Testing 9 newly acquired cassette decks

[@afzaalkhan.m]

I loved the period of stereo receivers with beautiful fm dial numbers,vu meters , turntables ,cassette , reel recorders . Best of all the music of the 70s was the very finest.

[@DjDestinyChicago]

I went over a decade without any cassette deck… now I have 5 with new belts. I can’t stop getting these for free or dirt cheap 😃

[@grantross2609]

good on ya !

[@vwestlife]

Since it was designed to be part of a midi system, the black Technics deck may not have a recording monitor, since when recording on such a system, you would always be listening to the source, not the tape.

[@DrCassette]

Yes, that's very well possible, if the matching amp has no tape monitor, there is no point in returning a signal while recording...

[@hydorah]

@@DrCassette My living room system is technics RS series and the matching amp has no tape tape monitor function That Telefunken looks like the way folks would listen to their choons on an old school battleship The Kenwood deck will be excellent when fully revised I have a KX-4520 upstairs which I re-belted was good to work on and sounds amazing. Looks really similar to yours, only single deck

[@EclectikTronik]

The likely problem, as with many Technics of that era, is missing teeth on the idler gear. Almost as bad as those orange Grundig zahnräder!

[@DJCray8472]

The black Technics is a double deck tape. Technics offered the customer Auto Reverse only for the double deck tape... but never with 3-Head option. I am not sure, if any 3-head tape ever had auto reverse.

[@elk3909]

ive never stopped using cassettes.ive spent many years making the format better by modding the bias circuitry and running the tapes fast for amazing sound. i then build my own tape players for my own use that have spectrum anaylizers equalizers and vu displays using circuits and boards i manufacture myself using easy EDA.

[@martyjewell5683]

Really sweet collection of cassette decks. Interesting video my friend. I got started in tape use back in 1974 when I purchased my first hifi cassette deck, a Pioneer CT-f2121. I ran that sucker into the ground making tapes. Subsequent decks I've owned over the years; Akai CS-f12, Nikko ND-590ll, Onkyo TA630D, Akai GX-f31, Technics RS-m224 and my current decks are a Yamaha KX-260 and most recently acquired a Denon DRM-800A ($125). Cassettes were much better (safer) than trying to play LP's while stoned, drunk or tripping. Ah, the 1970's.

[@matldn2697]

How would you rate the Denon DRM 700?

[@martyjewell5683]

From what I've gleaned from google, the Denon DRM-700 was a competent, useful deck. Some virtues of the 700 are nice two color, wide range (-40/+10) LED peak-hold meters, real-time tape counter, Record-Return and three heads. I have never used the 700 but my DRM-800A is my dream machine cassette deck. If you're looking to buy a DRM-700 and can find one cheap ($100) and in good working order, I'd say buy it. As with all tape decks you should own a good degausser. For cassette decks I use my TDK HD-01. And as for cleaning heads, I use Q-tips and isopropyl alcohol.@@matldn2697

[@squirrelarch]

"sacrificial cassette". Good band name.

[@LogiForce86]

Or a more modern name... "The Corrupted Audiofiles".

[@EclectikTronik]

I thought that bierkeller musik on the B side was hilarious!

[@kevinstaib715]

Keep them all! It's history now and can always learn something new from all of them!

[@DrCassette]

I will certainly try to repair all of them, however so far the Technics RS-X101 turned out to be unrepairable due to broken gears.

[@HamtaroEL]

@@DrCassette Hopefully RS-T11 can be repaired.

[@dykodesigns]

All of them deserve a repair job, that Kenwood one will be sweet!

[@ajaugenti1976]

Wow, that's awesome buddy. You're going to be a very busy person repairing all of those tape decks!☺️

[@hugoromeyn4582]

Hello Dr Cassette! I'm a bit speechless. More than 20 years ago I bought a nice second-hand Dual cassette deck. It had exactly the same "problem" as the Telefunken! Only DIN connections. I Was using a passive DIN/RCA adapter and the deck was way to sensitive on the inputs. I thought the deck was broken and returned it to the seller. He gave me some money back and I went home with a (also very nice) Akai deck. But now I find out that the deck wasn't broken at all...

[@outfield1988]

All these cassette decks need to be restored and played. This is history of the best kind.

[@fiero2]

Fix the Kenwood it has AutoBias for best tape performans and parallel recording !

[@noelj62]

Technics and Kenwood are my choices

[@eliavanderwal1992]

Oh that's what you bought for our entertainment. Nice. I like cassette deck's very much.

[@DrCassette]

Yes, this is what I bought :)

[@stewartgoodchild2930]

I’ve just discovered Your channel and have watched the Kenwood repair where You were losing patience!, I think Your sense of humour is Great and I’m learning a lot, Thanks 😁👍

[@jasejj]

I have a very similar Kenwood deck with the same problem on one deck. I haven't bothered to fix mine; it's a gummed up mechanism preventing the solenoid from operating correctly. On mine I've found that turning it on its side makes the deck work properly, and it'll then be fine for a while. Nice deck, definitely worth saving. I love the industrial styling on the old German-made decks. They're all worth saving, yes even the cheapo Sanyo :)

[@DrCassette]

I didn't expect gummed up solenoids in a 90s cassette deck, but your explanation makes perfect sense. There is no solenoid click to try and engage the head bridge, so it can't be just a simple belt problem. Hopefully these solenoids are not buried too deep in the mechanism, I would like to repair this problem. If they are impossible to reach, it might be worth trying to get a drop of silicon oil or even WD40 into them, just to dissolve and dilute the gummed up grease a bit.

[@leostechnikkanal]

I'd love to see the Kenwood back fully working, as its a really nice deck, but the silver double deck by technics as well as the JVC would be cool to see working again, as I really like 80s double casette decks!

[@DrCassette]

Ach ja, so etwa vor 10 Jahren war der Recyclinghof voll mit Doppelcassettendecks aus den 80ern und 90ern, die waren so häufig, dass ich nie welche mitgenommen habe. Das hat sich geändert, die Leute haben ihre Cassettendecks entsorgt, und nun findet man nur noch selten mal welche. Mittlerweile wünschte ich, dass ich damals eine Idee umgesetzt hätte: Eben weil Doppelcassettendecks so häufig waren, hatte ich mal gedacht, ich sollte die auch mitnehmen und daraus eine Wand bauen. Eine Wand aus Doppelcassettendecks! :)

[@leostechnikkanal]

Das wäre eine echt gute Idee gewesen! Am besten hätte man noch alle Pegel-Anzeigen ansteuern sollen, sodass man eine große blinkende wand aus Doppelkassettendecks hätte!

[@DrCassette]

Nein, soweit wäre ich nicht gegangen. Ich hätte die Decks schon alle im Originalzustand gelassen, so hätte ich die jetzt nach und nach alle reparieren können...

[@DaXande135]

Ja, über sowas regt man sich im Nachhinein immer auf, ich rege mich vorallem darüber auf, dass ich ein High-End Sony Tapedeck der 90er von der Anlage meines Vaters nicht behalten habe, genauso wie den Tuner. Und die Preise sind ja auch ewig weit gestiegen in den letzten Jahren, generell bei altem HiFi.

[@RTMonitor]

owo

[@Dutch-linux]

you got to press stop first on the kenwood from fast forward or fast rewind operation before pressing play

[@DrCassette]

No, you don't. These are full logic mechanisms.

[@Dutch-linux]

@@DrCassette i had the same deck my self and it always acted weird if i did not press stop from fst forward or rewind before pressing play unless you say my deck was defective from day one :) anyway cant wait to see the repair video's

[@Waltzkon]

I have a Kenwood KX-W8010 I've owned for a few years now, for a dual cassette deck it has very clean sound and has been good to me and have yet to find a better deck to replace it with in the wild. Thank you for the video.

[@RUfromthe40s]

try the 90´s pioneers with flex and ble ,they work great record and play any cassette to their fullest quality, this avoiding those nakamichi spensive decks that are no better i´ve tested them and far worse than a high-end deck from pioneer and sold some to friends of mine who after a few years the only thing that makes them good it stops working wich is the azimuth automatic alignement ,that flex does a similar thing to the cassette played,this by 1/20 of the price , regards

[@steelrain3]

Hi DrCassette it's good to see you working on cassettes.

[@DrCassette]

Hello, it's nice to see you are still around :)

[@EclectikTronik]

Ten days ago I picked up three faulty cassette decks for 30€ from, like you, a local ad. One was almost identical to that Nordmende, mine is a Thomson CD305 and unlike yours it has a powered mechanism that looks to made by Sanyo, same as one I also have. I also got a Uher CG310 which according to the service manual is the same as those two brown Telefunken units you have. Here I must warn you, the fast wind in it is a rack of gears driven off the capstan. The main one (which is also a clutch !) has a central metal shaft inserted into a white plastic tab. Guess what happened to that tab over time, as the metal heated/ expanded and later cooled /contracted...I repaired it, but I spent way too long and would not do it again. I have photos of that process if you are curious!

[@electronicwaves]

I wish I have found your channel earlier. Thank you for another perfect video!

[@DrCassette]

You are welcome! :)

[@SmiggyG]

Ahh I remember the days putting all my vinyl (even CDs) on cassettes for years. That Kenwood looks like a nice deck. I'm still a sucker for Technics stuff though and that RS-X101 don't look bad either. I still have my Technics RS-M250 and Technics RS-TR313. The TR-313 is still hooked up but hasn't seen use in years. Neither were top of the line but they both great decks. The TR-313 had Dolby HX-Pro and did really well with recording highs.

[@artSFCA]

In the late 80's I had a Technics double cassette deck. Played and recorded well, I used to record alot of music from cassette to cassette. I liked the double cassette feature.

[@spankysmp]

I like the Kenwood, I think it's a quality deck however...you can't beat the Sanyo for needly VU meter action . I miss them :-)

[@micheltremblay4774]

I still enjoy my load of cassettes TDK MA-R90 on my Nakamichi Dragon that I bought in 1986. Too bad it was so expensive so more could have enjoyed lending an ear or two to it. Then, AKAI cassette player were excellent, so were Pionner high end units. The cassettes are not dead in my home and I hope the Nakamichi last me many more years.

[@Lachlant1984]

I think I liked the Kenwood one with the dual tape decks and the quiet mechanism, I think it was the third last or second last one you showed.

[@Binod2013]

O god....i miss those sweet cassette days😭

[@centurybug]

Neat feature on that kenwood where both decks can record. If you could source 2 or 3 of them cheaply, it'd be neat for making small production runs for a homebrew cassette label!

[@ghostninja3483]

I have a Sony dual cassette deck from 1990. The belts are fine for both sides and the playback side is fine but the record side won't play fast forward record etc just makes a loud buzzing sound. Any help would be appreciated Motor maybe?

[@DrCassette]

It could be the motor, but your description of the problem is rather vague. Try to locate where the buzz is coming from within the mechanism.

[@GiveUsMusic]

Enjoyed the video Dr. Cassette, some nice finds. I like the Nordmende CD1000 the best, I’m sucker for early 70s style VU meters and transport levers. I recently found myself a secondhand Yamaha K-60 Dual cassette deck for an affordable price. The deck is immaculate, and each tape well sounds fantastic for the first 5 minutes, but after that, they begin to screech an ear piercing high pitch and I have to shut the deck down. I opened the deck and replaced the belts, then lightly oiled the capstans and motors, and let it soak a bit. This did not do the trick. I’m at a lose here, any suggestions or advice???

[@topekasub]

You have a naturally funny delivery!

[@ttheone3518]

Most technics early to mid 90s dual tape decks have the same problem, where the play deck doesn’t play, the record deck only works in reverse, and ff and rew works

[@DrCassette]

I have since found out this is because of a soft plastic gear that normally transfers motion to the take-up reel. The teeth break off this gear. Fast forward and rewind are fast enough to skip over any damaged sections of the gear, but in forward playback it gets stuck at any missing tooth. This gear is inactive in reverse playback, that's why that still works.

[@salusamu]

@@DrCassette do you know where can i buy a new gear like this for my technics ?

[@DaXande135]

@@salusamu Just search for it, there are some gearsbeing sold on eBay and co...

[@GusInManhattan]

I picked up a 1970's sony TC137SD that does the same thing as your first deck. When you turn it on, the right VU meter overloads. How do you fix it ? DeoxIT D5 contact cleaner ?

[@DrCassette]

The record/play switch on the main board needs to be cleaned. I don't use DeoxIT products, so all I can say is use a good contact cleaner designed for use in electronics. I usually use Kontakt Chemie Tuner 600.

[@josephfrye7342]

well hello there i got some kassettes (cassettes) already recorded on my pyle cassette deck but it does not have Dolby noise reduction option I had without it just incase which the Dolby noise is not intended for recording but playback.

[@DrCassette]

Dolby Noise Reduction must be used during both recording and playback of a cassette.

[@oswyramguz5171]

I liked all of them. Eventhough I prefer Technics because is my favourite brand. Excellent video.

[@1979starscream]

I´m going to the Sanyo cassette deck, it looks fantastic!

[@thulinp]

The Yamaha is definitely worth repairing

[@DrCassette]

The Yamaha has already been repaired :) Video next sunday!

[@user-dh4mi6ir2m]

When people record something from the cassette deck to the AM/FM radio/CD/cassette player, how long does it last? How many mins./sec.?

[@steveoszman8746]

Fun video, because of you and others I have a stack of decks in sundry states of repair.

[@oliverlotus]

Love it! Back to what you do best!!!

[@DrCassette]

If you look at my past videos, I do repair cassette decks from time to time. It does get boring after a while though, so I like to have some variation in the topics of my videos.

[@stewartgoodchild2930]

Hi, Do You need a separate amp to play these machines or is it built in?, thanks

[@DrCassette]

You need a separate amp for these cassette decks. Some models may have a headphone output, but that's all.

[@AVadim]

I don't know if it makes sense to buy so many low-end non-working decks, or if it's better to buy one that's high-quality and working. After all, the house is not rubber.

[@DrCassette]

I do quite enjoy repairing cassette decks. I bought all these decks for the fun of the repairs, and not so much to actually use them after the repairs are complete. I have some high end cassette decks, including an Akai GX-75, for regular use.

[@AVadim]

@@DrCassette OK. :)

[@derschrau8er]

@@DrCassette Aren't you ANA[DIA]LOG? Just asking, I recognized your voice and accent as similar. Have fun with these sub-optimal decks :) .

[@bluemantom77]

Your first cassette deck you showed off I used to have a marantz deck that looked like that one I got it for free in the 1990s all I needed was a belt had built in input and output rcas cables I still have my second cassette deck that I got brand new in 1993 and Onkyo ta-rw313 still works with the matching receiver and I still have my father's Onkyo cassette deck that he got 1985 ta-2017 he had matching amplifier to go with it along with a JVC turntable

[@migalito1955]

OK, I like them all because I am fan of the darn things. However, Kenwood made my keeper list too. I have 5 myself and two need new belts but if you need to toss out 8 of the 9 I'll gladly catch another.

[@ЭдуардВасильченко-х9я]

Стрелочки и педальки, какая красота!👍

[@trencher7]

Do the fast forward and rewind motors just die with age? I have 4 decks and only one of then can I still FF/RW. They play fine.

[@DrCassette]

In most cassette decks the take up and supply reels are not driven directly. There is a mechanism that transfers torque to the reels, either via idler wheels or via gears. Commonly the problem is caused by this part of the mechanism. Idler wheels with bad rubber tyres or gears with broken teeth for example. Motors rarely go bad.

[@trencher7]

@@DrCassette Oh so they should be easy to fix? I'm thinking of taking one in. I have a Denon DR-MR from my high school days and one channel isn't working and I noticed it has really weak FF/RW.

[@DrCassette]

Unfortunately these problems are not always easy to fix, at least it is usually possible to fix idler wheel related problems. But if you can get these cassette decks for cheap, they are certainly worth a try.

[@montynorth3009]

Number 1,the Nordmende deck was the star off the show for me. Looked beautiful,immaculate condition and analogue meters too. I would have paid 20 Euro for that deck just on its own without even blinking. Sounded very good as well. Also.I prefer single decks and am not a fan of auto reverse. Simplicity rules.

[@DrCassette]

Same here, I prefer single decks without auto reverse. The head calibration always drifts on the flip-head auto reverse systems. There are playback-only autoreverse mechanisms that use a 4 track head that therefore never moves. Unfortunately such mechanisms were mostly only for Walkmans and other portable systems.

[@Jarisynth]

perfect video and continue those decks what can be the best one !!! we want see that video !!!!

[@Jarisynth]

Technics is great

[@yanliu8011]

I was inspired by your videos to fix a few cassette decks myself, now I sold them with all my tapes and move on to speakers. Thanks for your videos.

[@DrCassette]

Good luck with the speakers! Are you repairing them, or just listening?

[@yanliu8011]

starting from listening, another new world. Good luck with your channel, I hope you can do some product reviews as you have very good skills on videos.

[@RetroMechanic]

Technics Double deck's have gear problem. missing teeth. I had same thing. 25e cost two new grears...

[@RetroMechanic]

Look Video 5:00 kzbin.info/www/bejne/haSQpWdsd5WKb9U

[@oldgamecafe]

Typical Technics issue, bad quality gears

[@its-all-happening2172]

Do you still have the Kenwood KXW8020? Can you do a repair video of that deck? I have the same problem with my Kenwood KX-77

[@Lesrevesdhiver]

For the JVC - I have a TD-X301 and it works fine but FF/RW makes a lot of noise. In play it does just fine, no noise. Now for the technics RSX101, what turned out to be the problem as to why the take-up reel was not spinning on either side? In your experience, are Technics cassette decks usually more problematic with their transports? I will admit I don't trust them much compared to other brands. I like the Kenwood, were you able to get the heads to engage on deck B?

[@DrCassette]

I have looked into the JVC cassette deck and indeed the noisy FF/REW seems to be by design. But there must be a problem somewhere causing a lack of torque. The Technics RS-X101 had bad gears. Check out this video to see exactly what went wrong: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYaxpJ2NhZtgntk I have not had too many Technics cassette decks over the years, still I would say the ones I had didn't turn out to be too reliable, and some of them were even unrepairable. The Kenwood I have not yet worked on, it is still in the same condition. Apparently some solenoids get stuck in these mechanisms causing the problem.

[@Lesrevesdhiver]

@@DrCassette I bought a used Technics deck once and soon after, it did the same thing. Sure enough, teeth missing on one of the gears. Kind of a drag because it seems inevitable that the gears will break. One of my decks is a Technics and it works right now but for how long? Kind of sad for a company that usually makes quality components.

[@robine5280]

Would have liked to see the worn head on the technics. Any repair planned? Head replacement might be pretty interesting.

[@DrCassette]

The silver Technics dual cassette deck is still in storage, one day I might repair it.

[@luisemiliano3046]

Hello, do you know the belt measurements for a sony tc u70?

[@mauritsvw]

One solution is to buy a packet of belts in assorted lengths from China. Amongst them you should find suitable sizes.

[@chylogurti]

Great videos Doctor. Do you have a video showing belt change on Sanyo RD30 please? Just got one and they need changing and auto stop doesnt work. Help!!! Thank you

[@Audiosonicity]

A real bargain for 20 euros, your knowledge will sort them out all of nine.

[@VintageElectronicsGeek]

I like the TC-400 & TC-490 for there simplistic but yet attractive looks....it would be challenging to say what gets tossed as someone who is very much into vintage electronics, I'd try to repair all, sell what ya dont want, Im sure someone will appreciate you saving them...however if you had to junk out, then maybe the one with the bad head...either way, Im sure all will make great videos! ~Jack, VEG

[@hifi.david.]

Would u say RCA to din sounds good I am very new to this I just fixed my akai cs-705D on my channel

[@DrCassette]

The point of an RCA to DIN adaptor is to connect two different connection systems. It does nothing to the sound.

[@revolvingtoto007]

I love those telefunken deck's 👍

[@DrCassette]

These Telefunken decks are simple and solid, there is not much that could go wrong with them.

[@stev6free146]

Always liked vu meters

[@tomasztomek8210]

I like the most your Telefunken TC-400 and the Technics RS-T11.

[@gadgetsgalore]

I like the Nordmende, although I never heard of the brand, since I'm a sucker for analog VU meters.

[@lesrogers7310]

I don't think Normande ever sold their units outside of mainland Europe. We didn't even get them here in the UK.

[@68pishta68]

The Kenwood has auto bias and some weird button combinations that make it FFWD past a song if you hit play again once a track starts, AMSS. Maybe that's what you did inadvertently. Try play, then punch rewind 3x and it may rewind 3 tracks and play. Had to read the instructions a few times to figure out that. quite a few button combos for memory stop, play, AMSS track skip, etc.

[@sammycadillac9058]

Ja ja , Tapedecks. Immer wieder schön. Arbeite gerade auch an zweien und natürlich ging wieder einer dieser winzigen Sprengringe flöten. Hast du eine Quelle wo man die her bekommt? Set mit mehreren Größen oder ähnliches, finde leider nur große für den Kfz Bereich wenn ich online suche...

[@DrCassette]

Eine Quelle für neue Sprengringe habe ich leider auch nicht, ich behelfe mir indem ich all solche Kleinteile, wie Sprengringe, C-Clips, E-Clips, Federn etc. aus Schrottgeräten ausschlachte.

[@sammycadillac9058]

@@DrCassette Ja das habe ich bislang auch - aber der Vorrat geht aus. Dachte es gäbe da so Möglichkeiten wie ein Bundle Riemen zu kaufen.

[@Netlife-001]

Great job Dr. C., that was a good bargain! I think I've got about 40 cassette decks! Best one, a TeacV900X, lovely machine but there's a fault recording, possibly due to head wear, possibly a fault in the DBX circuit. Playback's good, but when I engage 'dbx' the sound (monitor) goes all boomy and horrible, so could be a fault in that circuit. That Kenwood double looks lovely 😎

[@var_misc7704]

i have about 12 working.

[@Netlife-001]

@@var_misc7704 I'll do a vid of mine 👍, give me an excuse to tidy up!

[@pliedtka]

The Teac V900X seems like very good deck solid 3header, popular machine in it's time. Check if the guys from tapeheads forum have some asnwers to the problem. Nice find 👍

[@Netlife-001]

@@pliedtka Cheers for that. I did do a long video on the 'repair ' of it on my channel, ... all linked to the accutator that powers the door. I got there in the end, eventually, and for a while, even with the scoured heads, it recorded great, then later the bias/dbx xircuit, whatever it is, went, and bottom dropped out of sound when recording and playing back with the DBX button pushed in. I was going to sell it for parts, spare or repair, but dug it out to have a play with first, and it recorded well!! knocked spots off the competition in the tape deck challange, then the fault came back... so I don't think it can be head, internals, possibly caps, probably something I'm not ever going to fix, although I did find service manual pdf. Arrivederci!

[@apfanco]

I have a very similar kenwood, I hope you make a repair video soon. My mechanism is also failing to engage.

[@LapisandHamtarolover]

Kenwood deck is the best out of the nines.

[@MeDicen_Rocha]

I dont know if im too late to save it, but for the silver Technics deck, the tape detector is broken on the right deck, so it thinks its a metal cassette, causing it to sound muffled.

[@DrCassette]

The auto tape selector display only applies to the left deck. The right deck has no display. Also, the equalization settings for playback of metal and chrome cassettes are the same (only the settings for recording are different), so that's not an explanation either way. All cassette decks are still here, don't worry :)

[@PizzaFreaak]

since from the music i noticed you speak german so i formulate the question in that :D .... denkst du man kann so ein ding benutzen um guten pc sound zu bekommen? LG

[@DrCassette]

Nein, dafür ist so ein "Ding" völlig ungeeignet. Was du brauchst, ist ein Verstärker.

[@floridatoday5469]

I love your videos , like to back in time when I fixed all imported audio equipment here in Amazon

[@ThirtyThirdParallel]

Hi can you help ? I recently purchsed a phillips 583 radio cassette player, i have fixed most of it but im in need of a internal gear wheel for the tape cassette player. One of the cogs has two teeth missing which is not allowing the tape to rotate properly. I cant find anywhere how to get parts.

[@pirataceleste]

what do you think about the deck teac v 7000?

[@michal.jalochowski]

V 7000 - very good deck. I have this one...

[@vask8ers1]

Is it possible to test a deck without speakers hooked up to it?

[@macdaniel6029]

use headphones...

[@vask8ers1]

@@macdaniel6029 already tried.. I guess my real question is I have a deck in testing and I dont have speakers and when I press play it makes a sound but doesn't spin... Same with fast foward and rewind.

[@macdaniel6029]

@@vask8ers1 This has nothing to do with speakers. It is propably the belt.

[@macintosh_waifu]

I really liked the look of that silver technics (and silver decks in general :)) But Ithink you should check all of them when you have time. I think they are rather decent decks afterall. Kenwood probably the best one. Yamaha is the one that does not look very interesting but after you fix it will be nice deck(my friend has one). Telefunken decks looked interesting. Nordmende's power switch light was something!! JVC has a nice 80s retro a e s t h e t i c s after you clean it (Technics too;) . Can't wait to see repair videos. Keep up the good work!

[@DrCassette]

I will certainly check all cassette decks and try to repair them. The Yamaha cassette deck has already been repaired, indeed it's a nice one. I still can't decide whether the JVC deck looks 80s retro, or just looks ugly :D

[@LapisandHamtarolover]

Silver decks are sexy.

[@coogeedude308]

Hello I like you love cassette decks, Even though I nor a big fan of Duel Cassette deck I am a fan of Kenwood products. So keep the Kenwood deck and sell the rest.

[@brunoprimas1483]

In my experience, the Technics decks belts hold up much better than most of the other brands.

[@var_misc7704]

i also have that RS-T11 and T10 in Technics Paint bought them used both still work fine.

[@MaxRetroRecup]

I have a technics rs-612 us and the original belts are fine, but the motor was locked by the old grease.

[@brunoprimas1483]

@@MaxRetroRecup I've seen that. Usually a cleaning an a drop of oil takes care of that. I'd take that any day over gooey belts just because of the mess alone!

[@slotec]

still original belts on my yamaha deck

[@var_misc7704]

I also own that same Yamaha KX-200 also used purchased, works perfect.

[@marcelm.1844]

Habe öfter gelesen, dass in den Aufnahmeleitungen 470 kohm kommen.solche Kabel werden dann teuer verkauft. Damit können ältere Geräte mit DIN an neuere Verstärker betrieben werden

[@DrCassette]

Es muss in der Tat eine Möglichkeit geben, die Pegel anzupassen. Von den 470 kOhm habe ich noch nichts gehört, aber das kann gut passen.

[@marcelm.1844]

@@DrCassette www.adapterwelt.net/epages/61223614.mobile/de_AT/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61223614/Products/avkab4cidinmw&Locale=de_AT Hab bei Adapterwelt son Kabel gefunden wo die drin sind. Weiß aber nicht ober der Link hier funktioniert

[@DrCassette]

Der Link funktioniert, wenn der Uploader den Kommentar manuell genehmigt. Sehr interessant, dann werde ich vielleicht mal versuchen, einen meiner vorhandenen Adapter entsprechend zu modifizieren.

[@mapp4751]

love the Telefunken deck hope you can fix it!

[@DrCassette]

Both Telefunken decks should be relatively easy to fix :)

[@dominicfernandes4877]

Where do you get these Decks nowadays ??

[@DrCassette]

I got the cassette decks shown in this video from a local classifieds website and a second hand store. Ebay and flea markets are good sources, too.

[@dominicfernandes4877]

@@DrCassette Thanks

[@salusamu]

Hello. I have the same technics rs x101, and it hase the same problem. The problem comes from a yellow gear in both a and b decks, so it playd a few seconds and stops. Do you know where can i find them with low price ? Ther is someone from Czech Republic who sells them but expensive for me.

[@DrCassette]

The replacement gears are quite expensive. This is why I consider it uneconomical to repair these basic dual cassette decks.

[@salusamu]

@@DrCassette thanks for your answer.

[@xFuzzyxPicklesx]

Damn I want to learn how to repair these, found a cool dual cassette player, and both sides won't spin or play ! Lol I'ma open it up since it was only a few bux

[@DrCassette]

The first thing to check after opening the cassette deck are the rubber drive belts in the mechanisms. Bad belts are a very common problem, and usually it's a relatively simple repair.

[@JamesE707]

As i watch your videoes with interest DC, I cannot help but notice the amount of decks that have a headphone socket with no volume control! Even my Nakamichi DR10 has no volume control!

[@DrCassette]

On most equipment the headphone jack was really only there for the looks. Some headphone outputs I tried over the years I don't think ever got tested in the development process. The worked in theory, and that was good enough. Some headphone outputs are screaming loud, and yes, there is no volume control, other outputs are tinny or quiet, my most recent discovery was a headphone output on I believe a Sony CD player that has absurdly boomy bass. Really the only useable headphone outputs are found on amplifiers...

[@JamesE707]

@@DrCassette On some decks of mine - the variable output is also linked to the volume of the headphone too, which is handy. This makes them useable. Many of my (nine?) decks including my latest ebay purchase, can be found at http;//cassettedeckman.blogspot.com

[@zx8401ztv]

I think the german din standard is too sensitive for line level and may need an attenuator. A stereo volume control pot is handy for stuff like that :-D

[@DrCassette]

Correct, DIN inputs are a lot more sensitive than line level inputs. Also, the input impedance is different. Indeed I should make up some sort of adapter box to avoid annoying problems with the passive RCA to DIN adapters in the future...

[@reyuchannel7232]

Amazing Stereo cassette deck 👍

[@CannondaleCAAD]

The kenwood had Auto Bias, Maybe thats why it sounded muffled?

[@DrCassette]

Only the primary record deck (the broken one) has the Auto Bias function, the deck I used doesn't have Auto Bias.

[@DaXande135]

Could be, because those japanese decks are mostly calibrated to TDK SA and other ferrocobalt tapes and not pure chrome BASF. But I don't know if this BASF Chrome Extra still is pure chrome. But even with a deck not biased to a pure chrome, the recording shouldn't sound that muffled.

[@DrCassette]

@@DaXande135 The BASF didn't start using chrome substitute tape until the mid 90s. First was the "Reference Maxima TPII". The Chrome Extra II in this video according to the serial number was made in 1990. It still has a real chrome tape. But indeed the difference between chrome substitute and real chrome is not enough to explain the bad sound quality.

[@DaXande135]

@@DrCassette Die Reference Maxima TP II kann man aber auch extrem weit aussteuern, da fällt der Unterschied extrem auf. Habe mich das bei der Chrome Extra II auch nur gefragt, weil ich die glaube ich höher aussteuern konnte, wie eine CR-E II, die noch älter ist. Den "Chromgeruch" hat die gezeigte Chrome Extra ja auch noch.

[@DrCassette]

@@DaXande135 The Reference Maxima TPII wurde eingeführt, als die BASF noch kein eigenes Verfahren zur Herstellung von Chromsubstitutband hatte. Da musste tatsächlich Band aus Japan zugekauft werden, ich habe eben, als ich mich nochmal vergewisserte, dass ich hier keinen Blödsinn schreibe, gelesen, dass das Band von Hitachi (Maxell) zugekauft wurde und das gleiche war wie in der XLII-S.

[@nile2566]

i have an identical technix rx-101 to that one with literally the same problems, belts dont fix it, a friend found some broken cogs in it, currently trying to get some 3d printed because i cant find any

[@DrCassette]

Indeed the problems are caused by some bad gears. Replacement gears are available, and they are made from a proper mold, not some 3D print. They are however relatively expensive, two of them cost more than the cassette deck is worth, so I ended up scrapping it.

[@stephendevore3902]

Fix the Kenwood first.In this lot its the best one from what I can see.🙂

[@Jarisynth]

Its maybe best quality deck

[@mattbrill7909]

I agree, I have two kenwoods, one is a kxw4080, similar but not as featured as this one, both have done a mountain of work and both are fantastic sounding decks especially for the price. From my personal experience, I think kenwood is definitely best of the mid range or 'ordinary' brands.

[@BluRay_4]

Man all of these for ONLY 20 euros? In my place they sell one of these for non working condition for like 40.

[@DrCassette]

This was an excellent deal also compared to the usual prices around here. The person selling the cassette decks wanted them gone as fast as possible.

[@BluRay_4]

Ah..... that explains it..

[@Devilius1]

I think it would be nice to have a report on the Technics tape deck repair, I have the same errors with the device.

[@DrCassette]

Which one of the two Technics decks do you mean? The older silver one or the newer black one?

[@Devilius1]

@@DrCassette the black one

[@Devilius1]

the fault is a defective gear

[@erniebernstein3839]

Nice cassette deck i love how that looks

[@breezebenitses397]

Why doesn't the right take up reel turn on the technics please? Nice video doctor

[@DrCassette]

That problem is caused by bad gears that are often found in Technics cassette decks

[@breezebenitses397]

Thanks . Just love your informative videos. Thanks

[@michaelturner4457]

Equipment(usually German or other European) with DIN connections is always a much lower level signal than RCA phono connections.

[@DrCassette]

Correct, the signal levels as well as the input and output impedances of DIN connectors are very different from RCA connectors.

[@EddieJazzFan]

I was surprised the Telefunken didn't work. Their stuff is usually very robust.

[@mikeseba7817]

👍👍👍 P.S. Where did you find all those rongyos cassette decks? 😀 ... It's just a joke.

[@cutterbacon]

Denon pma 510 amplifier has a din input for tapes.

[@hifi.david.]

How do u know is a play head is bad

[@DrCassette]

Slide your fingernail across the head surface, going towards you. If your fingernail catches on anything, the head has a groove worn into it and is therefore bad.

[@jakefiersing]

You should definetly try to fix the Telefunken tc450, it got some really decent features and was in the midrange with its former price. A little sibling model, same brand tc400 is worth to be saved too. The basic built quality should be comparable. The third one should be the double cassette player and recorder from Kenwood, the KX6020. It got a huge amount of really tricky features and was once midrange priced as well. Additionally I would try to fix the Nordmende CD1000. It is an entry level model only, but it is beautifully and clear designed as I think. Last but not least the Sanyo RD2503 would be worth to be saved, because of its unique reliable motor and tooth gear, which was build in several 10000 decks back then, so once fixed it should last a lot of further years to come. To sum up, you picked an interesting collection of tape deck models.👍🤗

[@DrCassette]

Since I made this video, I have repaired the Telefunken decks, the Kenwood double deck and the Nordmende deck. The Sanyo didn't make it though, it became a parts donor for the Nordmende, a Dolby IC in the Nordmende had failed and the Sanyo happened to have some compatible ones.

[@jakefiersing]

@@DrCassette Congratulation, well done.👍🤗

[@alexandrossotiropoulos5621]

The Telefunken looked more promising!

[@JonBarker-Crimsonleech-]

I've a Yamaha KX-650 from new here, better than nothing, much better than those new Chinese mechanisms. Fix them all DC

[@DrCassette]

The Yamaha KX-650 looks like a very nice cassette deck :)