Best Vintage Cassette Decks: A buying guide from $100 to $1000

[@rodmelendez9377]

Great memories! In the early 80's I remember taking my Pioneer CT-F800 deck, which I knew sounded pretty good, to a Free Cassette Clinic, at one of those "by appointment only" Hi-Fi shops. You get the general idea. You'd bring your gear in and they would test and give you a report of its performance for free. The event was sponsored by Nakamichi and there was quite a crowd present. The suite of test equipment was impressive. Signal generators, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, and even a graph printer. I got to see how everyone's equipment was put down and criticized by the tech and the store's sales rep. No matter what the measured spec, the Nakamichi was superior in every way, and probably deservedly so. Then it was my turn. Half-way through the test, the tech said to me "you probably really like the way this deck sounds, right?" At the end of the evaluation, he gathered the test printout, tore-off the graph paper from printer and put it all in the fancy jacket with all of the Nakamichi product brochures. He took me to the side handed me the paperwork and said " this is the best deck I've tested tonight. If this was mine, I would use until it burned out and then, BUY A NAKAMICHI! I was grinning all the way home......

[@ppheanix]

WOW !! What a great rap !

[@jonathansturm4163]

Those AIWA decks were really nice, too. Much better value for money than the regular brands. The same went for their microphones, too. We used them for a sound reinforcement business I used to work for as a roadie.

[@RUfromthe40s]

Sony bought aiwa in the 80´s ,where i live they were not cheaper but i have a system from 79(a mini one ,that was fashion at the time ,not a compact system but components one) wich is above average in building quality, another good brand

[@angelodagnolo984]

The ADF800 or 880 with ANT's mods rival the top Nak's for a fraction of the price. I bought the ADF800 when they first came out in 1989 and she hasn't skipped a beat apart from the new MARS belts. Awesome deck for the money.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

I would say (after having most cassette decks) the Sony TC-K 950 ES is the best one, most solid (!) and most reliable 3 head / 3 motor (after replacing some SMD electrolytics and belts). The Nakamichis are overengineered, a Nakamichi Dragon has several of adjustments but cant be adjusted very precisely its more a kind of a "gamestation" for tapeheads. Revox B215 is also very reliable. If you want the Sony TC-K 950 performance for half the price? Get the great but still very affordable Sony TC-K 750ES (same drive with 3 heads and 3 motors like the 950) !

[@professorvoluck9311]

All of Sony’s 3 head decks sound very good. If you really want to save money or get a cheap daily driver the TC-KA1ESA is perfect. It sounds 90% as good as my TC-KA5ES, it’s simple, and very reliable.

[@Manx710]

I own a Nakamichi-125 and I found that the build quality is far superior to most other brands, not as many features in some cases but bested them in sound quality very often.

[@navinadv]

All the late 90s Sony ES series products were quite good.

[@analoguecity3454]

Ah man, I remember being 16 in the mid 80's buying packs of "chrome" and once in a while "metal" cassettes and hold them for a collage radio show that came on Friday and Saturday nights at midnight called "metal shop "! They play heavy metal! I know FM is NOT great quality signal, but back then it was such a joy for me, I miss it!

[@analogkid4557]

I remember Metal Shop!

[@jessihawkins9116]

why are you telling us this? 🤨

[@hqdefault]

Actually FM from the past was still better than streamed from today.

[@jessihawkins9116]

@@hqdefault am stereo was pretty good

[@bertiidol76]

Actually even do it! If you want it! I do.

[@rainer-mb]

A very good list! For artists recording their own material and using cassettes I should say the Tascam 122 MK II or MK III. Specially because of +4db inputs (being able to send and receive standart studio line levels) and its outstanding quality as a recording machine.

[@-______-______-]

Is this deck pretty much the same as the TEAC C-3X?

[@jamiesmith6838]

Yes! Tascam earned its place over Revox for its cost to performance comparison ratio. 👍

[@jimmyhawke]

The Aiwa AD-F990 is the cassette deck of the decade in my opinion. Same specs as the Nakamichi Dragon at a fraction of the cost. 3 head 2 motor perfection!

[@techmaester]

Not cheaper, actually, a couple on eBay expensive indeed, like that of flagship smartphones or a really nice new bicycle with the best tires.

[@amnril]

I own an AD-F770, another great deck with pretty much the same spec as the 990 minus the Amorphous head.

[@KR1275]

@@techmaester Cheaper when new... Dragon was a good deck, but not better than Pioneer CT-A9X, Sony TC-K777ES or Technics RS-B100. The Dragon costed twice as much, and at least 10 times as much to maintain.

[@artsimannisto5659]

I got ADF-770.What a recorder. REAL Draggoslayer, When watching at pricetag!!!

[@artsimannisto5659]

@@amnril Yes Neil,we do no have to buy 990. I also have 770. Never recapped,measured at any point. Sound is on a sweetspot. iTuned azimuth via my screwdriver.Sound popped out like a jack from a box!! I have a dent on a dx-head,but its nothing.Sound is what counts. 990 is too pricy nowadays. Enjoy your state of art- deck!! Greets from Suomi/Finland.

[@tonyt7372]

Sold the nakamicni "Dragon" while working at Beverly Stereo in L.A. back in the early 90's. Prior to that sold most of the decks mentioned while at the Federated Group and Pacific Stereo. By the way I sold the Dragon to David Ogden Stiers (Winchester on M.A.S.H.).

[@ebinrock]

Only the finest for the Winchester!

[@Damone7653]

"I do things one at a time, I do them very well and then I move on".... Charles Winchester.

[@rochester212]

The best deck is the one that still works. I have a Denon from 1987, no repairs except for a couple belts maybe. It works and sound good!

[@victorn.3525]

Yes, have the Denon drm 800.

[@AG-bp3ll]

This is my vote as well. If you can find one in your budget that works, go for it. I have a Sony WE675 I had to replace the belts on and it was way under $100 after repair and works as good as I need for 2024.

[@TTTR1GGER]

I love my pioneer CT-M66R 6 cassette changer,it's so awesome just to see in action,I bought it new ,seems like it was around $400 love at first sight,it has been through many receivers but still sounds great on my new Cambridge Great videos

[@MagicMaus29]

If you're looking for a real "sleeper" in my humble opinion and If you can live with mechanical buttons, as well as manual tape type selectors, you should go for a Technics RS-M63. Depending on the service status, you can get it for between €50 and €200. Well adjusted and cared for, this deck is a real surprise. Besides numerous slots for playback decks, I only have 4 slots for record decks available... and it hasn't been pushed out of those yet. Despite available candidates, who have cost a multiple, of what the RS-M63 cost. What more can I say?!

[@brunoprimas1483]

Technics in general seem to hold up well. Especially the belts! Technics would be my suggestion for someone who would like to get into cassettes. Fairly cheap, plentiful, and reliable.

[@razpones]

I absolutely agree with you, I have the RS-M63, a 3 head deck, that not only has the looks with the silver front plate, and if you are lucky the wood cover, but it also sounds great, only Dolby B which kind of sucks, but other than that it is solid, I got mine and it is still working with the original belts perfectly, all i had to do is clean the heads and set the tape speed a bit higher. I've had the Technics RS-BR465 similar to the B555 talked about on the video here, and it is a great deck as well, but with the issue that the frame that holds the transport is put together with plastic posts that at this point are very brittle, I got mine on the mail and maybe on transport or maybe before, those posts broke and I had to drill them and introduce long screws and bolts to attach the frame together again. Once that was fixed the deck is great and it does have all the goodies of the nineties like Dobly C, HX Pro, and even MPX filter, auto reverse and only 2 heads. I sold that one to a good friend that has a radio show and like 1000 tapes, but no player!, so i felt he needed a great deck. Technics has other great decks that are also very affordable and have many of the features of the BR465 but I guess a video dedicated entirely to the best Technics would be needed to, in order to get to all of them. I also have the Nakamichi BX-300 and it is a great deck but I find myself using the M63 more, I like the piano style mechanical buttons better than the electronic ones, and I think it is more robust with more metal parts than plastic, and less issues without the auto reverse. I want to get the BX-300 working perfectly and then sell it to be honest.

[@RUfromthe40s]

i do own a m25(wich sounds and records good, maybe because it was part of a system and i´m only using it today) and a 79 beneath the the top model works today in perfect condition ,changed the belts and still work good but from those years decks sound good and were more reliable and materials were better but never found one so cheap at least in Europe, saw one M25 on ebay for 350€ but refurbished ,regards

[@craigdavidson2278]

Sony TC-K 81......

[@WrainTravels]

Picked up a Nakamichi Bx300 a week ago for $400 with the original box/packaging and manuals. Absolutely love it

[@anadialog]

Sweet!

[@tweakerman]

Aiwa ad-f990, fabulous model.

[@LetThereBeSound1]

Great list! Another brand that doesn't get too much respect but that produced truly excellent cassette decks was JVC. Truly a sleeper brand! I own the fantastic JVC KD-A8 and even though a 2-head unit, it makes the most amazing recordings with the help of its B.E.S.T. computerized calibration system. It is an absolute beast.

[@kirilstoykov8254]

Really! Not only because I had several JVC decks. In general, this brand has great machines. Greetings!

[@anadialog]

Nice!

[@xxxsale007xxx]

Indeed JVC also made very very good tape decks. The best i owned is the TD-V 621. I made a Video about it, check it out, but with headphones 😉

[@LetThereBeSound1]

@@xxxsale007xxx Cool! I will go to your channel and let you know what I think but it would be helpful to maybe others if you came back and provide the link.

[@xxxsale007xxx]

@@LetThereBeSound1 Here you go kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLddJSgg5p4pJo. Enjoy! 😊

[@bubby372]

The best deck I ever owned back in the 70's-early 80's was a Tanberg.

[@RUfromthe40s]

they are the best

[@allentoyokawa9068]

It is not Japanese, so it is no good

[@allentoyokawa9068]

@@RUfromthe40s NOT

[@filmdyret]

I agree, still got a TCD330 3- head machine and even a 3 - head BEOCORD 5000 from 76. Solid , still playing.

[@jaisonsiqueira]

@@allentoyokawa9068 Telefunken 👀

[@bobmarker6812]

Still have my BX-150 Nakamichi.

[@godfreyberry1599]

I've been a casette deck fanatic right from when they happened right to the present. If their development hadn't been interrupted with that awful fob-off, the CD player, we would have had the most incredible invention known to man in daily use today. The level of sound quality reproduction achieved before CD is still quite mind-blowing. I would be first in line to purchase if production of these high end units were ever resumed and I'm certain it would be a long line.

[@anadialog]

Amen!

[@JacobFrey]

Nice list, mate. So happy I picked up a Nakamichi BX 300.

[@miked9959]

Great video. I have an Aiwa F770 I picked up on eBay recently that sounds great. You mention it in your middle tier and talked about it in one of your older videos (Cassette culture: know & choose the best audio cassettes and tape decks). Several people are mentioning the 80's in the comments. I don't think we realized how good we had it back then with some of the audio equipment (and life). I think it would be cool if you did a video about what it was like back then, the music scene, the audio equipment, etc. I love your channel. Thanks!

[@Badassvidsz]

770 is super yesterday i've picked my 660 from ebay i love it i also have an AD-F850 bought ir back in 1995 as brand ne in my city . I love Aiwa

[@anadialog]

Taking notes...thanks!

[@artsimannisto5659]

@@Badassvidsz Thanks. I have adf-770 also. Lots of work on it and will be,but it got it all. Beats nakaas badly when comparing price-guality stuff. Aiwa true japan guality stuff !!

[@artsimannisto5659]

@@Badassvidsz yes i dunno why,but sonically it like makes wonders,almost tdk-d, sounds like chrometape record!! 😄

[@emmanuelgarrouste7494]

I have an old Teac C3 from the late 70 which sounds magical!

[@kmp9232]

Jvc cd1669-2 absolute best cassette deck meant to be as good as reel to reel. 1974 was the year and I still own it and operate it today. Top loader twin heads sen alloy heads. Absolute amazing deck.

[@anadialog]

Nice!

[@sh0t734]

not the best but if it makes you happy , it is the best for you.

[@mmckiver]

I picked up an AIWA FD-F260 at a thrift store and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the sound quality and condition, even for two heads.

[@202One]

I still have my Nakamichi BX-300 in great working condition.. 👍

[@waynecartwright9478]

I have an old Nakamichi Dragon in the box laying around here somewhere.....It was expensive then, I wonder what it is worth now........great video.

[@ppwoodcock]

Great video! Decided to take the plunge on a Dual C808 deck as a restoration project, can't wait to get it next week!

[@anadialog]

Nice!

[@simonjones8111]

I spent 2 years in the late 70’s selling Nakamichi decks, and the two best were the 680ZX, with half-speed recording/playback, and the astonishing 1000ZXL which auto calibrated itself for tape and head alignment. Still have my 670ZX today ❤

[@max-gv9ub]

i just got a 580!

[@arungajaria9688]

I have nakamichi 582.

[@anonmachina]

I was engaged in sound production (for theatrical) in the 1980s. Not having many funds, most of the equipment was rented, with the exception of editing equipment. Carrying a reel-to-reel deck from theatre to theatre was something I considered insane. I opted for cassette decks. I do not recall the model number, but I purchased a deck by Onkyo, which I used profusely, to the point that I gave it to a friend years later when I had exited the theatre circuit. I kept theheads cleaned, demagnetized properly. The deck survived innumerable rapid button activations, never failing. I found it impressive (for the era).

[@anadialog]

Cool!

[@dejanvelicki2996]

Great list!!! But in in the mid price section I would like add famous Technics RS-B 965. That's one of best Technics decks ever . I recently found TECHNICS RS-BX 828 which is released couple of years latee(mid 99's) . Onnly diference between these two decks is that RS-B 965 has dbx

[@issiewizzie]

ahhh the AIWA ..The good old days

[@johnnysmile01]

i have the Sony tc-k555esL i bought from Japan and i like how it sounds. Also like the Aiwa xk-009 very good decks

[@KR1275]

There is no better!

[@ArcadeDude44]

Wonderful summary, thank you very much!:)

[@ionatan100]

Hello. I would say its a good start for someone who want to dive in the cassettes/decks world. I found a good Sony TC-K 750es for 120 euros in my town. I think its a better machine than the ones in 100-300 range. So, I guess, depends where your location is and how much the market around you is "infected" with the idea that their deck is "vintage" and ask a lot of money for it. Ps. Putting a lot of decks through tests found that tehnical specs are not entirely true. Just a note

[@RUfromthe40s]

all decks are vintage today ,the sony´s have a problem is like a gamble ,one might have luck with one and other might have problems i own a tc-k980QS ,it worked flawlessly, now the high´s are gone it calibrates and works perfect but the high´s just disapear not even with the bias all turned to the left side no high frequency´s appear and had a tc-k707ES that was great but the direct drive had a problem ,i sold it

[@miltonardila2891]

My decks : JVC KDD3, YAMAHA KX w362. TEAC V7, SONY TC KA6ES, TECHNICS RS965B. I have had many more through time like JVC, MARANTZ, PIONEER, AKAI, FISHER, HARMAN KARDON. I recently acquired a NAKAMICHI 480 and they gave me a deck from the cheap Marantz SuperScope brand, the reason I have around 3000 Audio tapes recorded from 1982 to 2022.

[@anadialog]

Wow! Congrats for your hardware and software collection

[@shanestephenson8423]

Great video l have an Akai GX-R88 very solid 3 head twin Capstan deck.😁🎧👍

[@SuperMcgenius]

That was fun, I still play my Yamaha 300 from time to time, 30 years latter works great. Good picks. 👍

[@melbguy1]

That price range is a bit restrictive. My vote for best vintage cassette deck is a late model Tandberg 3014A (1988-89). But in your price range, you can occassionally find an Onkyo TA-2090 in good shape under $1k. My bargain pick would be a Technics RS-B965 which is underrated imho.

[@macdaniel6029]

I once owned the RS-B555, a good deck. I sold it because it only had 2 heads. The only 2-head deck I own today is a Wega JPS351 C-2 from the 70s.

[@kurtburkhardt5862]

I know Nakamichi has some amazing decks, unfortunately they were out of my price range in the late 70's early 80's. I did get a Marantz 5220 2 head and then a Teac V2RX 3 head with DBX. Both decks worked well, still have the V2RX. The Marantz was stunning looking with the huge VU meters.

[@rcary]

I like my Tascam 133. Build like a tank, looks awesomely 80s and I love it. 🎉🎉

[@Pimentel48]

I loved your revue, but let me indicate you my old stuff in what respects "Cassette Players/Recording Apparatus". I own an AIIWA M700 a deck with trhree heads twoo capstants, with adjustable Bias with two bigs Vuimeters (needle meters). I still use an Yamaha KX 580 to listen to my cassette reccording and I love to listen to some recorded music from the seventies I have in almost 400 hundred cassettes (BASF and TDK), many are CRO2 and almost 20 TDK Metal. Some of my best recordings are still in a cassette support.

[@stanley2004]

I also own the M700. Outstanding machine. Built like a battleship.

[@raysrcsandtech]

Great video, now lets hope the prices dont increase even more on featured models now everyone know the good stuff :)

[@RUfromthe40s]

it happens a lot

[@777jones]

The best weird ones I got were an Akai GX-365D and a Yamaha Dolby S 3 head unit. Both quite choice.

[@hugobloemers4425]

Great review, I would love it if you could do more like this. I was surprised that there where no Akai or Sony decks on the list at all.

[@anadialog]

Akai almost made it, Sony, for these prices IMHO are not the best choice

[@martyjewell5683]

I've been thru many cassette decks since my first "component" cassette deck bought in 1975 after military service and broke, a Pioneer CT-f2121. Today I have several; Technics RS-m224, Yamaha KX-260, Nakamichi BX-1 and a Denon DRM-800A. Nice that you broke this down by cost. A very lucid commentary on vintage cassette decks. You gonna do a guide to open reel machines?? Some boss stuff you got there. Others I've owned were; Nikko ND-590ll, Akai CS-f14 and GX-f31 and an Onkyo TA-630D.

[@anadialog]

I did recommend R2R recorders towards the end of their respective videos. Here is my tape playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLDKsdsTBptr477KwjoZyMlCc8Yvjplijw

[@tomaswiak3625]

Nice guide. Personally I would swap the Nakamichi 300 against a Denon DR-M4

[@wtvdam]

Good list. I still own a Technics RS-BX626. Wonderful machine ❤️❤️😊

[@anadialog]

Nice!

[@PJAvenger]

In 1980, I desperately wanted a Sony TC-K81. But I was in school with no money. So I settled for a TC-K45 I eventually ended up with a Technics M245X - which had dbx noise reduction. Great! Except my whole reason for having cassettes was to play them in the car. How many car decks had dbx? Not a lot. Also $$$$. Poor decision.

[@TexTom1981]

A lot of people didn't think about that....why are you making cassettes? The car. Make sure it's going to work in the car.

[@robertdavis5714]

Well done Sir. Own the Yamaha, 300U, bought brand new in late 80's still own, still works great, had to lubricate both motors only issue. Like all your choices especially that "Dual" which I am unfamiliar with until now.

[@NuGanjaTron]

Dual was one of the big German brands that was synonymous with turntables. I still have a Dual 701 direct drive from the early 70s (allegedly the first DD produced in Europe). Had a Dual C939 tape deck (literally a flat "deck") which was very temperamental and failed often -- sadly, we tossed it out in the late 80s. I saw the C844 in their '83/'84 catalogue and was intrigued too. Never saw one in the flesh tho. I never realised Dual even exported to the US. Then again, I remember their turntables could be switched to 110V/60Hz, which was unusual in the 70s. Sadly, Dual went the way of the Dodo along with all the other German brands like Grundig, Telefunken, Nordmende, etc... 😕

[@pedrojmorais]

One very important feature is PLAYTRIM. Cassetes recorded on decks without tape calibration, a lot, and the wrong type for it, have wrong treble gains. Not even with a computer program are we able to restore the original equalisation if Dolby was used. PLAYTRIM takes its corrective treble adjustments before Dolby, so a proper correction is applied. All my tapes now have the PLAYTRIM correction written on them for fast accurate playback. For playback of old tapes mainly, I strongly recommend the first one or any Yamaha or NAD decks. I'm amazed with my Yamaha even in recording, (very slow recording adjustments with two heads unfortunately...).

[@stevenj2380]

NAD6300. How do I use PLAY TRIM and BIAS controls, listening to old mixtapes. Just by sound, nothing of instruments or measurement (I hope). Got a reference, I can't ask for lessons this way. Thanks.

[@pedrojmorais]

@@stevenj2380 PLAYTRIM is used by ear, clockwise increases treble, at 12 o'clock is the default or off position, counterclockwise reduces treble. To record the PLAYTRIM must be at zero 12 o'clock position, then each tape has is own bias, even different releases of the same tape have different bias, TDK D from 1990 is different from TDK D from 1992. You adjust the bias until the treble is equal to the original sound. This time counterclockwise increases treble. If you have 2 head deck tape, a lot of rewind and listening and comparing with the original is necessary, (choose a track with lots of bass and treble). On old tapes mark on then the PLAYTRIM adjust that feels right to you, on new tapes if they are all from the same lot, mark on them the bias; will save you time.

[@stevenj2380]

@@pedrojmorais thanks. I will save text for reference. Was a used purchase in the 1990s from Stereo Exchange in NY. I use a Tascam CD recorder in my system rather than cassette. But a good cassette recoding is still a wonderful thing.

[@RUfromthe40s]

@@stevenj2380 i don´t get playtrim it´s just a treble knob on the deck ,for that i prefer the pioneer flex function that put old recordings sound perfect as the first day you recorded them, i bought a deck just to have FLEX function, the CT-s630s from pioneer

[@stevenj2380]

Still not gonna get experience using much anymore. As long as I keep components, there will always be cassette, CD and turntable. .

[@Michael-t3b5b]

I had an Advent from the mid 70s that was one of the first really good cassette decks with Dolby and the ability to use chrome tape. Also bought an Aiwa 3800 in 1982 that still works. It was one of the first decks that could test and determine its own best settings for any tape you wanted to use Added an Aiwa AD-F810 in the late 80s to dub cassettes because most of the dual cassette decks were not on a par with the single drive decks.

[@gixxerboy555]

I own Nakamichi ZX-7 ..,CR-4 , CR-2 , CR-1 , CassetteDeck 1 .., 1.5 and the 2...I've also the DR-10 .., BX100..,BX150..but..I want the CR-7 ..the RX505 and the mighty Dragon..thanx

[@tonydeniro284]

Just picked up a fully refurbished Nak bx100...it Sounds freaking amazing.

[@salvadorvenegas-escobar1388]

Great review. Thank you!

[@seand67]

Man, I need a 3 head cassette deck!!!

[@T0LL1S]

The heads worn by the AKAI GX were far ahead !!

[@andrepaul5458]

I still own a Sony TC-K 970 ES Cassette Deck. Fantastic sound and robust for over 30 years. Bravo Sony, well done!

[@delroyshay5870]

I have AWIA AD-F990. Have not turn it on for years. Anyway I use Sony Walkman D6C which still works after all these years.

[@anadialog]

You should, a great deck!

[@delroyshay5870]

@@anadialog It's been around 16 years since I turned it on. it's in storage along with other parts,ie amp,tuner, turntable ect,ect. Can no longer afford electricity to use them.

[@terrybeavan4264]

Agreed on the BX-125 as a great choice for an entry level deck though I've only owned and heard the next step up the BX-150 which is basically the same deck but with a digital LED tape counter; the BX-100 is the "entry level" model in the same range which is the same as the 125 except no Dolby C; I think any of these three would be great choices! The BX-150 was my first experience with a Nakamichi and at the time was a revelation in terms of what kind of sound a cassette tape was capable of. One common problem these will have is a worn rubber idler pulley will cause weak fast forward and rewind and worse could cause the takeup spool to not be turned as it should on playback, potentially causing tapes to be "eaten", but replacing the rubber part of this pulley is a very easy do it yourself affair on these models, I know because I did it myself with my BX-150. As I understand it the RX auto-reverse series can have this same problem but owing to their construction it's inherently harder to get to in order to fix.

[@DuncanWEDD2019]

There was an optional gear idler modification for the BX series (so the BX-300 as well), and the CR-5 and CR-7 with their Sankyo transports (standard on all later models - the CR-4 has it). I had my BX-125E done 25 years ago with a major service, after I was warned "it'll be back on the bench in two or three years if you don't". Far greater reliability, only downside is increased FF & RW noise. My original-owner machine still fine, including recording. There is no idler tyre to change.

[@RUfromthe40s]

@@DuncanWEDD2019 didn´t read for a lot of years about sankyo ,had a stereo receiver and was great

[@StarionX]

I have a Pioneer CT-S620 I bought on eBay many years ago from someone in Germany. It's a bit quirky. Sometimes glitchy. But still a great deck. I use it quite a bit, and it still trucks on. It makes some really good recordings with practically any tape. I just used an old AMPEX Grand Master I from the early 80s and calibrated it beautifully. This unit is my second in command deck. My main is a Sony TC-K333ESG from Japan.

[@olaniyi570]

great list! Just fyi in my experience the Nak BX -300 will slightly outperform the CT-91 especially with normal and chrome cassettes with metal its closer. I had them both. Still have the BX-300. The CT-91 is a beautiful looking machine and much more rare. Also very important to note that Nakamichi still has some service and parts support in the U.S some of these other brands may be more difficult to get parts for.

[@glenn1964]

I do have the NAK BX 300E "E" is for Europe. Top great deck !!!. It still works with my TDK SA-X 90 min. cassette tapes. I also have the remonte control for the NAK 300E.

[@robyxrd]

Very good video! I have a couple of decks that you mentioned on your list: 3 units of Aiwa AD-F880, and an Excelia XK-007. I have also an AD-F800, that perhaps I slightly prefere to the 880.. They are excellent decks and, very important, have full calibration controls, bias and rec level. But they are very critical with belts.. The replacement belts have to be the exact dimension (diameter, width and also thickness) Here in Italy can be found at reasonable prices (not the Excelia). Another very interesting deck is Toshiba-Aurex PC-X88AD. Full calibration with built in tone, Dolby and adres in a dedicated board, that che be used as stand alone noise reduction units with any analogue recorder. Sometimes can be found as defective at a cheap price (an issue with the "idler", that is a gear, can be easily fixed)

[@neonvandal8770]

A few years ago I picked up a mint 1987 Technics tape deck from ebay that came from an old peoples home, and was never even taken out of the box! It was being sold for peanuts! I think i paid £15.00! 👌

[@jimchandler2241]

Way back I started with a Teac A-100 and some of the tapes made back then still hold up today. Had too many Sony's over the years but my go to deck now is a Nakamichi RX-303.

[@samiam247]

Great video, I followed your recommendations without much luck, but while doing so I lucked out and found an Aiwa AD-F660 at a great restoration shop called Vintage Audio in Surrey B.C. they did an extensive examination and found the unit to be in excellent condition. it's one of the best machines ever made and the 990 version was known to be nipping at the heels of the Nakamichi Dragon, for half the price, the 660 has a Wow and Flutter of 0.028% ! good enough for me 🎼🎼🎧⏩⏭▶⏯⏮⏪🎧

[@anadialog]

Nice catch! I had one of those in the past.

[@kfl611]

Yes recommend something we can find and ALSO something that can be serviced and fixed. No use buying an old deck if you can't service it and get parts for it.

[@anadialog]

Most decks can be easily serviced. Just need the right tech!

[@2visiondigital]

I have owned at least a dozen three head decks, loved them all. I am not a Nakamichi fan boy but I gotta say the bx 300 was the most cd like in frequency response. I still have it and a Yamaha kx 930 and a Sony ES deck, which I ironically i rely on the most. Imo JVC and Aiwa fly under the radar for perfomance and Onkyo for longevity. Never had the best like Revox or Tandberg, but some nice Teac, Akai, Pioneer, Technics, etc. Looking for another BX unit.

[@anadialog]

Nice journey! Thanks for sharing

[@svenschwingel8632]

I would add the '89 Kenwood KX-5010 to the first tier. It's a rock solid design based around a Sankyo mechanism that's easy to maintain and, according to past reviewers, it was the best "modern" 2-header to ever be produced. I recently got one off ebay for less than 80€ in working condition. It features a 2-point auto calibration, an amorphous head and also microphone inputs. Its big brother, the KX-9010 and the predecessor KX-1000HX can also be obtained for less than 300€. Both are very similar but feature a 3-head design (amorphous heads and a sendust erase head) and a rock solid dual capstan mechanism.

[@JoeJ-8282]

There were actually SO MANY REALLY AWESOME cassette decks back in the heyday of popularity of cassettes, (80's & 90's), that it's really difficult to choose the "best" one of all of them, and most of them, (even including the ones on this video list), are now quite rare and difficult to find in still working condition, and if you find one and they ARE still working, or especially if they've been professionally restored, then they're also usually VERY expensive!... So to me, what's MOST important is that it's actually found, like in a local thrift store or something, and for under $30 or so, also that it's a 3-head deck, (for live monitoring of the recording, as it's being made, so you can make sure it sounds good and ISN'T saturated or anything like that), that it has Dolby S noise reduction, for the absolute best signal to noise ratio possible from cassettes, AND that it is still in fully operational condition, or at least only has minor, obvious, and easy to fix issues with it, because most models aren't going to have parts available for them anymore, AND they're gonna be extremely difficult AND expensive to find and have someone else fix them if you can't do it yourself... Plus, I would ONLY buy a used, vintage deck from a really reputable and high quality brand, definitely NOT any of the rather crappy quality brand NEW machines that are now all made in China to the absolute cheapest quality standards possible, have absolutely horrible specs and sound quality, and of which ultimately are just totally insulting to the REAL tape decks of the (now) vintage era, and basically just make a joke out of the entire cassette format in general!... ONLY buy a good quality, still in good condition, vintage deck, and have it maintenanced back to like new working condition, because I guarantee that a good quality one from the past will completely obliterate one of those brand new decks made in China, there's absolutely NO comparison! I actually have a few really good quality 3-head tape decks myself already, one top of the line Technics, a Nakamichi one, a Denon one, an Aiwa, and 2 different Sony ones, none of which I can remember the exact models of, and I can't look rn because some are actually in storage, but anyway, I've bought ALL of them from my local thrift stores or garage sales over the years, and I've never paid more than $40 for ANY of them! (Most of them I bought for around $20, and one of them someone just gave it to me for free because they didn't have any use for it anymore, and thought that the whole format is so outdated that it was pointless to keep it anymore, lol!) I had to replace the belts in a couple of them, (and the ones in storage probably need that too by now!), but other than that they all work just fine! (I still have the Technics one in my current stereo setup because it makes such beautiful recordings AND it has the BEST VU meters I've EVER found on ANY cassette deck! (Extremely fast responding and accurate to the signal, with 2 different overall ranges and one with extremely fine, 1 dB increments around the "0dB" reference point, which is awesome for making the absolute best recordings possible but without having distortion saturating the tape and ruining your recording.) Anyway, I think at this point in cassette history, it's just whatever vintage deck that you can find that still works and is from a reputable quality brand, that has all of the features that you want or prioritize, AND is still within your affordable price point, wherever you buy it from, that's what really matters now! Good luck hunting for one that fits your personal needs and wants!

[@robertspencer7921]

bon journo .... I didmt know you cannot swim ..Great content very informed ...we need new decks soon ..with type 2 ... your dual looks great ...thank you

[@dennisduran8500]

I remember when the first Jensen LCD car stereos were introduced. I went through several of them before giving up. They were defective 😮

[@xxxsale007xxx]

One of the most underrated tapedeck is truly the Onkyo Integra TA 2570. This machine has the best sound of all tapedecks i owned, and i owned meanwhile over 50 different decks. The only thing that i have to mention is, that the tape calibration process is nothing for unexperied users it took me as an tapedeck expert almost one week to memorize the process how to calibrate a tape the right way. Manual level calibration but automatic BIAS totally weird! But when its done , the result is ...wow! So if you find some under 300 in good condition , go for it! My top recomendation. Btw. the Pioneer CT-S 620 with its excelent Reference Master Z drive mechanism (present in many high quality dual capstan 3 head Pioneer tapedecks with Wow and Flutter: 0.023%) i got for 155€ (!) last week and the Nakaichi CR-4 (very good tapedeck but not so pretty) i bought for 400€ two years ago in mint condition, but i don't use it very often, because i don't know, the sound is pretty good but somehow on the other decks, Pioneer CT-900S, CT-S620, Yamaha KX-670 and of course Onkyo TA 2570 everything sounds a little bit better and the azimiuth is set perfect!

[@anadialog]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@RUfromthe40s]

the CTs-610is the best pioneer 600 is considered high-end uses the same transport as high.-end models and still with big display ,from the same year as the ct-900S

[@bobgauthier1569]

Love my TA 2800

[@ppheanix]

Back when I started my first professional job, I scraped together enough to by a BX-2 cassette deck (duty free); then I attended a demo of the ZX-9 and was blown away by the sound AND the price -- AUD 5,000 !

[@nnnnnn4504]

I paid around 100$ for my Sony TC-K511S I don't think I can live without 3 heads now

[@davidoneill913]

My first serious piece of hi fi was a yamaha tape deck freat sounding remembered fondly.

[@rtacconi]

The Dual deck looks amazing

[@Terry.W]

Most of the Nakamachi are great decks but are expensive if you can find them..I refurb Sony decks reason being spare parts are easy to find and sound good ..to me .. .and then comes the search for blank tapes and that's another story..

[@WooferCooker]

I own many decks in this video! BX-300, CR-4 and a few others. I would mention the RX-303 and up is another great mid tier deck as it’s using nak’s classic mech and you still get the cool UDAR flipping experience. Obviously the 505 has surpassed the 1000 mark or I’d say get that!

[@jamiesmith6838]

My favorite Nakamichi cassette deck! The RX-505. Actually, my favorite deck overall!! 👍

[@harveyd_5-11under]

Found a BX-100 a few years ago. Better than anything I've owned in the past. I wish I knew back in the day that it didn't really cost too much more than other brands. Of course we all drooled over the Dragon.

[@anadialog]

Thanks for your feedback!

[@SLRPS]

Akai GXC 760D is a killer deck.. Akai actually has a lot of great decks I personally prefer them to the pioneers in the same price brackets.

[@RUfromthe40s]

that´s correct because if one buys a AKAI in the same price range, the pioneer is bellow, but i think that depends on the country one lives . AKAi was my first tape recorder, a 1970 reel deck that i use it today still with great recording sound ,the GX heads when released sounded perfect but where i live ,Akai products were very expensive the reason why i bought a RT-707 later ,my two reel to reel decks. Now i own a revox and a more recent akai reel decks(already with crystal liquid display) because they belonged to my father, regards

[@jamiesmith6838]

Appreciate the list, even with the Nak bias. These were some very good cassette decks. The Nak dragon is the pinnacle albeit cassette deck. However, they are difficult to work on, and very expensive high maintenance machines! Sony made Great decks not mentioned here at all?! They even made great tapes that closely rivaled TDK & Maxell. Awia, put glass over their heads to offset premature wear that other makes suffered from. The down side of glass was less music detail recovery and dynamic range. It was notable, but not a game changer. The compromise for sound consistency and longevity against sound deterioration. Revox made the best cassette decks overall. Revox were the most durable with nearly no maintenance. They used high wear items like plastic and rubber inerts to a bare minimum. They were the #1 studio deck primarily for that reason. The Dragon did not make a good studio deck for its weaknesses by comparison.

[@anadialog]

I just listed a selection of mid-low budget decks. Sonys are good in the higher segment IMHO I have a Dragon and Revox, zero maintenance after the first round! Incredible machines.

[@jamiesmith6838]

@@anadialog 🤝 👍

[@2damaxx182]

I'm running a Pioneer CT-F500 and I like it!

[@jasbo7288]

Hey I absolutely love you man, there's no one like you on KZbin in this sector.. Thoroughly enjoyable content as I love cassette decks myself, so keep doing what you do and all the best from the United Kingdom..😁👍

[@anadialog]

Thank you so much! These are the comments that make me smile and keep going!!

[@jasbo7288]

@@anadialog your welcome and after watching your vids I've just bought a Nakamichi CR-2E in excellent condition and been professionally serviced & calibrated off eBay and it's in my home town so picking it up tomorrow..My first Nak.. 😁

[@slow71971]

Are 3 head single tape decks the best to use for recording? @@anadialog

[@2thxcert]

I Like My Yamaha K-2000 Awesome Sounding Deck !

[@jfmax2000]

Nice Choices Here... Great Upload Bruh ☺☺😎👊💯

[@laserguide]

I own far too many decks😂 Yamaha KX-580SE, Yamaha KX-393,Onkyo TA-201,Technics M45, Sony TC-K715S and Akai CS-705D. Surprisingly, they all still work perfectly 👍

[@anadialog]

Nice!

[@birgerolovsson5203]

I had a Yamaha K-540 in the past and I would LOVE to have that again.

[@gregdemars8621]

The fascination with Nakamichi cassette decks is a mystery to me. During the time period when Vinyl was the standard cassettes were used for music in the car. The unspoken problem with Nak is they they broke the rules to pump their specs. The used record EQ to boost their high frequency spec. The problem is playback EQ was standardized by the original cassette patent. that means Nak tapes only sounded right when played back in Nak machines. It pretty much made those tapes useless in your car player. It really was the beginning of the end for the Nakamichi myth.

[@anadialog]

It's more of a myth. I have several decks and 2 Naks and their recordings are excellent also on the other decks. I do agree that THE BEST playback is obtained on the recording deck.

[@typhoontim125]

Great video....might Akai or Sony have made a showing in the list?

[@anadialog]

Those two brands IMO have good decks in the higher segment, which are excluded from this video.

[@michaelbyrne8860]

Nice! Very good information Thanks

[@stevengagnon4777]

Two heads... Back ground music in the grocery store. Three heads.... Well your favorite artist just stopped in for a jam session!

[@anthonygreene834]

Hello, got a Denon DR-M14HX PRO. Sounds really good and loaded with features. Haven't heard any mention of this brand on this thread. Are they that bad of a unit? Was a Aiwa fanatic in the 80s myself.

[@anadialog]

There are several great brands that I couldn't include. As I always say if you go mid 80's possibly with 3 heads you can 't go wrong

[@Techrewinds]

My All-time Favorite is the Nakamichi Dragon I Saved up all summer just to afford that tape deck best investment ever still running like a champ 😍

[@anadialog]

Indeed! I have one as well and love it but it's out of this budget ;-)

[@DelusionalVoice]

Just picked up two Pioneer CT-F500 decks for $20 a piece at a local flea market. Not the most feature heavy model, but sound great making cool demos

[@saren6538]

Yeah I picked up a mint pioneer ct-f1000 for 50 quid last week at a boot sale

[@WireHedd]

Using a Harmon/Kardon TD302 deck I purchased new in 1986.

[@Silent-Lucidity]

Now each of these just doubled in price! Lol! Some very nice pieces shown! Ty! BTW, the pronunciation of Tier is like "tear drop", as in crying. :)

[@anadialog]

Yes they told me, sorry, as you probably know English is not my first language.

[@tip-tapsaudio1119]

Excellent video guide!

[@leemski]

Super nice list! Sure, recording and listening selection will be another great video :) Eager to see you posting it for us :)

[@smkordis]

With your inspiration, I found an Akai GXC-760D. Reasonable price for a reconditioned 3 head deck. Nice upgrade/addition to my Teac CX 350!

[@anadialog]

Thanks for sharing that! Glad about this 😊

[@Pootycat8359]

I was searching for a 3-head deck, and came across quite a few, on Ebay, that looked promising. There were several from Sony & Kenwood that looked good and were reasonably priced. I was especially attracted to the Nakamichis (of course). I missed out on a BX-300 that was on auction, and all the other Naks were out of my price range. Then I came across a Denon DRM-800, in good shape, that I could afford. I researched it, on the Net, and....bought it. I'm now eagerly waiting for it to arrive. I hope I made the right decision....

[@anadialog]

Great catch! I am sure you will love it. Hope it's in good condition. Let us know!

[@saren6538]

3 heads ?

[@Pootycat8359]

Sure, one for erase, one for record, & one for playback. Most cassette decks have two, an erase head, and a single head for playback & record. With a 3-head deck, you can monitor the signal that's being recorded, from the tape, not just the source. Also, the pole gaps for record and play can be optimized for each function. Normally, a wider gap is ideal for record, to achieve maximum penetration of the magnetic field into the tape, while a narrower gap provides the best high-freq. response. If the same head is used for both functions, its gap is a compromise.

[@rthua5718]

I just bought a JVC tape deck in immaculate conditions for 24.99 at neighborhood thrift

[@Lbmwm3]

Hi Analogy City, Great video, Sir. I have a Nakamchi Dragon RX-202. Is part of valuable series. It so impressive to see it rotates once it gets to the end the tape😉😉😉