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Cassette decks: 2 head vs. 3 head

clydeselsor

clydeselsor

Lunatic Member
I have been recently getting back into cassette decks and recording and have been thinking of picking up another deck. I already own a couple of decent 2 head decks but have been thinking of getting a 3 head.
I know that the main benefit from a 3 head is monitoring the actual recording on the fly, but do 3 head decks record better than 2 head decks? What are some of the other advantages of 3 head decks?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
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Yes they do. The gaps are optimized for recording or playback. Less distortion. Less crosstalk. Better separation. 3 heads allow individual record bias and level controls, that can't exist on 2 head decks.
 
I have heard the F-900 is a better deck than the 950. I have the 900 only so can't compare. Great album from Kraftwerk, BTW. :D
 
The primary advantage of the 3-head configuration is that you can evaluate recorded signal quality while you're recording. That's also a big help when you're calibrating it!
 
If you want the best bang for the buck get a 90's JVC or Aiwa 3 header. The JVC decks are wow and flutter champs.
 
As a general rule of thumb, all things being equal (which they never are), yes three heads are better than two. But there are some specific cases of two-head machines (such as Nak and Kyocera) which will wipe the floor with a number of the lesser three-head units.

Personally I would recommend looking for a Nak.
 
koseltri said:
I have heard the F-900 is a better deck than the 950. I have the 900 only so can't compare. Great album from Kraftwerk, BTW. :D
Click to expand...

I am also looking at the 900. The only difference I see between the two is that the 900 isn't metal compatible. That isn't really any big deal as I only own one metal cassette (Denon DR-8).

I just picked up my copy of "Autobahn" at the thrift recently. I hadn't heard this album in probably 30 years or more. Great album!!
 
Naks sound good, I have 5 of them including a RX-505 and a CR-3A but they cheat on their record eq to achieve their superior performance. My JVC TD V541 sound as good as any of them is dead flat to 20 KHZ and seems to have a better bottom end. It also measures .04% wow and flutter which is as good as the best decks in the world. That series uses a direct drive capstan motor which is responsible for the very good speed stability and very low wow and flutter. They are under the radar.
 
Keep in mind the Denon HD8 tape is a chrome tape using metal particles. It isn't a true metal tape as in setting to type 4.

Naks are a good bet. Even the Tandberg 440 isn't a bad choice. JVC TD-V711 and 1010 are good decks.
 
clydeselsor said:
I am also looking at the 900. The only difference I see between the two is that the 900 isn't metal compatible. That isn't really any big deal as I only own one metal cassette (Denon DR-8).

I just picked up my copy of "Autobahn" at the thrift recently. I hadn't heard this album in probably 30 years or more. Great album!!
Click to expand...

I am using a CT-F900 along with the RG-2 tape processor and its a match made in (Pioneer) heaven powered by my SA-9800. Sounds great to me. :thmbsp:
 
There are some Akai decks that have a "twin field" head. It's somehow a 2-head deck but has separate gaps for recording and playback (without the monitoring capability of a 3-head). Mine is the GX-F51 and is still going strong all these years later. Only one belt change in almost 30 years - that's quality!


jblnut
 
I owned a CT-F900 for many years, bought it new "back in the day" and made many stellar recordings on it - many of which I still have today. I used mainly Sony FeCr tapes, FWIW.

Only caveat is the idler mechanisms on these seem to need TLC... think there are some good tutorials on AK on rebuilding them to be reliable, but my experience from prior to finding AK when I sold off my deck was that the mechanism wasn't as mechanically reliable as I would have preferred.

John

clydeselsor said:
I am also looking at the 900. The only difference I see between the two is that the 900 isn't metal compatible. That isn't really any big deal as I only own one metal cassette (Denon DR-8).

I just picked up my copy of "Autobahn" at the thrift recently. I hadn't heard this album in probably 30 years or more. Great album!!
Click to expand...
 
I own and service my Naks, Revoxes, and Yamahas, around 25 or so, now. All have strengths and weaknesses, pluses and minuses. First time I ever heard about Naks cheating on the record eq though....not sure what that means. I've repeatedly heard good things about JVC decks and I'm a sucker for direct drive....sigh...now another one I need to get and evaluate...when will the madness end...
 
I have both 2 and 3 head cassette decks now. my 1st deck was a JVC KD-A7, a 2 head deck. I made a lot of recordings on it and still have it. Bought it new back in the 80's.

I am not that picky as long as the pitch is correct I am happy.

Thanks,
John.:music::D
 
Well, I just snagged this Denon DRM-740 three head deck from eBay. I will have it next week sometime..

denondrm-740.jpg
 
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