OMG, 120 min tapes - whoever invented them should've been shot! :doh: :eyebrows:
I like to try and get away with C-60s, if I can manage to squeeze an album onto one.
Marco.
OMG, 120 min tapes - whoever invented them should've been shot! :doh: :eyebrows:
I like to try and get away with C-60s, if I can manage to squeeze an album onto one.
Marco.
You see this Tandberg Cassette deck, i bought that nearly 28 years ago second hand, i gave it my mate about 10 years ago, he listerns to it on a regular basis with the aid of your truly, never ever broke down & to boot sound better than his CD player..
Sorry for the poor pic his camera is really rubbish :lol:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...IN/TCD3002.jpg
The first cassette deck Tandberg ever made if i remember.
Interesting link, Kris :)Quote:
I've never tried Quantegy. But looking at the brands I've tried on that site, I'm pretty sure that the NOS 1987 TDK SA90s I use (I bought loads on Ebay and stockpiled them) would outperform them. Much depends of course on how a cassette deck's heads are factory set (i.e. which brand of tape the deck has been 'voiced' with), as manual bias adjustment afterwards can only achieve so much.
I also use mid-80s NOS BASF Chromdioxid Maxima IIs and Maxell UD XL-IIs, which are also fantastic, along with some original NOS Nakamichi branded tapes.
From approx 1983-1987 is when I feel that the quality of blank cassette tape was at its ultimate best. Some of the late 70s stuff was also good, but things went downhill bigtime, IMO, after the late 1980s.
Marco.
Kris i find those Quantegy open rel tape tapes are not as good as the original Ampex versions..456 was great all round tape..Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris
Until the air moisture got the the adhesives IIRC
I had a couple of tapes that needed baking. I stuck them in the airing cupboard for a week or two. Played ok after that, not too much shedding. ( I hand wound them slowly before playing).Quote:
Originally Posted by DSJR
When I was in Greece, we made tests between 1975 and 1983 :Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
All tapes existing were tested, and best tapes (S/N, THD, IMD, FR) were TDK AD (1st), TDK SA and Technics RT-XA ex-aequo (2nd).
Interestingly enough, TDK AD was best without Dolby.
Don't have the printed issue(s) anymore, but I can try to find them, if you're interested.
That would be interesting, Dimitri. I'm curious too of which vintages of tapes you considered the best amongst the examples from '75 to '83 :)
I agree that in general TDK were always the most consistent, but I also have a soft spot for some BASF and Scotch.
Marco.
Marco,Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
have a look here.
Cheers
Alex
Marco
The below are the ones i prefered with this design label
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...NG-SIN/SA2.jpg
These MA-R diecast jobbies here at the bottom were the best constructed tapes eva, totally silent in winding..If i remember i used to pay near on a fiver each for them from Moorgate Acoustic back then
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...NG-SIN/MAR.jpg
BASF Chrome and Ferrochrome were always too noisy imho (very poor S/N) and not robust enough for everyday use. Let alone the normal tapes like LH or other "ferro super"...
Scotch (3M) were better, but far from the TDKs. The best Scotch was the Superferric model. They were not very robust either.
Possibly, but I liked them (still like them) because they give recordings a nice 'tone', which is quite important to me :)Quote:
BASF Chrome and Ferrochrome were always too noisy imho (very poor S/N) and not robust enough for everyday use.
I find them more than robust enough for my usage.
Marco.
Well, all tapes are "robust enough" if you're VERY careful... :eyebrows:Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
But, only a few tapes could stay in a car at summertime without problems. I was young and careless, my cassettes had to be like my girlfriend : not fussy. :lol:
Yes, BASF have a nice "distinguish" tonality, especially without Dolby.
I understand you may like it. ;)
The latter bit I can relate to, given the suspension-testing 'extracurricular activities' which sometimes took place inside cars I've owned ;)Quote:
But, only a few tapes could stay in a car at summertime without problems. I was young and careless, my cassettes had to be like my girlfriend : not fussy. :lol:
However, in terms of your summertime comment, no. I was in Scotland and you were in Greece - the climate was, erm, 'slightly different'! :eyebrows:
They have a richness of tone, which I like, but at the same time sound open and detailed. Some TDKs could sound quite 'toppy' in comparison, especially when they brought out the AD-X and SA-X - I didn't like those much at all.Quote:
Yes, BASF have a nice "distinguish" tonality, especially without Dolby.
I understand you may like it.
Marco.
I like BASF too, just now I've received 40 BASF Chrome Maxima II, used but in a good condition from Germany, at about £1-20 each. It would be interesting to compare 4 different years (I've asked for 10 of each year) of production... . Older ones did shed a bit of a white talc-like powder on a first run, but after that they OK.
Alex
Nice one, Alex. I use CR-S II 90s and they're excellent :)
Marco.
Andre,
That looks like an early 80s one - not sure, though...Quote:
Marco
The below are the ones i prefered with this design label
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...NG-SIN/SA2.jpg
The MA-Rs were quite superb. TDK were the only company I know to properly address the issue of resonance in cassette casing - not only did that mean they wound silently, but it also improved sound quality, too! :)Quote:
These MA-R diecast jobbies here at the bottom were the best constructed tapes eva, totally silent in winding..If i remember i used to pay near on a fiver each for them from Moorgate Acoustic back then
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...NG-SIN/MAR.jpg
Marco.
Teac Made a tape that looked like tiny reel to reel spools, that was quiet but didnt sound great..
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/3/9...5635561_tp.jpg
Here's Andre's pic, embedded, to save everyone else the hassle of downloading it:Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/3/9...5635561_tp.jpg
Is this the most expensive cassette deck ever?
(It is not, obviously, but the seller did apparently believe the misprint in the online text of an old review!)
:lolsign:
Alex
Somewhat overpriced, I'll agree, but they do look gorgeous though! Sony were onto something in the late 70's. That TC229 would go nicely next to my EL7 :lol:
http://homepage.mac.com/beechwoods/T...lcaset04_s.jpg
Did you read the description? The seller thinks that this deck used to sell for a price of a flat in Chelsea in 1978 - £27500. Now, that surely would make it the most expensive cassette deck ever!Quote:
Originally Posted by Beechwoods
:lolsign:
Alex
Wow!
That would be £110,307 today.
Hehehe!
He's changed the listing :) . And the BIN price is much more realistic now. However I kept the screen shot ;) .Quote:
Originally Posted by The Grand Wazoo
Alex
:lol: I missed the RRP in the original listing! That's what happens when magazines auto-scan and OCR their old issues without proof-reading them afterwards!
That guy must have thought he'd hit the motherlode with that deck! Shame it's not in better shape. Cosmetically it looks in good condition.
From The Grave
I think this corpse should have been left buried. There were very few decks that could be classed as the best, and all of them have been discussed in the thread ;).
We've a lot of new members now, with different experiences and opinions . Others may be grateful for having it brought to their attention. As I point out every week San, if you've any suggestions I'd like to hear them. I don't exactly get deluged with pm's on this subject though, sadly so you're left with my choice!
I've had a Nak Cr7 and I much prefer, and still have, a TEAC 8030S.