I've used cassette decks for a long time and never had an eaten tape--you just gotta keep that pinch roller clean. I think it's all about choosing the right vintage deck. A NAD vintage deck is impossible to service with glued sections that can't be separated. A nightmare. A low end Nakamichi BX-100 usually only needs a $5 rubber idler wheel that takes 20 minutes to replace.
i don´t think the BX-100 is a low end deck, i might have several top end decks from nakamichi all working perfect as they were from my father but also have a BX-2 bought when i first bought the worst deck ever made or very good if only to work to monthes before the summer the Dragon doesn´t play cassettes and doesn´t breed fire ,so not a good cassette deck, but if the BX-2 as it´s quality the BX-100 might be better, more high-end than low-end , and i only have a friend, who owns a BX-300E and it´s very nice, the one i´m using it´s a 700ZXL as all were restored by a Nakamichi old technician in England where my brother and sister lives, sent there by my father who passed away recentelly
@@RUfromthe40s Yes the NAK BX-100 is a great deck. I have 3 of them. I meant to say that it's at the low end of what Nakamichi makes. I have a CR-3A that records better, but for playback, It's hard to hear the difference between the two. I always wanted to get one of those Revox decks, but the prices are ridiculous. I wonder how they sound?
@@EddieJazzFan the CR-3A is also a great deck from nakamichi i have just received from my father from the same year the CR-7A which is fine but people talk of nakamichi like if it were the best ,any top end pioneer records and plays better ,an example the CT-91A the CT-959 or CT-93 and i´ve tested the CT-F1250 as all were restored in the last 4 years , not only records and sounds better but the cassettes recorded in the cr-7a and in the 1000zxl sound better in the CT-F1250 or any of these i refered and better decks the TEAC Z-7000 or the B215 from Revox b series, this all working at 100% as all were restored to original specifications ,in the mid 70´s Pioneer in Magazines used to fill an entire page making fun of nakamichi decks this putting the nakamichi 1000 in the center of the page and the 76 with a extra window for the dynamic bias next to the VU meters in a corner in a litle size photo and also this decks i refer are flat recorders or don´t have what some call coloured sound, there is also the technics RS-9900 with transport and a extra component for the functions of the deck and sounds amazing this released in 76 as the CT-F1000 from Pioneer ,one thing i noticed the 70´s decks were made with better parts having a extended life not easilly getting out of tune, i had closed in a box a 1980 CT-520 and without putting new belts they didn´t had transform in a black gue but still working with casettes that didn´t demand extra strenght to rotate my surprise was when recording a cassette there the sound wasn´t that good but played it in a CT-91A and they sounded amazing good with perfect sound , with deep warm sound like some call it now, i prefer wider spectrum of frequencies and good dynamics
low end the BX-100?what about the BX-1 and the BX-2 those are crap level ,sorry number 2 level but i think one of the decks ever made by NAK. that works with regular maintenance it´s the BX-2 not other work for so many years and not autodestroys itself, i think it´s average quality deck
Listening to your story, I'm quite convinced you used the bottom of the barrel decks and tapes. I never had the issues you and so many others talk or even exaggerate about. The only decks that ever ate any of my tapes were always car decks...on either very hot or very cold days. A decent name-brand Type II tape paired with a Nak/Denon/JVC or similar deck, S/N ratios can exceed that of most vinyl along with a frequency response that can exceed exceed 20kHz, though that's rare in any scenario. I use Dolby all the time. I've ONLY ever had tracking issues with pre-recorded cassettes. Most Dolby tapes I've made have decoded properly on all my other players, including my EX Walkmans. With Dolby C-Type, a valid argument can be made. It's finicky and has a very low tracking error tolerance. Most of my tapes I play, people can't ever tell it's tape until I tell them. That's how transparent any format should be. Oddly, records always sound like records...and they shouldn't. They should sound like the source. The beauty of cassettes are, the format is as good or as bad as you want it to be, depending on your time, ignorance level, and dollars spent. Lots of 40+ year old undamaged tape out there that sound just as good as the day they were recorded. Can you ever say that about vinyl? Not really...at least, not often. I've had pretty decent luck with cassettes. Like any analog physical format, you're going to have those 'moments.' But overall, it's a robust format that has stood the test of time fairly well so far. :)
Amen. I needle dropped Buckingham/Nicks album and Lindsey Buckingham Law & Order on a type 1 90 min Maxwell tape in dec 1981. It still sounds amazingly good. Among others
Thanks dude, I have a Pioneer F21 deck. Kept it maintained an used good quality tape. Just for the house no need for car. No idea where this PUTZ isco.ing from. U sound much more trustworthy than Mr. Lancaster.
i learn the hard way that one should only use well built cassettes, other might even have better tape but in it´s whole are bad for the decks working quality and i never used dolby only the HX-pro for listening
@@RUfromthe40s I've always debated whether HX-Pro ever made much of a difference on higher-end machines. Between my 3-head decks with and without HX-Pro, there's no real discernable difference in audible quality. Both deck types produce fairly similar results. Now on my 2-head machines, yes. There does seem to be a performance gap between the HX and non-HX decks, but it could also just be the head types and many other factors. Dolby is only ever good when it works and the head is tracking the tape dead center. When it's dead-on, omg it works amazingly well. The problem was/is, most lower end portables, ghetto blasters and cheaper home decks, all had variances in head positioning due to poor design or build quality. I stuck primarily to JVC, Denon, Onkyo & Sony decks for home and Sony & Aiwa portables. They've been good to me. :)
Yup, I may have lost a tape or 2 but for the most part, I had so many great hours of listening to tapes. How much truth can u get from Captain.Morgan. Chances are, not much maint. Was done when we 1st got into this. So that did not help matters either.
Happy to see you imbibe an intoxicating drink, before explaining about cassette decks. My quick answer is YES. I have used cassette decks to tape many wonderful informative & interesting CBC radio shows thru the years, using a timer when I couldn't listen to the broadcast the first time. So, here's a toast to cassette decks past & still present@🎉😊 from 🇨🇦
Interesting. I have reconditioned about five cassette decks of decent quality. I don't use Dolby. To my aging ears, they sound great! Actually I get more irritated with the Snap, crackle and pop of most vinyl records than well recorded music on quality tape.
Snap crackle n pop Ted Bundy come back from the electric chair? I agree with you to a fair extent. Tapes,are very good and good record maint can result in good quality music. I like messing w records, w an Eq 1 can get in more adjustment of sound. Hope u have a gr8 day.
@@florianm3170 i record directelly from streaming services where i make playlists and record to a reel in a 79 GX something open reel deck from Akai also use a B series from Revox
i also tried but never recorded or play a cassette with dolby as some decks have a higher quality when not using dolby and the hiss if the deck works without any defect there is no hiss ,some cds in their sound have hiss but that was in the studio when recording it for some reason they let it stay, about the noises in the vinyl some cartridges and stylus one doesn´t hear those noises and it sounds perfect doesn´t cut any frequency ,normally good professional needles or just more expensive and better built like the Grado prestige II gold that isn´t that expensive and was the first i bought from this new generation of cartridges it as a low sound as all others ,MM type but one doesn´t hear noises in the record ,one thing is the record being dirt and make noises ,those aren´t heard but if the noises are already the record with bad sound in the grooves it never will disapear
This is one instance when I tend to shy away from silver face stereo equipment. The mid to late 80s tape decks were so much better at producing and recording high quality audio. At this point, almost all tape decks need belts. I tend to hang on to decks that are easy to service and have great features.
well i never notice diference from mid 70´s decks till the end of the 90´s, but i´m refering to good decks, in the early 90´s or since the second half of the 80´s the only thing that changed were the amourphous heads on top end Pioneer decks also the Denon DRM-800a and the kenwood from 87 ,the HK980 maybe not sure now, the one with two displays and the leds going up not sideways with calibration ,manual. but not all brands took advantage from the Amourphous heads, one of the best recording and playing deck i have is a Philips F series from 1979, no calibration but amazing how it sounds
Hey Crank up the volume so everyone can here the tape hiss on a youtube video why don't you!! Prerecorded cassette tapes from the 1980’s are pretty darn good. Particularly after cd’s came on the market. Blank tapes from that era still hold up well. I never use Dolby and I don’t mind hiss because I can’t hear it with my tinnitus. Decks have lots of moving parts and the cassettes do as well and will some day fail. I still listen to 40 year old + tapes I recorded and they are just fine. My Teac deck is over 25 yrs old and works great!
I have had my Pioneer CT-F7272 for ten years now and I love it. As with 8 track players (I have one of those, too. A Wollensak), the machine is only as good a the tape you're playing and the majority of those eighties and nineties pre-recorded tapes sound pretty good to my ears. I also never use Dobly and I can live with the hiss, too.
Great video, Thanks. My cassette journey started the late 70's with the purchase of an Pioneer CT - F700, which I still have. It hasn't been used in 25+ years, but recent videos, including this video, have convinced me to seek any necessary repairs. Why? Because it is a thing of beauty, and fond memories. The beauty part, solid brushed aluminium front panel, the switches and knobs, lovely, while adding tactile enjoyment, and the three count em three V.U. meters dancing away. Makes me smile just thinking about it. The fond memories part, a local F.M. station would regularly broadcast new album releases, with a que up, without commercials or any other interruption until the album needed turning, short break, then the other half of the album, again without interruption. Many happy hours listening and being with Family and Friends. Just an aside here, but the alcohol recommended for cleaning purposes was, I believe denatured, not Scotch. "Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink-- under any circumstances." - Mark Twain
my first cassette deck was a Pioneer CT-F2121 as i had bought a car that came with a radio cassette player from Pioneer before only 8-track cartridges for the car, but maybe my grandfather thought it wasn´t good and ofered me a CT-F1000 in the christmas of 1976 ,still have it and works perfect, both
They are great decks but look awful! I'm trying to decide whether to buy a Pioneer reconditioned, really high quality, or a brand new TEAC which is not as good but LOOKS good. I could always paint the faded yellow chome thing blue or something ..
I, too, have a few tapes from the 1980s and 90s that are only available in that format. I keep them around and occasionally listen to them out of nostalgia. My 35 year old cassette deck has most of the issues that you described and was terminal. I picked up a well maintained Rotel cassette deck on Craigslist list for $80. It actually sounds good. I'm happy enough with that option.
I’m so glad I found you. It’s so nice so nice listen to self effacing humer along with tech knowledge to make your points. Do what you must with your equipment, but don’t loose your mind and listeners at the expense of end product. You’re a joy to watch and listen to.
I own Pioneer CT-F9191for 14 years,Changed belts,some idler tires clean the heads-working perfect, sounds great with chrome tapes. I also own Yamaha Kx-392 double cassette deck which I bought new in 1999, working great and never serviced just clean the heads once in a wile. Also own a Sony tc-134sd this one is ok...complicated to maintain.... Have about 500 cassettes.... Love the media.
I just bought the pioneer CT-F9090. I gotta clean it and stuff obviously cause I just got it. But why is the rewind and fast forward not working??? Please let me know!
Great..... I remember it all like yesterday.... got about 40 cassettes I really like...... this gave me flashbacks, I walk in your shoes, sahib....... ❤
I had a good laugh when you opened with "Run Away". I have to agree with just about everything you said here. Back in the 80's, I too believed that cassettes were one of the worst formats next to 8-track tapes. Sadly, I lived with cassettes for the one big positive reason that you mentioned...portability. Also, what ties into that, a medium to record music too. Back then, it was that or record on to reel to reel. While that was a vastly superior format in terms of sound quality, it had issues too and the big one was the lack of portability and also the high cost. But that would be another topic of discussion. Cassette's big downfall was that the tape speed is too slow. Unless you used a top end deck with metal cassettes, there was no way you would get even close to the fidelity of an open reel deck. Use a fast enough speed on the latter, and you didn't even need noise reduction. I too, hated noise reduction schemes with the exception of Dolby B. Dolby B seemed to be the only noise reduction system that worked between machines. As you mentioned, with most other forms of Dolby and, even more so, with DBX, you need to play the tape back on the SAME machine that recorded it. So that put in pin in the portability balloon. However, Dolby B was the only one that you could record with it, but you didn't have to use it on playback, and you got a nice boost on the high end. But there was tapes other problems, most of what you mentioned already, but my biggest pet peeve with cassettes were the phasing of the high frequencies when the tape started to wear. The high frequencies phased in and out. Then after that, the tape would get significant sections that would loose the high frequencies. This was a constant battle with just about all decks. Although I do admit the double capstan decks maintained a better tension over the tape heads and I DID have better luck with these decks, BUT the problem was never eliminated. So already back then, when it was the only feasible and portable recording medium, I loathed cassettes. But I dealt with them. So in terms of putting together a vintage system, would I add a cassette deck? Absolutely not! There are so many better and still portable ways to record audio now that I feel that cassettes have gone the way of the Dodo. IF I were to get into analog tape, I would want to revisit reel to reel decks. But, that is doubtful as that is a very expensive media to get into. Then there is the large amount of maintenance on the decks to keep them clean and aligned. So, I think I am generally done with tapes. However, I do have an interest in getting back into vinyl, and this was a source that I had always loved in the past. While not as portable as a cassette, it still was somewhat portable. Signal to noise ratio is far better than cassettes. There are no drop outs or having to deal with the annoyance of the high frequencies phasing in and out. Yes, there is some maintenance, in that you have to clean the records and stylus. But the player itself requires little maintenance, when compared to a tape deck. So yeah, I wholeheartedly agree that the best advice is to "run away". But I do get it for those nostalgia buffs out there. A nice cassette deck does look awesome with it's big VU meters and all sorts of buttons. Don't get me wrong, a cassette deck is eye candy, but just to have one to look at isn't warranted enough for me. I do recall watching another YT'er and he said that he often bought the tuner of a separate system, just for the looks, since he really didn't listen to the radio. I guess I can get that too given that the tuner has that huge, nicely lit, slide rule. But FM radio is still, yet, another inferior form of audio reproduction and I rarely listen to the radio anymore, save for the one in my car. So for vintage gear, it most likely will be just the amp, preamp, speakers, and a turntable for me. Great post! I had fun watching this one!
Sadly you’re right. I am 60 so I grew up playing cassettes and I loved them. I bought a Sanyo RD 5035 and brought it back to life with cleaning and belts.
I was born in '70 and some of my best childhood memories to this day are about cassettes..recording the charts from the radio,albums then playing them on the move on my"Walkman"!I had them all:Pioneer,Technics,Sony,Akai,Aiwa and then later evolved in reel to reel...Sure it had it's perks but what doesn't?(And if were handy you'd manage!)No one can take away those memories!Great video Sir:Cheers!🙏✌
I still have my CDs and cassettes and will never sell them. Gotta Yamaha KX 393 tape deck bought in 2000 and still going strong. I recently played a cassette I purchased on eBay by a band called Magnum. The album in question is Sleepwalking which was released in 1992. I couldn't find it on CD or download so tape was the best alternative. I put it on straight away and was blown away by the warmth and depth of the sound. So proud of my cassettes.
I bought my first tape deck as an adult three years ago. A refurbished Nakamichi BX-1 from a local audio shop. I needed it because I was on a mission to track down lost media from my childhood. I have some misc. pre-recorded Dolby tapes that sound absolutely wonderful. When it comes to things like tape-eating, I too suffered from exagerated memories in this respect. I remember being in class when tapes would get eaten. Many, many times. And the sound they made was awful. I remember my own tapes being eaten while I was playing them on a tiny handheld player or micro boom box while on camping trips with my family. And... of course. These were the lowest of low quality devices, built to favour convenience at the expense of literally anything else. I fail to recollect any such incident occurring on a reasonable, stationary component deck. They usually have safety features that shut them down before any problem becomes serious. While I would never want to go back to the days of cassettes and garbage players on the go, at home where it belongs, it's wonderful.
Hi from Australia. After my first Akai GXC46D was stolen, I was shattered. I was on TH-cam and to cut a long story short, I found a guy who owned the same deck. This model cost around 372 dollars in 1971 (about 3,200 dollars today). I asked him if he wanted to sell it and he said yes because he was in charge of his fathers estate. I payed him a couple of hundred dollars and a week later I got it. It was in mint condition. I took it to a friend of mine with 3 TDK low noise and 3 TDK Chromium tapes for optimum bias with Dolby B on. 372 dollars in 1971 could buy you an amplifier, speakers and a turntable so to spend that much money on a cassette deck was serious coin!! After it was re-capped, the belts replaced, lubricated and all the lights replaced with exact matches with LEDs, the bias was next. He used my tapes and his own tapes and using an oscilloscope it took him an hour or two to adjust the bias perfectly......don't forget this was a one head deck so he used stickers on his scope to mark the position on playback. With Dolby B switched on he recorded music from a CD and was waiting for me to pick it up. After I walked in, he played me some Pink Floyd and Dance....I was a Club DJ. The quality of the sound was stunning on both tape types. When I got home, I played some deleted CDs on TDK chrome tapes and they sounded as good when I played them on this deck. Are cassettes the best way of storing music? Of course not but when handled properly with Dolby B switched in, it made no difference to the treble level at all. To the people who buy CDs and put them in a stacker in the boot without worrying about the heat from the sun, when they warp and wont play, all you had to do was rip them to your computer and then copy them to blank discs. I put my car in my garage to keep the heat level low. Using todays technology, cassette tapes have been reborn with all of the bad faults eliminated. I love them as i do my records because sometimes it's nice to remember the days when life was less complicated. Cheers. Andrew Collins Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Loved the video! You are a colorful and funny person; unlike so many TH-cam videos which are Boring! Cassetes themselves are viewed as boring to many. However, their Sanyo or Soundesign or Sharp cassette decks come nowhere near a top of the line Tandberg. Top of the line Nakamichis don't come that near totl Tandbergs either, but they do completely destroy the brands I mentioned, and even others with more audio credibility. The Tandberg 20 series of reel decks were among the best consumer tape decks, and some who own totl Tandberg cassette decks, who also have their reel decks too, do not consider one that superior to the other. I'm guessing you haven't heard a good factory prerecorded cassette on a top Tandberg model or Luxman model. They can near rival reel to reel quality; and this a minor miracle at their much slower tape speed. Even with cassettes lack of dynamic range, I preferred them sonically to cds, or more accurately I preferred them to the sound of reasonably affordable cd players until about 1999; cd players were improving. Tape has such a smooth relaxed sound with great continuity. Very natural sounding and no ticks or pops. Even more analog than lps if you really think about the manufacturing processes involved You would be surprised the openness, clarity and purity of the finest cassette playback. The cassettes and the players can develop problems, but the cassettes are so cheap at thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets etc. that if the tape becomes ruined; you just remember all the good times and many plays it gave you for a measly dollar. You buy another one cheap. No tears! I bought many used cassette tape decks over the years. I've never had one last 15 years. But I think the average they lasted for me with very frequent use was between 4 and 5 years. For an average price of $50, I'd have considered it worth it if it gives me a year. That's the way I look at it.
I love making mix tapes from TH-cam Music to my Onkyo TA_RW411. Its all about the nostalgia the set up and it sounds really good. Guess im just a nostalgic guy I have a 2003 Lexus 430 whick has a tape deck in it.
Still have 4 working decks: 3 in use -- 2 Sonys and an Aiwa -- and my first, a Superscope CD- 302A, in retirement. I also have over 300 tapes I dubbed from LPs and 100+ pre-recorded tapes. Love 'em all!
I am drinking with you, brother... Lol you're not wrong! I think I'm using my "bought as new" Akai deck as a VU meter as I build out my vintage set-up.
I got into Cassette decks during the recent media pushed World sniffles. I was forced to stay in.... so spent time in the house.... a visit to the loft revealed a sony tck81...left by one of the previous owners.... so I started to play with it.... then got to work restoring it...... there was a box of audio cassettes Depeche mode, Gary numan etc.... not my era... not my media. But a few capacitors replaced, two new belts... alot of time on forums Q and A..... now have a very nice 1979 Cassette deck.... I was impressed.... so I purchased a aiwa adf 880..... different mechanics (easier to work on as very simple IC)... . This deck sounds incredible... Then a 3rd Cassette deck... the dreaded nakamichi 480Z... broken door and squeaky idler tyre... and yet again a different mechanics..... but very easy to get all the answers.... lots of people know about these decks.... now I have a sorted nak 480z... AMAZING sound.... makes every cassete sound stunning. Now I am a fan of cassette decks.... yes old media, not my era but I feel jealous we do not have such items and physical media.... Will continue..... now buyimg a techno rsm 250... it looks amazing.
Very humorous. Thank you for the laughs. I hate cassette decks, but I still have about 50 of my own multi bounced multitrack recordings. I have two cassette decks in my possession and just changed the gummy belts in one of them. A Pioneer CT-F600. I have yet to place a tape into it as I recently moved and my tape box is lost in a box somewhere. The other is a Radio Shack Optimus SCT-49 high speed dubbing deck with two transports.
But other than that how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln? I have a high end Hitachi I can't get anyone to look at. I cracked it open and can't even see the belts. On the other hand, I have a Sony I got for $1 at an estate sale. It was filthy, but it plays fine. I've got an Onkyo, a Yamaha with HXpro, and a JVC for field recording. They all work fine. Other people are selling . . . and I'm buying. If a tape is bad, I chuck it and move on unless it has high quality innards like TDK. I have noticed that 8 track tape machines are selling around here. Now THAT is a bridge too far.
Yes.... Had a few decks from my time back in the 80's . I was one of those who recorded new records to tape to keep them in good nick. My car stereo was worth more than the car. I currently have 2 working machines. a . nice Yamaha twin deck and a JVC with a few bells and whistles. I play tapes on them once a fortnight to keep them moving'. but also a few 'projects' in the garage. hhhhmmmm .... I might need cask strength Laphroaig Ha Ha!! I copied the 'keepers' onto my computer then to disc and other formats. quality not an issue as I long as still have them and listen to them ....aaah good old 80's music. You might have talked me into getting rid of the not so good machines.. my wife will love me for it ...Heh heh... Loved the video mate AL
I have a couple of tape decks and my 90s unit have an automatic stop if it detects the take up wheel not working it stops, also using Chrome tape and good 3 head unit without using dolby sounds pretty good to me. I think you need to get your violin out and cry your heart out.
Don't care for the snark. Cassette decks are indeed complicated, intricate machines which need maintenance! In 45+ years of making home recordings on high grade tapes, in decks with clean heads, capstans and pinch rollers, I have never had a tape eaten! Belts wear out and will need to be replaced, motors are electromechanical devices which require occasional lubrication etc. Sadly, high grade tapes are no longer manufactured. Fortunately I have a good stock of types 2 and 4 tapes, so I'm good. I also have tapes made in the 80s which still sound fantastic! Prerecorded cassettes were usually bad, so I didn't buy them. And put down the scotch, dude!
I might have a different take one this then some other people's comments. To me the cassette was a huge hurdle to get over when it came to open reel or vinyl records. But they were convenient, good enough sound for most people, and cost much less then the open reel to reel tape machines and tapes. Now even in the 1980's I was a fan of the open reel machines and good tapes on them. The early cassette machine to me most were troublesome. However I got a decent low cost tape deck by Sharp and it could never eat a tape and mess it up. why because it had a sensor on the right reel to tell if the reel stopped or went back wards in play, and the machine would click out of play. That machine also had full auto shut off at the end of the tape in play, FF ,and rewind. The Pioneer you are using there is a nice deck, but many of the older ones had the poor drive system and eat tapes. Price is not always the answer for some problems, design is the right thing to look for. you are right about the belts. If you are not lucky, and buy a used machine often the belt is goo. I do think this happens because people put their old stuff in their attic, and it gets way to hot for the belts in these units.
I was a AKAI man reel to reel cassette deck turntable wharfdale speakers wish I never got rid of all of it, Just bought a Sony TC133 used I hope it works OK? Thanks for your thoughts
As an audiophile I know how good tapes can sound. The players, sure they can be great and serviceable but the tapes themselves are the problem. Shelf life long expired, good luck :(
I still have one car with a cassette deck we use it every day its been ages since Ive had a tape actually break beyond repair. I have some decks that have been with me since the 80s and they have not broken yet.
I got back into tape...reel to reel first then cassette...in about 2013. It was mostly for that walk down memory lane thing. With 2 young kids, I couldn't afford a Dragon in the 80's, but I can now. 2 caveats, if you want good sound from a 40 year old, mostly mechanical medium...you have to buy a top rated deck from that time period...and you have to have it brought back up to spec. If not it will always sound poor.
I know exactly what you mean! I have two vintage cassette decks sitting here right now that can only record from 20Hz to 20kHz within 1dB using Dolby C with a crappy TDK FE Type I tape, and Dolby HX Pro only gives them enough additional headroom to reach a signal-to-noise ratio approaching 80dB. They both have diabolical wow and flutter figures of 0.045% WRMS too. I haven't had a cassette deck chew up a single tape in the past 47 years, but I'll be fully expecting all of my tapes to self-destruct now that you say they will. How did I ever allow myself to get conned this badly?!
I have an Akai 3 head ,3 motor higher end deck, same thing belts are good 👍 However it suffers from the common Akai problem that keeps the head from fully engaging, I think it's an issue with the cog gear needing some new grease
U really might want to put down the bottle, u posing for Otis Campbell the town drunk? With Good maint. You can really enjoy the use of a good deck. U might want to know ur subject better, they are making a return.
i hope they make a return but not pre-recorded cassettes as some could even sound perfect but only for a while than all start to have defects that can even destroy a deck tuned for the better, i do like to record cassettes
Put a CD recorder in the system to dub to. On my 2nd cassette deck since mid 1980s. I have just had second round of service done on vintage 1988 3-head NAD I bought used in mid 90s from audio dealer. The first shop was not quite as qualified to repair as the second one. Cost of service last year and just recently completed was $1k. Besides belts, and other parts, they had to get a main motor replacement from another deck as it is not made anymore. I had used a modest Technics cassette deck before this and many of my mixtapes are with dbx. I have a DBX decode-encoder in the tape loop and can play (or record another) of those. Most of my 30-35 year old mixtapes are good, and sound good if I got levels correct way back when. I bought NAD cassette deck as I tried to make an NAD system, of used serviced NAD Monitor series in the early 90s.
Would have agreed until I got my a JVC DD-7 a couple decades ago. Curb find maybe ? A thrift store possibly. Anyway 20 years old when got it. But yeah until that one i was putting a deck to rest every 2 to 3 years. Most did sound good...but something would go wrong with the mechanism. As you mentioned the plastic parts...it turns out they were essential after all. It was always something and either limping or totally dead. So now I'm still using the DD-7. More than a half dozen have bit the dust ( well collecting dust) and a few more limping or lamed . That DD-7 possibly the best product JVC made (1982?) . And it did get daily use in a bicycle shop for a decade after i found it. What i like about the DD-7 is the quartz locked direct drive single capstan motor...lovely simple and runs at the correct speed and no audible wow and flutter and the pinch roller still is like new ( amazing) . The Sendust Alloy heads...still like new! Does the head need adjusti ...no. But yhe best part is how well it records a Type I ferric as long as it is an oriental tape formula ( TDK D the doped oned of course...for instance) . Not sure the JVC even has Dolby....but yeah Dolby sucks and doesn't play back well on another taoe deck. JVC had thier own noise reduction system...never even tried it. But even if you get the Dolby properly calibrated you can hear it operating anyway. I wish this treny thing hadn't happened though, because I can't find anther one now...at least one I can afford. I don't bother tapin vinyl either...start with a digital source ...far less noise and distortion.
My deck doesn’t have Dolby. It has ANRS I & II and DBX. I also have a HiCom encoder and decoder so problems here with hiss. They all sound great especially the HiCom which sounds good with or without it on unlike DBX.
Radiators are more efficient than open fires but I know which I would rather sit in front of. Frequency response only matters when a b ing one against the other, our ears will eq the difference.
I still have my AKAI GXC-570D IN WORKING CONDITION / My NAKAMICHI ZX-9 but not working anymore. I bought it brand new in the 80s for 3K / I bought a TECHINCS RS-BX606 Cassette Deck that died on me. Gave that one to Goodwill. Not a very good deck. / I replaced it with HARMAN KARDON CD-491 that I found on Craiglist and I am still using it until now. My AKAI GXC-570D and HARMAN KARDON CD-491 cassette still running and still working just fine with no problem at all. I always use a high bias and metal cassette tapes. MAXELL / FUJI / TDK / MEMOREX / SONY / DENON / BASF / i used a normal bias tapes for my car and I used the high bias tapes for my home stereo only. It's very hard to tell the difference between my CDs and my cassette tapes especially if you have a high end home audio system like CARVER / SAE / DBX / EQUALIZERS / KENWOOD / PANAMAX / MONSTER POWER / TEAC X-2000R REEL TO REEL
For the sake of prosterity you probably need to transfer the music on those rare tapes to some kind of digital format before the inevitable happens or at least make copys on other cassette tapes ( wait I bet you already have duh) great funny video my friend 🤣all the best from England 👍
i re-started to use cassette decks in 2017 as i had boxes filled with new sealed cassettes and some of the considered best decks ever bought mainly by my father who passed away recentelly and we both colected hi-fi components but his and most expensive colection is now part of mine, but i started again to make compilations to hear from cds or records i sometmes might want to hear a song but the trouble in finding the Lp or have to play it only to hear a 3.43 minuts music,. so since 2017 i´ve recorded 90 and some more compilations and what a pleasure to hear them ,about sound quality they sound better than the cds i recorded them from, it was a lot of work but now i can hear those or that songs by playing a cassette, and i like dflat recorders i9´m not one of those who increases high´s in the cassettes to latern they sound horrible also never used dolby but never had hiss ,it started by not having dolby in my fiirst two open reel decks also have more blank cassettes than reels so my option went to cassettes, i have been using a Pioneer with manual calibration and a Kenwood also a Nakamichi, almost forget a direct drive Technics deck quartz from 1979, how can that thing work perfect after so many years stoped and Pioneer´s have better engines, at least the older ones
I am using Akai HX A1 since 1990 and I never got any major issue with this cassette deck.Only auto stop in PB,FF,REW mode I changed the belts and it works .The recording has stopped but I do not go for recording now at the age of 65.The cassettes dhould be all clear of any fungus or any such thing in tge cassettes.The TDK,old Green Sony cassettes are the hest ones ,never leaveczny oxide particles on the tape heads.
I found a Vector research, it plays well, even with the original belts and parts, From late 80s. Only needed to clean the tape path. Works well. Yeah, I would say, stay away from it also. Reel to reel or vinyl records are better.
I've owned my fair share of cassette decks. My first component cassette deck was the Pioneer CT-F2121 in 1975. I've owned decks from Akai, Denon, Onkyo, Technics, Nakamichi, Yamaha and Nikko. Cassettes are good for one thing for sure. Interviews via FM. I have recorded interviews with many people; Billy Joel, Springsteen, Paxton, Ainsley Dunbar, Lennon, Pete Seeger, Roach Sisters, South Side Johnny among others. These ain't available on internet and are quite rare. Some live performances off air to boot. Poor "high fidelity"? No shit. Cassettes run at 1 7/8 ips and cassette tape is half as wide as open reel tape and half as slow as R2R's slowest speed (3 3/4 ips). I use a Pioneer RG-2 expander with the tape format (since 1981) and it does restore some dynamic range and offer noise reduction. Cassettes are and always were a compromise. However, when tryin' to play music stoned or drunk, cassettes are a safer bet than lowering the tonearm on an LP. Much harder to F.U. You do make some valid points.
What a great video, cheers for that! Surprised you used sticky tape, I used to superglue mine. Yes, you brought back bad memories!! 😄🙂 But I'm not rich, I don't have servants, how will I digitise my tapes without a cassette deck? Oh, and about my 80 VHS tapes .. 😄
I have a pile of decks and tapes. My favorite deck Tandberg tcd 330 and maxell urs. Dolby what a gimmick, never use it, then again I use on average 50 year old gear cept them new fangled cds. That tude ya got great comedy, keep swinging.
I will stick with my nakamichi. rx202. Wish it was a 3 head but it sounds very good and nothing is cooler then watching a tape change sides. It is time to put belts in it and I have them. I am scared to do it!
The problem with cassette decks is that for decades now no one builds high quality motor blocks and toneheads anymore. So no new good cassette decks in sight,and the old ones that still work will die in one or two decades. Soundwise upper class early nineties models are the best.
since 2017 i´ve been recording cassettes again and they do not sound under the quality of any source and having a endless suply of blank cassettes i did already record 97 compilations in cassette since 2017 when i fixed a old CT-959 from Pioneer and it records perfect and mixed tapes one ends up hearing them more than other sources , now it´s stoped and i have in my main system , turntable ,cd player, cassette deck , DAT deck ,open reel deck and minidisc deck , using also a tape monitor multiplyer from Akai , now i put to work a urushi Pioneer system with some 89 AT-100 from cerwin-vega , the cassette deck ,either than the Pioneer CT-91a also have a DRM-800a from denon , a dat from sony ES from 88/89 , the open reel deck is a akai GX-4000DS (78-84,sold)and a MD-J707 from pioneer minidisc deck , and i also use a very nice 80´s kenwood equalizer but to make only smooth adjustements and also a laptop with spotify , the turntable i´m using is a P10 from Rega and a technics SL-1310 with original cartridge but the last stylus i had for it i installed it a week ago, so i have a 2M black when this cartridge stop having needles, this is the system i use everyday ,the more complete possibble with a high end pioneer cd player with a very good installed DSD DAC against the old PCM, internal not external, it´s cheaper to buy a internal dac and install it than spend 500€ in a average external dac and with the same quality one spends next to 35€, this is kind of rotative system as i from time to time change all components but only one from time to time, as extra speakers i´m using some late 80´s mission 761 at 4ohms , they sound amazing good with any amplifier but this model there are variations from the next years who are good but not as perfect as the 761 model at 4ohms, i´m using cassettes since 76 and i never had problems that others describe but always took care of my cassettes as it is suposed to, even in the car if one when taking a cassette put´s it in it´s box or maybe the car as already a place to store them as the first porshe 928 had the first audo system built for the car as a litle room for maybe 10 cassettes were you insert them and it´s like closing them in the original box ,after aqll siad i never used dolby as i have recording ,very old and sounding perfect and no NR system at the time, but still i listen more to cassettes than the other sources as i said the sound quality is not under other suposed to be better source as one when recording music from good sources the better the cassette sounds, i´m using TDK SA-X and Sony UX-pro ,the ones i could fit in my biggest car and all others were incinerated as no one was buying them and they neded to make room in a big surface warehouse
i like cassete deck and enjoy - CARVER & NAKAMICHI LX-5 VERY VERY BEAUTIFUL SOUND TO MAKE RILEX - NOW I AM 67 YEARS OLD - NO PROBLEM WITH CASSETE DECK😄💝
Alrighry, folks! For our next game, we're gonna play "Guess if this hissing noise is my mid-80s CrO2 tape deck OR the startup sequence for an Imperial Star Destroyer!" 🤣
PTSD achieved. I only have a few cassettes anymore and those are things like "Cassette" by PIL or "Low-Life" by New Order in the box packaging. Collectables only. I might get a portable...maybe.
Compact cassette for me is a no today.. only because nobody makes decent tape anymore for them. if you want any decent compact cassette tapes to use in your vintage tape decks, you will be hunting for NOS stuff and the supplies of those (I am not talking about normal type 1 tapes but the better ones, ie: chrome, metal) are drying up - tape also doesnt last forever, so your NOS stuff that is decent is probably already 20+ years old)... whats left of the decent NOS stuff is getting expensive! If you are happy with type 1 you can still get fresh tape, record the masters (RTM) make a fairly ok type 1. If you are serious about compact cassette, then its an expensive hobby.... A good reel to reel deck capable of 15 IPS or higher (prosumer or better) will outperform a compact cassette deck - reel to reel is also an expensive hobby - i personally find reel to reel more appealing for my analog audio fix. I have a fully restored Revox B77 MK2 and it sounds magnificent
Totally agree, but the main reason that Type II and Type IV aren't being made any more are environnemental reasons, they pollute too much for today's standards. I have 4 Revox A77, I paid between 45 and 200 € per piece, and I did all the servicing myself. My daughter got the fifth one with new recently replaced (1989) unused heads for 120€. Haven't had the luck to get a B77 for a "okay" price till now. I always keep an eye open for PER 525 and 528 studio NOS tapes, often on bobbys for studio use (740m.) (I'm in Europe), they cost about a third of the new tapes made today and are exempt of any ageing problems. My daughter is also into cassettes, she makes her own with custom covers and uses them in her own period conform 20 year old Opel Corsa car radio.
Thanks for entertaining video 😂 One thought aloud - if human ear can manage same as many many decks on Metal tape 20-20.000 HZ. Why do you call cassettes not surving the purpose? 😢😅😊
pretty dumb rant, but at least you seemed to be having fun. was never a fan of Dolby noise reduction, which is why I went with the DBX system. less popular yes, but way better sounding. p.s. it's just suppose to be a fun hobby .....
I so want to disagree with you... but I can't! In 45 years I've never had a deck chew a tape, but I do religiously clean the capstans and pinch rollers. Belt goo has never been a problem with my vintage Technics, JVC and Nikko decks; the main offenders seem to be Sony, Pioneer, Marantz, Aiwa and Kenwood. These days my nostalgia kick is satisfied by having a good-looking cassette deck in my rack; I don't have to actually use it!
Nicely stated. I use a Denon DRM-800A in my main system and a Nakamichi BX-1 in my kitchen system. I have many tapes recorded during 1970's/80's from my favorite NYC FM station, WNEW (102.7). Concerts, interviews, concert happenings, weather and news broadcasts delivered by cool DJ's. Glad I saved'em. Artifacts from a saner time?
I agree Dolby (B,C) did suck, but no one here mentioned HX-Pro. It sounded so much better on any type of cassette. Only a few high end decks had it and they were hard to find. Loved the video, it had me laughing and remembering, Thanks.
I LOVE cassette decks. but at this point in time, why buy one ? for starters, you cant even get good type II blank casettes any more. they are no longer made. with that said, using type I tapes, your recordings arent what they used to be. I hate to say it, but time has passed these beautiful machines by. I used to love buying TDK SA90 cassettes. Order them from J&R Music world and feel like a million bucks when you got a box of them. sadly, great times that are gone.
To put it simply you will get out of a decent cassette deck what you're willing to put into it. The early stereo decks were built like tanks. I've refurbished probably 30 decks in the last 25 years and can't think of one that didn't come out good. I've even refurbished the notorious FF/REW motors on the high end Pioneer CT-F series. But everyone's wants and needs are different and I can understand the frustration with cassette if a person lacks the knowledge of machines with many moving parts. I see you're from my old stomping grounds! Sheridan and Hebo for me.
I believe you are getting drank sir. You should listen to a 40 years old NAKAMICHI DRAGON with a McINTOSH POWER AMPLIFIER and a B&W TOWER SPEAKERS and a METAL TAPES and tell me if the sound is not as closed as a CD.
Tape decks eat tapes because the tape sticks to the pinch roller, which wont happen if its kept clean. Ive had a jvc deck thats worked, and still works to this day and it was made 1997. So what you say doesnt hold true. The problem with tape decks is the microprocessor goes bad and you hit play, rewind etc, and nothing happens. The goal of any stereo company is to sell you snake oil for an expensive price. They will sell you shit on a shingle if they can convice you to buy it. The tape decks used a lot of plastic, not the best thing to make gears and pullys and stuff. By putting cheap parts and microprocessors, they could make more money. My tape deck has a freq response of 20 -17 khz. I dont hear much tape hiss, I only use metal tapes. I can attest to the tapes as I have recorded tapes 25 years old that still play good and I know for a fact that recordings last a long time. With dolby S there is pretty good signal to noise. Im guessing you spend your money on a lot of digital stuff. I stopped buying digital music stuff when 3 cd players I bought failed, and one was a good quality onkyo. Theres tape decks out there where you cant tell the difference between it and a cd player. With me I dont waste my money on digital crap that fails, my stuff thats analogue has outlasted anything digital. My turntable lasted 30 years and Im only on my 3rd cartridge. There are some really good tape decks that were made in the past. Especially Luxman. Better than Nakamichi Dragon. Where and what are you listening to with tapes that you dont have a good frequency response. Lots of decks have close, or better than 20 -20 khz. The convenience of the tapes plus quality close to that of a good turntable makes cassettes unbeatable.
Everything that you talked about in this video has happened to me. I have a Kenwood stereo double cassette deck KX-W8010 and I have a Kenwood stereo double cassette deck KX-94W and I have a marantz stereo cassette deck SD-155. And every one of them had the sticky belt situation and everything else that you said in your video 🫣🙃 have a good afternoon ✌️
it´s subscribed, you make very nice videos also drink i stoped when 50 ,i had to , i used to take all that is good but normally what feels good is bad for our health, at least they say
Only 35 seconds in and already I have a problem...ice in your Laphroaig? Really? You are using the Glen Cairn glass even...but ice? LOL. This is just like audio in general; you do it the way you like it best and don't let anyone harsh your ride, dude - not even me! Love your channel, BTW. Was gonna let this lay and not comment further, but I had a Yamaha deck that had Dolby HX Pro and as long as the cassette was recorded in HX Pro, the playback was not too bad; but I TOTALLY agree that Dolby NR, both A and B types killed the life of any tape. Pretty sure it's still around here somewhere in storage. Fairly certain it is/was the K-1020. All my shipmates went Nakamichi Dragon, but the auto-flip was something waiting to be broken.
I've used cassette decks for a long time and never had an eaten tape--you just gotta keep that pinch roller clean. I think it's all about choosing the right vintage deck. A NAD vintage deck is impossible to service with glued sections that can't be separated. A nightmare. A low end Nakamichi BX-100 usually only needs a $5 rubber idler wheel that takes 20 minutes to replace.
i don´t think the BX-100 is a low end deck, i might have several top end decks from nakamichi all working perfect as they were from my father but also have a BX-2 bought when i first bought the worst deck ever made or very good if only to work to monthes before the summer the Dragon doesn´t play cassettes and doesn´t breed fire ,so not a good cassette deck, but if the BX-2 as it´s quality the BX-100 might be better, more high-end than low-end , and i only have a friend, who owns a BX-300E and it´s very nice, the one i´m using it´s a 700ZXL as all were restored by a Nakamichi old technician in England where my brother and sister lives, sent there by my father who passed away recentelly
@@RUfromthe40s Yes the NAK BX-100 is a great deck. I have 3 of them. I meant to say that it's at the low end of what Nakamichi makes. I have a
CR-3A that records better, but for playback, It's hard to hear the difference between the two. I always wanted to get one of those Revox decks, but the prices are ridiculous. I wonder how they sound?
@@EddieJazzFan the CR-3A is also a great deck from nakamichi i have just received from my father from the same year the CR-7A which is fine but people talk of nakamichi like if it were the best ,any top end pioneer records and plays better ,an example the CT-91A the CT-959 or CT-93 and i´ve tested the CT-F1250 as all were restored in the last 4 years , not only records and sounds better but the cassettes recorded in the cr-7a and in the 1000zxl sound better in the CT-F1250 or any of these i refered and better decks the TEAC Z-7000 or the B215 from Revox b series, this all working at 100% as all were restored to original specifications ,in the mid 70´s Pioneer in Magazines used to fill an entire page making fun of nakamichi decks this putting the nakamichi 1000 in the center of the page and the 76 with a extra window for the dynamic bias next to the VU meters in a corner in a litle size photo and also this decks i refer are flat recorders or don´t have what some call coloured sound, there is also the technics RS-9900 with transport and a extra component for the functions of the deck and sounds amazing this released in 76 as the CT-F1000 from Pioneer ,one thing i noticed the 70´s decks were made with better parts having a extended life not easilly getting out of tune, i had closed in a box a 1980 CT-520 and without putting new belts they didn´t had transform in a black gue but still working with casettes that didn´t demand extra strenght to rotate my surprise was when recording a cassette there the sound wasn´t that good but played it in a CT-91A and they sounded amazing good with perfect sound , with deep warm sound like some call it now, i prefer wider spectrum of frequencies and good dynamics
low end the BX-100?what about the BX-1 and the BX-2 those are crap level ,sorry number 2 level but i think one of the decks ever made by NAK. that works with regular maintenance it´s the BX-2 not other work for so many years and not autodestroys itself, i think it´s average quality deck
@@EddieJazzFan the CR-3 is a great deck , it does all other all 3 heasd decks do with extra quality at it´s level
Listening to your story, I'm quite convinced you used the bottom of the barrel decks and tapes. I never had the issues you and so many others talk or even exaggerate about. The only decks that ever ate any of my tapes were always car decks...on either very hot or very cold days. A decent name-brand Type II tape paired with a Nak/Denon/JVC or similar deck, S/N ratios can exceed that of most vinyl along with a frequency response that can exceed exceed 20kHz, though that's rare in any scenario.
I use Dolby all the time. I've ONLY ever had tracking issues with pre-recorded cassettes. Most Dolby tapes I've made have decoded properly on all my other players, including my EX Walkmans. With Dolby C-Type, a valid argument can be made. It's finicky and has a very low tracking error tolerance. Most of my tapes I play, people can't ever tell it's tape until I tell them. That's how transparent any format should be. Oddly, records always sound like records...and they shouldn't. They should sound like the source.
The beauty of cassettes are, the format is as good or as bad as you want it to be, depending on your time, ignorance level, and dollars spent. Lots of 40+ year old undamaged tape out there that sound just as good as the day they were recorded. Can you ever say that about vinyl? Not really...at least, not often. I've had pretty decent luck with cassettes. Like any analog physical format, you're going to have those 'moments.' But overall, it's a robust format that has stood the test of time fairly well so far. :)
Amen. I needle dropped Buckingham/Nicks album and Lindsey Buckingham Law & Order on a type 1 90 min Maxwell tape in dec 1981. It still sounds amazingly good. Among others
Thanks dude, I have a Pioneer F21 deck. Kept it maintained an used good quality tape. Just for the house no need for car.
No idea where this PUTZ isco.ing from.
U sound much more trustworthy than Mr. Lancaster.
i learn the hard way that one should only use well built cassettes, other might even have better tape but in it´s whole are bad for the decks working quality and i never used dolby only the HX-pro for listening
@@RUfromthe40s I've always debated whether HX-Pro ever made much of a difference on higher-end machines. Between my 3-head decks with and without HX-Pro, there's no real discernable difference in audible quality. Both deck types produce fairly similar results. Now on my 2-head machines, yes. There does seem to be a performance gap between the HX and non-HX decks, but it could also just be the head types and many other factors.
Dolby is only ever good when it works and the head is tracking the tape dead center. When it's dead-on, omg it works amazingly well. The problem was/is, most lower end portables, ghetto blasters and cheaper home decks, all had variances in head positioning due to poor design or build quality.
I stuck primarily to JVC, Denon, Onkyo & Sony decks for home and Sony & Aiwa portables. They've been good to me. :)
Yup, I may have lost a tape or 2 but for the most part, I had so many great hours of listening to tapes. How much truth can u get from Captain.Morgan.
Chances are, not much maint. Was done when we 1st got into this. So that did not help matters either.
Happy to see you imbibe an intoxicating drink, before explaining about cassette decks. My quick answer is YES. I have used cassette decks to tape many wonderful informative & interesting CBC radio shows thru the years, using a timer when I couldn't listen to the broadcast the first time. So, here's a toast to cassette decks past & still present@🎉😊 from 🇨🇦
Interesting. I have reconditioned about five cassette decks of decent quality. I don't use Dolby. To my aging ears, they sound great! Actually I get more irritated with the Snap, crackle and pop of most vinyl records than well recorded music on quality tape.
Snap crackle n pop Ted Bundy come back from the electric chair? I agree with you to a fair extent. Tapes,are very good and good record maint can result in good quality music. I like messing w records, w an Eq 1 can get in more adjustment of sound. Hope u have a gr8 day.
I Use high-res sources/files to record to cassette or reel to reel tape. Much more satisfying than just streaming it.
@@florianm3170 i record directelly from streaming services where i make playlists and record to a reel in a 79 GX something open reel deck from Akai also use a B series from Revox
i also tried but never recorded or play a cassette with dolby as some decks have a higher quality when not using dolby and the hiss if the deck works without any defect there is no hiss ,some cds in their sound have hiss but that was in the studio when recording it for some reason they let it stay, about the noises in the vinyl some cartridges and stylus one doesn´t hear those noises and it sounds perfect doesn´t cut any frequency ,normally good professional needles or just more expensive and better built like the Grado prestige II gold that isn´t that expensive and was the first i bought from this new generation of cartridges it as a low sound as all others ,MM type but one doesn´t hear noises in the record ,one thing is the record being dirt and make noises ,those aren´t heard but if the noises are already the record with bad sound in the grooves it never will disapear
Oh yes,tape kicks vinyl cracking popping grooves. But If u love vinyl,its awesome,keep analog sound alive.
Loved the alcohol-fueled rant. Laughed so hard!! One must drink every time someone says "cassette" or "tape" 📼"Dolby fucking sucks!"
I knew he was going to say he didn't take any notice of his own advice, lol. I was laughing right through too. 😂😅❤
I could not live without my vintage audio equipment. 🤘
This is one instance when I tend to shy away from silver face stereo equipment. The mid to late 80s tape decks were so much better at producing and recording high quality audio. At this point, almost all tape decks need belts. I tend to hang on to decks that are easy to service and have great features.
well i never notice diference from mid 70´s decks till the end of the 90´s, but i´m refering to good decks, in the early 90´s or since the second half of the 80´s the only thing that changed were the amourphous heads on top end Pioneer decks also the Denon DRM-800a and the kenwood from 87 ,the HK980 maybe not sure now, the one with two displays and the leds going up not sideways with calibration ,manual. but not all brands took advantage from the Amourphous heads, one of the best recording and playing deck i have is a Philips F series from 1979, no calibration but amazing how it sounds
Hey Crank up the volume so everyone can here the tape hiss on a youtube video why don't you!! Prerecorded cassette tapes from the 1980’s are pretty darn good. Particularly after cd’s came on the market. Blank tapes from that era still hold up well. I never use Dolby and I don’t mind hiss because I can’t hear it with my tinnitus. Decks have lots of moving parts and the cassettes do as well and will some day fail. I still listen to 40 year old + tapes I recorded and they are just fine. My Teac deck is over 25 yrs old and works great!
I have had my Pioneer CT-F7272 for ten years now and I love it. As with 8 track players (I have one of those, too. A Wollensak), the machine is only as good a the tape you're playing and the majority of those eighties and nineties pre-recorded tapes sound pretty good to my ears. I also never use Dobly and I can live with the hiss, too.
Now I don't feel bad anymore about scrapping my Onkyo which was the best sounding cassette deck I've ever heard
Great video, Thanks. My cassette journey started the late 70's with the purchase of an Pioneer CT - F700, which I still have. It hasn't been used in 25+ years, but recent videos, including this video, have convinced me to seek any necessary repairs. Why? Because it is a thing of beauty, and fond memories. The beauty part, solid brushed aluminium front panel, the switches and knobs, lovely, while adding tactile enjoyment, and the three count em three V.U. meters dancing away. Makes me smile just thinking about it. The fond memories part, a local F.M. station would regularly broadcast new album releases, with a que up, without commercials or any other interruption until the album needed turning, short break, then the other half of the album, again without interruption. Many happy hours listening and being with Family and Friends.
Just an aside here, but the alcohol recommended for cleaning purposes was, I believe denatured, not Scotch.
"Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink-- under any circumstances."
- Mark Twain
I have that same old Pioneer tape deck I bought new back in the day.
my first cassette deck was a Pioneer CT-F2121 as i had bought a car that came with a radio cassette player from Pioneer before only 8-track cartridges for the car, but maybe my grandfather thought it wasn´t good and ofered me a CT-F1000 in the christmas of 1976 ,still have it and works perfect, both
They are great decks but look awful! I'm trying to decide whether to buy a Pioneer reconditioned, really high quality, or a brand new TEAC which is not as good but LOOKS good. I could always paint the faded yellow chome thing blue or something ..
Nakamichi Tri-Tracer 1000. Generally better than most high end reel to reel decks, with no audible hiss.
I, too, have a few tapes from the 1980s and 90s that are only available in that format. I keep them around and occasionally listen to them out of nostalgia. My 35 year old cassette deck has most of the issues that you described and was terminal. I picked up a well maintained Rotel cassette deck on Craigslist list for $80. It actually sounds good. I'm happy enough with that option.
OMG the memories, that is what makes me want a tape deck.
I’m so glad I found you. It’s so nice so nice listen to self effacing humer along with tech knowledge to make your points. Do what you must with your equipment, but don’t loose your mind and listeners at the expense of end product. You’re a joy to watch and listen to.
Thank you so much!
I own Pioneer CT-F9191for 14 years,Changed belts,some idler tires clean the heads-working perfect, sounds great with chrome tapes.
I also own Yamaha Kx-392 double cassette deck which I bought new in 1999, working great and never serviced just clean the heads once in a wile.
Also own a Sony tc-134sd this one is ok...complicated to maintain....
Have about 500 cassettes....
Love the media.
I just bought the pioneer CT-F9090. I gotta clean it and stuff obviously cause I just got it. But why is the rewind and fast forward not working??? Please let me know!
I have a pioneer CT-F 9191 that needs some service and so far it has been great
Great..... I remember it all like yesterday.... got about 40 cassettes I really like...... this gave me flashbacks, I walk in your shoes, sahib....... ❤
All of your confessions are correct faced same issues..
😂😂❤ you sounded so honest yet funny with sips of liquor between the recollection of despair moments 😂😅
I had a good laugh when you opened with "Run Away". I have to agree with just about everything you said here. Back in the 80's, I too believed that cassettes were one of the worst formats next to 8-track tapes. Sadly, I lived with cassettes for the one big positive reason that you mentioned...portability. Also, what ties into that, a medium to record music too. Back then, it was that or record on to reel to reel. While that was a vastly superior format in terms of sound quality, it had issues too and the big one was the lack of portability and also the high cost. But that would be another topic of discussion. Cassette's big downfall was that the tape speed is too slow. Unless you used a top end deck with metal cassettes, there was no way you would get even close to the fidelity of an open reel deck. Use a fast enough speed on the latter, and you didn't even need noise reduction. I too, hated noise reduction schemes with the exception of Dolby B. Dolby B seemed to be the only noise reduction system that worked between machines.
As you mentioned, with most other forms of Dolby and, even more so, with DBX, you need to play the tape back on the SAME machine that recorded it. So that put in pin in the portability balloon. However, Dolby B was the only one that you could record with it, but you didn't have to use it on playback, and you got a nice boost on the high end. But there was tapes other problems, most of what you mentioned already, but my biggest pet peeve with cassettes were the phasing of the high frequencies when the tape started to wear. The high frequencies phased in and out. Then after that, the tape would get significant sections that would loose the high frequencies. This was a constant battle with just about all decks. Although I do admit the double capstan decks maintained a better tension over the tape heads and I DID have better luck with these decks, BUT the problem was never eliminated. So already back then, when it was the only feasible and portable recording medium, I loathed cassettes. But I dealt with them. So in terms of putting together a vintage system, would I add a cassette deck? Absolutely not! There are so many better and still portable ways to record audio now that I feel that cassettes have gone the way of the Dodo.
IF I were to get into analog tape, I would want to revisit reel to reel decks. But, that is doubtful as that is a very expensive media to get into. Then there is the large amount of maintenance on the decks to keep them clean and aligned. So, I think I am generally done with tapes. However, I do have an interest in getting back into vinyl, and this was a source that I had always loved in the past. While not as portable as a cassette, it still was somewhat portable. Signal to noise ratio is far better than cassettes. There are no drop outs or having to deal with the annoyance of the high frequencies phasing in and out. Yes, there is some maintenance, in that you have to clean the records and stylus. But the player itself requires little maintenance, when compared to a tape deck. So yeah, I wholeheartedly agree that the best advice is to "run away". But I do get it for those nostalgia buffs out there. A nice cassette deck does look awesome with it's big VU meters and all sorts of buttons. Don't get me wrong, a cassette deck is eye candy, but just to have one to look at isn't warranted enough for me. I do recall watching another YT'er and he said that he often bought the tuner of a separate system, just for the looks, since he really didn't listen to the radio. I guess I can get that too given that the tuner has that huge, nicely lit, slide rule. But FM radio is still, yet, another inferior form of audio reproduction and I rarely listen to the radio anymore, save for the one in my car. So for vintage gear, it most likely will be just the amp, preamp, speakers, and a turntable for me. Great post! I had fun watching this one!
Sadly you’re right. I am 60 so I grew up playing cassettes and I loved them. I bought a Sanyo RD 5035 and brought it back to life with cleaning and belts.
I was born in '70 and some of my best childhood memories to this day are about cassettes..recording the charts from the radio,albums then playing them on the move on my"Walkman"!I had them all:Pioneer,Technics,Sony,Akai,Aiwa and then later evolved in reel to reel...Sure it had it's perks but what doesn't?(And if were handy you'd manage!)No one can take away those memories!Great video Sir:Cheers!🙏✌
I still have my CDs and cassettes and will never sell them. Gotta Yamaha KX 393 tape deck bought in 2000 and still going strong. I recently played a cassette I purchased on eBay by a band called Magnum. The album in question is Sleepwalking which was released in 1992. I couldn't find it on CD or download so tape was the best alternative. I put it on straight away and was blown away by the warmth and depth of the sound. So proud of my cassettes.
I bought my first tape deck as an adult three years ago.
A refurbished Nakamichi BX-1 from a local audio shop. I needed it because I was on a mission to track down lost media from my childhood.
I have some misc. pre-recorded Dolby tapes that sound absolutely wonderful.
When it comes to things like tape-eating, I too suffered from exagerated memories in this respect. I remember being in class when tapes would get eaten. Many, many times. And the sound they made was awful. I remember my own tapes being eaten while I was playing them on a tiny handheld player or micro boom box while on camping trips with my family.
And... of course. These were the lowest of low quality devices, built to favour convenience at the expense of literally anything else.
I fail to recollect any such incident occurring on a reasonable, stationary component deck. They usually have safety features that shut them down before any problem becomes serious.
While I would never want to go back to the days of cassettes and garbage players on the go, at home where it belongs, it's wonderful.
Hi from Australia. After my first Akai GXC46D was stolen, I was shattered. I was on TH-cam and to cut a long story short, I found a guy who owned the same deck. This model cost around 372 dollars in 1971 (about 3,200 dollars today). I asked him if he wanted to sell it and he said yes because he was in charge of his fathers estate. I payed him a couple of hundred dollars and a week later I got it. It was in mint condition. I took it to a friend of mine with 3 TDK low noise and 3 TDK Chromium tapes for optimum bias with Dolby B on. 372 dollars in 1971 could buy you an amplifier, speakers and a turntable so to spend that much money on a cassette deck was serious coin!! After it was re-capped, the belts replaced, lubricated and all the lights replaced with exact matches with LEDs, the bias was next. He used my tapes and his own tapes and using an oscilloscope it took him an hour or two to adjust the bias perfectly......don't forget this was a one head deck so he used stickers on his scope to mark the position on playback. With Dolby B switched on he recorded music from a CD and was waiting for me to pick it up. After I walked in, he played me some Pink Floyd and Dance....I was a Club DJ. The quality of the sound was stunning on both tape types. When I got home, I played some deleted CDs on TDK chrome tapes and they sounded as good when I played them on this deck. Are cassettes the best way of storing music? Of course not but when handled properly with Dolby B switched in, it made no difference to the treble level at all. To the people who buy CDs and put them in a stacker in the boot without worrying about the heat from the sun, when they warp and wont play, all you had to do was rip them to your computer and then copy them to blank discs. I put my car in my garage to keep the heat level low. Using todays technology, cassette tapes have been reborn with all of the bad faults eliminated. I love them as i do my records because sometimes it's nice to remember the days when life was less complicated. Cheers. Andrew Collins Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Loved the video! You are a colorful and funny person; unlike so many TH-cam videos which are Boring! Cassetes themselves are viewed as boring to many. However, their Sanyo or Soundesign or Sharp cassette decks come nowhere near a top of the line Tandberg. Top of the line Nakamichis don't come that near totl Tandbergs either, but they do completely destroy the brands I mentioned, and even others with more audio credibility. The Tandberg 20 series of reel decks were among the best consumer tape decks, and some who own totl Tandberg cassette decks, who also have their reel decks too, do not consider one that superior to the other. I'm guessing you haven't heard a good factory prerecorded cassette on a top Tandberg model or Luxman model. They can near rival reel to reel quality; and this a minor miracle at their much slower tape speed. Even with cassettes lack of dynamic range, I preferred them sonically to cds, or more accurately I preferred them to the sound of reasonably affordable cd players until about 1999; cd players were improving. Tape has such a smooth relaxed sound with great continuity. Very natural sounding and no ticks or pops. Even more analog than lps if you really think about the manufacturing processes involved You would be surprised the openness, clarity and purity of the finest cassette playback.
The cassettes and the players can develop problems, but the cassettes are so cheap at thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets etc. that if the tape becomes ruined; you just remember all the good times and many plays it gave you for a measly dollar. You buy another one cheap. No tears! I bought many used cassette tape decks over the years. I've never had one last 15 years. But I think the average they lasted for me with very frequent use was between 4 and 5 years. For an average price of $50, I'd have considered it worth it if it gives me a year. That's the way I look at it.
I had that same Pioneer Cassette deck that you've got there, the CT-F 7272👍
I love making mix tapes from TH-cam Music to my Onkyo TA_RW411. Its all about the nostalgia the set up and it sounds really good. Guess im just a nostalgic guy I have a 2003 Lexus 430 whick has a tape deck in it.
Still have 4 working decks: 3 in use -- 2 Sonys and an Aiwa -- and my first, a Superscope CD- 302A, in retirement. I also have over 300 tapes I dubbed from LPs and 100+ pre-recorded tapes. Love 'em all!
I am drinking with you, brother... Lol you're not wrong! I think I'm using my "bought as new" Akai deck as a VU meter as I build out my vintage set-up.
I got into Cassette decks during the recent media pushed World sniffles. I was forced to stay in.... so spent time in the house.... a visit to the loft revealed a sony tck81...left by one of the previous owners.... so I started to play with it.... then got to work restoring it...... there was a box of audio cassettes Depeche mode, Gary numan etc.... not my era... not my media. But a few capacitors replaced, two new belts... alot of time on forums Q and A..... now have a very nice 1979 Cassette deck.... I was impressed.... so I purchased a aiwa adf 880..... different mechanics (easier to work on as very simple IC)...
. This deck sounds incredible...
Then a 3rd Cassette deck... the dreaded nakamichi 480Z... broken door and squeaky idler tyre... and yet again a different mechanics..... but very easy to get all the answers.... lots of people know about these decks.... now I have a sorted nak 480z... AMAZING sound.... makes every cassete sound stunning. Now I am a fan of cassette decks.... yes old media, not my era but I feel jealous we do not have such items and physical media.... Will continue..... now buyimg a techno rsm 250... it looks amazing.
I have kenwood kx 52 , from 84 . Still working with the original belts. And another yamaha, original belts came with remote.
Very humorous. Thank you for the laughs. I hate cassette decks, but I still have about 50 of my own multi bounced multitrack recordings. I have two cassette decks in my possession and just changed the gummy belts in one of them. A Pioneer CT-F600. I have yet to place a tape into it as I recently moved and my tape box is lost in a box somewhere. The other is a Radio Shack Optimus SCT-49 high speed dubbing deck with two transports.
This is exactly right, if you can work on the decks yourself, then grab one. If not , run away.
But other than that how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
I have a high end Hitachi I can't get anyone to look at. I cracked it open and can't even see the belts. On the other hand, I have a Sony I got for $1 at an estate sale. It was filthy, but it plays fine. I've got an Onkyo, a Yamaha with HXpro, and a JVC for field recording. They all work fine. Other people are selling . . . and I'm buying. If a tape is bad, I chuck it and move on unless it has high quality innards like TDK. I have noticed that 8 track tape machines are selling around here. Now THAT is a bridge too far.
Yes.... Had a few decks from my time back in the 80's . I was one of those who recorded new records to tape to keep them in good nick. My car stereo was worth more than the car. I currently have 2 working machines. a . nice Yamaha twin deck and a JVC with a few bells and whistles. I play tapes on them once a fortnight to keep them moving'. but also a few 'projects' in the garage.
hhhhmmmm .... I might need cask strength Laphroaig Ha Ha!! I copied the 'keepers' onto my computer then to disc and other formats. quality not an issue as I long as still have them and listen to them ....aaah good old 80's music. You might have talked me into getting rid of the not so good machines.. my wife will love me for it ...Heh heh...
Loved the video mate
AL
I have a couple of tape decks and my 90s unit have an automatic stop if it detects the take up wheel not working it stops, also using Chrome tape and good 3 head unit without using dolby sounds pretty good to me. I think you need to get your violin out and cry your heart out.
Don't care for the snark. Cassette decks are indeed complicated, intricate machines which need maintenance! In 45+ years of making home recordings on high grade tapes, in decks with clean heads, capstans and pinch rollers, I have never had a tape eaten! Belts wear out and will need to be replaced, motors are electromechanical devices which require occasional lubrication etc. Sadly, high grade tapes are no longer manufactured. Fortunately I have a good stock of types 2 and 4 tapes, so I'm good. I also have tapes made in the 80s which still sound fantastic! Prerecorded cassettes were usually bad, so I didn't buy them. And put down the scotch, dude!
I might have a different take one this then some other people's comments. To me the cassette was a huge hurdle to get over when it came to open reel or vinyl records. But they were convenient, good enough sound for most people, and cost much less then the open reel to reel tape machines and tapes. Now even in the 1980's I was a fan of the open reel machines and good tapes on them. The early cassette machine to me most were troublesome. However I got a decent low cost tape deck by Sharp and it could never eat a tape and mess it up. why because it had a sensor on the right reel to tell if the reel stopped or went back wards in play, and the machine would click out of play. That machine also had full auto shut off at the end of the tape in play, FF ,and rewind. The Pioneer you are using there is a nice deck, but many of the older ones had the poor drive system and eat tapes. Price is not always the answer for some problems, design is the right thing to look for.
you are right about the belts. If you are not lucky, and buy a used machine often the belt is goo. I do think this happens because people put their old stuff in their attic, and it gets way to hot for the belts in these units.
I was a AKAI man reel to reel cassette deck turntable wharfdale speakers wish I never got rid of all of it, Just bought a Sony TC133 used I hope it works OK? Thanks for your thoughts
As an audiophile I know how good tapes can sound. The players, sure they can be great and serviceable but the tapes themselves are the problem. Shelf life long expired, good luck :(
I still have one car with a cassette deck we use it every day its been ages since Ive had a tape actually break beyond repair. I have some decks that have been with me since the 80s and they have not broken yet.
Move over.cassette decks are making a comeback.and record companies are making prerecorded tapes again.
My JVC still works like a charm. "Still got all my old tapes. Never sold them. Even got one new old stock. I like new old stock.
I got back into tape...reel to reel first then cassette...in about 2013. It was mostly for that walk down memory lane thing. With 2 young kids, I couldn't afford a Dragon in the 80's, but I can now.
2 caveats, if you want good sound from a 40 year old, mostly mechanical medium...you have to buy a top rated deck from that time period...and you have to have it brought back up to spec. If not it will always sound poor.
I know exactly what you mean! I have two vintage cassette decks sitting here right now that can only record from 20Hz to 20kHz within 1dB using Dolby C with a crappy TDK FE Type I tape, and Dolby HX Pro only gives them enough additional headroom to reach a signal-to-noise ratio approaching 80dB. They both have diabolical wow and flutter figures of 0.045% WRMS too. I haven't had a cassette deck chew up a single tape in the past 47 years, but I'll be fully expecting all of my tapes to self-destruct now that you say they will.
How did I ever allow myself to get conned this badly?!
I bought one recently to act as a headphone out for my amplifier. It cost less than a dedicated headphone amplifier and works fine.
I have an Akai 3 head ,3 motor higher end deck, same thing belts are good 👍
However it suffers from the common Akai problem that keeps the head from fully engaging, I think it's an issue with the cog gear needing some new grease
U really might want to put down the bottle, u posing for Otis Campbell the town drunk? With Good maint. You can really enjoy the use of a good deck.
U might want to know ur subject better, they are making a return.
i hope they make a return but not pre-recorded cassettes as some could even sound perfect but only for a while than all start to have defects that can even destroy a deck tuned for the better, i do like to record cassettes
Put a CD recorder in the system to dub to.
On my 2nd cassette deck since mid 1980s. I have just had second round of service done on vintage 1988 3-head NAD I bought used in mid 90s from audio dealer. The first shop was not quite as qualified to repair as the second one. Cost of service last year and just recently completed was $1k. Besides belts, and other parts, they had to get a main motor replacement from another deck as it is not made anymore.
I had used a modest Technics cassette deck before this and many of my mixtapes are with dbx. I have a DBX decode-encoder in the tape loop and can play (or record another) of those. Most of my 30-35 year old mixtapes are good, and sound good if I got levels correct way back when. I bought NAD cassette deck as I tried to make an NAD system, of used serviced NAD Monitor series in the early 90s.
Would have agreed until I got my a JVC DD-7 a couple decades ago. Curb find maybe ? A thrift store possibly. Anyway 20 years old when got it. But yeah until that one i was putting a deck to rest every 2 to 3 years. Most did sound good...but something would go wrong with the mechanism. As you mentioned the plastic parts...it turns out they were essential after all. It was always something and either limping or totally dead. So now I'm still using the DD-7. More than a half dozen have bit the dust ( well collecting dust) and a few more limping or lamed . That DD-7 possibly the best product JVC made (1982?) . And it did get daily use in a bicycle shop for a decade after i found it. What i like about the DD-7 is the quartz locked direct drive single capstan motor...lovely simple and runs at the correct speed and no audible wow and flutter and the pinch roller still is like new ( amazing) . The Sendust Alloy heads...still like new! Does the head need adjusti ...no. But yhe best part is how well it records a Type I ferric as long as it is an oriental tape formula ( TDK D the doped oned of course...for instance) . Not sure the JVC even has Dolby....but yeah Dolby sucks and doesn't play back well on another taoe deck. JVC had thier own noise reduction system...never even tried it. But even if you get the Dolby properly calibrated you can hear it operating anyway. I wish this treny thing hadn't happened though, because I can't find anther one now...at least one I can afford. I don't bother tapin vinyl either...start with a digital source ...far less noise and distortion.
My deck doesn’t have Dolby. It has ANRS I & II and DBX. I also have a HiCom encoder and decoder so problems here with hiss. They all sound great especially the HiCom which sounds good with or without it on unlike DBX.
Radiators are more efficient than open fires but I know which I would rather sit in front of. Frequency response only matters when a b ing one against the other, our ears will eq the difference.
Laphroaig Select? 10 is my go to. even have a 30 but haven't opened it.
There is a reason I have shied away from cassettes in my resurgent audio hobby. You have nailed it. Slàinte Mhath!!
I still have my AKAI GXC-570D IN WORKING CONDITION / My NAKAMICHI ZX-9 but not working anymore. I bought it brand new in the 80s for 3K / I bought a TECHINCS RS-BX606 Cassette Deck that died on me. Gave that one to Goodwill. Not a very good deck. / I replaced it with HARMAN KARDON CD-491 that I found on Craiglist and I am still using it until now. My AKAI GXC-570D and HARMAN KARDON CD-491 cassette still running and still working just fine with no problem at all. I always use a high bias and metal cassette tapes. MAXELL / FUJI / TDK / MEMOREX / SONY / DENON / BASF / i used a normal bias tapes for my car and I used the high bias tapes for my home stereo only. It's very hard to tell the difference between my CDs and my cassette tapes especially if you have a high end home audio system like CARVER / SAE / DBX / EQUALIZERS / KENWOOD / PANAMAX / MONSTER POWER / TEAC X-2000R REEL TO REEL
For the sake of prosterity you probably need to transfer the music on those rare tapes to some kind of digital format before the inevitable happens or at least make copys on other cassette tapes ( wait I bet you already have duh) great funny video my friend 🤣all the best from England 👍
i re-started to use cassette decks in 2017 as i had boxes filled with new sealed cassettes and some of the considered best decks ever bought mainly by my father who passed away recentelly and we both colected hi-fi components but his and most expensive colection is now part of mine, but i started again to make compilations to hear from cds or records i sometmes might want to hear a song but the trouble in finding the Lp or have to play it only to hear a 3.43 minuts music,. so since 2017 i´ve recorded 90 and some more compilations and what a pleasure to hear them ,about sound quality they sound better than the cds i recorded them from, it was a lot of work but now i can hear those or that songs by playing a cassette, and i like dflat recorders i9´m not one of those who increases high´s in the cassettes to latern they sound horrible also never used dolby but never had hiss ,it started by not having dolby in my fiirst two open reel decks also have more blank cassettes than reels so my option went to cassettes, i have been using a Pioneer with manual calibration and a Kenwood also a Nakamichi, almost forget a direct drive Technics deck quartz from 1979, how can that thing work perfect after so many years stoped and Pioneer´s have better engines, at least the older ones
Is that digital Kool-Ade that you keep sipping?
🤣 No, vinyl!
In that case, Stay Thirsty My Friend.@@Lancaster_Hi-Fi
I am using Akai HX A1 since 1990 and I never got any major issue with this cassette deck.Only auto stop in PB,FF,REW mode I changed the belts and it works .The recording has stopped but I do not go for recording now at the age of 65.The cassettes dhould be all clear of any fungus or any such thing in tge cassettes.The TDK,old Green Sony cassettes are the hest ones ,never leaveczny oxide particles on the tape heads.
I found a Vector research, it plays well, even with the original belts and parts, From late 80s. Only needed to clean the tape path. Works well. Yeah, I would say, stay away from it also. Reel to reel or vinyl records are better.
I've owned my fair share of cassette decks. My first component cassette deck was the Pioneer CT-F2121 in 1975. I've owned decks from Akai, Denon, Onkyo, Technics, Nakamichi, Yamaha and Nikko. Cassettes are good for one thing for sure. Interviews via FM. I have recorded interviews with many people; Billy Joel, Springsteen, Paxton, Ainsley Dunbar, Lennon, Pete Seeger, Roach Sisters, South Side Johnny among others. These ain't available on internet and are quite rare. Some live performances off air to boot. Poor "high fidelity"? No shit. Cassettes run at 1 7/8 ips and cassette tape is half as wide as open reel tape and half as slow as R2R's slowest speed (3 3/4 ips). I use a Pioneer RG-2 expander with the tape format (since 1981) and it does restore some dynamic range and offer noise reduction. Cassettes are and always were a compromise. However, when tryin' to play music stoned or drunk, cassettes are a safer bet than lowering the tonearm on an LP. Much harder to F.U. You do make some valid points.
What a great video, cheers for that! Surprised you used sticky tape, I used to superglue mine. Yes, you brought back bad memories!! 😄🙂 But I'm not rich, I don't have servants, how will I digitise my tapes without a cassette deck? Oh, and about my 80 VHS tapes .. 😄
I have a pile of decks and tapes. My favorite deck Tandberg tcd 330 and maxell urs. Dolby what a gimmick, never use it, then again I use on average 50 year old gear cept them new fangled cds. That tude ya got great comedy, keep swinging.
I will stick with my nakamichi. rx202. Wish it was a 3 head but it sounds very good and nothing is cooler then watching a tape change sides.
It is time to put belts in it and I have them. I am scared to do it!
You are absolutely right. I tried to stay away from cassette decks. I failed 57 times at it… yet 😂
I wouldn’t mind one of those bottomless drinks you have, I have a big glass and mine already needs a refill. 😬
I actually take very small sips, just enough to coat the tongue. That top-shelf scotch ain't cheap! 🤣🤣
@@Lancaster_Hi-Fi Should get yourself a little spray mister 😉
Maybe, but that would be weird. 🤣
A well serviced quality cassette deck and quality tapes are the way to go.
yes tape salad was awsome thats why I prefer cd or minidisc
The problem with cassette decks is that for decades now no one builds high quality motor blocks and toneheads anymore.
So no new good cassette decks in sight,and the old ones that still work will die in one or two decades.
Soundwise upper class early nineties models are the best.
Disagree cassette decks bring Me very enjoyable time with music.
since 2017 i´ve been recording cassettes again and they do not sound under the quality of any source and having a endless suply of blank cassettes i did already record 97 compilations in cassette since 2017 when i fixed a old CT-959 from Pioneer and it records perfect and mixed tapes one ends up hearing them more than other sources , now it´s stoped and i have in my main system , turntable ,cd player, cassette deck , DAT deck ,open reel deck and minidisc deck , using also a tape monitor multiplyer from Akai , now i put to work a urushi Pioneer system with some 89 AT-100 from cerwin-vega , the cassette deck ,either than the Pioneer CT-91a also have a DRM-800a from denon , a dat from sony ES from 88/89 , the open reel deck is a akai GX-4000DS (78-84,sold)and a MD-J707 from pioneer minidisc deck , and i also use a very nice 80´s kenwood equalizer but to make only smooth adjustements and also a laptop with spotify , the turntable i´m using is a P10 from Rega and a technics SL-1310 with original cartridge but the last stylus i had for it i installed it a week ago, so i have a 2M black when this cartridge stop having needles, this is the system i use everyday ,the more complete possibble with a high end pioneer cd player with a very good installed DSD DAC against the old PCM, internal not external, it´s cheaper to buy a internal dac and install it than spend 500€ in a average external dac and with the same quality one spends next to 35€, this is kind of rotative system as i from time to time change all components but only one from time to time, as extra speakers i´m using some late 80´s mission 761 at 4ohms , they sound amazing good with any amplifier but this model there are variations from the next years who are good but not as perfect as the 761 model at 4ohms, i´m using cassettes since 76 and i never had problems that others describe but always took care of my cassettes as it is suposed to, even in the car if one when taking a cassette put´s it in it´s box or maybe the car as already a place to store them as the first porshe 928 had the first audo system built for the car as a litle room for maybe 10 cassettes were you insert them and it´s like closing them in the original box ,after aqll siad i never used dolby as i have recording ,very old and sounding perfect and no NR system at the time, but still i listen more to cassettes than the other sources as i said the sound quality is not under other suposed to be better source as one when recording music from good sources the better the cassette sounds, i´m using TDK SA-X and Sony UX-pro ,the ones i could fit in my biggest car and all others were incinerated as no one was buying them and they neded to make room in a big surface warehouse
i like cassete deck and enjoy - CARVER & NAKAMICHI LX-5 VERY VERY BEAUTIFUL SOUND TO MAKE RILEX - NOW I AM 67 YEARS OLD - NO PROBLEM WITH CASSETE DECK😄💝
Sound quality depends on so many factors. You can't make clear cut decisions.
Replacement Tape heads are impossible to find
Alrighry, folks! For our next game, we're gonna play "Guess if this hissing noise is my mid-80s CrO2 tape deck OR the startup sequence for an Imperial Star Destroyer!" 🤣
PTSD achieved. I only have a few cassettes anymore and those are things like "Cassette" by PIL or "Low-Life" by New Order in the box packaging. Collectables only. I might get a portable...maybe.
Compact cassette for me is a no today.. only because nobody makes decent tape anymore for them. if you want any decent compact cassette tapes to use in your vintage tape decks, you will be hunting for NOS stuff and the supplies of those (I am not talking about normal type 1 tapes but the better ones, ie: chrome, metal) are drying up - tape also doesnt last forever, so your NOS stuff that is decent is probably already 20+ years old)... whats left of the decent NOS stuff is getting expensive! If you are happy with type 1 you can still get fresh tape, record the masters (RTM) make a fairly ok type 1. If you are serious about compact cassette, then its an expensive hobby.... A good reel to reel deck capable of 15 IPS or higher (prosumer or better) will outperform a compact cassette deck - reel to reel is also an expensive hobby - i personally find reel to reel more appealing for my analog audio fix. I have a fully restored Revox B77 MK2 and it sounds magnificent
Totally agree, but the main reason that Type II and Type IV aren't being made any more are environnemental reasons, they pollute too much for today's standards. I have 4 Revox A77, I paid between 45 and 200 € per piece, and I did all the servicing myself. My daughter got the fifth one with new recently replaced (1989) unused heads for 120€. Haven't had the luck to get a B77 for a "okay" price till now. I always keep an eye open for PER 525 and 528 studio NOS tapes, often on bobbys for studio use (740m.) (I'm in Europe), they cost about a third of the new tapes made today and are exempt of any ageing problems. My daughter is also into cassettes, she makes her own with custom covers and uses them in her own period conform 20 year old Opel Corsa car radio.
memories of the way it was
Alright. You can fix all issues with the green bottle. 😂
Thanks for entertaining video 😂 One thought aloud - if human ear can manage same as many many decks on Metal tape 20-20.000 HZ. Why do you call cassettes not surving the purpose? 😢😅😊
pretty dumb rant, but at least you seemed to be having fun. was never a fan of Dolby noise reduction, which is why I went with the DBX system. less popular yes, but way better sounding. p.s. it's just suppose to be a fun hobby .....
I so want to disagree with you... but I can't! In 45 years I've never had a deck chew a tape, but I do religiously clean the capstans and pinch rollers. Belt goo has never been a problem with my vintage Technics, JVC and Nikko decks; the main offenders seem to be Sony, Pioneer, Marantz, Aiwa and Kenwood.
These days my nostalgia kick is satisfied by having a good-looking cassette deck in my rack; I don't have to actually use it!
Nicely stated. I use a Denon DRM-800A in my main system and a Nakamichi BX-1 in my kitchen system. I have many tapes recorded during 1970's/80's from my favorite NYC FM station, WNEW (102.7). Concerts, interviews, concert happenings, weather and news broadcasts delivered by cool DJ's. Glad I saved'em. Artifacts from a saner time?
Tape players only made correct by Nakamichi and very few models from technics,Akai,Sony,jvc
I enjoy much on my Nak 1000 ZXL , Dragon, TEAC Z6000 More on my Vinyl system, no CD
I have a lot of music on cassette, and if I want to listen to it I need a deck. Neither my Denon nor my Nakamichi has never eaten a tape.
I agree Dolby (B,C) did suck, but no one here mentioned HX-Pro. It sounded so much better on any type of cassette. Only a few high end decks had it and they were hard to find. Loved the video, it had me laughing and remembering, Thanks.
A Lot of decks (like all of them) had HX Pro from 1990 onwards.
I LOVE cassette decks. but at this point in time, why buy one ? for starters, you cant even get good type II blank casettes any more. they are no longer made. with that said, using type I tapes, your recordings arent what they used to be. I hate to say it, but time has passed these beautiful machines by. I used to love buying TDK SA90 cassettes. Order them from J&R Music world and feel like a million bucks when you got a box of them. sadly, great times that are gone.
Hey, what band were you playing at the end? Great video by the way.
D.O.L., from Fayetteville, Arkansas, recorded in a Little Rock studio.
YA THATS WHY ME AND MY 100K FRIENDS ALL LISTEN TO NICE SOUNDING TAPES FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS
So. Based on your comments, I should dump all of my cassette tape collection and decks?
No, but I wouldn't recommend the medium to a newb.
To put it simply you will get out of a decent cassette deck what you're willing to put into it. The early stereo decks were built like tanks. I've refurbished probably 30 decks in the last 25 years and can't think of one that didn't come out good. I've even refurbished the notorious FF/REW motors on the high end Pioneer CT-F series. But everyone's wants and needs are different and I can understand the frustration with cassette if a person lacks the knowledge of machines with many moving parts. I see you're from my old stomping grounds! Sheridan and Hebo for me.
I believe you are getting drank sir. You should listen to a 40 years old NAKAMICHI DRAGON with a McINTOSH POWER AMPLIFIER and a B&W TOWER SPEAKERS and a METAL TAPES and tell me if the sound is not as closed as a CD.
i think it is several times better, close to a cd is a TDK D and a BX-1 deck from nakamichi or a HX-1 from Akai
Tape decks eat tapes because the tape sticks to the pinch roller, which wont happen if its kept clean. Ive had a jvc deck thats worked, and still works to this day and it was made 1997. So what you say doesnt hold true. The problem with tape decks is the microprocessor goes bad and you hit play, rewind etc, and nothing happens. The goal of any stereo company is to sell you snake oil for an expensive price. They will sell you shit on a shingle if they can convice you to buy it. The tape decks used a lot of plastic, not the best thing to make gears and pullys and stuff. By putting cheap parts and microprocessors, they could make more money. My tape deck has a freq response of 20 -17 khz. I dont hear much tape hiss, I only use metal tapes. I can attest to the tapes as I have recorded tapes 25 years old that still play good and I know for a fact that recordings last a long time. With dolby S there is pretty good signal to noise. Im guessing you spend your money on a lot of digital stuff. I stopped buying digital music stuff when 3 cd players I bought failed, and one was a good quality onkyo. Theres tape decks out there where you cant tell the difference between it and a cd player. With me I dont waste my money on digital crap that fails, my stuff thats analogue has outlasted anything digital. My turntable lasted 30 years and Im only on my 3rd cartridge. There are some really good tape decks that were made in the past. Especially Luxman. Better than Nakamichi Dragon. Where and what are you listening to with tapes that you dont have a good frequency response. Lots of decks have close, or better than 20 -20 khz. The convenience of the tapes plus quality close to that of a good turntable makes cassettes unbeatable.
Everything that you talked about in this video has happened to me. I have a Kenwood stereo double cassette deck KX-W8010 and I have a Kenwood stereo double cassette deck KX-94W and I have a marantz stereo cassette deck SD-155. And every one of them had the sticky belt situation and everything else that you said in your video 🫣🙃 have a good afternoon ✌️
it´s subscribed, you make very nice videos also drink i stoped when 50 ,i had to , i used to take all that is good but normally what feels good is bad for our health, at least they say
Everyone is starting to get back into cassettes again though.
They'll soon find out. 🤣
Only 35 seconds in and already I have a problem...ice in your Laphroaig? Really? You are using the Glen Cairn glass even...but ice? LOL. This is just like audio in general; you do it the way you like it best and don't let anyone harsh your ride, dude - not even me! Love your channel, BTW. Was gonna let this lay and not comment further, but I had a Yamaha deck that had Dolby HX Pro and as long as the cassette was recorded in HX Pro, the playback was not too bad; but I TOTALLY agree that Dolby NR, both A and B types killed the life of any tape. Pretty sure it's still around here somewhere in storage. Fairly certain it is/was the K-1020. All my shipmates went Nakamichi Dragon, but the auto-flip was something waiting to be broken.
at twelve thirty six LOL. I could not agree more, LOL
So you actually love cassette's lol Made me wanna drink and listen to some fkn shitty tapes. Thanks for the video
Too funny.
I love recording I never use dolby. With high quality tape you don't need NR