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Cassette Decks-Are they still being used?

cableguy2

cableguy2

Well-Known Member
A client of mine gave me 3 cassette decks, one Denon, and two JVC's with the Super ANRS and I was wondering if anybody uses cassettes anymore. I don't as I have the reel to reels.

Are they worth putting on ebay or on here to sell, or am I wasting my money listing them?

I am beginning to think I just took some junk he didn't want.
 
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There are decks out there definitely worth going after and flip if opportunity come up.
(Example - 3 head Nakamichi)

Most of them are not worth the effort IMHO. :nono:
For me, I'm getting out of that format to concentrate on LPs and R2R. :music:
My time is running out while my music collection is growing. :o

Here is a useful link if you have not seen it already..

http://www.vintagecassette.com/

Good luck.
 
I have a few decks myself. The best of the bunch is a Nak MR-1 followed by a Sony ES.
I also have two Marantz decls as i am a sucker fro the blue/red dials and they match my Marantz stack.
Some pre-recorded stuff and home recorded tunes on high bias (Cr02 or FeCr) or Metal caseetes sound real good.
 
I personally don't have any use whatsoever for cassette or reel-to-reel tape decks but I will pick them up if cheap, sell them off, and buy other electronics I'd rather have....or buy CD's or LP's....or pay bills. Other than that, I'd don't miss those formats at all.
 
well recorded cassettes sound as good as any format in an auto. And since I do a lot of driving, they work well for me. I have some of HK's top-end decks that suit my needs for recording. But there seems to be no money in trying to flip anything other than a Nak or one of a handful of other specific units. Unless someone is completing a rack of a certain brand and series, there is very little interest where I live.
 
Many sell on ebay literally every day. A "nothing special" deck won't sell for much though, and unless you're doing a serious rehab job there is a significant risk of complaints from the buyer if a belt slips or cracks or etc.
 
I recently picked up Star Trek Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on cassette in the thrift store. I was amazed at how well it sounds and it kinda prompted me to get back into the format.
 
I got a Eric Clapton "Slowhand" tape other day at Thrift store for .50 cents it sounds really good on my Pioneer CT-F900 deck.
 
I have quite a few home recorded high end cassettes that sound great, nice analog sound.
 
Check vintagecassette.com for features and msrp.
Check eBay for completed listings.
Actually searching current listings "Super ANRS" pulled up 2 decks: one BIN $19.95, one BIN $149.90
 
I listen to cassettes every once in awhile. I have two decks which still work great. I have about 30-40 cassettes and the reason why I still have them is because they haven't been produced on the cd format. They sound good on my system still.
 
I listen sometimes. I have a bunch of decks that were still worth some money five years ago, but no one wants them today. I should have sold them back then, but instead I was "into" cassettes, and buying. Not bad decks, either; mostly studio stuff. Some of the wholesalers won't even take them any more, or they'll give you a token $2.50 for them if you're lucky, because demand for them, even in third-world countries, is diminishing.

The exception is the higher-end Nakamichis, which people will still buy. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for me! :D), my ZX-9 and even my ZX-7 aren't going anywhere (although the 700 and 1000 tri-tracers will be moving along at some point); those are the best-sounding and most flexible ones that I, too, would like to keep.

Cassettes are still listened to by a hard-core group of tapeheads, some of whom you'll find right here on AK, but it's an ever-shrinking niche group of diehards, I think. A bit more common than DAT or DCC lovers, perhaps on a par with Laserdisc aficionados. It's an almost extinct format among the general population, though. Boombox fans still listen to tapes, too, but they're another tiny niche group.
 
cableguy2 said:
A client of mine gave me 3 cassette decks, one Denon, and two JVC's with the Super ANRS and I was wondering if anybody uses cassettes anymore. I don't as I have the reel to reels.

Are they worth putting on ebay or on here to sell, or am I wasting my money listing them?

I am beginning to think I just took some junk he didn't want.
Click to expand...

yes:music:

in fact I was just going to post about the 500 lot of cassette tapes I bought off of ebay arrived today and how much fun I am having going through them!
 
I regularly use cassettes. I have music on them that I recorded 30 years ago, prerecorded tapes I bought cheap from Goodwill, old time radio shows and books on tape. Never had trouble with the format. Just keep the heads and rollers clean and storing the tapes in cases in a cool, dry place. The JVC unit with Super ANRS is IMHO superior to Dolby.

The decks that don't sell are the BPC decks from the mid 80's to today. One can find those anywhere.
 
I have a Pioneer CT-9191 that I use quite often. It's not just the listening for me; I love the looks, the opearion and the nostalgia. I also have a Pioneer reel to reel that I love to use and so does my three year old son! :)
I have about 200 CD's, but do not even have a CD player hooked up at the moment. For me it is much more fun to spin some vinyl, put a reel on or pop in a tape. Just my .02
 
You bet!

Like stated, those JVC's, especially the KD series are truly nice & well made machines.
Even the Sharp RT-10 I had back in the 80s recorded some still today wonderful sounding tunes.

My Philips/Magnavox FW768P is being used right now in playing my tapes without a hint of coloration from those old tapes.

I also have a Pioneer CT-500 & Sony TC-FX210 I need to put in rotation.

Rome
 
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I use my Akai GXC-5700 when I don't want to keep changing out lp's. It is a really great machine - plus - tapes at the will are really cheap.
 
I have a couple of nice decks, but they've been "archived", along with the CD players. :D Yes, a good deck with a good tape 'can' sound good, and yes, tapes are more durable and take more abuse than CDs, but... Mostly I'm digital now, it's no longer making any sense to me to have so many formats. Still have a TT hooked up, but it's gettin' dusty...
 
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