Top 10 holy grail cassette decks?

There is a method of getting very much better audio from a deck. It involves the use of what I call the "flying head" method. Sony uses it for their slightly smaller video cassette I think is called "super 8". Has anyone ever attempted to build a standard cassette deck incorporating the "flying head"? It seems to me it would solve many problems such as noise and frequency response.
In all the years I have been using cassette decks(maybe 50) I have never seen one. I do have a Sony Super 8 video deck and it sounds great but it is only mono. No Dolby or other stuff on the Sony video deck. It has a flying head.
 
I don't have a recommendation, but I'm curious...why are folks still using cassettes? They need to be retensioned, they degrade as you play them. And where do you buy new cassettes?
There's another thread that covers your first question. I've never heard of retensioning a cassette, what exactly is that?
 
There is a method of getting very much better audio from a deck. It involves the use of what I call the "flying head" method. Sony uses it for their slightly smaller video cassette I think is called "super 8". Has anyone ever attempted to build a standard cassette deck incorporating the "flying head"? It seems to me it would solve many problems such as noise and frequency response.
In all the years I have been using cassette decks(maybe 50) I have never seen one. I do have a Sony Super 8 video deck and it sounds great but it is only mono. No Dolby or other stuff on the Sony video deck. It has a flying head.
That sounds familiar.. the flying head for cassette... I also remember the issues, such as having to unload tape from the cassette like they do in video machines to wrap it around a drum. Also, for the expense involved over the benefits, why bother when VHS and BETA machines already offered high speed drum recording for the audio... Hi Fi stereo sound, with or without video. I seem to remember the Hi Fi recording video VHS machines were credited with displacing the consumer reel to reel. I like cassettes for the novelty of it as well as the hands on fun of it... plus I play those I made from past years. So far new old stock cassettes are easily found in thrift shops for twenty five cents to a dollar each, depending on the store. Cassettes are fun like reel to reel but cheaper and smaller, tapes and machines. Good used machines are becoming more scarce and more costly.
 
There's another thread that covers your first question. I've never heard of retensioning a cassette, what exactly is that?

Well, when I used cassettes of out necessity, repeated playing would cause them to become wound overly tight and prone to breaking. You would have to wind them with a pencil end, the maxell box used to have instructions for doing this
 
Call me crazy but from my experience you can get a lot of bang for your buck with HK decks. I have had a CD191 for years and I have sold so many decks that caught my fancy for whatever reason, but hung on to my lowly CD191. My father has a 3-head model with digital counter.....CD391(?) that is a definite ‘Dragon Slayer’.

My other main deck is a Marantz SD930, but I try not to put a lot of wear on it as it is pretty rare. Never released in North America as far as I know and is the only deck besides the Dragon to have Automatic Azimuth correction.
 
Nakamichi never made a reel deck ...

Oh, but they did.

Before cassette.

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When I think of holy grail decks I think of these models.

1. Akai GX-F71. Best recording deck I have ever owned.
3. JVC DD-9. One of the best decks ever. Direct Drive quartz locked and auto Bias tuning. Great recording deck.
4. JVC DD-66. Recording and playback is suburb. Sleeper Deck. Not sure about holy grail.
5. Denon DR-M44HX. Awesome DD deck with HX pro.
6. JVC DD-VR9. Great auto reverse 3 head deck. After a tuneup it sounds awesome.
7. Nakamichi ZX-9
8. Nakamichi ZX-7
9. Teac Z-7000
10. Teac Z-5000
11. Nakamichi MR-1. Not holy grail but a awesome deck in its own right. Same as the BX-300 but better sounding.

Thanks.
 
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Oh, but they did.
Before cassette.

Correct, I should have stated...never really...This Nakrei-Fidela, like the OKI 555 and the KLH's were not "real" Nakamichi decks. They were early pieces of crap and merely made in collaboration to satisfy a market. Unlike the later cassette decks, not enough effort was put into them to earn the Nakamichi nameplate. Would you similarly call the decks made by the company for Advent, Fisher, Sylvania, Concord and Motorola "Nakamichi"?
 
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I have this holy grail model:

s-l1600.jpg


Compact, fits anywhere, and just keeps working. Special play-only model designed with that one purpose in mind. To play a tape with the utmost fidelity available on the planet for less than forty bucks. Don't let the cheap price and simple features fool you because it really is cheap and simple. They fly under the radar at about twenty bucks and rival any new ones you are apt to find at even five bucks more. The wow and flutter brings back fond memories of your younger days. I sought for hours to find mine. Not a holy grail model. THE holy grail model. I'd trade it for an RX-505, just 'cause I like gimmickry, if anybody wants to take advantage of that.
 
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I have this holy grail model:

s-l1600.jpg


Compact, fits anywhere, and just keeps working. Special play-only model designed with that one purpose in mind. To play a tape with the utmost fidelity available on the planet for less than forty bucks. Don't let the cheap price and simple features fool you because it really is cheap and simple. They fly under the radar at about twenty bucks and rival any new ones you are apt to find at even five bucks more. The wow and flutter brings back fond memories of your younger days. I sought for hours to find mine. Not a holy grail model. THE holy grail model. I'd trade it for an RX-505, just 'cause I like gimmickry, if anybody wants to take advantage of that.

:rflmao::rflmao::rflmao:
 
I bought a Sansui Vintage SC 5110 Cassette deck for $450, they said if was refurbished. I just got it and it doen`t work.
I have a Tandberg 3034 cassette deck which I like. I heard those cost a lot to repair.

is the Pioneer CT-F900 a good unit? On E-bay serviced selling for $500. What does serviced mean, anyway? Way too vague

Is the TEAC CX-650R good?

The tape decks you like are was too ex[pensive.

I need one that has been refurbished(New belts, new parts installed as needed.

The Dragon goes for $2000.

There is another super Nakamichi deck that sells for$15,000!!!!(GORGEOUS!!)
 
Want the best, properly serviced and refurbished. Simple, you pay what it's worth. Or you compromise, and buy lesser but still good you can afford. Can't afford a Dragon or even upper end machine from Nakamichi, and want a Nakamichi, you buy a BX series machine and get that and get something which isn't too far away from it in performance. Just to name an example.
 
Want the best, properly serviced and refurbished. Simple, you pay what it's worth. Or you compromise, and buy lesser but still good you can afford. Can't afford a Dragon or even upper end machine from Nakamichi, and want a Nakamichi, you buy a BX series machine and get that and get something which isn't too far away from it in performance. Just to name an example.

Agree. The only way you can tell it was properly refurbished is a bona fide invoice for services performed, specs achieved by a proper repair shop or individual who is known to have experience with that deck's repair. If you go to naktalk you can find some folks who do repairs. Tapeheads.net also has a lot of cassette fans with links and recommendations for cassette deck brands and repair options, site owner included.

Geoffrey, perhaps the only way to know is to have them video and audio record the deck in operation prior to purchase, and even then there's no guarantees. The only proper way is to have the deck in question Pre-purchase inspected (PPI like a used car) for performance and specs if possible. Nothing is cheap or inexpensive when it comes to maintaining these now 30-50 year old decks depending on your budget, desires, and availability.

That said, there are some less expensive alternatives - Nakamichi DR series is pretty good with a simpler later drive mechanism, then the CA, 480 series and BX series. The MR1 and MR2 are also very good depending on needs for recording.

Teac/Tascam also made some very nice stout robust decks - not nearly as sexy but workhorses. My favorites are the Tascam 122 and 122R (autoreverse I think) and the earlier 112. Almost all of the Tascam cassette decks are built really really well. The similar TEAC C1-C3 (IIRC) are similar but may be a bit more complicated as consumer decks.

The Tandberg decks are very good, TCD series and the 3034/3014, but not many can service them in the US.

As with anything nice or vintage, proper servicing and preparation can allow you to have a deck that will work for the better part of a decade. Nice things require a proper investment in time and money, how much do you want to spend??

Secondary brand offerings that are good are Akai (but who can service), Panasonic / Technics, many Pioneer (I don't like the piano key versions though), Some of the later Marantz, BIC, Dual (much less common), and maybe Onkyo.
 
is the Pioneer CT-F900 a good unit? On E-bay serviced selling for $500. What does serviced mean, anyway? Way too vague
The term ”serviced” is vague and could mean anything from cleaning the heads to a complete overhaul. In cases like this, it is probably wise to ask the seller to provide a copy of the service ticket to see exactly what service was actually performed.
 
I bought a Sansui Vintage SC 5110 Cassette deck for $450, they said if was refurbished. I just got it and it doen`t work.
I have a Tandberg 3034 cassette deck which I like. I heard those cost a lot to repair.

If they said it was refurbished and worked, negotiate with them on price or refund or start a "not as advertised" claim with Ebay and Paypal and let them handle it. That deck is very good when properly working (as is the similar Concept cassette deck the ELC-II). You don't have to accept a unit that isn't what was advertised but reread the description carefully because the wording in there and return policies can be tricky. Otherwise, you'll have to repair it.

The Tandberg 3034 is a great deck, well worth repairing but that can set you back $$$ easily. Properly working units go in upper hundreds when done, so how much do you want to spend?
 
There is a method of getting very much better audio from a deck. It involves the use of what I call the "flying head" method. Sony uses it for their slightly smaller video cassette I think is called "super 8". Has anyone ever attempted to build a standard cassette deck incorporating the "flying head"? It seems to me it would solve many problems such as noise and frequency response.
In all the years I have been using cassette decks(maybe 50) I have never seen one. I do have a Sony Super 8 video deck and it sounds great but it is only mono. No Dolby or other stuff on the Sony video deck. It has a flying head.

That is used for video, PCM used with video for data storage, DAT, and other digital audio tape based formats which use video style transports. Not normal analog tape.
 
Grailworthiness is an opinion.

The Sony TC-WR90ES is definitely grail-worthy from my pov. I have one that I purchased new in oh,,,about 1989-90ish. Still works like new, records and pays with crystal clarity and looks awesome. I have an "audiophile" friend who has been after me to trade him with his NAK Dragon. The NAK is a nice machine but we both like the Sony much better.

:idea:
 
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