The All-Plastic Sony Surprise cassette deck - TC-W365

[@oldhouseredux7733]

I bought this tape deck with money I saved at Service Merchandise when I was 15 in 1992. I still use it today. It’s not anywhere near as nice as my other components, but it just keeps working. Great video! I need to replace the belt in deck 2, but will do both while in there, so you’re doing the research and finding that part no. helped me out big time. Thanks!

[@mx1742]

Yep, me too, i bought this same deck used at a thrift shop, glad I get to see the repair, service & reinstall of the belt systems

[@godofacorns]

Can only imagine that some engineers were handed wow & flutter specs and a tiny budget, and miraculously managed to put something together.

[@lucasrem]

Why you need tape still, mad here!

[@nickfatsis9607]

@@lucasrem because some people still enjoy listening to them.

[@theantiquescollector2199]

@@lucasrem because cassetes are awesome, just like vinyl records.

[@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx]

They skimped on everything apart from the basics to provide a good sound.

[@NoiseSHome]

What budget?!? They used to be expensive like sh** 🤦‍♀️

[@EddieJazzFan]

I had a nice Sony deck with Dolby S from the 90s that I bought new in J&R music world. I used it for about 15 years and put it in storage. Then when I went to take it out and use it again a few year ago, the belts were completely melted. It was like somebody just dumped roofing tar all over the inside of the machine. I just junked the machine, but regret it now. The tapes that I recorded in that deck still sound really good. Would have been good restoration project.

[@CommodoreFan64]

For such a cheaply constructed deck, I'm honestly surprised at how good it sounds, and now I'm gonna have to look up the disco group Cassette as their song is now stuck my head LOL!

[@commodoresixfour7478]

Nice handle. :)

[@strawhousepig]

Surprised they weren't Japanese. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6qWqmullK90qKc

[@tturner12341]

I thought they sounded great too. But, they broke down really quick. Read my other comment.

[@tommyb.6064]

To remove the goo from v shaped pulley, cut cardboard q-tip sticks in diagonal. dip into acetone and swipe down the track to scoop some goo out. Repeat as needed. PS: Buy a few packs of 500 q-tips, always with the cardboard stick, not plastic. That cardboard can sometimes be used on spinning capstan to unstick hard residue that won't come off only with the cotton ball on the swab. paper is more abrasive but won't damage the capstan!

[@X-OR_]

When looking for used Sony audio gear, I always will look for the ES in the model number. The ES is Sony's Hi-End brand and often looks like the same as the lower-end stuff. The thrift stores don't know the difference and will sell it at the same price.

[@m80116]

It's the WORST possible deal you could get (at least on eBay)... they command a higher price now than 30 or 40 years ago (including inflation). Meanwhile, there's plenty of decks with very similar sound and features and much better price, on the likes of Technics, TEAC, AIWA, Kenwood, Pioneer and many others, including Sony's own quality standard line (QS). They must be really dumb to sell an ES machine for cheap... they're not looking cheap as you suggest: they usually have plenty of toggles, buttons, pots, sometimes wooden sides or shiny metal frames, they have backlit cassette bays... there's hardly cheap stuff there.

[@X-OR_]

"they're not looking cheap as you suggest", I meant this from the seller's standpoint. an tape player is a tape player to sellers like thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales (for the most part)

[@m80116]

@@X-OR_ Got you. I just wanted to add a pinch of salt. I am still pretty mad for the unjustifiable price delta on our side of the pond (EU). In my experince price wise we are on a ratio of US 1 to UK 1.3 to EU 1.8, practically doubling the US prices. With a foreign ES price we may just get a TC-KE___S or K non ES series.

[@junker15]

I have Sony STR-D1090ES receiver I bought in 1993. Still works great despite not having any input more modern than RCA or composite.

[@steviebboy69]

@@junker15 I have the STR-D1090, it does not have the ES on the end also I purchased mine around 1993 but mine needs work and has some dry solder joints.

[@douglasallen9428]

A few years ago, I found a Sony cassette deck on the side of the road… I don’t remember the model number, and although it looked really nice, I also had to deal with badly melted belts which unfortunately stained my bedroom carpet (even though I was using old newspapers to prevent that from happening). Thanks again for such an entertaining and informative video!

[@RedShift5]

How do these things appear on the side of the road? There's never anything interesting on the roads here, let alone things as big as a tape deck.

[@douglasallen9428]

@@RedShift5 Sometimes around where I live, people tend to toss out some of the most interesting things I’ve have ever seen by the side of the road… I have even found other related items that other people have tossed out like console TVs, boom boxes, all-in-one stereo systems and even stereo receivers (which I have actually found on more than one occasion)!

[@EtoileBleu52]

this comment goes well with the one on the top

[@markianclark9645]

@@RedShift5 well...i got my Sony TC-W435 exactly the same way...by the side of the road...i swear to God...no lid on it though...all wet with rain and melted sticky belts just like most...it turned on and blue display illuminated...so i deemed it worthy of new belts...after lots of black goo removal with IPA and cotton buds...it mostly works...deck A is fine...deck B is poor sound and fluttery...it's a backup to my Kenwood twin deck anyway...other stuff i've seen...old computers...even a huge all in one Mac with crack in the corner (Mac pro?) several giant TV's...battery drills with dead rechargables (which i modded to run from an external power supply)...no consoles though - unlike Douglas...

[@ericdunn8718]

Of course I watch this almost two years on, having bought my first Sony deck (and first deck ever) just the other day as of writing, and having to do the menial, torturous process of disconnecting wires and screws, removing melted belts and getting the rubber goop all over my fingers (even when I use gloves), and putting it all back together to hope it works (it seems deck A doesn't wanna work now that I cleaned it up, but I think that was because I may have either plugged the ribbon cables in the wrong outlets or because I didn't screw in this little connector providing power to the deck in some way, didn't read the electrical diagram completely but at least the service manual I found online has a pretty straightforward yet tedious way of disassembling the deck). I also think I got the slightly older brother of that deck, as it seems to be the lowest model of its respective line (TC-W411, and there were four others mentioned in the operations and service manuals, but what makes mine cheap is that the main circuit board is permanently held in place at an angle by a metal clamp in the back, and comes out when you take out the front panel, so I'm left praying that I didn't disconnect it somehow whenever I move it a lot to work on it, at least mine has all metal on nearly everything but te front panel so it has some dependability besides the fact I hear the motors spinning and see the level meters light up, so it is working apart from the belts). Hopefully all goes well for me, though it certainly won't be as well as you, already got new belts ordered, along with this hand cleaner for the belt residue. Oh and I'm not sure when mine was made, didn't check the date codes, but it was made in Japan still and had a copyright date of 1991 on the operations manual I was given when I bought it off eBay, so somewhere during or after then.

[@ChanningHandler]

"It's kind of like a Mercedes with a manual." I'll take two please!

[@jhutt8002]

If you had any doubt he is american. I don't think that analogue works in most of Europe. Having either automatic or manual is just feature some like and others don't, and quite large portion of people are fairly ambivalent about. At least here in Finland it's something that seems only people really into cars seem to care about that much.

[@jhutt8002]

Btw. I agree. Always prefer manual!

[@theoloutlaw]

Sounds pretty darn good! I would not be embarrassed to have one of these on my shelf. Thanks for the top video again!

[@rod-bits-and-pieces]

If you look at the tape counter it’s what’s causing the clicking noise. You can see it sticking in time with the clicks! Another entertaining video though. Enjoyed your content for so many years now!👍

[@sunbeam8866]

I've had a pair of mid '80s Sharp RT-100 single cassette decks for awhile. Only mechanical keys, not the best decks of their generation, but they do have metal cassette transports and 1/4 mic inputs in addition to the headset jack, and basic Dolby/CrO2 tape settings. I keep one at home and the other at my parent's place to mix tapes for my walkman or car (Yeah, I still have a car with a working cassette) So a couple years ago, I accidentally left one of the decks powered on for at least a week. It still works OK, but I started thinking about getting a spare, and found an RT-100 "parts pr repair" deck on eBay last month for $5 + shipping - just under $20. When it arrived, except for some muddy sound, it seemed to work ok. Belts still good after 38 years and after a good head cleaning, it sounds as good as my other one!

[@yuseiyamoto]

kinda gives me a vibe of how i imagine a new modern tape deck to look like, like plastic fantastic. i am personally really like metal button and casings but nontheless its sound pretty good for what it is. sometimes its better not to judge a book by its cover

[@johne5543]

You gotta love how they try to make each LED on the VU meters look like two separate LEDs lights.

[@DuncanWEDD2019]

Even Nakamichi did that, on some of their lower to mid end decks, even at their peak [see what I did there?] in the 80s. And all segments, one colour. Famously [almost] all 'Naks' had manual tape type selection, and many had a mechanical tape counter, with the base models having them I think right to the end. But all working, serviced models today will wipe the floor with this sony (and the top Sony's competed with Nakamichi, back in the day, and the little WM-DC6 "Walkman Professional", five segment meters, mechanical tape counter, is simply stunning, with a Naka-like price to match). A bad one... may eat tape.

[@lucasrem]

for estatics only, u ever used it?

[@LapisandHamtarolover]

​@@DuncanWEDD2019 ​@Duncan Webberley Think of Sony D6C as Nakamichi RX-202 in terms of cassette orientation and Nakamichi BX-125 for practically most of the functions. :)

[@DeathInTheSnow]

TC-W365 Catchy, Sony. Really catchy. You've always been fantastic with the names. I snap my fingers each time I say one.

[@andreasklindt7144]

It makes me happy everytime I see someone repairing a cheap cassette deck. Sometimes those cheap entry level decks are way better than their parts. I have a "Telefunken RC100" tape deck from 1980 still with its original belts. It works perfectly and the sound quality is surprisingly good for an entry level tapedeck without any collectable value (unlike the RC300). From all the decks I have it's honestly my favourite for recording. But for playing it's better to hide in a cabinet or to raise the volume very loud. The power supply hums extreme by design and the constantly moving capstan and plastic parts don't help much either... But the sound of the audio signal is great for a device like this. I guess cheap(er) devices like this that produced a lot of unwanted noise were the reason why hifi cabinets with doors were so popular in the 1980's and 90's. If your're willing to compromise on this, you can still have a lot of fun with devices like this, in my opinion.

[@SudosFTW]

yep, you'd likely benefit from a new application of a plastic-friendly light grease on the gearing to quiet it down and prolong the life of the gears themselves. doing that as a follow-up before/after would certainly make a good video for one of those youtube shorts things they're pushing creators to do.

[@catleaderk]

Nice work!! I love those music you chose. I can feel you are a very intelligent and kind person.

[@wotizit2937]

A fine video and very fine sound quality from the cassette deck. Thank you.

[@Oldgamingfart]

On some decks it's still quite important to replace the tape counter belt, as there is often a rotation sensor present which will cause the deck to shut down if the counter doesn't move. This sure doesn't look to be one of those decks! On saying that, like you said, it's the sound quality that matters, and this would've been entry-level and priced accordingly (albeit by typical Sony pricing, anyway!). ES quality it is not; nor does it claim to be..

[@jimdayton8837]

Yep! Learned this the hard way last year when repairing a Sony TC-FX210. Took me hours of messing with it till I finally found out the tape counter belt had 2 purposes.

[@mcramp20]

Not bad as long as you listen to it with headphones or loud enough to mask the mechanism sound

[@peacearchwa5103]

Around 1994, I purchased a brand-new low-end Sony single-well cassette deck, the TC-FX170. This deck was quite lightweight, had piano-key controls and a mechanical time counter. The Sony TC-FX170 offered Dolby C, auto-tape-type selection, and a manual bias adjustment knob. It performed alright, the piano-key controls weren't particularly elegant. I haven't had this deck for many years, I bought it in 1994 because it was a low-cost deck with Dolby C and the bias fine-tuning.

[@lucasrem]

Dolby C was 1978 tech, HX Dolby was 1995 this is cheap crap, why post it, mad here!

[@KR1275]

@@lucasrem In 1987 many decks already had HX Pro.

[@christophero1969]

I'm in my 50's and still listen to tapes. I totally agree with you on the sound quality and the heads seem brand new! Very surprising from a thrift store.

[@bland9876]

I'm in my 20's and listen to tape through that's only cuz when I'm at my parents house my mom will play them sometimes. MP3 FTW (sometimes ill by a cd and rip it)

[@thisisnev]

From a combination of personal experience and scanning eBay for a few years, the worst offenders for dissolving belts were Sony, Aiwa, Kenwood, Pioneer and Hitachi. At the other end of the scale JVC, Technics/Panasonic, Akai and Nikko used belts that stand the test of time the best.

[@Mrsteve4761]

I can certainly vouch for JVC; my two TD-V621 decks still have their original belts, and this deck utilizes two (identical) belts for the flywheel.

[@stepheng8779]

Personally I can vouch for Sony's giving up the ghost but never had a problem with Pioneer or indeed as you say Technics

[@PreparationH67]

I've been pretty lucky with belts not being melted, but now that Im thinking about it the Sony examples I've seen have certainly aged worse than the Technics/Panasonic examples I've seen.

[@domfjbrown75]

And Denon. My 1989 DRW-750 is on its original belts, as is my 1984 DCD-1100 CDP. Both bought second hand....

[@AaronSmart.online]

I have an Aiwa deck from 1987 and the belt had turned completely into goo, it was fixable but required a lot of cleaning

[@rwdplz1]

Have consistently had the same issue with about a dozen Sony cassette decks: The 90's stuff always has melted belts, while the early - late 80's do not. Cleaning up the tar out of motors and pulleys is always REAL fun.

[@BessieBopOrBach]

It's fascinating to see how cheap the mechanism is. I have a Panasonic boombox from 1997 with the familiar Tanashin mechanism, but I also have a Sony cassette walkman from the early 2000s where the whole mechanism is custom and made mostly of metal. It seems like there was no pattern to it, since it wasn't an expensive walkman.

[@yanks1fan09]

Another well done repair job.. I got the Sony Plastic Tape Deck Fever Now!!

[@HJkos]

Ah yes, I recognize the "music" in the intro immediately, that's 0xBAADFOOD (album) by SLUGBUG, heard it so many times already, such a great piece.

[@ianwiese1]

I hate buying electronics from goodwill because everything is always overpriced. they'll have some pretty basic cassette decks for like $60 and they look like they been sitting out side for 5 years

[@kunalzshah]

That song by what you gonna do by cassette, recorded from vinyl to tape, seems to have been recorded very very well! Snare sounds so superb! Totally 80s / early 90s

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

+1 for Slugbug. Love it each time you play some of his stuff :D

[@northernplacecorporation]

Music: "What You Gonna Do?" Performed by Cassette (Dutch band) "Competitive Spirit" from the BackTraxx Music Library

[@RemixRob]

@VWestlife, love your channel! I hope you're able to get a Nakamichi CR-7A or Dragon because you're so dedicated to cassettes and old media. I think you'd appreciate the quality and sound. The deck has made bad cassettes sound very good. Some people don't like the accented high-end and prefer the warmer tones of the Dragon but for me, it's perfect for transferring pre-recorded cassettes and getting the most out of them.

[@oliverlotus]

Your cassette deck videos are your USP. Keep it up!

[@VB-bk1lh]

A drop of silicone based oil on the plastic gears where they ride on the shaft and a bit of silicone grease on the teeth quiets that the drive down significantly. I'm not sure where it came from but someone gave me a tube of 'Sony' branded lube meant for plastic parts. Its a clear/white gel looking grease, just a trace of it is all it takes and that drive is almost silent. The first few I deal with I used a silicone based lube meant for fishing reels and it worked just fine. They used the same drive mechanism throughout that series, I see very few differences in the various models (I've probably got a dozen of them here right now). Even the earlier versions weren't much different going back to the late 80's. In many ways, including sound, the newer models were a bit of an improvement. They were fairly inexpensive decks back then. I have one my dad bought that came from an AV receiver set from the late 90's that had an original receipt for a Sony 80w x 5 ch. AV receiver, five tiny speakers, an antenna loop, and a plastic subwoofer. It was on sale for $189.99 down from $249.99, and if you used a Boscov's card, you got a free cassette deck or $50 off a CD player. He chose the free Cassette deck. The tape deck is a W380 version of the one shown here, from what I can tell, other than the counter location there's no major differences. Of that set, the receiver is pretty much only good as an AV receiver, its got no tone controls, just three position choices of plus 1, 2, or 3 on the bass and treble. Connected to larger speakers as two channel stereo its pretty bad, all of those models were. But the tape deck is decent. Perfectly fine for the average guy who just wants to make a few custom mixed tapes off CD or to dub a few existing tapes in a hurry for use in the car or boombox. Best of all, these are easy to service and seem to actually hold up pretty well.

[@jasonbass2973]

I bought this exact tape deck at Circuit City. That was in the 2000s. Didn't realize how old the deck was. My. Belts need replacement as well. Good video.

[@pikaporeon]

I like the little hook you use to get at the belts. I have an extracurricular use of similar tools and theyve served me well

[@tomsimpson3322]

When you pressed playback on Deck B and all the piano keys lowered I thought “yikes”. Another great video 😉

[@nickbitten9910]

Great video. The deck sounds pretty good after all. Nice one.

[@jasonbass2973]

I have the Sony TC-305 my belts of course did the same thing. I used cheap China replacment belts that kept breaking. Glad I remembered this video because now I have ordered the belts from West coast belts.

[@Gansteeth]

I recently found my dad's old Sony Hifi system buried in a cupboard for over 20 years. Yep, the cassette belts had completely turned to goo. Very unpleasant. Good to see you had a narrow escape here!

[@codybrady6637]

I'm now considering picking one of these up. Looks very easy to replace the belts, even if they melt to a goop, theres no fancy electronics that could malfunction and even though the mechs are plastic the gears look pretty stout so I doubt they would chew each other up or deteriorate into crumbs. I love the fancy cassette decks but just like buying a 15 year old BMW you cant expect them to run consistently. A deck like this is like an old honda civic, cheap as physically possible while still doing everything a car should do.

[@Musicradio77Network]

I used to have my Sony TC-WE305 a long time ago, but it’s also a barebones cassette deck. So I replaced it with my Technics RS-B11W from 1985 and it works.

[@verastaki]

I bought a similar brand new Sony tape deck deck in 2005 @ Best Buy. After I brought it home and unboxed it, I realized it's not a Full-Logic one. Looking further, I was shocked that they used this same plastic mechanism, on a deck which features Dolby S & Type IV tape format compatibility. I immediately took it back and swapped it for an actual Full-Logic Tape Deck. I never liked the piano style push button type Tape Mechanisms. With Full-Logic, I can program the deck to record my favorite dance music off radio which plays after midnight. While I'm asleep. Not to mention, I can wake up to tape, program which tracks to play, which to skip, repeat tracks on tape same as you would on CD. Fully Remote Control Compatible. My father ended up purchasing similar deck in 2012 after he saw all the tricks a Full-Logic Deck can do. I'm surprised I never had to change belts on any of my tape decks after watching all the videos how those belts turn to tar. Well, I take good care of my electronics, cassettes & decks. Even if something goes wrong, I know how to fix them, after fixing dozens of them for my friends.

[@WiseAssGamer]

12:00. So I Shazammed that song and it came up. Shazam knew this song.

[@OldSonyMan]

Damm, those belts !!! I've got Sony tape decks from the early 70's which are still on their original belts but I've also got 20-30x Sony 90's midi systems which just have nasty goo where the belts once were !

[@Di3mondDud3]

I got really lucky at the thrift store. I got a fully working Onkyo TA-RW404, its a twin deck with HX Pro and im so happy as an upgrade from my Teac V-370

[@matthewbisschop4654]

The Sony TC-W365 was my first standalone deck. I got free from my uncle about 15 or so years ago along with a Yamaha RX-V480 receiver. I still have my Sony deck although I should probably replace the belts sometime. I have the belt kit for it but haven’t gotten around to putting them in.

[@morenocasalegno3532]

Very catchy dark ambient track at the beginning! 🙂

[@thevacdude]

Thanks for the video, Kevin.

[@rodrigobelinchon2982]

I like it. Beautiful 90s Sony design.

[@northernplacecorporation]

Additional Music: "Worked Before / Mice Arps" and "Lego Breath (The Tiniest Trombone)" Both Written by Paul Millar Both Performed by Slugbug Both from album 0xBAADF00D

[@popolony2k]

Excellent sound quality.

[@50shadesofbeige88]

Glad to hear West Coast Belts took good care of you. It's worth an extra few sheckles for that kind of service.

[@StrayCatHomestead]

Sir, I am a member of the world-renowned group Cassette. Thank you for reviving one of our best hit songs. We're already seeing a wave of online downloads. However, the four of us would like to have a word with you regarding our standard royalty fee. Please have your people contact our people as soon as possible.

[@vwestlife]

"One of our best"? It was Cassette's *only* song (plus a B-side on the 45), and it wasn't a hit. www.discogs.com/artist/3936878-Cassette-10

[@StrayCatHomestead]

@@vwestlife Sir, we have reviewed the song and we have realized it's terrible. We please ask you to burn your copy, delete this video, destroy our comments, and forget all about this. How about those Mets.

[@vwestlife]

@@StrayCatHomestead I'm a Yankees fan.

[@metalneanderthal]

I have this exact player. After 20 years I Just had it serviced. Had a new head put in on Deck 1 and new belts installed.

[@TheJaHa5]

I got a SONY TC-W305 2nd hand from someone at the end of January this year, and I had the same problem. Unfortunately for me, I had a gooey mess to clean up, and I had to guess the belt sizes, (well, my impatience is partially to blame for that!), but after replacing all 5 belts, the thing sounds splendid! Mines, however, even though it has piano keys, has a fully metal mechanism and full auto stop. Yours resembles mines quite a lot, especially the level indicators, well, the whole front perhaps! Thanks for the upload!

[@TheEpicOne007]

unrelated: that slugbug album is so good! thanks for showing us all it !

[@USAMP926C]

Videos of cassette deck repairs are therapeutic to me. :)

[@hughjanus6975]

"yeah isn't that lovely" exactly how I feel about melted belts. Exactly.

[@ceticobr]

Thank you for introducing me to Lego Breath by Paul Millar! It's genius! Gotta go look for more music by him.

[@piotr433]

I thought it was just me who had bad luck with a Sony belt. In my TC-KE600 (not the cheapest model) the belt that drives the capstan totally turned into a sticky disgusting goo very hard to remove. Interestingly enough, the belt that was in charge in fast forward / rewind remained in a mint condition.

[@watershed44]

@piotr433 I would bet that Sony spec'd a higher quality belt for that use due to the speed and tension on it from FF and REW speeds. Wow talk about bean counting, you could definitely tell that Sony stopped being special in the 1990s.

[@piotr433]

@@watershed44 Sony stopped being special indeed, at least in audio/video - all more or less sophisticated Sony's stuff bought by me since 1990s had some fault, including an ES class amplifier...

[@watershed44]

@@piotr433 Wow pretty disappointing that they would let one of their premium class products suffer serious problems like that ES class amp. Until the mid to late 80s their mid range and top range consumer products were generally outstanding and very reliable.

[@steveoszman8746]

Yep there's a lot of value in Sony dual wells. I use one for play back if it breaks no big loss.

[@delllatituded8204]

Nice Video, the Old Mercedes are nice

[@TheOriginalCollectorA1303]

Even as a low end deck, it’s still way better than anything new today and it sounds great considering the all plastic design! Nice that you caught it just in time to replace those old belts.

[@vwestlife]

The currently available TEAC and TASCAM decks are far superior to this except for the lack of Dolby noise reduction.

[@TheOriginalCollectorA1303]

True, those decks are also quite nice considering they are new and they would be even better if Dolby was on them. It would be cool to see Dolby or other features return to brand new decks.

[@andic6676]

You know, it sounds pretty good!

[@Fabian-xc7bx]

Talking about APSS. It would be interesting to know how Automatic Program Search System detects the blanks on a tape and if there are differences between the manufacturers.

[@albear972]

8:06 You and the American Chemistry Council say the same thing. " *plastics makes it possible* " 😁 And Hooooly crap! When you mentioned how obscure that bootleg late comer Disco beat by Cassette was I had to Shazam it. I was thinking that Shazam was going to say "What the hell is this crap?" But no. It returned "What you gonna do by Cassette"

[@HoboVibingToMusic]

Holy cow that first train part has some serious staging!

[@ImmortalThanos]

What you gonna do, V? Keep making stellar videos, that's what.

[@frank1371]

What cd did the “competitive spirit” track come from? It sounds like something from wii sports

[@vwestlife]

I'll explain it in an upcoming video.

[@DaniRadioCat]

Sounds a bit like something you'd hear on a local cable access show or sporting event (like a high school baseball game or something)

[@midiphile]

Library music pastiche of David Foster's "Winter Games".

[@JustinRoby9311]

I have a younger cousin of this deck, the tc-we305. Entry level dual-well deck that I think I got for $100 new. I managed to replace the belts as they were getting loose just this year (it's 20 years old!). Interesting differences: metal mechanism with plastic gears and auto stop on play, fast-forward, and rewind. Otherwise, very similar!

[@markusbensinger4447]

They was popluar in the 90s in Germany. That was the entry level ! I had one of those, back in the days

[@KingAlone516]

its weird seeing something i actually use to own be reviewed on this channel. i use to have this same deck. i got about 7 years out of it before it self destructed.

[@bland9876]

self destructed? You mean the belts died?

[@KingAlone516]

@@bland9876 the belts were practically the only thing that were still in working order😩. But after the audio output went out for no reason it was time to just let it go.

[@bland9876]

@@KingAlone516 audio is pretty important for a tape player.

[@connorm955]

I found a TC-WE305 years ago and the belts were melted and it looked rather difficult so i just said forget it, and found an 80s cassette deck at another thrift store maybe a year and a half later in perfect working order.

[@EdgardoDC]

Three years ago I bought a 90s Sony deck woth dolby S and three heads. It sounds fantastic and the materials are amazing. The belts are a little bent for being stored for so long by the previous owner but I might replace the belts one day, it still sounds decent. Wow and flutter is not as bad but could be better.

[@awesomeferret]

"You don't often see a Sony cassette deck with completely mechanical piano key controls, manual tape type selection, and a mechanical tape counter". Maybe you did more in the 80s? My TC-K22 (which has every single one of these "features", aside from the plastic mechanism) is not high end, but it's not budget tier either.

[@ronniepirtlejr2606]

It may be cheap as all get up but,.. it sounds good!

[@mr.capomusicstudios]

Even though it's a piece of plastic, it's still much better than all the Chinese decks (Pyle, Pyle Pro, Pyramid, Ion, Soundwave, Renkforce, Wharfedale, etc). And at that time, Sony did seem to be doing things right. If Sony had to make a deck like this today, the mythical Tanashin mechanism would fit right in, with its respective motor, which is a bad imitation of the classic Mabuchi. And finally, they are going to put the dynamic noise reducer (used by all Chinese decks), which can only be applied in playback, not in recording. And yes, since Dolby died, they stopped manufacturing those chips.

[@TheLaptopLagger]

I have a handful of 70's players still running their original belts flawlessly.

[@Lagittaja]

Yeah, I have a few year older TC-W300 (W190 in US) and it's cheap inside but good sound quality. I changed the belts in mine almost in time, they were a bit more gooey than yours, a bit of a headache. Got the belts from Thakker.

[@frederickfranchi6408]

For me sound quality is all that matters and a decent-looking deck which it seems you got with that Sony!!!! will done😃

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

Still better than any brand new cassette deck made today.

[@vwestlife]

Totally wrong. See my reviews of the TEAC and TASCAM decks.

[@Narayan_1996]

Just the video I needed to watch having my dinner 😍

[@AMDRADEONRUBY]

Nice a Sony cassette deck ! Nice video Kevin have a nice day.

[@MacintoshLibrarian]

What cha gonna do ! *sings Walkman fever *

[@darrelldixon9044]

I bought one of these identical Tape Decks from Goodwill which also didn't play. When I opened it up to check the belts, what I found was all the belts were "GOO" and seriously gummed up all the pulleys and mechanisms. I tried cleaning it up but gave up. I want a better Sony Cassette Deck to go with my other Sony Components, so will keep looking...

[@slugware]

what is the album and artist of that track Competitive Spirit at 12:40 ?

[@vwestlife]

I'll have a video about it soon.

[@robertdavis5714]

This was well done Sir. I see why you have gotten 1.4k likes (very rare for cassette) including mine.

[@adamfoster3473]

I owned that exact model for years it was my best friend I made so many mix tapes with it. Mine sat in a storage unit for years and yep the belts turned into mush

[@THOMMGB]

I"ve had good luck with cleaning all the black rubber belt goo/residue stuff up with isopropyl alcohol on a Q tip or paper towel. Alcohol pads work too. Even if the belt comes off just before turning to goo, I still clean the belt pathway with alcohol to get it spotlessly clean of old belt residue.

[@5argetech56]

Superb repair....

[@ejonesss]

i think the tar belts was used even in the 80s. remember the ET doll where you pulled the string and it said 1 or 3 or 4 lines from the movie? for that matter all of the different dolls where you pulled a string and they said different things. the talking motor was powered by a spring that drove a belt driven phono disk and the belts in them also got tarry like too.

[@Markimark151]

I found a similar tape deck with a turntable from Sony, but I didn’t get it because the belts are broken. Only one tape drive is working and the turntable isn’t working. I wish Sony made newer tape decks, because of the revival of analog media!

[@robertpross7515]

As I recently realized that I am now old and lived through the end of the LP and all the tape era, I just have to respond to this sort of comment. It is bad enough that LP's are back (high maintenance and lower sound quality than CD's) but at least they have redeeming quality (Large Artwork, great to display). But Cassette's !!! They were never were good even back in the day, we bought them because they were cheaper than the CD or LP. I realize that you can get OK sound out of cassette with type IV media and a great player. However, no-matter how good it is, digital sound is better. The reality is that CD is the best physical media that ever became popular (Sorry MD), and will remain as such (Streaming has meant the end of advance in physical media) The only benefit of Cassette's is that you could record your own media (or copies of songs) , which brings us to the key point. If any format needs to return (or more pointedly be preserved) it is CD-R's and CD players. Perfect sound quality and ability to record your own tracks (also no DRM). Run along now and in 5 years I'll comment on the over the top price of used CD players.

[@Markimark151]

@@robertpross7515 I actually prefer CDs over vinyl, because of the versatility and better sound quality. The only reason I play vinyl and cassettes are for the analog masters, similar to how old NES video games are better played on older TVs.

[@luknado]

Is this noise from 8:46 normal? I have exactly the same sound in my tape recorder.

[@kareno8634]

Here we go ~ that Top Tech GW Shopper we know! Not only reveals some Grand & questioned Relics he's found, but a Quick 'Window Trip' into what's inside or need; Comparison and\or connection of components already at hand; Provides information Learned, Instructing parts shoppe to ensure Consumers Proper sized Parts. Like, W0W^ *Thanks!* 8 ) melted belts are a mess! _citrus oil_ does a great job on this type of goo. 9:30 [mirrored] 'Wavering' Movement of Belted Gears seen - is that normal? (for plastic) ^ *Groovy Tunes!*

[@keinpodcast4053]

"Competitive Spirit"... hmm, sounds a lot like David Foster's "Winter Games".

[@dintyshideaway9505]

Slugbug is fantastic. Sounds like early Oingo Boingo, which was the best Oingo Boingo.

[@TheBasementChannel]

Avoiding the dreaded belt goo is such a win.

[@JoeOrber]

Fascinating video! Despite of the lack of auto-stop, which will sooner or later chew up a tape, the sound quality is great. I just restored an old Sony deck from the 80s and it works great. How long do you think we’ll be able to find replacement belts though? I don’t know how the new ones will age 😊