chose a sony walkman pro. I suspect you'd get one for about 20quid off ebay. BUT obviously be careful to make sure it still works okay. (I was going to lend mine to my brother but dropped it on the way out of the loft. It doesn't make nice noises anymore but I'm hoping I can repair it... :-( Applies to all decks as moving parts wear and so to tape heads, make sure they're still okay as they will not be economically repairable.

 

[the record spot]

Aiwa's ADF-850 won't do you much wrong - mine from way back in 1994 is still doing good service. Good sound (for tape) and excellent build. Solid motor and the usual Dolbies, including HX Pro.

Seek also the Yamaha KX-580SE which is still worth talking about after all these years.

If buying new, no problem, if buying secondhand, be well careful!

 

[Anonymous]

Funny you should be asking about a tape deck..

I myself had the same dilema, ooooo in about 95/96.... Choice was either a second hand Nakamichi... or and as I settled for in the end a Sony TCK-611s...... (I've even put a post up somewhere else about it)

3head machine... MPX filter (no idea, but it did get rid of hiss on bad tapes) Dolby B,C and S even! (all the rage then. Anybody heard much of it or Dolby, at all come to that since the ye olde days of tape?)...

Lovely motorised door action on it, as well (although, people did insist on closing it manually) with the seek n find function on the fast forward to boot... I seem to remember it being a What Hifi winner as well, at the time...

Great machine though, recording was fantastic.. Using a good metal tape, get the levels right and boy is it warmer, brighter than CD... I've had it boxed for years because channel on the Amp went (new one now, Creek Evo, although that's got no balance nor tone controls, given I've got speaker in one room and the hall, it might be being changed... Oh and a brand new set of Wharfdale 9.1's).

The irony is you're thinking of getting one and I'm wondering whether to get rid of mine...

There's a match made in heaven there somewhere isn't there.. lol

 

[Tesler]

Zoot Horn Rollo wrote

"Like Bang and Olufsen with Nakamichi you are paying for the name. Sony's build quality and specs are just as good. I've had one for 15 years and it's brilliant. Although I don't use it much nowadays."

I worked in a specialist HiFi Shop for 15 years and tried hundreds of Cassette Decks, you name them, Philips, Sony, JVC, AKAI, Pioneer, Technics (Most of the range including various dbx models), Hitachi, Aurex,Yamaha, Aiwa, NAD, Nakamichi and Revox, I can't remember how many others I must have tried.

A lot of these were terrible and a lot good, but how we used to identify a good cassette deck was this:

You make a recording on a tape deck and then play it back (hopefully it will sound good during playback)

Then take the tape out and play it back in ANOTHER CASSETTE DECK.. This is how you find out if a cassette deck is worth it's salt and is a good recorder, if it's not, then the sound is usually muffelled and lacks substance when played back on other decks.

Only 2 manufacturers I was ever happy with were Nakamichi and Revox, they always gave excellent results during playback on other decks.

 

[DNICE1]

[quote user="Tesler"]

I worked in a specialist HiFi Shop for 15 years and tried hundreds of Cassette Decks, you name them, Philips, Sony, JVC, AKAI, Pioneer, Technics (Most of the range including various dbx models), Hitachi, Aurex,Yamaha, Aiwa, NAD, Nakamichi and Revox, I can't remember how many others I must have tried.

A lot of these were terrible and a lot good, but how we used to identify a good cassette deck was this:

You make a recording on a tape deck and then play it back (hopefully it will sound good during playback)

Then take the tape out and play it back in ANOTHER CASSETTE DECK.. This is how you find out if a cassette deck is worth it's salt and is a good recorder, if it's not, then the sound is usually muffelled and lacks substance when played back on other decks.

Only 2 manufacturers I was ever happy with were Nakamichi and Revox, they always gave excellent results during playback on other decks.

[/quote]

Thanks everyone for your useful feedback.

Tesler! Can you please confirm if Nakamichi Cassette Deck 2 model upto the task. I have a lot of old very memorable cassettes stored very carefully and would like to convert to the digital format and obviously want the very best quality I can get. This doesn't mean that I want to throw away my cassettes after this is done but would like to be able to enjoy them on my hifi as long as they last.

 

[Anton90125]

100% correct! I have a Nakamichi CR5 and its sounds fantastic with all my tapes. Though if you get a chance (because these are now rather rare) the Pioneer CT 91a which is also regarded as a classic. As well as my Nak I have an Aiwa ad6900 which is from 1978 ish. It has an idealer problem (the rubber has perished ) which I have to get fixed but when it was working it pushed both the CR5 and CT 91a. Another Nak classic is 680 which is highly regarded. I wouldn't bother with the LX2 & LX3 as I have heard a lot of people had problems with them.

Take a look at this site: Nakamichi for more info about Naks.

 

[Tesler]

For DNICE1
Can I just ask, are your cassettes original manufactured copies, or have they been recorded on a cassette deck? The Nakamichi Cassette deck 2 will do nicely for what you want IMHO, Where have you seen one? What Condition is it in?Are you able to listen to it before you buy? If it's in great condition I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

[DNICE1]

[quote user="Tesler"]

For DNICE1
Can I just ask, are your cassettes original manufactured copies, or have they been recorded on a cassette deck? The Nakamichi Cassette deck 2 will do nicely for what you want IMHO, Where have you seen one? What Condition is it in?Are you able to listen to it before you buy? If it's in great condition I don't think you will be disappointed.

[/quote]

Most of them are originals but some are recorded on different cassette decks (I don't even remember which decks). I have seen one at a German site the seller calims that it is in perfect working order and comes in its original packaging and manuals etc. and no I do not have the means to listen to it before I buy as it is in Germany but by the pictures posted by the seller it looks to be in good conditon.

 

[Tesler]

DNICE1

That sounds good to me, If it's going for a decent price I think you won't go wrong with that!

 

[jetjohnson]

..I'm another Nak fan ...my gorgeous 700ZXE (circa 1982) is being checked over just now (even old Naks can have problems) ...you can get Nak's repaired at the Bower and Wilkins workshops in Worthing (not all models as some spare parts are no longer available)

In the absence of my Nak I'm using a Sony K 516 (with Dolby S) ...although most tape nuts will tell you they never use Dolby!....The Sony sounds fine and they will a few available on ebay ...but ultimately Naks rule (ok!)

 

[DNICE1]

[quote user="jetjohnson"]

..I'm another Nak fan ...my gorgeous 700ZXE (circa 1982) is being checked over just now (even old Naks can have problems) ...you can get Nak's repaired at the Bower and Wilkins workshops in Worthing (not all models as some spare parts are no longer available)

In the absence of my Nak I'm using a Sony K 516 (with Dolby S) ...although most tape nuts will tell you they never use Dolby!....The Sony sounds fine and they will a few available on ebay ...but ultimately Naks rule (ok!)

[/quote]

If I were to buy a new tape deck (of which there isn't much choice out there) which one would you suggest?

 

[Anton90125]

I just noticed this on Ebay: Ebay Link This is a Pioneer CT91a which are very rare and one of the very few machines that can take on a Nak. I got one for my sister and its in the same league as my Nak CR5.

This will you a very rough idea what the machine is like : Youtube link

I also saw this on Ebay a Nak. CR7 which some say is better then the dragon . It is the model up from my CR5.

 

[DNICE1]

[quote user="Anton90125"]

I just noticed this on Ebay: Ebay Link This is a Pioneer CT91a which are very rare and one of the very few machines that can take on a Nak. I got one for my sister and its in the same league as my Nak CR5.

This will you a very rough idea what the machine is like : Youtube link

I also saw this on Ebay a Nak. CR7 which some say is better then the dragon . It is the model up from my CR5.

[/quote]

Thanks Anton for the YouTube link! Nice looking player but sadly even the starting bid for this player exceeds my budget.

I noticed that the Naks retain their value after all those years and it is quite difficult to outbid someone on Ebay for something like a Nak specially if you have a tight budget.

So I was knid of hoping if there is any decent new player available for a decent price which is easier to get my hands on and which will do the job I intend to use it for?

 

[Anton90125]

I saw this machine on ebay: Nakamichi BX-300E