Opinions wanted on Pioneer CT-F1250 cassette player

Fongolio

I just purchased a Nakamichi CR-7 (identical to the CR-7A just not sold in the USA) from an ad on Craig's list. It wasn't cheap but it's far below the going price on Ebay and Audiogon ($1000 to $2800....yes you read that correctly). It's been recently fully serviced and is 100% functional. It has a few scratches so it's not cosmetically perfect and thus the price ($500). This unit has the automatic azimuth correction system but not the fancy auto reverse feature. Many reviews say the sound rivals the Dragon.

So I will likely, but reluctantly, be selling the Pioneer. The Pioneer blows away the Nak for good looks but the Nak will likely have superior sound. I'll let you guys know when it arrives and I test drive it. I just love the look of the Pio but my place is small and it already looks like an old gear museum so the one with best sound stays and the other goes.

dorokusai

Going price and reality sales are different on eBay. Not everything that you see those prices for really sell for that, even at closing. C'mon man, you know better than that. That is a very nice deck and not common but that's not a common price. I've grabbed a busted one for $100 and was ableto work with my tech to get it spec'd back to new. You usually see the CR-5 more often.

It's not a likely sound improvement, it's a fact it will sound better if it's really been serviced by more than lips.

I finally remembered the cassettes I LOVED. You can still find the old TDK MA series tapes with the magnesium frames in different styles. My stock is of the MA-XG and MA-R...LOVE these tapes. They aren't the best vintage tapes but the weight of them and tape quality is consistent and very high on the cool factor. They can be found on eBay easily but aren't cheap.

Fongolio

I'm fully aware of the unreality of pricing with Ebay's Buy It Now. Where I live in the interior of BC I'm 350 miles from a major city so finding the red hot deals is rare. This kind of stuff never shows up at local thrift stores so $500 is a great price for a high end Nak.

As for the cassettes, I remember the old TDK MA's and they were very cool.

Rick....I got your PM about the tapes. Thanks a bunch, I'll send you a list of stuff and you can pick something.

dorokusai

Oh hell yeah Fongolio....absolutely with you on that. It's a smoking deck. I have some cassettes if you want them....just gotta find them. Get some pics up when its home.

Mark

heiney9

Fongolio wrote: »

I just purchased a Nakamichi CR-7 (identical to the CR-7A just not sold in the USA) from an ad on Craig's list. It wasn't cheap but it's far below the going price on Ebay and Audiogon ($1000 to $2800....yes you read that correctly). It's been recently fully serviced and is 100% functional. It has a few scratches so it's not cosmetically perfect and thus the price ($500). This unit has the automatic azimuth correction system but not the fancy auto reverse feature. Many reviews say the sound rivals the Dragon.

So I will likely, but reluctantly, be selling the Pioneer. The Pioneer blows away the Nak for good looks but the Nak will likely have superior sound. I'll let you guys know when it arrives and I test drive it. I just love the look of the Pio but my place is small and it already looks like an old gear museum so the one with best sound stays and the other goes.

That's awesome. It doesn't give up too much to the Dragon sound wise. The azimuth correction on this deck is manual, not automatic. You have a knob you turn to fine tune it by ear.

heiney9

MA-XG were the best tapes I ever used. If you threw them at someone in defense they would leave a mark. They weighed a 1/2lb it seemed. Lol

H9

Joe08867

I used DENON Metal Tapes back in the day. Can't for the life of me remember the Part name on them. I had hundreds floating around. Probably still have a bunch in a closet somewhere.

tomroth

Fongolio wrote: »

Yes, I know it's old school but then so am I. It's not a Nakamichi but it's one of the best Pioneer ever made. I'm wanting a high end cassette player and I have an opportunity to trade straight across my Carver HR-772 receiver (150 watts RMS@ 8 ohms) for a Pioneer CT-F1250. Any one with any experience with this unit or opinions on the trade? Here is a pic of one just like it. Click on the little pic for super size.

I own one of these. I used it for years until I retired it in lieu of a DVD player. It was and is one of the best recorder/players ever made. With its manual cal settings I could make a tape with barely an audible noise/hiss. I owned the
entire series (amp, tuner, cassette and turntable, spkrs). It was truly an awesome set of components.

Jhayman

I actually was looking at one if these on Saturday..
Could pick it up fully serviced for $500 maybe a bit less if I press harder p, but after reading on here about how worn the heads could be, I have no idea how to check or what to look for to see if the heads look worn..?

Jhayman

wow just realized I was replying to a 2 yr old thread I was actually reading reviews online about this deck and a Polk thread popped up so I never noticed the date, lol

tonyb

It's that crappy beer you guys drink up there. LOL

tonyb

nbrowser wrote: »

heh this coming from the country that produces...weak beer ? C'mon man our stuff will get you drunk quite a bit faster

Hmmm... maybe so, but for the price you guys pay for beer, it better.

PapaBearDC

Even though this is an old thread that has been resurrected, I will chime in. I had this deck back in the early 80s. I absolutely loved it. Alas, my apartment was robbed and it was taken with the rest of my stereo equipment in 1982. I have recently gotten into vintage, and have toyed with getting one again. However, the prices for working ones (even the "for parts or repair" units) are quite off-putting. I loved it, but not enough to pay practically the same amount as new for an almost 35-year-old cassette deck. Unless I come across one for an absolutely irresistible price, I'll slog on with the dual Technics pulled from my defunct rack.