The Legend That Is The TDK D - Type 1 Cassette

[@cornelbaluta]

In 1988 when I turned 14 my parents gave me as a present two TDK D60 which I still have. What is so special about this moment? I was born and grow up in Eastern Europe and there were really hard times. They paid on the black market a fortune for these two cassettes something like $20 each. I kept the wrapping foil of the cassettes for more than 10 years in a book. 😂

[@ogami1972]

literally dozens of these in my collection, almost all club dj mixes. remember when you could go to a club, and if you got in with the dj, you could slip him $5, or buy him a few drinks, and he would give you a tape at the end of the night? and omg, playing those in your car as you pre-gamed the next weekend was enough to make you feel like you were on top of the world. good memories, thanks :)

[@glx3846]

Do you still have them? Sadly no one in my family has them anymore, wish they kept them but they didn’t. I wish I was there before they threw them away but I wasn’t. I feel extremely sad about it. What should I do? :(

[@MrDwightsimon]

​@@glx3846Get some turntables and make your own mixtapes

[@youngcali177]

Tony, thanks, this is a video what we, as cassette-enthusiasts were really missing!

[@meurighailstone1999]

Hi tony, The reason for the HF roll off is the non linear way in which tape handles high frequencies, also they way high frequencies in music are much lower in amplitude than low frequencies, closer to the pink noise curve than the white noise curve. This is why in service manuals for both consumer decks and professional decks alike they always recommend testing high frequency response at -20dB below dolby level / the dolby cal symbol). If you did your sweep at that level you'd have an almost flat response to from 100hz to about 10kHz then a gradual roll off from 12kHz. Just a tip from someone that does it for a living. Not a criticism, just a tip :-)

[@CassetteComeback]

I get that, but I was running them this hot for a reason. I don't record at -25db, so I don't care how a Cassette performs at it 😁

[@meurighailstone1999]

@@CassetteComeback If you were to measure the actual level of high frequency components in an average music track you'd find components at 10k would be close to -20, while 100kz would be closer to 0dB. so when you're recording muaic at 0dB the HF is actually much lower than you think. There's an approx 3dB drop per octave (in music) as you move up the spectrum.

[@meurighailstone1999]

again, please don't think I'm criticising, just passing on some tech knowledge to a fellow analogue enthusiast.

[@CassetteComeback]

Cool. Well maybe next time, I'll do them at -25. But it was really silly to compare a totl metal to a D and the D looks better. The whole point was trust your ears, not the graph.

[@meurighailstone1999]

@@CassetteComeback Absolutely :D totally agree!. You listen to music with your ears not your eyes. I actually love the D formulations right back to the 1979, a lovely smooth sound, reliable and hard wearing. Not exactly clinically flat but pleasant to the ear, that's what it's all about.

[@lloydgarland4667]

It wasn't at all boring Tony, more like this please!

[@wildbilltexas]

The TDK D was like the Ford Mustang of cassettes to us Americans! I used them since 1978 when I got my first component cassette deck (Sharp RT-1155). I remember trying out Maxell's LN, Sony's CHF-LNX and BASF's LH Extra on that deck, but none of them sounded as bright or as good as the D. I also used TDK AD's and SA's but the D was my main go-to tape during my high school and college years. Thanks for testing, it just shows how constant the D was during its lifetime.

[@ethan1970]

I've been waiting so long for you to come out with a video dedicated to the TDK D's

Never had a problem with them. They hold up 30 years later as well !

[@325iaddict]

but sounding way dull after just a few years... compared to the 1986 Sony HF, which is really WAY better than ANY "D".

[@beosliege]

Thanks for making this one. I enjoyed the technical aspect just to see how that is done. And plus, it was revealing in a different way.

[@benjaminedwards9751]

I've been recording my own cassettes for about 30 years, and 90% of them have been on the Maxell UR, the Sony HF, and the TDK-D.

[@VeritasKonig]

Thank you for the time and effort you put into this analysis!

[@888boss]

TDK наверное мои самые любимые кассеты, особенно D90, до сих пор храню их.

[@manns4]

I love the feel of a cassette when it rattles and makes its noise in the case :D just brings back such fond memories

[@vikramjitbanerjeetuki]

Thanks for this Tony,i have almost all of these variants of the D😁 the 1982 is my personal favourite ❤️ the 1986 sounded as good as the source!!!

[@teletronikoforever]

Tdk D, along with Sony HF were my best buy choice back in the day. I love all the range of Tdk D, starting from the 1982 with black shell and paper label and ending with the early 2000 models. Never, ever had bad experiences with a D.

[@ogorekkiszony7236]

oh i love the tdk d. i still use my tdk d90 from 82, as they are still cheap, but the quality is awesome, and oh the recording quality.

[@jonathanandrew4322]

Cracking video and I found the graphs really interesting , keep up the good work.

[@jaymartinmobile]

I don't find this boring at all. Thanks for showing this.

[@GrahamAtDesk]

As you soon as you said "you can relate everything back to cars", my brain went "Ford Escort!" 😀 As I was growing up in the '80s my Dad tended to get AD90's by default, so I'm very familiar with the early AD shells and stickers (and the AR, which Richer Sounds started selling for a great price later on in the '80s). So I don't remember ever seeing a D from the '85-or-earlier era in the flesh, but as soon as I started trading tapes with mates in sixth form / at University, the D90 (by this time with a clear shell) was everywhere. It was the standard for mix tapes, sharing albums, you name it. I've always associated the D with the lower quality recordings that we students used to share with each other, but I really should try recording on one now, with decent kit with a bias control, and the recently acquired knowledge of how to get the most out of it! (that knowledge has mainly come from you Tony, thank you) Update: It's two days later, and I got my hands on a decent late-model 3-head deck (Yamaha) and recorded some punchy electronica with deep bass and crisp treble, after calibrating bias and pre-record levels. Oh my god. I've never experienced the impact that calibration has on Dolby before. Dolby B and C both work flawlessly, keeping the crisp highs but lowering the hiss. I went with Dolby C, and suspect it was the highest quality recording I've ever made (and it was on a mid '90s D!). Virtually indistinguishable from the digital source, and with lovely bass.

[@stevemeli]

Fantastic Tony... Not a boring millisecond in there... Loads of memories there with all the post 86 D... Thank you for your longer video today!

[@markphilpot4981]

So love and appreciate the time you spend on your videos. Regardless what some may say, there’s always haters and venomous beings spreading their negativity around. Close your ears and press on mate! Yours is the show to watch and listen to! We are here and we believe in you Toni! Press on!😊👍🏻

[@johannconcepcion6167]

The TDK D90 tape in 1986 version is my most favorite among these TDK D's presented until now. It brings back a lot of my childhood memories during the early 90's. Thanks for sharing.

[@watershed44]

@Cassette Comeback Hello again Tony! Hope you and your family are well and healthy. Thanks for continuing to make these great videos, especially at 5:25 so relaxing to watch you using the legendary Bic Ball Point Pen to allow us to see the tape itself! Therapeutic dare I say! You're like a time machine taking us back to the mid 70s! I was just a little child back then but good times !

[@phantom62]

That wasn't boring, in fact it was a joy to watch :)

[@SFtheGreat]

The sealed one has the "low noise high output", however this one deserves it. And lo and behold, the worldviews about metal tapes are now shattered laying in ruins.

[@Musicradio77Network]

TDK D is recommended for recording music and voice, and it can be used as a dictation.

[@Tomica1207]

Okay, Sony HF models next :-)

[@CassetteComeback]

It will happen...

[@ychesnokov]

@@CassetteComeback Please include Sony EF into the set - I believe it is a bit better than HF overall

[@bryanv257]

I used to love the shells of the HF-S - the ones with the middle third clear. My favourite shell after the 1986 TDK D. I think another good test in relation to entry-level cassettes, would be Philips FE-I

[@CaptainDangeax]

@@FBAV Same bad experience with Sony, the tapes did crumple to easily

[@m80116]

D is my favorite replacement tape. Whenever I've got a compromised cassettes' tape... unless it's something special and mint shell it gets replaced with D tape and necessary notch covers. I always stick on a tag with TDK D tape written on it.

[@stuart1409]

I think you should setup a live 24 hour stream of these tape cassette videos

[@CassetteComeback]

What's that?

[@beosliege]

@@CassetteComeback haha, a live 24 hour stream is what some folks do on Twitch. For example, video gamers stay up for 24 hours straight playing video games, and people pay $5 to watch them and make them do weird/funny things. I am not sure if that would translate into this type of a channel or not, but now you know what it is!

[@macraghnaill3553]

When I was buying tapes in the 80s, TDK and Sony were the best, and both play 40 years later

[@JamesE707]

Tape cassette sentimentality will have started with the TDK D for many. My first TDK was a 1973 SD, then a softer sounding D. Happy days Tony!

[@Musicradio77Network]

TDK started in around 1969 with a standard pre-D Low Noise cassette, then came SD in the early 1970’s, and by 1972 came the D.

[@maestrostechuniversity]

I really enjoy the Legend That Is Series and the Type 0 videos…I really enjoy watching all of your content ❤

[@luthiercremona]

Hi Tony!Very interesting vídeo You made on these TDK D líne!I must Say that they are among my favorites type 1 cassettes, as as You said, anybody can't be wrong on choosing them.They are superb!!!It is very very interesting to see Frequency response and DB of these tapes.I was surprised how TDK D cassettes, in the midrange, performs better than much more expensier metal tapes and Master metal tapes.Now seeing those graphics it's more clear to me why I like a Lot TDK D cassettes.Many thanks for your video Tony!!!As always very happy to follow your interesting channel.Regards!Rafael

[@Steveuk405]

I am an engineer and I really enjoyed this! i would love to see how some of the TYPE 0 come up! Go on you know you want to....

[@CassetteComeback]

Not as bad as you'd think. That's why I don't like these graphs. They get the facts right, but miss the point entirely.

[@tvfreak7777]

As technician I really liked the part with the graphs! I have to say, I think the measurements you did do not say much about how a cassette actually sounds/performs. You recorded the sweep at +5dB, but the high frequencies in music are never that loud. they are some 10ths of db's quiter than the lows and in pracical all the highs will be captured without significant losses. The metal tape will "clip" at a lower level in the highs than the ferrics, the distortion in the highs at music levels are probably lower. Probable more interesting measurement: distortion. You can also do distortion analyses with that (really nice!) piece software. Record a 1KHz tone at +5dB (or whatever tone/level you interested in) and see how much weaker the harmonics are. I bet the last gen D is a lot better than the 88. How lower the harmonics the hotter you can record the tape. But, very nice video! Like to see more measurements!

[@CassetteComeback]

I like the idea of the distortion test. I was running them this hot for a reason. I don't record at -25db, so I don't care how a Cassette performs at it 😁

[@marcsapinski4396]

Say, being a technician, perhaps you can help me...I have a TEAC V-7010 deck (1992). Would you know which BRAND of tape it was calibrated for at the factory? Thanks.

[@fickfehler3866]

@@marcsapinski4396 TDK SA-X was the defacto calibration standard for mid to high level Japanese decks. As a matter of fact, the SA-X is considered as the best tape ever !

[@F3R_Mauro]

THANK YOU THANKS A LOT TONY FOR THIS VIDEO, THANKS TO THIS I COULD SCORE 20 TDK D 90 AND SOME D60 + 3 SONY EF-X60 AND 1 MAXELL UR90 FOR JUST 2 DOLLARS, ALL OF THEM WHERE ONLY ONCE RECORDED, GREETINGS FROM BUENOS AIRES! :D

[@itxofficial8281]

I can only agree with the community: Never had any problems with the D! They managed to get the best even out of the most atrocious boomboxes, they're extremely durable and most of all: they are long lasting! All my old TDK Ds still perform incredibly well, which makes them perfect for re-recording.

[@wepif]

Got some of the last release d90s with screwed shells with the and happy with the the results on recording, was more than content to use the standard FE-90s but the d90s are a real step up, As Tony says the deck you are recording on is key to getting the best out of tapes

[@macpatten9249]

I love watching Mr. Villa mess around with complicated software like all of the rest of us do.

[@spartansfan1026]

Love the TDK D. I got my hands on about 20 mid-90s versions to start off my tape collection and couldn't be much happier. Very consistently good performance.

[@stephendeluca4479]

Having used TDK tapes since 1973 or 74, my preference was for tapes that already had the labels affixed to them. Having to peel and stick labels was a pain and produced extra bits of trash. As for the sound-- they all sounded fine to me- and they still do.

[@bloqk16]

Ah! That was good of you to mention about cassette deck bias settings, as here in the US back in the 1980s, the Sony decks always had a preference with Sony cassettes. I suspect a reason why TDK elevated the tape quality their D brand line of cassettes was with the phasing out of their AD brand line, which, back in the 1970s to '80s, were a step up from the D brand. Back in those days I alternated between the TDK D and AD brands, which depended on what was being recorded. Another consideration of using the D or AD was the affordability with what was on a sales special in bulk packs.

[@bloxyman22]

The frequency response graphs was not boring at all and I would actually see some more comparisions, like maybe compare tdk d to the "modern" type 1.

[@CassetteComeback]

It's a possibility

[@CaptainDangeax]

@@CassetteComeback I believe it will be laughable with all those new Type-0 tapes from far east

[@joelcarson4602]

Recently back into the hobby. Have tried some Maxell UR's ( Bought them at Walgreens!) some Sony HF's and Fuji DR-I 's all sound better than I remember from the late Seventies and into the late Eighties. Finally got a batch of the TDK D's . The Winner!

[@Siri_Sathdamma_Sewhela]

Most important cassette was TDK “D”😍😍 Mostly after 1979, it was developed well, had low noise , high dynamics ( could handle very higher levels even for type 1 without Dolby) and did produce great recordings on even entry level cassette decks too😉😉👍🏻 more darker TDK tape had lesser noise to my ears 😍😍👍🏻

[@watershed44]

@Cassette Comeback I loved the graphs and scientific analysis! More please! Maybe for others to keep them from being bored just present the combined graphs already completed to take up less time, but I like the analysis .

[@Musicradio77Network]

The one at 3:40 is the international version of the 1988 D, but it used the same design as the US version, but it says “Dynamic Cassette - Low Noise/High Output”, in the US version, it says “Low Noise/High Output” with the one that says “Niveau de sortie elevee, faible bruit de fond” in French. The back at 3:49 has a full description in the international version. In the US version, the description was completely different, but it says “Low noise and high output, Good overall sound quality and reliability, Ideal for all general purpose applications and Compatible with virtually all cassette decks” and the description was also in French. The international version has multiple addresses in UK, Germany, Japan and Australia, the US version has one address. But what’s interesting, it has a selection of cassette types that were available such as the AD, AR and AR-X, but sadly, the cassette types are not in the US version, and the only way to look at the cassette types available in the US are in the TDK catalog. It says “Made in Japan” in both international and US version, but the US version says “Assembled in USA”. The cassette itself at 8:45 is the same shell and hubs than what you see in both international and US versions, but it has 5 screws, but the later ones has 4 screws instead of 5, and the rollers were black instead on white, and the hubs are dull. Both US and international versions has the dull hubs with black rollers in the later versions, but the US version has white hubs and white rollers.

[@dcfly]

Thanks for showing us your favorite D, Tony.

[@CosasdeOswaldo]

Hi, I recently started following your channel and I love it. Great videos!! I grew up with cassettes (mainly type 1 tapes) but never really experienced the full potential they had in a good deck, so it's great to learn more about what I missed out and I'm planning to experience once again in my life. I have noticed that in several videos you tend to show mostly 90-minute tapes. Is there any particular reason for that or is it just coincidence?

[@stevengagnon4777]

Looks like you just confirmed what my ears already knew. The TDK D is a wonderful cassette tape. And my JVC DD-7 loves them. Also a great tape deck. Direct drive capstan very reliable. Sendust Alloy heads very durable. 15,000 hours and still like new. Nice absent wow&futter nab one I think you'll be pleased with it . The UR a little soft and thin but slightly quieter works better for some stuff. Rock to Punk D series is the the one. I always skip the Dolby don't like how it switches. I can hear that it just mucks things up

[@dcfly]

I have owned two DD-9 decks down the years and they were marvels of manufacturing. Now I use a TD-V711.

[@tjlee1595]

graph part was rad, neat seeing how your tapes hold up compared to others

[@madtopp]

for me one of the best things about buying cassettes is the wrapper and i do love the tdk ones the most i have been useing the d cassette since the mid 80's and really never had a good deck and still only have a bottom to mid range one and i get a great enough recording for me on it the heads and rollers get cleaned every 5 hours use i would love a 3 head deck but at the mo cant afford one i have even brought me a walkman and i dont go out with out it since i got it so what tony does here is infallible i have learnt a real lot of him and i can only thank him for bringing me back to cassettes i have started to collect nip cassettes also and have a fare amount of the tdk d starting from 72 onwards and i have said i like the wrapper design and also the j card designe as well of the tdk i look forward to his tdk videos. as you always say you remember getting yours back in the day i can remember the same like the day i got a 10 pack of agfa f-dxi cassettes from argos and still have then today plus the day i found thats cassettes was a great day on sale in the i think virgin or hmv record shop and only on the counter right by the till and i stll have then aswell. i could only ever buy the d's as i was in my early teens back then but when i finally got on the good old Y.T.S scheeme and we had a massive £28 a week i started on the thats cassettes.i also remember another record shop used to make his own mix's and he always used the d cassette also i think he made 10 in total over a 5 year or so period. i was shocked by the results of the metal tapes thought but again as you have said in previous videos the bottom of the range tapes can sound as good as them with the right deck of course.

[@CassetteComeback]

Thanks for sharing!

[@robetclo2516]

I liked it. But you know I think it is the final results is what is most important. If what you hear is good the tests don't really matter but it helps to understand the signal response. But I started to come back touse cassette tapes a couple of years now and it is fun. In the 80's I was buying TDK tapes but I used the TDK AD instead of red the label was blue and when I was able to get to chrome tapes I used the SA. I tried the MA but they were expensive even then and was happy with the final results of the SA. By the way, I saw the video where you are explaining the different type of chrome tapes and you made me realize that my tape deck was calibrated for pure chrome wich explain why an SA tape had a louder output. Thank you for that.

[@luanhana2100]

I think TDK D . Its the most produced tape .There its no company that makes cassettes and sold like TDK D tapes .Thank you for showing the video.

[@Musicradio77Network]

Earlier today, I got 30 TDK circa 1988 D’s 90-minute cassettes off of eBay, and it has airchecks from public radio stations like WUMB and WERS in Boston from 1990, and they’re all US made, but the clear shell and design looks the same as the international counterparts. The back at 3:49 has multiple addresses for Japan, Germany, UK and Australia, but in the US, it only has one address which was in Port Washington, NY where it used to be TDK’s headquarters out on Long Island. The international version had D, AD, AR and AR-X, but the US version doesn’t on the back where it doesn’t include selected tape types.

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

2:20 no picture, I’m sad.

Hi!!! I'm Daniel from Argentina. I've got a small channel about phisical media and i'm about to do a video about the TDK D and looking for data came to see this masterpiece. I'm wondering if You would alow me to use bits of footage from this video (the bit about the frecuency response over all) to illustrate mine, as the barrier of the language wouldn't let most of the argentinians arrive to your channel... I'll mention it and put links in the description. I'll wait for your answer. I'm enjoying a lot of your content so far!!! Thanks a lot!

[@bertuchi1990]

Absolutely fantastic.

[@moviebod]

That is so fascinating. I didn't get bored for a nanosecond, I found out that my old ears tail off at 7 KHz to 8 KHz which is bloody depressing for an audiofile and I am now wondering how a TD SA will perform. I have subscribed and look forward to going over your back catalogue. Cheers!

[@retrotechguy9517]

I love the eighties sounding tune at 33:00. Is it all the same track that you play through the video?

[@ManicksChannel]

1985 is my favorite year for the TDK Ds. Just because of the look of the shell/label. I was suprised you didnt have one. I was hoping I'd get your review!

[@markstewart1807]

Great in depth analysis ❤ the good news these tapes have aged well and you seem to be able to re-record on them no problem, unlike some expensive Metals and BASF (normal position) etc that sound fine with original recordings, but when attempting to re-record levels too low and no top end.

[@Lazerrus]

Might just be me but the 82 sounded better than the 86. Great video Tony. Long live the D!

[@Thanson199415]

This shows that there are type 1's that can out perform type 4's. MINDBLOWING!!!

[@ByUrien84]

Exellent review. I love Deck's and Cassette. I played to this day in my Nakamichi BX2,sound is gorgeous

[@harrystevens3885]

Great review of my favourite tape ever, the 82 version could still be bought up to 85-86,I never liked the look of any clear shell tape even though the TDK and others where quality products. Really enjoyed the video took me away from that bloody lock down for 40 plus minutes.What a beautiful deck that CR-7 is....:):) Excellent YT viewing Tony !!!

[@pcorf]

Just added a 1985-1988 D90 (7:14) to my collection today. My favorite blank compact cassette when I was a child. Thought I'd never get one in 2020, they sold so well that they are not easy to find. Later generation D's are more easy to find. I also have 1990 D60 and a last generation D90 as mentioned in a previous comment.

[@ko83na]

very interesting and educational as always. thank you tony

[@BlackBunik]

I used this software to calibrate left and right channel biasing on my Technics deck. I am glad I got it right and now I don't need to worry why high frequency instruments change place while I turn the bias knob. :D

[@christopherrigby2798]

Why is it that graph doesn't surprise me ? Tests done around the late 80's and early 90's showed that when it came to the mids, the type I's often performed better and most of the music information is around that area. That your D's performed so well overall is no surprise here having used a number during lock down and even comparing when biased to MA. The later D's are really good and the MA's scored on the upper high frequencies but certainly no better elsewhere. That a big reason why my ears always took me toward the AR and AR-X's of this world as they give you an excellent balanced sound.

[@GereDJ2]

Update: In short, I have read several reviews on the TDK D90 Type 1 cassette that say it is best for "spoken word and not music". This does indeed seem to be the case as they seem to chop off both ends of the spectrum a bit which is quite noticeable to my ear in comparing the same song recorded on other brands of tape. The TDK SA-X or SA Type II is superior and recommended for recording music. Comment?

[@JoeOrber]

An Escort from Mexico? Yes, please! lol sorry about that…. This is a fantastic video, and to me it is not boring to see how those frequency response graphs are created, we grew up seeing them in the back of all the cassette tape wrappers lol. Amazing content, I think the TDK D was always a better tape than the Sony HF and the Maxell UR, though I liked the pre-90s shells from Sony better lol. Keep up the great work! 😊

[@montynorth3009]

At +5db recording level,we are comparing high frequency MOL, not high frequency response which should be done at -20db. On the other hand,at low frequencies, unaffected by saturation,we are looking at frequency response,the downward slope of which suggests deck error.

[@harj-spp8547]

As usual, fantastic overview of a true legend. What I did notice was that from the 90's onwards (from the ones you shown) the 'Made in Japan' was gone. As you noticed also in the same year onwards the shells became lighter/thinner, perhaps it was a cost cutting exercise due to competition/manufacturing costs. So maybe opted to manufacture in a different country, and cut on the shells quality, but still allow to make the tape formulation the best possible? Who knows

[@ShawnTewes]

This tape right here is primarily the soundtrack of my youth, as well as for many other people where I live, so for me it defined an era. There were never any commercial pre-recorded tapes available in my country, so all of the record shops sold tapes which were TDK D's 90% of the time (other brands were TDK A and Sony HF, with the odd Maxell from time to time). And most of the local music artists would actually use D's for mass duplication and sale of their material.

[@Waffledogchat]

Tdk d recordings always hold up. Recordings made 5 million years ago still sound good today!

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

I used to record a lot of FM Stereo Radio programs on the 120 Minute versions of this tape line. Never had any issues with them and they were my trusty companions to record my weekly 2 hour program of Electro Beats back in 2006. It was a time when i had just gotten an actually good Tapedeck and i was testing with different recording levels and wasn't sure how high i could go on them. So i never really maxed them out. I had only very few 60 Minute versions of this tape line but love those too. My only gripe with these tapes was the fact they weren't screwed but welded.

[@anotherguy2741]

TDK D tapes were always my favorite. I had used them since the late 70's, but I liked from 1986 on the best because of the having the clear shell and replaceable title labels. Thanks!

[@Musicradio77Network]

The 1986 D had black shells instead of clear, because the clear shell was only in the international version, the US version had black shells with a label on it.

[@owenjbrady]

the true TDK D's not the Imation versions were one of the best type 1's ever made IMO they sound as good as some type 2's just have more noise present but the freq response is great

[@Musicradio77Network]

The US was “Superior D” which was the last of the line TDK D from the mid to late 2000’s.

[@Ale.K7]

Great video, always loved the TDK D. The frequency analysis was really nice!

[@jjsant3250]

I started with Ds then followed the sheep to the SA then Metal. Then I noticed Ds sound much better in my car stereo and never used a non-D again. This was around 1981.

[@drdolby1585]

Makes sense to me. Keep going Tony , great channel with a lot of information!

[@Seven-ny6rq]

I can still remember the billboard ads from 1986 when TDK released the newer version of the D. The ads went something like “D day is here” or “D day is coming”. Still my favourite D to this day, so much better that the previous 1982 version in my experience at the time.

[@MrBewie]

As a audio-engineer I found the graphs really interesting! But I noticed that when you ran the TDK-D, the sinewave did look more distorted compared to the Metal-tapes. Do you think you can check the THD when you do a frequency sweep?

[@danielc6925]

The 82 version was the first TDK I ever bought...but that '86 SONY HF looks amazing, I love it !

[@jesserussell7242]

I love my TDK cassette tapes I recently bought the TDK cassette tapes the 120 minute ones those are really good they’re one of the best along with the Maxwells 120 minute cut that thanks.

[@peterw1213]

All of my My D90 since the 80's still sounds great today. No lubrication required. Head pad has not fallen off. Regretted buying the J series though. Loved the SAs

[@SashaTibelius]

Back in to USSR, in 1982, price on TDK D90 was pretty expensive - 9 rubles or $12.60 USD (1982 money exchange rate).

[@RIZFERD]

Global version, Indonesian, Australian and European versions are the same. No smartphone, no high speed internet, no social media, but Only Walkman and Discman. Then later came Pager (Motorola). Sony, Aiwa, Panasonic, TDK, etc. 1990's rock!

[@BatHunterofDevon]

What about 'US/North American version'? Are those the same as well?

[@dangaAgadanga]

[Replying after 21 mins] Not bored at all! Actually quite interesting to see how the tapes are coping .

[@cannonshot7778]

Hi, I have just gotten my hi-fi (Panasonic SA-AK45) back running and became obsessed with using the cassette deck again. Playing old tapes, watching your videos here discovering the different kind and varying quality of tapes and the newly learned legendary TDK D tape. I have tested recording from cd to cassette (Maxell & TDK D) and the rock songs sound really great but I've noticed on certain instruments like acoustic guitar and some piano notes the sound isn't fully reproduced, it wobbly. If there is a vocal line over the acoustic or piano part the vocal is fine so I'm assuming the cassette deck and tape is fine. Song example...Sarah McLachlan - Angel and the intro to Metallica - To Live Is To Die Can someone fully explain what's going on exactly on, I know I don't have a professional deck ar anything but I would like to know as I have put new belts and pinch rollers into my twin decks. Thanks, hope to hear what ye have to say. More detail the better:)

[@middlesbroughmike1027]

Thanks Tony. You at last made a video about my favourite line of cassettes. I too like the first clear version of the D the best. I must say your most popular version of the D (what you think of when you think of a D) surprised me as it has white hub clips. All mine have Red. Great video as always 👍

[@CassetteComeback]

It's the USA version

[@macraghnaill3553]

I have the early 80s D90 that still play well nearly 40 years later

[@WINSTANLEYOBXa]

I noticed the 1982 "D" early version had white hubs and later ones had grey hubs, Thanks for the memories....

[@Musicradio77Network]

As I enjoyed this, I got 80+ cassettes that I got off of eBay, along with 20 more 1979 TDK D’s which were all 60 minutes, along with 10 more 1982 D’s, 21985 D’s US version, and 3 1986 D’s US version with black shells. Plus an assortment of different cassettes from different brands back in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

[@kirkmooneyham]

While watching this video, I had such a wave of nostalgia for these that I went to "the bay" and searched around for a bit, and found a reasonably-priced lot of those 1990-era Ds. Someone else was "watching" them, so I hope it was a flipper and that I irritated them greatly. That's my little fantasy, anyway, and I know I'll enjoy them when they arrive.

[@wanazami7667]

When l made a cassette comeback 18 yrs ago and eventually got a Nakamichi Bx300 and a CR7 l started recording again and was surprised how good the TDK D tapes performed. I started looking for more even used ones especially the mid 80s and early 90s versions. I care little with type ll and metal tapes though l collect them if they come cheap. I also love more the superferrics from TDK, Maxell and Sony. Of which l have the most sealed is the HF-ES.

[@ychesnokov]

Thank you Tony for another great video! Cool cassette lineup and scientific approach. Pleasure to watch!!)) I've made myself a lot of similar tests where the purpose was actually to test the decks, not the cassettes. I was using normally TDK D, TDK MA and Fuji ZII (just because I have lots of them new for recording). One of my observations was that the output level you get at 10khz vs 1khz is solely depend on how precise you deck bias is set and does not depend on the cassette performance. Also, there was a topic as I remember on tapeheads.net about Nacamichi's CR range hardware update suggested after multiple complaints about autocalibration did not work properly on the modern tapes (that was about year 1990 I guess) having raised frequency response on HF. That was especially noticeable when using Dolby. So, if your CR7 was not modified to Nakamichi proposal, do not rely solely on auto-calibration. Also, I 100% agree with you on running it hot for the tests as at -20 any decent deck will make it flat from 20 to 20k. There is a very useful test report from Alex Nikitin on his site about maximum level different cassettes can take. I normally do such tests at DIN reference level (would be ca +2 at your deck I think) that most of the cassettes can take without oversaturation.

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, been reading Alex's stuff. I've a lot to learn.

[@ychesnokov]

​@@CassetteComeback here is one of the links (I believe there are more) for the CR7 autocalibration fix: www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=15196. To my experience Pioneed SuperAutoBLE is more precise, but I think it is trying to make levels of 10kHz and 15kHz equal, which is sometimes (based on my tests) results in overbiasing for 15-20kHz range. So, for the tapes that do not require sensitivity fix (like most of the old BASF pure Chrom tapes) I sometimes just do not use BLE, or adjust bias to ca -5% negative after BLE. FYI, my other decks without automatic calibration, e.g. Nakamichi Rx505 and NAD6300, would normally result in HF raise of +3+5dB at the highrest range (around 20kHz) on tapes like Fuji ZII (zero aka TDK SA bias position), but when the test recording is played again after 24h it loses exactly this 3dB or after 1week 4-6dB from the initial level, so it is perfectly flat after initial storage period.

[@ychesnokov]

@@CassetteComeback Demagnitizing heads is also mandatory before the measurements - magnetized PB heads sometimes visibly reduce HF and increase harmonics and noise

[@JacobFrey]

Awesome video, Tony! Love the boring stuff.

[@zsombor_99]

06:30 Ah, I used a D60 cassette which looked exactly like this! I made my first field recordings on it with my dad's "Panasonic RQ-L31" dictaphone back in 2013-2016. Oh, such unrepeatable recordings. 😏

[@RetroCore]

Oh man, seeing the 86 tapes onwards really brought back some memories. From the 90s I had moved away from the D to the SA and the AD tapes but man, taping the top 40 with Bruno Brooks with a D was my childhood on a Sunday between 5 and 7pm. 👍

[@CassetteComeback]

Snap! Look on Mixcloud. There are loads of radio 1 charts uploaded there...but their search engine is abysmal so look here : thechartshows.fandom.com/wiki/The_Chart_Shows_Wiki

[@RetroCore]

@@CassetteComeback nice one! I'll check that out. I always remember skipping from Radio one to Radio City to see if Kid Jensen's chart had the same No. 1. I remember there was often a discrepancy between the official Gallop chart on BBC and the independent charts on local stations.