I was lucky enough to work for a comapny that sold a nice range of equipment, including some great cassette decks. Anyone remebers Lasky's.
My top decks, bought with my staff discounts were:
Aiwa AD=6900MKII
Hitachi D-5500M
Pioneer CT-90R
The Pioneer was particularly impressive and I always rated it above the Nakamichi Dragon.
One of these days I will get to hear a fully taken-care of XK-S7000 :) Thanks for your response, and bringing it here too. I need to take some time with my Techie M85. I'm not getting what I believe it can do out of it. While it works OK, it's veiled vs my other decks, And more specifically the speed is a bit fluttery. I'd imagine this is where sorting the flywheel comes in, and replacing the caps :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Nikitin
It's difficult to compare decks - the decks I've experienced so far are different to those you have and I suspect that the Revox B215 and Studer A710 don't necessarily compare. Just as the Nak ZX-7 and Cassette Deck 1 may not... until we manage to get a bunch of decent deck in the same room it'll remain a matter for subjectivity and personal experience :doh: it won't stop us seeking audio nirvana though will it? :)
Cheers!
Nick,Quote:
Originally Posted by Beechwoods
It looks like your RS-M85 has got a trouble with the mech. On my 85/88 the W&F is very low - probably in the area of 0.07% DIN. It is very likely that an idler tyre causing it, or the DD motor itself. I had to clean the tyre and roughen it with a bit of sandpaper to get it to work properly on my units. It is not that difficult to get to - just remove the screen behind the tape compartment (4 small screws) and there it is. It is possible to remove the idler without much further disassembling. Also my Technics RS-M88/85 decks took some time to run in - probably they weren't powered for quite a while. You also need to clean all the signal switches, especially the record switch inside with a contact cleaner spray. That is probably a minimum requirement ;) .
Cheers
Alex
I have to say that this is all a bit academic, as we can't rewind to 1979 (or whenever) and buy new factory-fresh perfectly set up examples, tragically!
A Nak CR-7 is still a very good bet, simply because Bowers & Wilkins in the UK have lots of parts to rebuild them with, and all the perishable rubber bits upon which the deck's performance depends. They also have all the set-up manuals etc. so they can get them very close to 'new' again. They're about the only people who can offer this service in the UK for cassette decks, when you take into account a large supply of New Old Stock factory replacement parts.
I've found the CR-7 (B&W rebuilt at a cost of £250) to be one of the very best decks around. A couple of Sony direct drives had better transports but worse heads. The CR-7's only issue is the rather dry sounding record/replay electronics. Methinks Alex or Dave could give one of those a very nice work over with Black Gates, et al. Would love to hear one fettled like this one day...
I sold my CR7, just didn't like it, but it wasn't a good one anyway, been around the block... . But how about a Revox B-215, new and different sendust head and a completely new set of electronics on new PCB's. Simply the very ultimate? P.O.A..
Regards
Dave
I think I spotted your Cr7 on E-bay a week or so ago. Same model etc American spec. Seller did not show the back of it (no visible serial number). Asking WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY more than he got it from you...assuming it is the same one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Cawley
Regards D S D L
Neil - I think it was a different one - it had a remote, I don't remember Dave mentioning a remote :scratch:
You could be right.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beechwoods
Regards D S D L
Today I found few minutes to record a couple of fragments from a good quality pre-recorded cassette played back on my Revox B215-S, first in its original configuration (4000 series chips installed) and second in a modified state (74HC series chips installed). Each file is a WAV 96 kHz 24 bit, 1 min 17 sec long - zipped and 42 Mb in size. No other changes were made to the deck. For a reference the third file is of the same fragment played on Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1. I had to increase the volume on the last file by 3 dB in CoolEdit 2000 so the volume would match files from the Revox. No other processing was done on recorded files.
Alex
Looks most Interesting Alex ~ Now if I could only find out which chuffin codex is missing I might be able to hear something :doh:
The files are plain WAVs and should not require a codec. However your soundcard needs to be capable of 96 kHz 24 bit to play these files. Edited out - Audacity playback quality is not good enough...Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMooN
Cheers
Alex
Ahhh !!! That will be my Philips Acoustic Edge wheezing away at 48KHz then Thanks for the heads up re Audacity Alex :)
I will edit my comment above about Audacity. I've downloaded it, tried to play back my files with it and the quality of the sound is not good. When I am listening through my CoolEdit 2000 the sound quality is much better. I may need to investigate it further (as I do own commercial CoolEdit I've never tried the Audacity before). On Audacity the quality is poor and I can not readily hear the difference between files :doh: . Sorry. On my machine Windows Media Player also refuses to play 96 kHz 24 bit... .Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMooN
Alex
A bit more about the Audacity - the playback of 24-bit files is limited to 16 bits only. And in 16 bits you can not hear the difference between decks!
:doh:
Alex
If you have a Mac then Cog is a great music player. Just make sure your Audio Midi settings are set to the right word length and bit rate, or it'll resample without you realising. And I should say that I don't know about more recent Macs, but by 1st Gen Dual G5's soundcard won't go above 24/48 so this little lot's being copied to CF card for playback on my Tascam HD-P2 :doh:
We're only talking about differences in the noise floor aren't we? I mean, 96db is at least 30db better than any cassette decks can manage...Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Nikitin
Must be something else..
You can hear it in the wire brushes, the air around the instruments, and the acoustic bass in particular. There's definitely more depth and openness around the modified machine. And you're right that it's pretty imperceptible when resampled.
The Nak does sound limp by comparison, and more low-level 'fizzy' noise in the background. My ZX-7 is more like your Revox in terms of noise.
Lovely recordings. With sound like that you just want to keep listening! Nice choice of music too :)
That is a common misconception, and my files show very clearly that 16 bit is just not at all enough for even a medium quality cassette recording. It has nothing to do with the noise level and everything - with the ambience and resolution. More than 16 bits means more precision on all levels, not just a lower noise ;) . Same goes for 44.1 kHz sample rate - 88.2 or 96 kHz is much better.Quote:
Originally Posted by DSJR
Alex
Here are two more files with the same bit of jazz (42 Mb each, 96 kHz 24 bit):
First - playback on unmodified Sony TC-K677ES
Second - the same deck after I've took out the infamous 4066 CMOS switch and replaced it with an alternative of much better quality.
I now suspect an industry-wide conspiracy to reduce the quality of cassette decks in 1990-s. Almost every deck from that time was equipped with 4066 in the signal path and sounded just like a crappy CD-player. That looks to me as a deliberate act of sabotage :steam: . Anyway, now I know how to treat this CMOS syndrome...
:smoking:
Alex
Hi,
a friend of mine has a big Sony machine I believe it's from the late eighties with those wooden side panels. Can't remember the model name. Quite heavy machine. After years of analogue abstinence I heard that tape deck and my jaw really dropped down immediately. What a great sound.
Cheers
Joerg
I am slowly combining the list of top cassette decks and other equipment, affected by the "4066" disease. Here is a list so far:
4066 chips (or equivalents) are found in the signal path of (the list by all means is not complete):
Nakamichi - Dragon :doh: , 680, 680ZX, 700ZXL, 1000ZXL, Revox B215, A710, A721, Hitachi DE99, Akai GX-65/75/95 mkII, Technics RS-B965, Tascam 122mkII/mkIII, 112mkII, Teac V6030S/8030S, Aiwa AD-F910 (XK-5000), AD-S950, XK-007/009, lots of otherwise good Sony decks - TC-K677ES, TC-K670ES, TC-K870ES etc. etc. Many very respected preamps and receivers are also affected - from Quad to Nakamichi .
Here is a preliminary data on my replacement for 4066 chip and its versions - ANT4066 .
Alex
Alex,Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Nikitin
What is the problem with 4066 chips?
Thanks
ON resistance and leakage. There are a couple of pin for pin substitutes that have a better performance, but they also cost a lot more.Quote:
Originally Posted by barry.d.hunt
My Naka LX-3 is not on the list... fortunately. ;)
Hi Barry,Quote:
Originally Posted by barry.d.hunt
Non-linearity of the resistance (resulting in high distortion and extended distortion spectrum), and non-linearity of the capacitance also affects the signal in high-impedance/high frequency areas. Look at the data on ANT4066 and you'll see how non-linear the resistance of the original 4066 switch is. In audio applications leakages are not usually that important.
In my experience removing 4066 from the signal path clears the sound a lot. In any case, it is easy to try and compare the result.
Cheers
Alex
Yes, LX-3 is a nice exception with purely mechanical switching. Just keep these switches clean with a drop of a contact cleaning spray ;) .Quote:
Originally Posted by Themis
Alex
Alex. Did you ever come across the ASC cassette decks from Germany? I remember seeing them at shows over there & admiring the operation of the 'industrial grade' papst mechanism they used. In those days when I used cassette, they rather than the Nakamichi's were my holy grail.
http://www.vintagecassette.com/ASC/AS_3001
Looks like a nice deck. Unfortunately I've never seen one - may be one day I will :) .Quote:
Originally Posted by pure sound
Alex
I just looked on german ebay. They appear to hold their value pretty well!
http://cgi.ebay.de/ASC-AS-3001-Refer...d=p3286.c0.m14
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...nd/asc3001.jpg
You can see the cast alloy chassis of the Papst mechanism at the front left. Its all very substantially built, I think mainly for studio use. Output transformers back right!
I was going to say, are there any LX-3's and 5's still running? Good machines if they still are, but watch playback eq as it dips where others rise...
:scratch:. ...:)..Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Nikitin
DC leakage in 4066 (and ANT4066) could be on the level of few nA. It is not usually a problem in audio with load resistances from 10 to 1000K, at line level voltages of few hundreds of mV.Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
Alex
One more "statement" deck is added to the list of affected by "4066 disease" - EUMIG FL-1000uP.
Alex
Some time ago I did a full service and modification on Dave's Technics RS-B965 deck. In its original form it did sound quite horrible, even in a monitor mode - the signal was mutilated even before it was recorded. The playback was not much better. I had to remove 6 muting transistors from the line inputs of this deck and replace all 5 (five!) 4066 chips with ANT4066. The result is very good - excellent, in fact. The deck is now can easily compete with the very best, both in recording and in playback modes. It has a very good mechanics (closed loop dual capstans, quartz controlled direct drive), plenty of features, including dbx NR, discrete PB and REC amps etc. etc. And all this was completely wasted because of a few ICs and transistors! I also tried MM74HC4066 chips as a replacement for 4066, and these are better but not as good as ANT4066. You can listen to the results, if you wish: I've uploaded 3 files of RS-B965 playing back the same tape but using different chips for switching:
Original MN4066B,
Fairchild MM74HC4066N
ANT4066A
All files are zipped WAV 96 kHz 24 bit, about 42 Mb each.
Alex
Anyone meantioned this Nak beater:
http://www.real-audio.ru/measurement...k/tcd-3004.jpg
hi alex,Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Nikitin
i have one of these machines, it came to me for repair about ten years ago, unfortunetly there was damage to one of the long and quite complicated ALPS switches, so it never got repaired and the customer never wanted it back.
it still plays tapes fine, just cant record, shame as its a real master piece of engineering.
regards,anthony,TD...
Anthony, if you ever get to thinking of moving that machine on, let me know. I'd be seriously interested in it as a playback-only deck :)
hi nick,Quote:
Originally Posted by Beechwoods
no worries,;) i also have a neal tape deck which was also a good one in its day!
A...
I remember you mentioning that Neal deck when we were at Scalford. Neal (or NEAL) - North East Audio Limited - were an offshoot of Ferrograph IIRC. Which model was it that you've got? They made some nice looking decks, IMO. They also made decks for the police - as a kid I remember becoming aware of Neal tape recorders off 'Juliet Bravo'!
hi nick,Quote:
Originally Posted by Beechwoods
yes neal tape decks were often recognised in police interview rooms, ie, the bill, etc!:eyebrows:
i cant remember the model as its down a mates house at the mo,but i seem to remember telling you it was your's if you wanted it!:confused:
A...
You did! I didn't want to appear greedy, 'cos we'd only just met, but on reflection... :eyebrows: :lol: I've had a bit of a reorganisation and have a bit of spare shelf space that could just accommodate another nice deck ;) Obviously there's no rush, especially if your mate is getting good use out of it, but it would be cool to sort something out, seeing as your offer still stands! Thanks Anthony :)
hi nick,Quote:
Originally Posted by Beechwoods
of course, i am not the kind to go back on my word!;)
the next time i visit my mate i will pick it up and keep it for you untill either we meet up again, or whatever.
regards,anthony,TD...
Thanks Anthony!
interesting!:)
My worry with these new pre-recorded cassettes is the quality. I suppose none of the 1:1 real time cassette duplicating facilities exist anymore. I saw a picture of one once. Racks upon racks of Naks, all with wired remote start. Amazing.
Loved this quote:
Quote:
Ian Brown, from Island Records, said "Many of our customers are over 85 and a lot won't even have upgraded to CDs, let alone mp3s
:laugh:
Haha... Quite bloody right!
If I reach 85, I doubt I'll have "upgraded" to MP3s either, or whatever other inferior pish is invented by the 'audio technology marketing machine' by then... :mental: :eyebrows:
Long live the cassette tape!!
Although, these days buy original blank NOS tapes on Ebay, as modern examples are crap in comparison. If anyone has done the comparison, the difference in sound quality is night and day!
Obviously, tape formulation materials and methods aren't what they use to be when cassettes were in their heyday... One can draw the same parallels with valves, and even a lot of hi-fi equipment. Is there a message here, I wonder? ;)
My current favourite for the CR-7 is TDK SA60 and SA90, 1987 vintage :)
Marco.
If you machine can survive both sides of a D120 without winding it up it's ok :lol:
Long live any tape!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
What even the BASF and Quantegy?Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
http://www.stanleysonline.co.uk/category-53.htm