Califone Classroom Tape Player Recorder Review 5232AV

[@JerryEricsson]

1957 I began school in a small one room schoolhouse about 4 miles from our farm. Our place had no electrical power,so I was amazed that the teacher could press a button and the hanging globes glowed with bright yellow light! Then came recess and it was snowing so bad that the teacher kept us indoors. For our entertainment, she pulled out a small red record player and some colored records, red, yellow and so forth. I recall one was "Little Brown Jug" another was "Ruben and Rachael" there were more but my young mind only cued in on a few. I was amazed that a small disk like that could hold an entire song on each side! We had nothing like that at home, our only entertainment was an old battery pack radio. This brings back those memories so very clearly. Thanks for making an old man's day a bit brighter!

[@jerrycarriera8648]

I worked at my hometown's school system fixing AV equipment back in the 70's. We had a few Califone phonos and they were a very good quality product. Of course back then, most of the equipment was made in USA.

[@VectraQS]

I was in kindergarten in 2006. I remember a blue cassette player with an attached box with six 1/4" headphone jacks. And the Califone record player with some records that went with our 1990 music books. Last I knew, my grade school still occasionally uses VHS.

[@stphinkle]

These were common when I was in school years ago.

[@MsCori76]

We had similar at school too.

[@MelancoliaI]

Absolute tank of a tape player. Many hours spent listening to books on tape on one of these bad boys at my vacation cabin either through the speaker or equally sturdy Califone headphones

[@Musicradio77Network]

Cool! I also have another school cassette recorder, and it was from Audiotronics, a successor to Califone. It’s a model 148B “Classette” classroom cassette recorder. It works great. It can play music, used for audiobooks such as Disney read-alongs, and also for learning activities used in schools and libraries.

[@bigsky1970]

You say it's horrible music, but it's perfect for Lo-Fi Love on that cassette recorder.

[@alanmaier]

Serious reply - with Millennials getting into cassettes, these are sure a much better device to play tapes on than the dreaded Crosley Cruiser is for records. Even being mono, not a huge issue given the lack of separation on a toy record player. I am really surprised at the sound quality of these things!

[@38911bytefree]

Any recorder made in 70s and 80s will outperform Crossley garbaje. We are not taking about a any decent boomxbox, the prices went too high, but you can still buy 90s one from Sanyo, Panasonic or Hitachi (3D WOOFER) and would like listeing tape into a Naka Dragon.

[@jrs0007]

I fixed a bunch of these as a H.S. student when I worked for an Audio-Visual dealer. Local schools used them and they were among the best of the bunch. Other than cleaning/maintenance, about the only repairs were replacing broken cassette doors from rough handling and an occasional stretched belt. Your model was made for sale in Canada (French/English lettering) and sold new for about $200.

[@me3333]

Ah the memories of listening to Crazy Train on a cassette I snuck into the library on an older version of this in high school...

[@billypayne7203]

I may only be 15 but we grew up poor so we watched VHS tapes and listen to cassette tapes

[@Evan420]

what does being 15 have to do with this?

[@MisterTalkingMachine]

By the mid 2000s, this stuff was on it's way out. I live in a south american country, and the last time I bought a pre-recorded VHS at the supermarket was when they they had a basket with the last remaining tapes on discount back in like 2006-7. Blank audio casettes were sold for a bit longer. I was born in '97, though back then, non-rich people only played 1980's games (usually on bootleg consoles). My brother was born in 2001 and he got to watch VHS tapes.

[@WolfmanDude]

Well its much better to buy electronics with 10-30 years delay. Computer stuff that costs 1k$ today will be at Goodwill for 10$ in 15 years. Its awsome!

[@MisterTalkingMachine]

Even one or two years make a huge prize difference when it comes to consumer electronics, since they are updated so fast nowadays.

[@MsCori76]

+MisterTalkingMachine OMG, you are only 3 years older then my son! LOL Haha, I'm older enough to be your mother! Gee, I better stop now you are making me feel old. I suppose turning 40 next month isn't that old as I still feel young. Hehe 😱😜

[@SpeakerFreak95]

I've got several of these units, some made in Japan, and some Chinese made. Both are great but they always seem to sound good, record well, and they always seem to have very healthy amplifiers inside. I've used them as little Pa amplifiers in the past.

[@radiotvphononut]

My elementary school had some that were similar to the full sized model. I also remember some Bell and Howell, Wollensak, and Sharp cassette recorders.

[@riverhuntingdon6659]

Not too surprising that these educational machines and even things like the headphones were mono. Had they been built in stereo, students would've stolen them. Hear in the UK we had Goodsell and Coomber, both firms made educational kit, including radios and record players/phonographs. Very surprised to get a cassette video from you ! The Califones sound pretty good and are seemingly well - made, despite the new cancer china smell :-) Mechanics appear to be the usual mechanism made for cassettes in later years. Probably been thrashed to death in the case of the used units.

[@samgates1915]

Coomber 393

[@jasejj]

The transport looks like a standard Sanyo mech from the 1980s... millions of these were put in computer recorders back in the day. They were always pretty reliable if not the best performers.

[@1marcelfilms]

i got some school tape player myself as well. really high quality buttons with metal sound click.

[@38911bytefree]

16:32 This can be the pinch roller. They deform and tend to push the tape up or down the path. This is prior to start chewing. Number one colprit on chewing tape. Each time I had this sympthom, pinch and take up tension are the first to blame. Realese the pinch with you finger and it well get clear. Sometime excesive tension on the take up due to a worn clutch pad can degrade the pinch roller effort to get the tape guided and on speed. Grroves on the head can do the same as you pointed, but at this point the groove is noticeable with your nail. This being classrroom machines should have lasting components, head should not worn out. 4.6W could be possible on 4 ohm or 3 ohms. Boombox have been doing 3.2 and even 2.7ohms.

[@RODALCO2007]

7 Bucks, great deal! awesome with all the new wrapped headphones I still love my reel to reels. IC LA4597Interesting all those parallel jacks.Nice to see the French English text near the buttons.

[@38911bytefree]

The sound is very good and stable, for a portable mono of this size, you cant ask more.

[@aphexteknol]

Woah Shango... My grandfather used to play that tape constantly that you demoed in the beginning of this video. A few years back I tried looking for a copy online since that stupid Shell Rotella jingle is burned into my brain and couldn't find much about it...

[@shango066]

wow, really? I played some more of it at the end of the video. late 70s early 80s country pop RCA artists. It would be easy enough to rip down to mp3 if it was that special

[@aphexteknol]

If you don't mind going through the trouble, I'd appreciate it. I guess it was some sort of promotional tape they gave out with a case of oil or something that my granddad picked up.

[@shango066]

remind me in a few weeks to do it.

[@aphexteknol]

Sure thing, Thanks for all the great videos!

[@leonardeagono1883]

A lot of times when the volume drifts it is a tight tape or a tight take up spindle clutch, also those mono players are good to listen to books on tape.

[@Synthematix]

That big red record button takes me back to my childhood.

[@shango066]

Im using one of your songs in my next video as a test. its just a burnt car

[@shango066]

I used Gouryella. Set to publish friday at 0800 my time

[@Synthematix]

great stuff mate! cant wait.

[@shango066]

I need stuff a little longer for the mine videos. 4:30 is a good length. I can beat mix and extend these in the video editor but longer would make it easier overall. This one worked out real nice

[@Synthematix]

great stuff shango, that califone NOS deck is IDEAL for an 8 bit computer from the 80s i have one very similar but its made by sony

[@MsCori76]

Yes I'm not too young to remember what a cassette is. I've still got my collection of them as a kid from the 80's & I still today play them! 👍🏻😀

[@shankslitter1344]

Really enjoyed this review video. Nostalgia-tastic!

[@wildbilltexas]

Nice deal. Probably that pitch control pot is dirty. Califone made good tough school equipment. That they aren't stereo decks and dont have that cool retro factor like 70's-80's boomboxes and component stereo decks have is probably the big reason why they sell cheap.

[@chrisa2735-h3z]

I wish Crosley made their products that well!

[@caitlinmcmanus1353]

We had the suitcase ones, they always sounded good in school and went real loud

[@josephbeasley5193]

di they have a little angry face on the Record button?

[@taunusv4power]

I want to see the EOL of that tape, for real man!

[@drussell_]

Try demagnetizing the heads on the two decks with hours on them. That usually noticeably helps the high frequency response on heads that have many hours on them since they were last demagneitized (if ever). :)

[@rarbiart]

the internal build quality is relativly amzing. I expected much worse. (o.k. it's not industrial, clearly. But it managed through time very well.) are those from canada or why is it bilingual in french even on the knobs.

[@alynicholls3230]

the proper way to adjust azimuth is with a 1khz tone tape and an oscilloscope, with change of plug those cans would be perfect for metal detectors, older detectors have the mono plug but newer ones use stereo plugs.

[@stphinkle]

I think some of the cassettes used in school were for story tapes, which I think are recorded in Mono (but I could be wrong).

[@stphinkle]

Those colors on the buttons at time 16:19 were put on by teachers to assist young students learning to work a tape player and not accidentally press record when trying to play a tape.

[@jefferyb304]

I have one of these in the phonograph style cabinet. Mine has a tweeter. It lacks battery operation but has a 12 volt in.

[@thebouc]

I have one too that plays, pauses, rewinds and functions how it should, except there is no sound. No sound from the built in speakers and no sound when you plug in headphones. Any ideas what the problem could be?

[@markmarkofkane8167]

If you want a cassette player, get one that shuts off before the tape gets tangled up in it if it jams. I would like that cassette deck. 7 watt? Maybe to be sufficient to run all those earphones.

[@gazyounglive]

Cue / review features with sound is something I only seen here in the UK on panasonic or national machines... interesting these machines have it.

[@JohnAudioTech]

Unless that thing runs on some type of magic pixie dust, there is no way it puts out 10 watts of power with a 6 volt supply (4 D cells). Probably rated in Chinese PMPO watts or gets more voltage to the amp IC when plugged into AC.

[@shango066]

I would agree, it is seriously loud though. Easily loud enough to fill a whole classroom

[@rarbiart]

those spec sheets use to state a value called "PMPO": Output on spontaneous combustion.

[@Synthematix]

it could have a step up transformer

[@CrystalResonator]

Wrong, easily attainable. It will not create audio at max power for very long though. A typical 'D' cell is rated at 8000mah, or 8Ah. 4 in series will still be 8AH, & @6v : P=IV:(8x6)=48Watts. It would happily create 30 watts of audio for about an hour, (give or take as the operating current of the mechanism and other circuitry, (pre-amps etc)), will all consume energy. So, Sorry John, U R WRONG ! (All ratings pertain to true RMS values). :)

[@JohnAudioTech]

But you're talking about an amplifier that could get the best out of the battery power. It would require a boost converter or output transformer to get that much power from a 4 ohm load with a 6 volt supply. I am discussing the the LA4597 Sanyo IC inside this recorder. It is a two channel amplifier likely in a bridged mono configuration. The ideal output from the IC with 6 volt supply is (6 x .707)^2 / 4 which is about 4.5 watts of clean output before clipping. At 10% distortion the power might reach 6 watts. Since there are losses in a real world amplifier, I doubt the power is any more than 4 watts at 10% distortion.

[@FelixTheHouseFreak]

14:47 vaporwave

[@ZenithClarity]

Shango, you should really do more videos on different vintage electronics. People love em. That is a solid cassette player, if it was in stereo people would have been hoarding them already. And cassette tapes actually can have excellent sound if recorded on metal tapes. But very pricey. That nos one you have there is a keeper.

[@craignehring]

This reminds me of when brands like Webcor ,Bell & Howell or Wollensak 3m institutional sound/visual machines were all over the place

[@khroe]

I used to have a 3M Wollensak suitcase style deck, heavy monster and built!

[@ladr1550]

When are you getting to those desert finds, dan?

[@tomaszstarling]

The player has a built in mic I see so I wonder if the pa will work off that built in mic or is it a record only

[@juniorbcm5375]

Could it be possible to replace the playback head to a stereo one, and wire it to a line-out jack on the back of the unit?

[@TonyFleetwood]

as a diesel mechanic, i have met many colorful people over the years, and i know one guy, who puts rotella in everything, his snow thrower, lawn mower, car, truck, whatever. he swears by the stuff. its only better because it has stuff in it other oil companys put less of in these days...

[@shango066]

The EPA regulates much of the additives are in oil, the main one being zinc sulfate that the older non roller motor engines have. I mainly use racing or 4 stroke motorcycle oil because it still has the high levels of zinc. The rest is all just brand loyalty

[@TonyFleetwood]

those who know, know ;) i have all pre 94 and mostly 80s vehicles and i prefer all the help i can get!

[@shango066]

Yep 1994, thats the key

[@MsCori76]

+Tony Fleetwood I still drive & own 90's cars. My 4x4 is 1993 & my little sedan is 1998. Their both old but still going & least my 93 4x4 isn't flimsy plastic like new cars.

[@MsCori76]

+shango066 1994 was a good year, I was 18 & completing my last year of school. 👍🏻😀

[@oldandeerie]

the belt broke in mine and i tossed it out, i kind of regret it, was it an easy fix?

[@thumblister]

Ahh Seiko, the eternal idol

[@tomaszstarling]

Man I love your vids

[@videosuperhighway7655]

There is a warmth coming out of that Califone and the sweetspot in listening provided by this speaker rivals 4000 dollar stereophile systems. Save them one day they might end up fetching 100K on the auction market like old APPLE I boards.

[@gavincurtis]

The sweetspot was right on. Even my $8 gas station earbuds caught it.

[@robertgaines-tulsa]

Ack! Space alien torture on the review and cue buttons!

[@stphinkle]

You could probably build a mic adapter from XLR to the connector it uses

[@teacfan1080]

They sure put in a lot of features for a portable, everything imaginable. Probably ran out of room for stereo!

[@rarbiart]

I guess "no stereo" was the sales pitch as educational invest. ("will not be worn out by pop music listening purposes") And certainly it may have prevented some theft since nobody would have stolen a mono device in the 80ies or 90ies.

[@stphinkle]

It might also be that most educational quality tapes were voice and not a lot of music. Some of these were used more for educational content tapes, learning center tapes, educational storytelling tapes, class instruction tapes, basic tape recording, dictation, etc and many of these functions are mono. These units were not made for music or home stereo stuff. Mostly these units were used for playing educational tapes in a classroom.

[@maxhifi1232]

In my experience with tape recorders, the motor, head, and transport all seem to wear out around the same time. Trying to make an old worn out machine perform as new usually ends up being fruitless or way more effort than it's worth. That old stock one is sure nice though.

[@alynicholls3230]

i wish i could get one of those.

[@markmarkofkane8167]

P.S. waiting for a reel to Reel version. In second grade teacher had one. Might have been a wollensak. I used to mess with the alignment on tape heads all the time. Adjust for best treble

[@CanDoo321]

I went to several schools for the blind as a child these are multi track machines. That is why they are mono.

[@MelancoliaI]

can't wait for the Crosley Mixmaster Vintage cassette recorder coming to a dumpster fire near me. bring on the hot glue

[@videosuperhighway7655]

They were made in The city China in Ohio USA, it was a small company town where all califone products were made. Once they were gone the city disappeared from the map like Atlantis.

[@gavincurtis]

Dang. Too bad it isn't stereo. Put a chrome tape in that and turn the motor speed up to maximum. Probably get some good high frequency extension with your recordings.

[@cameraguy4767]

Nice machines. TRW Swap Meet?

[@deanswetman3887]

Can't believe they didn't rhyme 'Rotella' with 'Fella'.

[@7c3c72602f7054696b]

I just picked up a 1938 RCA radio...I might make a video. Got it for $30.

[@sirmugman]

man for a school tape player that things pritty good sounding! $7 FOR THAT LOT?!?! well apart from the fact one needed belts now hearing that 7 bucks?! was that for the opened or sealed one or bpth?! if both bargin!! BOOO UNSUBBING BOO MORE CASSETTE DECK VID BOO! la4597 is the code on there, those number on there on the new one are just test number used to see if the player works, back in the days when things were all tested not just one whole unit from the production line of that day or of that month, "sniffs" mmmm lovely just a nice as ols school printing presses and stale ciggette smoke, DUDE I THOUGHT ONLY RECORD DECKS HAD THAT! the speed up slow down setting awsome! oh man that is awsome, pritty neat too as at least then you know when your casette is dying as it'll make the slow noise i think my JVC is doing that oh well it looks nice as a display piece anyways that on a blue moon and not long cassette or old cassette might play one side, kinda neat to hear how radio dj's got that sound of wjen a track ends and they make a noise then talk its a cassette being fast forworded or re-wound awsome! OH SO YOU GRAB THE CASSETTES BUT LEAVE THE 8 TRACK TO ROT AND DRY OUT EVEN MORE IN THE SUN? 8-TRACK HATER!! lovely things but there just not for me is what your saying

[@Mr1p0d]

Hey Shango, you can do an audio tape rip from that Seiko Club Mixes tape and upload to Google Drive?? I will love to download and hear the songs, it would be highly appreciated since I tryed finding it on Google and nothing comes on u.u If you and everyone are intrested to know, Seiko comes from Seiko Matsuda, a Japanese singer who tried to give J-pop to the American market on the 80's and 90's and I believe that there are some albums on the US from her lying around in some stores but as all on here we know some singles from some artists only came on cassette rather than CD :3 I did watch the video, I like it and seems that you have a very good taste on music

[@josephbeasley5193]

are you a japanese girl?

[@crapcbm]

you have 2 units, take a stereo head and convert one to stereo, the 2nd for the 2nd channel haha

[@brentludwick213]

She'll Rotella, Further Down the Road Cassette! I have one, too!

[@HDXFH]

Sanyo Audio amp Around 7 Watts max 4597

[@ethan043]

Those look like they may have started their lives in Canada, there's French button labels.

[@josemir7620]

Today's things don't last like they used to/ Brasil👍

[@IMhill59]

It drives me crazy when it gradually speeds up and her voice gets higher and higher... it’s kind of a turn on for me

[@정우진-m1m]

what is opening song?

[@grillskillz7773]

I am pretty sure its a advertisement for Shell Rotella T6. Edit: I just looked it up and found no results (on KZbin) So that is the whole jingle.

[@jermainburnett8594]

is old comset tape player from the 80's

[@VeryMildNoodles]

Didnt try headphones?

[@danishnative9555]

Buy it cheap and stack it deep. Hey, I thought your warehouse was already full.

[@MrStricklen]

well made lasts cheep is just a wast time and money good job on the video

[@billypruitt7487]

I was given a version of tape player.but mine is a player for the blind..and physically handicapped👀

[@CanDoo321]

Btw we used these for talking books.

[@HDXFH]

Nice scores

[@EdgarsLS]

wouldn't have been surprised if youtube would've claimed the video for cuing trough a song

[@connorm955]

22:52 Alien transmission

[@Rockyracoon4114]

I've watched most of your videos not much In to tape players there just so common In Mississippi tons of tape players no tube tvs you cant find any tvs made before 1985

[@jermainburnett8594]

it is a school comset tape players.

[@makinjica]

why you display your name on that paper ?

[@gmcnewlook]

makinjica so that if someone takes his video and re uploads it and claims it as theirs he has proof it was stolen

[@makinjica]

gmcnewlook. o ,ok. thx for info.

[@danielhorne6042]

i found some in the uk for around £20 to £40 lol

[@HDXFH]

Aux in, nice lol Record off Spotify xD

[@MrStricklen]

lots more than $7dollers in part speaker amp i it is the kind that lots to give even as organ doner

[@HDXFH]

Sanyo TV speaker

[@rivards1]

Your tax dollars at work. Military-grade custom cassette tape players, being specially made for schools probably in the 1990's, judging by an email address shown on the documentation. At a time when cassette players were long passe and available super-cheap, government schools were paying to have special models custom built. Models that didn't even have stereo.

[@zenith-hl8ku]

She'll rotela

[@me3333]

Head Cleaner! Found the porn stash! :)