2 Likes
I've bought a HIFI tape deck in 2018 - For the Love of Compact Cassettes.
You may think it odd, but I've just brought a HIFI cassette recorder in 2018. I had a crappy one I picked up at a charity shop (goodwill), which squeaks and squawks as it plays and was/is sonically awful (OnkyoTA-WR311).
So the new one, its a Sony TC-KE500, with three heads and Dolby S. I deliberately did not choose one with auto reverse because 1: it is more to break down, and 2: almost all auto reverse heads have less than perfect tape alignment let alone when old.
https://images.crutchfieldonline.com/ImageBank/v19970404124700/ImageHandler/trim/620/378/lifestyle/2000/h156TCKE500SMT.jpeg
So, I will most probably only use it to play my old pre-recorded stuff, rather than record new stuff on it. I might though.
That got me thinking about old 80s and 90s blank cassette tapes. What was your favorite?
So the new one, its a Sony TC-KE500, with three heads and Dolby S. I deliberately did not choose one with auto reverse because 1: it is more to break down, and 2: almost all auto reverse heads have less than perfect tape alignment let alone when old.
https://images.crutchfieldonline.com/ImageBank/v19970404124700/ImageHandler/trim/620/378/lifestyle/2000/h156TCKE500SMT.jpeg
So, I will most probably only use it to play my old pre-recorded stuff, rather than record new stuff on it. I might though.
That got me thinking about old 80s and 90s blank cassette tapes. What was your favorite?
Calling all ASCII Art Architects Visit the WOS Wall of Text and contribute: https://www.yourworldoftext.com/wos
Thanked by 1spider
Comments
yesterday saw an amstrad midi hifi system for sale in charity shop, was temptted to buy it because it was so naff.
my best charity shop buy is a technices dab separate, for about 12 quid, cost new was about 500
I have the very same deck.
It has a notorious mech (TC190) which is noisy and has a very easy-to-break central gear.
But it has Dolby S, 3 heads and it is nice over all without costing a fortune.
Happy listening and I would suggest to do some recordings too (after you calibrate to the tape you ll use)
Oh I can tell you something about it, it is Black...……………………...
I have been reading about this and knew it was a risk. I wonder if we could print one. My employer provides access to 3d printers of many types, various plastics, resin and I do believe they were bragging about a printer that could print metal objects. I wonder if I could make one of those gears if I had some stats and dimensions on it.
Do you like the deck?
Although Scottie now you have a brand new (well subjectively speaking anyway) HiFi tape deck it's even all the more reason for me to send you that Greatest Hits of Rhythm King tape I promised you years ago ;)
I've had it since 1988, but I know you'd appreciate it way more than I would, of course I have absolutely no idea if it still plays, as I don't have any cassette recorder type devices here :))
Nah! F*ck it! You're a mate, and It'll probably cost about 6 bucks to send you it, if we ever meet up in real life you can buy me a pint and we'll call it quits ;)
Yep it's dual well, 2 head only, and dual auto reverse. When I got it it needed new belts which I replaced about 5 years ago. It's started having issues again though, but I think it's just belts related again. This one has auto tape calibration for when recording which is quite clever. It basically records a tone onto the tape, rewinds it and listens to it, then self-adjusts the bias accordingly.
I mainly use mine to record my vinyl albums that I like listening to the most. Saves wear on my records, and much easier than faffing about doing digital recordings with a computer. My fave cassettes were the TDK-SA90.
This model is of 1996. It was the decline era. By then, deck productions was coming to a halt due to CD and the remaining companies had "cheapened" their decks.
The model you have is very OKish for the era. 3 head, manual calibration, Dolby S (which makes wonders on cheap Type I cassetes) and quite affordable. It is also easy to change its belts. I think that it maybe a belt issue.
Going for the better models, you must change era and be ready to push more serious cash.
Starting from a ValueForMoney AIWA AD800 and going sky high (Sony ES models, Nakamichis etc)
Keep in mind that a proper professional calibration service will cost you at least 250 euros.
Cassete deck hobby is expensive but very fun.
NAC will start producing new cassete tapes before the end of the year and it is promising spectacular results. The best part is that they will have a European distributor.
Pyjamarama, your advice on models to buy is very timely now I shall be shopping for another. I do see another Sony TC-KE500 going for what seems like $35 and working on ebay. I'm half tempted to go for that just to see if I really get in to tapes. If I do I shall probably buy a nice one, after all I do own a Tandberg TD20SE reel to reel, so it would be a shame to partner it with something crummy.
So whadaya think? Get another TC-KE500 for a price somewhere under $100 inc postage, or put more money in to something nice. I know the Sony decks from 1993 looked better than the ones from 1996. I wonder if they would be a better choice. Something like a Sony TC-K611S? Or a Nakamichi BX150 What puts me off NAKs is they need a lot of maintenance.
I have the TC KE500S without the gear issue (yet), which I bought on ebay as "serviced". When I metered its W&F I found them a bit out of specs (probably the ebay seller has put the cheapest belts available).
Next I got a Sony TCK 561S as non-working on ebay (again). I changed its belts only to find out that it indded had the gear issue.
Both decks use the TC 190 mech.I wont risk another buy on this mech btw.
So...I was on situation a bit like yours. I was stuck with two Sony decks (with the damned 190 mech) and I wanted to to "step up".
A (forum) friend of mine was selling an AIWA ADS 950 in "excellent condition". I have a personal "rule" not to BUY or SELL things to friends/relatives. I skipped this for the Aiwa (I have a soft spot for Dolby S). Not a wise decision. I ended up with a deck that had uneven playback channels (I adjusted the PB gain pots manually - not sure if I did the correct adjustment) and an idler issue (which is buried dep inside the mech) that affects REW/FFWD for the time being.
Serious technicians (very difficult to find professionals) are asking around 300 euros (+post costs) for calibration/maintenence of a deck like the Aiwa above (not any benefit to service the Sonys). This is an additional cost I cannot supply.
So now I am in a far worse situation than you...stuck with three decks that are either unreliable or in a poor working condition...having indeed spent money and time on these (purchase, accesories, fix etc).
If I was to turn back time, I would find a respected shop and give all the money I have given to buy/fix the THREE decks above in order to get ONE in a good condition and serviced by a professional.
Naks have high price but good reliablility and still have available parts.
Aiwa decks until AD 800 have crazy low W&F and superb performance but need factory belts.
Denon decks are good work horses.
Sony ES decks are superb but very expensive and Sony has destroyed the spares stock somewhere in the begining of the millenium.
Pheewww...that was by boring story and my humble suggestion.
Since you come from the R2R world...once you find a good deck (I hope you do), check for A.N.T replacement of the cursed 4066 chip.
My ideal cassette deck would be dual capstan, with dolby S and three motors and it would cost under $200. direct drive would be nice too. I guess I am asking too much.
JVC TD-V661
My opinion is that Dolby (mainly the S) is doing wonders on tapes (especially on Type I who need noise reduction desperately). And I mean wonders! Just check the S/N ration of the 500S (which is not considered a TOTL deck). Note that you dont compromise anyththing sound wise.
The problem is that in order to achieve this, you have to own a professionally calibrated deck. In such a deck, you loose nothing sonically. The high frequecies issues are coming from not well calibrated decks.
The negative part is that in order to be sure that your deck is capable of the above, you need to spend money (see abobe :( ) on professional service...
Quality gears are desperately needed in the deck world...we are talking for 30+ years old machines with actually zero NOS stock parts left...
New tape is now being manufactured again in France (FOX C60, made by Recording The Masters, Mulann inc) and in the USA by the NAC. Both these firms are making really good quality tape now, and this is probably the first "new" formula tape to be made in some 20 odd years!
Edit to add: Pjamarama is bang on! We need new spare parts for tape decks, especially heads. Most new parts can be fabricated today on a modern CNC machine (gears, pullys etc) but nobody still makes decent recording heads. If you can find them on flebay they go for stupid amounts of money!
Teac have made a new tape deck recently, but the specs put it no better than something out of the 1970's! No Dolby etc etc. If tapes are making a comeback, and I honestly doubt they are, very soon we will need quality new machines to play them on - until then, there can be no serious revival.
https://www.nationalaudiocompany.com/audio-cassette-tapes/
https://www.recordingthemasters.com/
https://tapeline.info/v2/
That' same video I watched talking about the fact there is only one factory making the tape mechanisms also mentioned Dolby no longer licenses the noise reduction systems used for cassette tapes. I believe there was something too about the tape mechanisms not working with metal tape (or not offering any improvement)....so basically if you want a good tape deck you have to buy an old one...the new ones are toss.
TDK was my brand of choice, can't explain why, just took a liking to them.
I remember some of the high end metal formulation cassettes costing quite a bit. Being on pocket money I didn't have a lot for blank tapes, but I could dream. The blanks I owned of the SA ,and SA-X range (chromium dioxide)
But I had no decent recording equipment so it was kind of pointless spending the money on them, I think they ended up being used for recording computer games, and programs. I never made serious use of them.
I bought a second hand Dolby S deck (Pioneer) some years ago. I got it for about £30 on Ebay, which when you think Dolby S decks probably cost £400+ when they came out, was quite a bargain. The only thing with it was it seemed a little slow playing pre-recorded tapes - though it was fine with tapes made on it.
I remember some of the high end metal formulation cassettes costing quite a bit. Being on pocket money I didn't have a lot for blank tapes, but I could dream. The blanks I owned of the SA ,and SA-X range (chromium dioxide)
But I had no decent recording equipment so it was kind of pointless spending the money on them, I think they ended up being used for recording computer games, and programs. I never made serious use of them.
I bought a second hand Dolby S deck (Pioneer) some years ago. I got it for about £30 on Ebay, which when you think Dolby S decks probably cost £400+ when they came out, was quite a bargain. The only thing with it was it seemed a little slow playing pre-recorded tapes - though it was fine with tapes made on it.