cassettes

11tsteve

as i was cruising CL this morning, I saw posts like this.....

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ele/3600538070.html ..... three head HK tape deck.

I remember lusting after this as a kid in college, wishing I could get rid of my Kenwood cheap deck, but not wanting to leave my turn table out in the dorm room for just anyone to mess with. I recorded all new vinyl to cassette because I didn't want it ruined.... i just didn't have the funds for a deck like this when it was new.

I was just wondering if anyone here still has a deck in their system and if so, does it get any use?

rromeo923

I bought a entry level Nakamichi BX1 about a year ago that came with about 100 cassettes. I listen to it occasionally. It sounds greatand it is fun in a nostalgic way. I used to have a thousand plus tapes but gave them all away. Cassettes are fun.

11tsteve

I have boxes as well, which have been sitting in various basements for nearly 25 years.... and you are right. there is something nostalgic. I kinda felt that way looking at these ads...

Msabot1

I did the same thing and now they are all in shoeboxes up on the top shelf of a closet...all homemade too!

11tsteve

ha ha... I never bought pre-recorded tapes. I was waaaayyy too big of a snob for that low-level quality.

dromunds

I still have lots of cassettes still stashed away that I spent untold hours taping from vinyl onto compilation tapes. I think the tape is probably stuck on lots of them by now. Had some classic decks, but none now. A buddy of mine during those days had a top end Nakamichi that I remember was VERY large, he still has it I think, but can't remember the model. It absolutely ruled.

11tsteve

that is what our local shop... Audio Odyssey ... carried. HK and Nakamichi. Besides the HK, I lusted after the Nak 3 head deck with the transport that popped out and flipped the tape. More moving parts is usually a bad rule of thumb, but I thought it was dead sexy.

Msabot1

Have a very good JVC dual cassette deck that hasn't been used in years,I power it up from time to time just to see the panel light up. My LP's and CD's and R-R get all the use now, but your right,it is nostalgic thinking about the times all those tapes went through!

11tsteve

Especially making those compilation tapes for road trips and girlfriends. Hours upon hours agonizing on the perfect songs in the perfect order! I can't believe i actually had time to get my degree....

mhardy6647

I have... ahem... a few, but no I don't use 'em and I have no cassette decks hooked up.
I do keep a couple of reel to reel decks on-line, however.



(in the interst of full disclosure, the RT-909 is currently off-line; age has caught up with it and it needs a rebuild... someday. The TASCAM, though, is still a workhorse and sounds pretty good. I also have a nice high-speed, half-track ReVox A77 for special occasions)

Inexplicably, when I see cassettes at my favorite local vintage emporium :-) I often pick 'em up...

Msabot1

I love my REVOX! Someday I'll have to post a pic of my setup! Mhardy...good lookin gear!!

mhardy6647

Heh, as if I needed any encouragement :-P
I love mine too - it was reanimated from a total of three carcasses as a high speed (7-1/2 & 15 ips) half track machine by a regional guru in Oneonta, NY :-)

I should use it more...



She was built for speed, not for looks.

Here are the two organ donors who gave all so that the third one could live...



(they are amazingly beefy reel to reel decks)

11tsteve

Nice mhardy!

cnh

I still run a few of lower level cassette decks, an AIWA, an old Realisitc made by Hitachi (3 head) SCT-33 with new belts), and a Technics dual well with DBX capability!

My first reall music system consisted of a couple of Db Plus bookshelves, a low level early '70s Pioneer integrated and the AIWA cassette deck above. Bought tons of tapes from the Annex at Tower records in the NYU area of NYC. Anyone remember that? HUGE resource for cheap vinyl and tapes in the 80s? The Pioneer was a gift from my friend's girlfriend at that time. She was upgrading in the '80s! Db Plus 440s were Canadian speakers (probably owned by the Energy boys).

I also have my father's suitcase Voice of Music RTR in the basement. Needs some attention. Probably has some "tubes" in it because it came as two suitcases. The main unit and a second speaker unit with an amp in it for STEREO playback.

Where is Stuwee, he's a cassette tape man?

As for the Revox 15 speed RTR, mhardy. That'll play Master Tapes so WAY beyond anything I own, and very "cool"!

cnh

11tsteve

cnh wrote: »

I still run a few of lower level cassette decks, an AIWA, an old Realisitc made by Hitachi (3 head) SCT-33 with new belts), and a Technics dual well with DBX capability!

My first reall music system consisted of a couple of Db Plus bookshelves, a low level early '70s Pioneer integrated and the AIWA cassette deck above. Bought tons of tapes from the Annex at Tower records in the NYU area of NYC. Anyone remember that? HUGE resource for cheap vinyl and tapes in the 80s? The Pioneer was a gift from my friend's girlfriend at that time. She was upgrading in the '80s! Db Plus 440s were Canadian speakers (probably owned by the Energy boys).

I also have my father's suitcase Voice of Music RTR in the basement. Needs some attention. Probably has some "tubes" in it because it came as two suitcases. The main unit and a second speaker unit with an amp in it for STEREO playback.

Where is Stuwee, he's a cassette tape man?

As for the Revox 15 speed RTR, mhardy. That'll play Master Tapes so WAY beyond anything I own, and very "cool"!

cnh

well how cool... i also had a set of dB+ and thought maybe i had made that up in my head. No recollection of the model number, but they were a 2 way/rear port, 10" polypropylene woofer, and a 1" polycell tweet i liked to blow out 3 or 4 times a year. I had some lamp fuses installed and upgraded my amplification from Kenwood to HK and never did it again.

cnh

That was a house brand (kinda) for Newmark & Lewis in NYC. I remember auditioning the Db+s against BOSE and Cerwin Vega bookies and well, we know what I went with. The other two just didn't have the goods. I still have the Dbs in our sitting room, never blew the polycell but I think the woofer really needs a re-foam at this point. They still sound OK for what they are. A bit "bright" on the top end, though.

cnh

Danny Tse

I still have my 3 head, 3 motor, closed loop, dual capstan Sony TC-K670 cassette deck, but it hasn't been used in a while. Once I am settled down (I'm in the process of moving now), I will have it serviced and brought back into my system. I used to use it to record radio dramas, on C-120 (60 mins. per side) cassettes, off of my local Public Radio stations. I still have those cassettes (mostly Maxell UR-C120s) and they still play fine.

The "cassette deck" that gets used most nowadays is my Sony "Sports" cassette Walkman (in bright yellow, of course). You guys should see the faces of people on my daily work commute when they see the "Sports" Walkman in action (with Sennheiser PX200 headphones).

mhardy6647

cnh wrote: »

My first reall music system consisted of a couple of Db Plus bookshelves, a low level early '70s Pioneer integrated and the AIWA cassette deck above. Bought tons of tapes from the Annex at Tower records in the NYU area of NYC. Anyone remember that? HUGE resource for cheap vinyl and tapes in the 80s? The Pioneer was a gift from my friend's girlfriend at that time. She was upgrading in the '80s! Db Plus 440s were Canadian speakers (probably owned by the Energy boys).

The R/S OEM Hitachi decks (and their Hitachi counterparts, too!) were quite nice.

I also have my father's suitcase Voice of Music RTR in the basement. Needs some attention. Probably has some "tubes" in it because it came as two suitcases. The main unit and a second speaker unit with an amp in it for STEREO playback.

You mean like this? :-) The R2R deck was courtesy of my favorite local vintage hifi emporium; the stereo add-on was a $10 pick up at the Westford fleamarket many years ago.





Speaking of Westford. It is time. Sunday, to be precise! :-)
http://www.nearc.net/swapmeetinfo.htm

mhardy6647

Danny Tse wrote: »

I still have my 3 head, 3 motor, closed loop, dual capstan Sony TC-K670 cassette deck, but it hasn't been used in a while. Once I am settled down (I'm in the process of moving now), I will have it serviced and brought back into my system. I used to use it to record radio dramas, on C-120 (60 mins. per side) cassettes, off of my local Public Radio stations. I still have those cassettes (mostly Maxell UR-C120s) and they still play fine.

IME any and all of the Sony three-head decks were all quite respectable; one passed through here some years back, but it was unfortunately beyond my meager technical skills to reanimate :-(




Heck, I liked Sony cassette decks in general; the only two cassette decks I ever actually bought new were both Sonys.

The "cassette deck" that gets used most nowadays is my Sony "Sports" cassette Walkman (in bright yellow, of course). You guys should see the faces of people on my daily work commute when they see the "Sports" Walkman in action (with Sennheiser PX200 headphones).

Heh. And I thought I was the Luddite around here ;-)

gudnoyez

I've got a Technics, a Denon, and a Marantz I still use. I was the same as you once the new LP hit the TT for the first time I would record it on cassette, it kept the albums in good shape plus you did not have to worry about tapes getting ruined at parties as you could always rerecord them. I say get that deck and reminisce about days gone by. Now thanks to mhardy memories of reel to reels comes back, never had one but always wanted one.

cnh

mhardy6647 wrote: »

The R/S OEM Hitachi decks (and their Hitachi counterparts, too!) were quite nice.



You mean like this? :-) The R2R deck was courtesy of my favorite local vintage hifi emporium; the stereo add-on was a $10 pick up at the Westford fleamarket many years ago.





Speaking of Westford. It is time. Sunday, to be precise! :-)
http://www.nearc.net/swapmeetinfo.htm

I don't know about the model number but that is a dead ringer for my father's unit. He used it to record himself and his songs, spent a lot of his youth trying to make it as a crooner. Had a "wonderful" voice but not enough "business" sense! Now my daughter seems to be amazing people with "her" voice?

cnh

Fongolio

I have a Nakamichui CR-7 that gets very frequent use in the two channel system and a Nakamichi TD-500 in my '95 Trans Am that I put in there ON PURPOSE!! Sounds fantastic with the other gear in the car ( 2 12" Alpine Type R's in a custom box, Infinity 6X9 coaxials, JL Audio components in the front, original 6 1/2 subs in the sail panels, 1000 watt Alpine sub amp, Alpine amp for the sail subs, Phoneix Gold 4 channel for the front and rears, Alpine EQ) Most people are stunned when they hear the quality that can be heard from a top line cassette deck. Love the retro look too.

cfrizz

Yup I still have my Onkyo tape deck and a whole bunch of tapes. I can't remember the last time I used them.

Toolfan66

The only Cassette player I have left is in my 99 Lexus. The only time it gets played is when I put in this cassette looking thing I picked up at Walmart that plugs into my iPhone to play music through..:razz:

Real HiFi stuff you know..

mhardy6647

I don't have any of the great Nakamichi decks (wish I did...); this two-head, later (and lesser) Nak is the "best" one I have at the moment (courtesy, of course, of my favorite local vintage audio emporium).

halo71

^I'd sure like to visit that Emporium someday Mark!


I don't run a cassette deck anymore either. Although, I know it sounds dumb, I always wanted a RtR sitting in the rack for nothing more than the cool looking factor!

Toolfan66

halo71 wrote: »

^I'd sure like to visit that Emporium someday Mark!


I don't run a cassette deck anymore either. Although, I know it sounds dumb, I always wanted a RtR sitting in the rack for nothing more than the cool looking factor!

Not Dumb to me. Every now and then I look for one just not sure what ones to look for or what's a good buy..

mhardy6647

It's open on Wednesday morning and most of the day on Saturdays; membership is required, but they have a generous return policy ;-)



(it's especially nice in the summertime...)

dromunds

This is the Nakamichi deck my best friend had, one of the nicest looking cassette decks ever and killer sound. He was the second owner. I think he still has it, but I haven't seen him or the deck in a number of few years now since he moved to Arizona and got married. I don't think the wife likes it.... or me... or any of his other friends. lol

mhardy6647

At the time, the 700 and the 1000 were the best there was, full stop. Very good machines.

mantis

I have a Tape Deck that sits along side of all the other gear I don't use anymore. I broke it out a few years ago to listen to a few tapes. The quality is terrible compared to the quality of today. A brand new tape with perfectly clean heads has pretty good sound until you play that tape a few times.
I don't hold on to the past , Vinyl , 8 tracks and Tapes stay where they should , in the past.