Nakamichi RX505

motorhead43026
motorhead43026 Posts: 3,904
edited September 2017 in The Clubhouse
This is the actual deck on a local auction site. Already bid up to $425.00 with 3 days yet to go. Are these decks that good. I really think I need it.

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Comments

  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,461
    Look for the Dragon instead. The 505's were cool, but the mechanism for flipping the cassette was finicky and prone to issues.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Look for the Dragon instead. The 505's were cool, but the mechanism for flipping the cassette was finicky and prone to issues.

    What he said. The Dragon was nothing short of incredible. Everyone was telling me how unreliable it was and was going to cost a fortune to fix so I sold it. Wish I still had it.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,195
    Luck wish Dragon bucks.

    That's all I have to say about that.

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    Even their budget decks were good. The Dragon was and still is an incredible piece of machinery. It's priced accordingly.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,964
    That's the one that autoreverses by flipping the tape around, yes?
    More stuff to go wrong -- on a thirty-plus year old piece of hardware.
    Sounds like an outstanding investment opportunity to me.

    Maybe go with something more predictable, like a Dodge Demon...

    ;)
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,964
    Yeah, go Dragon, or 1000ZXL, or even the original 1000 or even the 700. Good decks.

    All more or less finicky, though -- even when new; probably even more so in 2017.
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,318
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Yeah, go Dragon, or 1000ZXL, or even the original 1000 or even the 700. Good decks.

    All more or less finicky, though -- even when new; probably even more so in 2017.

    Or an RTR, those aren't finicky ;)
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  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    The Dragon was incredible. I was fortunate enough to have one free of charge for several years. A buddy had picked up one in the military and ultimately had to move back in with his folks. I never knew he had a Dragon and was talking about getting a new cassette deck when he asked me if I'd like to borrow his while it wasn't being used. Lo and behold a dragon shows up. I was speechless and told him I didn't want to be responsible for it...I think it was something like $1600 back in the 80's. It stayed in my house for about 2 years and was worthy of every bit of praise it received.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,964
    edited September 2017
    txcoastal1 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Yeah, go Dragon, or 1000ZXL, or even the original 1000 or even the 700. Good decks.

    All more or less finicky, though -- even when new; probably even more so in 2017.

    Or an RTR, those aren't finicky ;)

    Different kind of finicky :) The guts are pretty sturdy in the pro and prosumer machines; they'll run and run with minimal maintenance (look at an ex-radio station Otari some time). The Nak decks are like... trophy wives. They need a lot of fiddlin' to keep 'em happy.

    In fairness -- the cassette format (very small track width and low linear tape speed) works at cross purposes to high performance and requires tight tolerance to deliver stellar performance. Much more room for slop at 7-1/2 (or 15!) ips on 1/4 inch tape.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,661
    kharp1 wrote: »
    The Dragon was incredible. I was fortunate enough to have one free of charge for several years. A buddy had picked up one in the military and ultimately had to move back in with his folks. I never knew he had a Dragon and was talking about getting a new cassette deck when he asked me if I'd like to borrow his while it wasn't being used. Lo and behold a dragon shows up. I was speechless and told him I didn't want to be responsible for it...I think it was something like $1600 back in the 80's. It stayed in my house for about 2 years and was worthy of every bit of praise it received.

    I lusted for one for years. To be honest the best cassette tape by far bar none that I ever used was the Denon Metal tapes. They were just unreal realistic, could tape well into the red and they lasted for ever.

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  • tratliff
    tratliff Posts: 1,706
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    txcoastal1 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Yeah, go Dragon, or 1000ZXL, or even the original 1000 or even the 700. Good decks.

    All more or less finicky, though -- even when new; probably even more so in 2017.

    Or an RTR, those aren't finicky ;)

    Different kind of finicky :) The guts are pretty sturdy in the pro and prosumer machines; they'll run and run with minimal maintenance (look at an ex-radio station Otari some time). The Nak decks are like... trophy wives. They need a lot of fiddlin' to keep 'em happy.

    In fairness -- the cassette format (very small track width and low linear tape speed) works at cross purposes to high performance and requires tight tolerance to deliver stellar performance. Much more room for slop at 7-1/2 (or 15!) ips on 1/4 inch tape.

    I agree RTR is a huge difference in playback quality. Take a look at a Otari. Or if you can find one a Technics RS-1520. Once they are tuned up they are great sources. In fact I am actively looking for one now.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,964
    Just to be clear: I'd never kick a Dragon out for eating crackers in bed.

    :)
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  • motorhead43026
    motorhead43026 Posts: 3,904
    edited September 2017
    I guess I will pass on the 505 and looks for others that were suggested.
    The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

    It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.
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  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 10,023
    Pitdogg2: I absolutely loved those Denon metal tapes as well, fantastic. Did a heck of a lot of taping back in the day, and used a bunch of different Nakamichi decks. My buddy had a 700, and it was really finicky, spent a lot of down time being repaired. Seriously good looking deck. Some other Naks were real finicky, some weren't, but all the ones I used were the height of recording quality.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,661
    dromunds wrote: »
    Pitdogg2: I absolutely loved those Denon metal tapes as well, fantastic. Did a heck of a lot of taping back in the day, and used a bunch of different Nakamichi decks. My buddy had a 700, and it was really finicky, spent a lot of down time being repaired. Seriously good looking deck. Some other Naks were real finicky, some weren't, but all the ones I used were the height of recording quality.

    I never had a Nakamichi deck, my higher end Yamaha's did will enough for me for a long time. They were very reliable and had some great heads. well IMHO anyways :smile:

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  • Marfly
    Marfly Posts: 66
    I got a line on a Nakamichi BX-300 our computer tech said he would give me. On that note, I'm with pittdog. I have a very nice Yamaha KX W-900U and it's a great machine.

    I owned Akai decks back in the 80s and still have them, but they need some work and I have to send them out if I want them serviced. The Super GX glass heads last forever and these decks perform well in upper frequencies.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,661
    Marfly wrote: »
    I'm with pittdog. I have a very nice Yamaha KX W-900U and it's a great machine.

    Pretty sure that is the one I had for a long time, If it's not auto reverse then yes that is it.

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  • Marfly
    Marfly Posts: 66
    edited September 2017
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    Marfly wrote: »
    I'm with pittdog. I have a very nice Yamaha KX W-900U and it's a great machine.

    Pretty sure that is the one I had for a long time, If it's not auto reverse then yes that is it.

    Dual cassette w/auto reverse. This deck is like having 2 decks in one chassis. Both are capable of recording. You can listen to one source while still recording from another. Nice deck for sure! The KX-1200 was their top of the line.

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