Vintage HiFi Audio Forum
Audio Discussion => List your system => Topic started by: OldiesButGoodies on April 14, 2013, 03:25:50 PM
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Klaus had errands to run in Ohio and was kind enough to pick up a litter of cassette decks for me - thank you Klaus! He was able to fit 22 decks (21 for me, 1 for him) into his RX-300.
Now to have some fun testing these babies so I can decide which stay and which go to Epay.
Thanks again MacGeek!
OBG
PS: The original idea was to get Nak decks only, but the seller had a Pioneer CT-F950 dressed up in a wood case, and I could not resist the fluoroscan temptation. >:D
(http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l538/namikis/IMG_1013_zps7e5672c8.jpg) (http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/namikis/media/IMG_1013_zps7e5672c8.jpg.html)
(http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l538/namikis/IMG_1014_zps85edd1c1.jpg) (http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/namikis/media/IMG_1014_zps85edd1c1.jpg.html)
(http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l538/namikis/IMG_1015_zps77bfe57b.jpg) (http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/namikis/media/IMG_1015_zps77bfe57b.jpg.html)
(http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l538/namikis/IMG_1016_zps5d8bc4b8.jpg) (http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/namikis/media/IMG_1016_zps5d8bc4b8.jpg.html)
(http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l538/namikis/IMG_1017-1_zps2d15d7a7.jpg) (http://s1122.photobucket.com/user/namikis/media/IMG_1017-1_zps2d15d7a7.jpg.html)
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Holy Motherload!!
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Looks like a good number of these will need some degree of maintenance to get them to record properly.
I have a masochistic streak ???.
The MR decks seem to be the hardiest. There is a 202 deck in the collection that flips the cassette by itselt robotically. Having a stone IPA to help me absorb the challenge ahead.
OBG
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Pepe, what's wrong with you? But, I do appreciate ridiculousness of it.
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The road trip worked out to about 15 miles per deck. There was more to buy-I could have managed better mileage/unit.
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Suppose you pulled the best parts from each deck and made one really stellar example. What would you do with it? Cassette is one example (IMHO) of a media best left to the trash heap of history.
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Pepe, I think those marathon corporate meeting sessions have taken their toll. :p
I hope you're able to convert these back into $$ somehow.
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You are a crazy cassette masochist but I still like most of my cassette decks.
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@Nick - many, many things are wrong, but I enjoy playing with this old stuff and selling it on.
@Al - time will tell if I break even of lose or double the initial outlay, will keep you posted. My bet is yes, given the price I paid.
@Mark - they all work in playback pretty much, and there are 7 that record supremely well including the MR decks - those are nice). The fun of recording is in the ritual of doing it and in being able to move vinyl to tape easily for listening in the car. I know you will say "cars don't have cassette decks anymore" - but that is a separate project, getting an old muscle car built around a decent cassette deck.
@Anders: yes I am. MAy need your help resuscitating some of these babies.
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I used to love listening to cassettes in the car, but I always tended to leave them in the car, where they got hot..stretched out, and unplayable after a time. The only time I really enjoy CDs now is in the car. If I could play vinyl on the move, I'd prolly go for that :)
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I know you will say "cars don't have cassette decks anymore"
Actually, the stock system in my 2002 Windstar has cassette and CD. It just never occurred to me to make a cassette when burning a CD is quicker. cheaper and easier. The on;t time I use the cassette is with one of those adapters and a portable DVD player.
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CASSETTES??????
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Pepe, what's wrong with you? But, I do appreciate ridiculousness of it.
+1 ???
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Cuz I love cassettes...
:P
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(http://veryhilarious.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ipod-cassette-tape-funny.jpg)
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(http://veryhilarious.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ipod-cassette-tape-funny.jpg)
;D
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There are some strong feelings about cassettes out there on audiophile world. I think many of the folks that are critical have limited experience with good cassette decks. A decent deck is pretty hand when you borrow an LP from a friend (very common for me) and do not have reels to play with (for all the sonic advantages of R2R, I at least do not have spare tapes to afford using them to record the occasional borrowed LP or NPR concert).
The other option is to use software like Audigy to digitize the stuff we would normally record. That option is harder to execute on successfully than perhaps it sounds (pun intended). Every time I try it, the sound that comes out is dry and unappealing (user error and cheap sound cards may be partly the cause, admittedly), and the process more cumbersome than popping a cassette, adjusting levels and recording.
Another argument that attracts me is the availability of good quality pre-recorded tapes at places like Half Price Books. To me that is a cool factor. Some of the recordings I have run across are amazingly good.
OBG
PS: And the hardware decks can be beautiful and fun to play with and maintain
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I think many of the folks that are critical have limited experience with good cassette decks.
I worked through school in our AV department. We had three head decks from Nakamichi and Studer. These decks were about as good as it gets. I listen to cassettes (when I have to) with the Dolby off because it kills the air in the music. However, when you do that you usually get what is (at least in the digital age) an unacceptable level of hiss.
I do recordings with an E-Mu 1212 card and Audition 3, and I haven't looked back.
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Oh, and I do have a Tascam 102 MKII deck for when I need cassette playback. Not top of the line, but certainly not bottom either.
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That Tascam is a nice deck - may add it to the Pepe Cassette deck museum some day.
How do you use the Emu card in practice? balanced inputs from the pre tape-out and record, then playback to balance out or digital out to a DAC?
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I just use the analog inputs from the tape out on my Marantz 2230. Nothing fancy. The built in DAC is quite good (it has the same chip as ProTools uses, that was the big selling point for me). It was a PITA to set up, but now that it is configured I find it to be quite excellent.
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Here is the main mixdown deck we used (to get back on topic for you)...
(http://m.b5z.net/i/u/1608444/i/front___top_no_cass_ezr.jpg)
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I will use the profits from selling the 1st 3 decks on Epay to source an Emu card for my XP PC. :P
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There is a beta driver for Win 7. It will remain beta forever as they have stopped support for that card, but it has been stable on my Win 7 64 bit for at least a year now.
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And they seem to be selling for around a C-note in eBay completed listings. If it takes three Naks to raise $100, this only further confuses me as to the entire undertaking.
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I will report as the sales happen. My track record on the last 6 decks I have sold is an average 40-50% gain >:D, so thank God for the few remaining cassette lovers. I am betting there is beer money for me in this batch, just as there was with the Pioneer decks in the past.
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Markshan...
Loved your original "I am your father" pic!!!
;D
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Not questioning the merits of the decks.
Just seems like a *lot* of work for limited gain.
I could only imagine what your wife said. :o
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I guess you need to know me better to understand. This is not work for me - playing with all these different decks is a ton of fun. Turning over the ones I cannot fix myself to Anders et al to fix is fun, and it helps the economy ;D. I guess I would not mind turning this basement into a small-scale version of the shop in Babcock Blvd. Racks full of electronic crap to play with and sell every once in a while. I had not thought of it that way but I like that idea.
The best part of the basement deal in the new house is that I am king down here, I can do pretty much anything I want as long as it doesn't interfere with access to the garage. Am I crazy? Compared to who? O0
OBG
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The guy in Ohio who sold the decks is already there. There must have been 70 to 100 pieces of gear in his man cave, in various stages of operability or repair. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for us), most of the best stuff left the place in my car.
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I can see a special edition of "hoarders" in the making. :-/
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Markshan...
Loved your original "I am your father" pic!!!
;D
Not mine. I quoted Rev because I liked it.
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Wow...what a find. I have a Tascam 122mkII that VH is working on. I suspect it may not be repairable. I have over 350 cassettes so not wanting to take a chance of not having more than one functional deck. I bought a very clean looking Nak 480z off ebay. Very reasonably priced and seller stated it works great. After receiving it I checked it out. Very clean and mech/heads show no wear. It goes into ff and rew no problem but in play mode the right hub does nothing. Luckily seller refunded all $ even shipping. I really like the deck and would like to get it fixed. As luck would have it yesterday my beloved Nak CR3a crapped out. Probably a belt as I bought it new and have never had it serviced. Meanwhile, unfortunately this Friday I have to have surgery due to complications from 2 cancer surgeries I had in October. This means I don't have time to get either of the Nak decks fixed in the near future. Timing really sucks. If I didn't have so many cassettes I wouldn't care so much. A lot are factory prerecorded but majority are good quality recordings I made myself on type II or IV with Dolby c. Sorry for venting but I know you guys will understand. If I could afford it I'd probably be looking to buy another deck in good recently serviced condition.
Thanks for "listening"
Brad
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After many transactions I have come to be surprised by how reasonable Ebay sellers can be if a buyer is unsatisfied with a TX. Maybe I have been lucky. Good luck on your Tascam repair - I think Sunny also has one and speaks highly of it.
Captain Cassette Deek