Looking at 20 Vintage Cassette Decks

[@r66fplaysgames]

I think that if I saw any one of these tape decks at a garage\yard\estate sale, or at a second hand store, for a low price, I would buy them!

[@TorontoJon]

10:19 I have three Pioneer CT-F950 cassette decks, but only one of them is fully working properly, but they are so cool with their blue Fluoroscan Vu meters.

[@jakefiersing]

Which price of them would you consider being reasonable today? Working properly of course.

[@florianm3170]

I had one but sold it a while ago. Sadly their heads and motors are starting to fail.

[@kerryedavis]

The Luxman decks have the blue "meters" too, plus Sendust Alloy heads for greater durability and better sound.

[@rickspearman344]

, or it needed cleaning ​@@florianm3170

[@denveradams4909]

While stationed on Okinawa in 1978, I purchased the Pioneer CT-F900 cassette deck. It was Pioneer's first deck, featuring the closed loop, dual capstan tape transport system. I am convinced that they had not perfected this system and it soon began eating tapes caused by the malfunction of the drive. I replaced an idler wheel and that worked for awhile, but it soon started eating tapes again. I contacted Pioneer and they had no interest in repairing this deck. Instead, they sent me 8 pages of instructions on how to do it myself. This involved replacing the idler wheel again, plus removing two belts and applying belt dressing so that they would not slip. This procedure, required detailed dismantling of the machine and was above my expertise. As much as this deck cost, I was very disappointed that Pioneer refused to take responsibility for the repairs. I got rid of this deck and went with a Teac.

[@ACBMemphis]

Thanks for sharing that story! I am always amazed at the access to advanced audio gear by military personnel in the 1970s. Over the years, I've had multiple older neighbors offer to let me repair or keep their Vietnam era reel-to-reel decks.

[@florianm3170]

I really enjoyed this "offroad" selection of seldom seen decks, a change from those always same "top decks lists" I have 100+ decks and not a single one of those ones you showed, so thank you for having a heart for the lesser known ones.

[@ACBMemphis]

Thanks for the kind comment! (You should upload a video of some of yours as well...)

[@NoferTrunions]

Wow, 100 (!) I have stacks of audio components in my house and many decks and was disappointed I didn't have one in the list. But you take the cake! Impressive? QUESTION: What are your Top 5 faves?

[@highlife0586]

Hello. Oh yes, at 9:23 the Yamaha K960. I bought one of these in the early 1980's I loved everything about it. It lasted me 35 years and it sounded great throughout.

[@rogerdjs]

I have The Yamaha K-1020 and K-2000 and bought them brand new overseas. They still work and perform like the should 40 + years...

[@marksphotoperry356]

@@highlife0586 Did own that Yamaha K 960 for short few years. On PAPER DECK SHOWS "GREAT" SPECKS IN LIFE WITH BEST METAL CASSETES 30 TO 14000 AT ITS BEST. GARBAGE !

[@AIandDesign]

I have a Yamaha K-2000 in my system and a Yamaha KX-1200u that's getting fixed by a tech. Both looking pretty much mint. Love Yamaha!

[@Jammerk40]

I have a sony TC-WE475 and really had great use of these unit and never had to replace belts yet! And it has a lot of features!

[@sampsonpaul73]

Nice video Guys, good job. I've got a Pioneer CT-F1250 I bought back in late 70's and I love it. A true audiophile dream machine. 🙂

[@ACBMemphis]

Thanks for the comment! Yes, the CT-F1250 looks very nice and is a good investment. I started tracking eBay prices of the CT-Fx50 line back in 2019 on a spreadsheet, should have bought a 1250 then because prices have skyrocketed.

[@trekkeruss]

I visited Japan on the way back from China in the late 1980's, and came home with a Nakamichi Dragon. It is currently in a box, along with a Kyocera PL-910 turntable and Perreaux electronics. I was going to move, but now they sit stored away half way across the country at my mother's house.

[@SHG-LA97]

Hello ABC Memphis, thank you for a great introduction. I bought the C844 sometime around 1981/82... 1200DM / 600Euro was a lot of money. I bought the C844 for my choir recordings. In an AB test (C844 against HIFI video recorder (3000DM)), the C844 was equal. (C844: double speed, Dolby C and pure iron cassette)... Of course the video tape / with helical track was unbeatably cheaper... The whole thing was topped off with my ASC6002S and the Super-D noise reduction system from Sanyo. However, that was a different league and an 1100m tape for 60DM was quickly sold at 38 / half track. I still have the C844 today. LG Manny

[@rvo8915]

Still love my army green TEAC C3-X I bought at an HiFi sale when I was 18 years old.............now I'm close to 60 and it still runs fine. 🙂 2 years ago I gave it a big service, new belts installed and 2 new rubber square rings for the FF and REW function. It is amazing how good the TDK-MA tapes still sounds great if I made the recording yesterday!

[@harrypothead42024]

Doesn't the drive motor on the capstan Run whenever any cassette deck is powered on

[@ACBMemphis]

It depends... some stop when you press stop, others stop if no cassette is loaded. Thanks for watching/commenting!

[@RoughJustice2k18]

A lot of decks (from the '70s and '80s) that are mostly mechanical have micro switches that are meant to totally shut off the motor when STOP is pressed or turn it on when PLAY / FF / REW is pressed (they are not designed to have the motor running constantly when stopped and/or empty). Some later-model/high-end decks won't start unless a tape is inserted due to the presence of detection sensors and/or logic circuits.

[@e28forever30]

Nice video. Just picked up a 1979 AKAI GXC-706d in excellent condition. Everything works, beautiful big VU meters. Belt slipping slightly on startups, something I’ll fix soon. Highly enjoying playing my old cassettes again.

[@ACBMemphis]

That looks like a good one! If you can't spend the time replacing the belt now, you might be able to revive the current one a bit by removing the cover and applying some rubbing alcohol on a q-tip. Thanks for the comment!

[@marksphotoperry356]

Why not bring better decks and show em ? Instead you show cheap bottom of line machines...

[@DavidMander-rs4uk]

Cassette decks suck no matter the quality!! 🗑️👎

[@marksphotoperry356]

@@DavidMander-rs4uk That is not the case at all. Analog sound is in many ways superior to digital sound. A) Of course for starters you need to have a good quality Analog or Digital or live signal source to record from. B) You need to know and understand the recording process C) You need to have a good 3 Head well maintained Cassete Recorder in good order operating within its specs.

[@marksphotoperry356]

@@DavidMander-rs4uk Last question: how many cassete decks did you ever have , make model , as well as the source you tried to record from and what did you try to record ?

[@NoferTrunions]

Great fast format! Also awesome talking about belts and repair issues. Wish you would have mentioned if 3-head and bias (metal, chrome, variable). Surprised no Akai, Aiwa and Nakamichi

[@JoeOrber]

Wow, I would get any of these in a snap, except for the Realistic, because I’d definitely use the recording mode to create good ol’ mix tapes. I’m going to try a couple of the very few thrift stores around here, hopefully I’ll find one that is relatively easy to fix. Thank you for the great content, keep up the good work 😊

[@Oklawolf]

Great video! I love finding channels that make me seem not so crazy. I'm up to 28 decks now. I have the Optonica version of that Sharp deck. I fixed it but I don't really like it.

[@ACBMemphis]

That CTF-900 restore you did looks great - new subscriber here! (No you're not crazy it's a fun hobby and evidence suggests a lot of people agree.) It seems like prices for cassette have skyrocketed.. About 7 years ago I would be driving around the neighborhood and see tape decks, receivers by the curb now even broken ones are expensive at the thrift store...

[@Oklawolf]

Thanks! Yeah, anything analog is starting to be big money. My bank account hates me, but I'm not stopping anytime soon.

[@martyjewell5683]

My first "component" cassette deck was the CT-F2121 in 1974. After military service I was broke and had to get a budget deck. Most were still top loaders and the F2121 was a quasi-front loader. I made a lotta tapes on that deck and though the meters were small, controls basic and heads were Hard Permalloy. It sufficed till I could afford better performance. Always hated the angled cassette compartment and frequently tried to eject tapes while stoned with the door closed, jammin' the tape inside the cassette well. Minor carping.

[@DavidDatura]

The B&O and Yamaha at the end, are both gorgeous! Sound great too apparently.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

Great video, quick overview of each deck, not wasting time. Wondering if the Blaupunkt isn't a reworked Japanese unit and Sanyo made very good quality home products with fair pricing.

[@JF-em6hr]

No Onkyo's huh?

[@markroberts4048]

What do you think about the Sony TC-K555 cassette deck? I bought mine new in late 1982 and it has performed flawlessly ever since with great sound quality.

[@ACBMemphis]

That is a 3-head deck from the ES line? I have tried to bid on one of those several times but not won yet - looks very nice!

[@markroberts4048]

@ACBMemphis , not an ES model although one VERY similar was. I read a very favorable review in one of the then 3 hi-fi magazines and bought it. About the best $400 bucks (in 1982 dollars) I've ever spent ZERO on repairs and it still sounds great.

[@bricks312100]

Looking at the corner damage on the SD1000 I think you may have my old deck I bought new. It was left at Ft Sill, Oklahoma.

[@ACBMemphis]

Cool! Think I bought this on eBay in 2019... What caused the damage?

[@RUfromthe40s]

Pioneer decks were all very good, i tried a CT-200 ,new and was amazed by it´s quality, the lowest reference in 79 but already had electronic keys for all functions with needles as vu meters

[@webrik33]

I have the M6R by pioneer. Just picked it up on ebay. It seems like all the features work well but I've noticed several of my cassettes sound 'muffled'

[@TorontoJon]

3:59 I have that same Pioneer CT-WM62R 6+1 cassette deck in excellent working condition and it's awesome! :)

[@florianm3170]

I Have a CT-M6R 6 cassette deck too, was a pain to restore as it was internally broken during shipping, but i managed it.

[@gianlucagalbiati9646]

I have Aiwa 3700 with double capstan and Teac v1050. They are in laboratory for fixing and set up. What do you think about these two decks?

[@ACBMemphis]

I have not used those, but they look like quality 3-head decks. You should post a video of them!

[@prometheuseleutherios8645]

I am a proud owner of the "Pioneer CT-656 Mark II Cassette Deck"!!! It has "DOLBY HX PRO", Auto Tape Selection etc., and can play all types of cassettes. My old Weightlifting Trainer gave me this Incredible Unit as a present, may he will be plessed forever!!!

[@pomonabill220]

I have the RT-3388. Hasn't seen power for YEARS though.... might try and see if it even still works for fun. I wasn't happy with the sound quality either...

[@henrychinaski5223]

I agree that the Yamaha K960 is a champ! I had one for many years before selling it and replaced it with a Pioneer CT-F1250. The only drawback with the Yammie is if you record using DBX you can only playback in the same deck. DBX sounded better than any noise reduction I've ever heard. BTW, I bought my first real cassette deck in Yokosuka at the Navy Exchange. A TEAC A-350. A work horse of a deck and built like a tank. In my vintage Sansui rack I have a SC-5330 and used it to transfer all my cassettes to mp4 (Apple lossless format...and a dumb decision, but worked out okay in the end).

[@ACBMemphis]

Thanks for the comment! Would like to own a CT-F1250 myself some day. That Sansui looks very nice as well...

[@ralphwarleggan3813]

Very good video man. Great information and directly, without lose time on raimbows!! Like for you man.

[@RoughJustice2k18]

I am surprised you didn't profile any Kenwood or Denon decks. I'd love to see a critic's opinion on just how good (or bad) they are!

[@ACBMemphis]

I had a Kenwood KX-780 a few years ago and liked it - was a 3 head deck. Eventually sold it to try something different. Not a lot of experience with Denon yet, other than a couple of drawer-loading decks from the 1990s. Thanks for the comment!

[@RoughJustice2k18]

@@ACBMemphis 😁👍

[@bobbiedixon7113]

Was just wondering. I am wanting to have the ability to view vu meters on my system. If I have a three head cassette deck, does recording have to actually be engaged to view the meters?

[@ACBMemphis]

It depends on the manufacturer of your cassette deck.... You could probably just put your deck in "Record Pause Mode" and the meters will run fine without recording, but when doing that, be aware that the motor will probably be running too. Sometimes you can work around that. For example, on the JVC KD-A3 in this video, while I have to press record and play with a tape inserted to _actually_ record, I can also bypass record prevention with a finger and press the record button by itself without a tape in, and the meters will work without the heads engaged or motor running.

[@patriciawilson9666]

I have two vintage JVC decks which are awesome.A KD55 and a KD-A55.They kick ass.

[@kerryedavis]

JVC decks mostly had Sendust Alloy heads, which I believe they invented but some other companies had them in a few decks also. Those heads make the difference between day and night, music-wise.

[@RUfromthe40s]

the technics double deck had the meters that were the released in 1979 with the M45, a good deck even today

[@maartennederland5096]

I own a Braun C4 Atelier Grey. Beautiful machine.

[@ACBMemphis]

Yes those look very nice, drawer loading and high-end. Thanks for watching/commenting.

[@waynepatrick1646]

I have a ads c2 sounds great

[@SHG-LA97]

@@maartennederland5096 Hello, yes, the Braun c4 is also a great tape deck...my c4 is black. I bought the C4 about 20 years ago. However, I need to repair the drive belts. Greetings from Germany ...manni

[@C0mfortCruise]

Grabbed a Pioneer CT-F750 for a pretty great deal, but unfortunatly aside from melted belts the transitor that controls speed on the motor had literally exploded. Have a replacement transistor on it's way now, if the repair's succesful it'll have many more years of use ahead for it.

[@ACBMemphis]

Congrats, that looks like a good machine. The CT- F750 adds the benefit of auto reverse and still has the intuitive control layout. Thanks for the comment and good luck on the repair!

[@henrychinaski5223]

Good luck with the repair. I had one of these and two more parts machines. The mechanism in these things are the most complex I've ever worked on. I was able to source the belts, but not the 5 rubber idler wheels. I got it to work a bit, but without the idler replacements it just wasn't reliable. At that time I was into buying, repairing and reselling. However, the CT-F750's ended up in the electronic junk pile. I was able to salvage a CT-F1250 and I restored it for my own Pioneer system. What a beast! I love this series of Pioneer's and find them easy to work on. CT-F850 through 1250.

[@C0mfortCruise]

@@henrychinaski5223 Thanks, since I commented the repair was successful! (Though not after a couple more failures.) Something on that motor board was just too screwed up to fix, even with a new transistor, so in the end I found a Mabuchi on ebay with the same specs and swapped it in. Worked first try, and after a belt kit it's been totally perfect! Shame you weren't able to save yours, had failures in my repairs before and it's hard to let them go, but sometimes they're just too far gone to be worth it. But I love this series of decks, they just look and sound awesome and this one pairs great with my RT-707.

[@LukasLehmann-z8o]

Nice Video! Does anyone have any opinions on the akai cs 707d?

[@boneseyyl1060]

I checked this video out to see if my deck from the 70's was on this list and sure enough it was, LOL. In fact it was the first one with the computerized search feature. Basically all it did was search for the blank spots between songs on the tape. Only difference is that mine was a Luxman model. The front face is identical. I paid the stupid amount of $500 for it, which is about a a couple grand in todays money. Just a dumb kid back then. But yea, I remember that computer did give up the ghost at some point. It still played fine from what I remember and I ended up giving it to my Dad. After that it just sat on a shelf. I remember he asked if I wanted it back and I said no. I was done with cassettes at that point. I basically gave away all my stuff from the 70's. JBL speakers, Harmon Kardon integrated amp. Only thing I still have is a Yamaha turntable that still works perfectly but gets little use. Do I miss any of it? Not really. For me the audio hobby is about moving forward, not back. But I did enjoy them while I had them.

[@RoughJustice2k18]

Luxman isn't too bad as a brand. They made some good equipment back in the day.

[@H_r_aJ_e]

Is Teac V9 okay?

[@hifijohn]

The best were Nakamichis they sounded great owned a few always bought used but when they go bad they are very hard to repair.

[@davesanders4381]

What happen to Nakamichi Decks? Hard to believe that you did not include one.

[@ACBMemphis]

These are the tape decks I own and could afford, but if any viewers want to ship me a Nakamichi Dragon for free, please do!

[@hwccheng]

Won’t mind getting a Pioneer deck with Fluorescent Display. I do have a JVC KD-A5 and it build like a tank similar to KD-A3 but the KD-D40 is a bit on the flimsy side and not as refined.

[@jimmyhawke]

I own an Aiwa AD-f 990 (first version)! The poor man's Dragon! what a great cassette deck!

[@lachlanlau]

I'm repairing an F-660 !

[@NoferTrunions]

For a moment I thought I too had that deck, but no. It was a massively loaded 3-head with computer adjusted bias I think. It had a huge volume knob on the left side and "a lot" of pretty LED lights (!) - it was spectacular to look at. Looked very techno but seriously conservative. The "990" rang a bell. Will try to find it.... no lucky so far, may be difficult.

[@Restorology]

Great video!

[@ACBMemphis]

Thanks!

[@pirudayaraj7717]

How could I buy system's please send me the details

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

The dennon multi cassette deck is epic.

[@larryhazelwood5491]

Only one Technics deck? what about an RS-B965?

[@harrypothead42024]

I had a Pioneer 6 cassette changer and a Pioneer 6 + 1 cassette changer they were awesome but if you looked at them really hard something would break

[@victorignacioflorescariman1551]

More 80s cassette player needed

[@chrisharper2658]

No Denon decks?

[@TorontoJon]

I love vintage cassette decks and I've got a bit of a deck hoarding problem too since I have at least 40 cassette decks (some of which need belt replacements at this point) which is utterly insane to me, but they are too cool. Hahaha! Brands I have include: - Bang & Olufsen (2 decks) - Nakamichi (2 decks; the RX-202 and BX-100, but not the Dragon which is priced into the stratosphere these days) - Harman/Kardon (8 decks) - Tascam (4 decks) - Sony (3 decks) - Akai (8 decks) - Pioneer (4 decks) - Denon (1 deck) - Aiwa (2 decks) - Toshiba (1 deck) - Mitsubishi (1 multi-tape deck; a 6+1, I think) - Sansui (1 deck) - Scott (1 deck with matching amplifier) - Hitachi (1 deck in pristine condition still with original tags, but rotted belts) - Nikko (1 deck and only $5 from a Salvation Army Thrift Store, so it's tough to beat that) :)

[@ACBMemphis]

That is an impressive collection! I hope Dr. Zaius will let you take a vacation to make some videos of them. Back in the 1980s, a Nakamichi Dragon always seemed like a mystical sort of cassette deck I heard rumors of, never saw in person, and could never hope to afford... and in 2024 it still is!

[@TorontoJon]

@@ACBMemphis, thanks, yes, I've got to stop procrastinating to get on with making some vintage gear videos. Regarding Nakamichi Dragons, I remember seeing them on eBay about 20 years ago typically selling for $300 to $400 which is nothing compared to the thousands they sell for these days with aggressive bidders. It's pretty nutty. So, I'll never own one either unless one magically pops up at a thrift store and I happen to be at the right place at the right time. Haha! :)

[@EC-ki5wv]

@@TorontoJonhey if you need help selling your decks let me know. I run the biggest stereo shop on Facebook

[@jameslaidler2152]

You used any of the later Technics direct drive quartz lock units?

[@ACBMemphis]

No, tried bidding on a RS-M280 once, but lost the auction. Very limited budget at this point...

[@douglashoff95]

I'm lucky enough to still have a Pioneer CT-F1250 I obtained from my late brother.

[@Think_Up]

I wish the higher end decks came in DUAL cassette so you can use 1 deck to make quality duplicates. And Silver would be ideal!

[@Think_Up]

Agreed completely. My entire system is silver, which really limits choices. You can do 2 silver decks but that gets expensive.

[@strangersgt5632]

Lol I guess I am not the only one who thinks of Apple when I see a B&O product

[@65CJ5]

Watch out for bad rew/ffwd in the Pioneer decks. If it has trouble rewinding it can be hard to fix. The Pioneer decks are built well, but some have weak rew/ffwd designs.

[@henrychinaski5223]

The FF/REW motors can be restored, but it is a tedious operation and not for the faint hearted. I've done about 5 of them with great success.

[@CSmith-gb1sl]

Had a mint CTF-650 needed a belt changeover, probably gave it away for a few bucks about 25 years ago. was a companion to my SX-3700.

[@ФилиппЛыков-д8е]

How come none of them is a 3-head?

[@surinderrazdan0569]

Are these for sale?

[@ACBMemphis]

No, but will probably post a video if I decide to sell in the future.

[@ulif.7593]

Great Decks, but where is the best of all time? Nakamichi

[@RoughJustice2k18]

Expensive brand - high quality - top of the range - the uploader would love to own one but it's a bit pricey.

[@arnoldkinny2381]

Hi will cassette Deck will come again .

[@fixniksrob]

i miss one brand ,why dont you test a nakamichi deck?

[@e.emerald3224]

Had a Pioneer ct-320 $120 in '82? Blew away my uncles $300 technics with its fluorescent display. Have a Pioneer dual deck with dolby S nowadays

[@gli7utubeo]

What about the Advent 201?

[@ACBMemphis]

Don't have one of those, but Advent 200/201 would be an interesting deck to own, first Dolby in a cassette deck and a single VU meter that can switched to left, right or both.

[@gli7utubeo]

@@ACBMemphis I had one and made lots of tapes on it and loved the sound. I later got more expensive Teac and Akai, but nothing sounded like the Advent, as transparent as vinyl to my ears. You had to hold the lever manually to rewind or FF. The Advent was actually a mod of a Wollensack.

[@hellokitty4105]

i have 3 decks in my main system Pioneer CTF-1250. Technics M235X and a Realistic sct-33. The pioneer ans realistic deck are both 3 heads.

[@MauroGuerreiro]

Where is Sansui e Nakamishi?

[@dean6816]

No Nakamichi??

[@ACBMemphis]

Someday... when I can afford one...

[@dean6816]

@@ACBMemphis lol

[@m80116]

I very much enjoyed your 30 seconds short reviews.

[@ACBMemphis]

Thank you for watching!

[@Xantylon74]

Restricted music search? What is that?

[@ACBMemphis]

Music search only works forward, 1 song at a time. Soldering extra wires and switch enables both directions and multiple songs, which was a feature of a different model... Thanks for the comment!

[@Xantylon74]

@ Ah, ok! 👌

[@stvlu733]

The Sharp is a POS. The reason being is that the clear cog gears break randomly even if it still work. Theses are hard to find and replace.

[@kirkmooneyham]

I know you warned folks away from 90s decks because of the "plasticky" look of them. However, the later Pioneer decks have a lot of features, they present no serious problems when changing belts or pinch rollers (which are available), and since they were from the time when cassettes were on the way out, they have less hours of use on them. I have a CT-W606DR (world-wide version with all the features) and since it has digital noise reduction, I never use Dolby at all.

[@ACBMemphis]

Yes with everything there are exceptions/tradeoffs... thanks for the comment!

[@timmorgan8450]

I Am A Retired DJ and I Used To Have A Cassette player Recorders You Only Have To Clean the Record And Play Dead And It Won't Jam Up So much Just Use Mentholated Spirits But Be Careful To Avoid the Tape Jaming Keep Heads Clean Be Sure The Tape Has No Creases If Looked After They Can Work Well

[@RUfromthe40s]

buy them if working properlly, the sharp deck it´s showed first i had it in a optonica / sharp system and it was very modern at the time but nothing that i wouldn´t have already with more quality ,the turntable had a s-shaped arm but with linear tracking so while it worked , Lp´s would sound the more perfect possible, but sold it all as it was easier to sell it all together

[@jmmbos]

The most important things about a cassettedeck are recording stability and recording balance with all type types , no audible wow and flutter and good musicality which comes from the power unit and its design.. Then you have sound character and lineairity but that favourable .. I would never recommend dbx , recordings are without tape hiss but when you listen more closely you hear it sounds unnatural , and distorted and without air and openess

[@kerryedavis]

The problem is that even dbx II type noise-reduction depends on better high-frequency performance than most cassette decks are capable of. I did okay using outboard dbx with my Luxman and JVC cassette decks, but they have Sendust Alloy heads which most don't. Without accurate high-frequency performance, the decoding is not done properly, leading to the effects you noticed. I had the same problem with other deck brands/models, including a Technics with built-in dbx but not Sendust Alloy.

[@wheatonna]

WIth a dubbing deck, your chances of having one working mechanism are doubled. I can't think of any other reason why I would buy one. If you ARE interested in creating your own cassettes, this is not the way!

[@kerryedavis]

I had the RT-3388 back in the day, and have a couple in my collection now for later. Poor quality audio, but fun to look at and use. Really, any deck without Sendust Alloy heads will be bad. Most JVC decks had that, plus some Luxman, Harman-Kardon, Sony, and even Pioneer. The difference between Sendust and not-Sendust, audio-wise, is like day and night.

[@ACBMemphis]

Thanks for the comment! I was thinking about replacing the broken computer in my RT-3388 with a microcontroller and an OLED display, but the idea of soldering wires to all those tiny buttons seems like a chore... Never looked into head types, but a quick search reveals many opinions on the best (Sendust, permalloy, ferrite) and their gap size, wear characteristics etc. Could be another "rabbit hole" to investigate. Again thanks for watching and commenting!

[@kerryedavis]

@@ACBMemphis Seems to me the bigger problem would be trying to figure out how to program it. You'd have to understand how the original worked, how it sensed and controlled the deck... And even if you solved all of that, it would still stink for sound quality. Around the same time I got my new RT-3388, 1979 I think, I bought an expensive Sansui deck for my "serious" audio-ing. Then I listened to the bottom-model Luxman, the K-5A, with Sendust Alloy head, and realized the terrible mistake I'd made. I didn't even look at non-Sendust after that.

[@sounddoctor5decades]

The only thing I'd buy would be some type of Nakamichi, the gold standard.

[@K49591]

People saying where are the Nakamichis don't get this video. The decks shown are examples of cheap cassette decks which can be had for not a lot of money and they're not really sought after. Nakamichis are going to cost a lot more than nearly all these decks and there are a thousand and one videos about them already. It's a bit like a video showing cheap working 1980s cars and then people posting 'Where are the Rolls Royces?'.

[@ACBMemphis]

Yes - thank you for this comment!! Sometimes personally you might not want a hamburger, but you should not then run into a nearby McDonald's and start yelling at the customers because they're not eating steak.

[@RoughJustice2k18]

@@ACBMemphis Less is more. Quality vs. quantity. The more things they put into expensive decks the more that can go wrong with them compared to the budget basic-design models which fail less often and are easily affordable to most people. Just my 2 cents (adjusted for inflation). 😇

[@jakefiersing]

Really a very surprising list. Especially the jvcs, so far I only found comments of the poor cassette mechanism built in jvc decks, without any exceptions.

[@cressdiligent]

Miss my nakamichi rx 505

[@denist7085]

Pioneer CT-F600 looks amasing, but sorry, sound can not be great at high side with 16Khz on CrO2. I have Akai gxc-715d that looks same great, but suffers on high side. And it can be clearly distinguished from later decks (Yamaha kx300 and higher for example). 😢

[@cabomusico]

Oh! ... and what about some Nakamichi's 😉

[@siddharthadesai9553]

DENON M 11 IS ALSO COMPUTER CONTROL MECHANISM AND WITH VERY HIGH SOUND QUALITY💝

[@waynepatrick1646]

I have a ads c2 which is great

[@scottjohnson921]

5:27 these 5 or 6 segment meters really annoy me. If it doesn't have at least 10 segments, I am not owning it!

[@andiman45]

where are the Akai's

[@RUfromthe40s]

the blaupunkt decks even when looking not that good had a play/record quality of a high-end deck, the beocord 6000 was one of the best decks around when released, strange that is a fact but as all other components in the 6000 system, ther Sanyo RD-S45 while it wor5ked was a verym nice deck but as all i had from sanyo will stop one day without even looking like it a faulty part , was like the bermuda triangle style ,when having something that wouldn´t allow it to wiork perfect, nothing could show which was the problem, the K-960 from yamaha was and is a great deck, the decks released later had not nothing so well built

[@cabomusico]

Didn't you have an Aiwa model? They had a bunch of great and beautiful cassette decks 😉👍

[@RobertCole-q1m]

No Use a HIFi Stereo VCR Sounds almost as Good as Reel To Reel

[@kerryedavis]

The audio recording even of a hi-fi VCR is not that good. If you get the adapter so it uses the video recording tracks, yes. But the regular audio track isn't that good.

[@curelaruvalentin7520]

Ok ok ..but were is Akai...Nakamichi....Denon..Aiwa?????

[@monkeymanstones1]

If you're going to digitize cassettes you're safest doing so with a Dolby S deck. It's a shame Dolby S was available just after CD's took absolute dominance.

[@morenoteslesstalk]

This SD 1000 is tasty, great condition and great care behind that, no doubt! I have the 3020, and it’s awesome to see others keeping their decks in shape. I do wish these models had panning control, but considering the price and the condition mine was in, I can’t complain. It doesn’t ask for much maintenance, which is comfortable. I shared a video where I tested it out with guitar at different speeds and cassettes-check it out on my channel if you're curious about it :-)

[@ACBMemphis]

Recording like it's 1981 - yes excellent demo, I can really hear the difference in the newer Chrome tapes... Thanks for the comment!

[@morenoteslesstalk]

@@ACBMemphis thank you so very much 🙂🪩 I expected the obvious Chrome enhancement, what I didn't expect was the stable, noisy Ferro result even at double speed. Did you encounter similar outputs?

[@stephenr6913]

No Nakamichi? WTF? I have a BX2. Record a CD on that with metal tape and Dolby C, the sound is indistinguishable between CD and tape. Nakamichi were the signature decks. Too bad I couldn't afford a Dragon.

[@johnjusko4789]

In all cassette decks the best ones are JVC,HARMON KARDON,TECHNICS,MARANTS another things you look for is the highest recording levels and anything past the L/R channels of 6+ and above is the best if you have one that goes from +8,9,10+ these are also great the rare ones go past a level of 12+ but in that area you are looking at tapes in METAL forms only the Cr02 is limited but does just as well only you have tio adjust your INPUT levels and for that I'm done now.

[@waynepatrick1646]

Ads cassette decks are great , I prefer German engineering

[@dnate697]

I have a non op CTF 1050

[@dannyalvens5418]

I thought they were going to start trying to sell me knives.....

[@CathySiegert]

No Nakamichi? What a shame, also no Onkyo Deck.... Most of the shown decks are quiet standard nothing exquisite. The Deck I recommended: Technics RS-B 605 with DBX and a good tapedrive mechanism.

[@rudolfglaser9664]

You forget the Eumig FL-1000µP

[@afzaalkhan.m]

No Akai ,Grundig or revox

[@jimmydee1605]

You showed and recommended really strange cassette decks. Concerning JVC for instance, their cassette play and wind mechanic is really poor. Really reliable cassette players were produced by onkyo, from whom you did not show any. There are a lot of machines from yamaha from around late seventies until mid 90s, same with sony or pioneer, which can be recommended for the average user.