Best looking cassette deck?

[Yeeterkeeter]

That's a no-brainer. The Nakamich ZXL-1000 Limited

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That absolutely oozes high end audio.

 

[oldvinyldude]

The most beautiful ones are the working ones

 

[Bodhi1]

That absolutely oozes high end audio.

I would love to own a Willy Hermann-modified example with a Dragon transport. That apparently reduced the wow and flutter of the original transport. Misho Myronov even told me he had plans in his head to modify a 1000ZXL with a tube circuit. Knowing how good his wooden amps are, that would be something.

 

[Bodhi1]

Special mention has to go to the Onkyo TA-2090. That was one of the few cassette decks that had Dolby DBX. I lusted after the TOTL Onkyo gear back in the mid 80's...especially that deck and the T-9090II tuner

 

[WillVT]

I always kinda like the unconventional looks of the Yamaha TC-800GL, designed by Mario Bellini.

 

[Tripqzon]

 

[Yeeterkeeter]

I would love to own a Willy Hermann-modified example with a Dragon transport. That apparently reduced the wow and flutter of the original transport. Misho Myronov even told me he had plans in his head to modify a 1000ZXL with a tube circuit. Knowing how good his wooden amps are, that would be something.

A high-end cassette deck with a tube circuit? That sounds like something from an audiophile's wet dream! Cassettes aren't a "high-end" format, but it is impressive how far you can push tape that's less than 1/5th of an inch wide. Shame they don't make high-end cassette players anymore, I'd love to own one since cassettes are my favorite format of music.

 

[Yeeterkeeter]

I always kinda like the unconventional looks of the Yamaha TC-800GL, designed by Mario Bellini.

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That looks like something you'd find in a Star Trek spaceship. Very polygonal.

 

[tourmax]

I always kinda like the unconventional looks of the Yamaha TC-800GL, designed by Mario Bellini.

View attachment 3140338

I like it!

 

[radiokom]

That's not a cassette deck

But tape is cassette tape. It can be winded out from shells and reproduce on this

 

[Sgt Shultz]

Sure those are all nice if lots of knobs are your thing but sorry guys it's the clean lines of the Nakamichi LX-5 than take the prize.


Had the identical looking 2head LX-3, another great deck from Nak.

 

[GChief]

Sure those are all nice if lots of knobs are your thing but sorry guys it's the clean lines of the Nakamichi LX-5 than take the prize.
View attachment 3140372

Had the identical looking 2head LX-3, another great deck from Nak.

Make it all black then I would give a

 

[Sgt Shultz]

Make it all black then I would give a

The contrast of the brushed aluminum with the black is a big part of what gives it so much class.

The down and dirty parts

 

[WillVT]

Make it all black then I would give a

This has kinda similar design language. And more black.

 

[Bone Yard]

I'm going Technics! I love the 80's computer style (but don't own any)




2nd place goes to the RS-686DS (the bottom one)

 

[Yeeterkeeter]

Sure those are all nice if lots of knobs are your thing but sorry guys it's the clean lines of the Nakamichi LX-5 than take the prize.
View attachment 3140372

Had the identical looking 2head LX-3, another great deck from Nak.

Giving me hal 9000 vibes, absolutely love it

 

[twiiii]

That Studer was was a fabulous machine, but preferred the AMPEX ATR 102

 

[jayvis]

Sure those are all nice if lots of knobs are your thing but sorry guys it's the clean lines of the Nakamichi LX-5 than take the prize.
View attachment 3140372

Had the identical looking 2head LX-3, another great deck from Nak.

That was a nice one, but I liked the 700ZXL better. Of course, it was about $2000 more expensive. The hidden control door was a neat idea, but I would have liked to see them in all black.

 

[AudioAvarice]

I forget the model number, but I always liked the slimline Sony deck that matched the TA-E88/TA-N88 pre and amp, had a funky drawer that ejected to put the tape in flat.

 

[WillVT]

I forget the model number, but I always liked the slimline Sony deck that matched the TA-E88/TA-N88 pre and amp, had a funky drawer that ejected to put the tape in flat.

This one? Sony TC-K88B