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Cassette Decks-Are they still being used?

I've got a ton of cassettes in storage, many collector's types, just can't find a cassette player that works, and was starting to become way to costly to try to fix a good one up...so I just gave up.

Collectors cassettes??? Well, if there is such a thing, I have a few. Actually I'd like to get them transfered to CDs. Just can't seem to get a cassette deck that functions. Too many moving parts.
 
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I recorded lots of hours of FM radio from 1978 through 1980. Still have the cassettes. The song selection of late 70's rock, along with the commercials, is a real treasure. Other than that, lots of hiss and noise.
 
I don't use cassettes much, but about once a month I turn on the Sony and play a tape, just to keep it working.

It still does record and play very well, and the tapes that I made 15 years ago still sound good, but I'm afraid the iPod has taken over. Heck, 3000 songs, recorded at 320+ kb/sec AAC or Apple Lossless at my fingertips in a case no bigger than a cassette, and the sound is nearly or as good as the CD player. There is simply no incentive to use the cassette deck.
 
Cassette decks are for sure in use and they even had a revival over the last couple of years.
Mainstream Cassette Decks are fair quality.
The Very best Cassette Decks out there are hard to beat in sound quality for any CD player, no matter the price.
But then again, these TOPL Cassette Decks are very pricey.

"dolph"
 
Its hard for me to pass on them when they work or can be fixed. I remember how desirable and expensive they were in the day.
Still have a Sony ES and a suitcase full of tapes, but my rack has limited space so it sits in the closet mostly.
I usually buy any of the top 3 models from any manufacturer...I`m still a sucker for them.
 
I guess I have to admit it, ..., I've always been a CassetteHead. Currently, the main inspiration for using cassettes is the OEM AM/FM cassette in my 4Runner- no CD and FM/AM sucks!

I'm getting back into cassettes. I've never bought pre-recorded tapes until this summer. At the thrift, my last batch of 11 cassettes were 25 cent each (half price day). Add that to the 8 I bought at 50 cent makes 19 cassette tapes for $6.75 plus tax. Figuring about 10 songs per tape makes it about 4 cents per song- WAY CHEAPER THAN iTunes.

At 25-50 cents an "album", I willing to buy stuff outside of my comfort zone. I've been venturing into artists such as: Pat Benatar, Sting, Huey Lewis, Pearl Jam, Madonna, The Pretenders, Herb Albert, Eurhythmics, R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs, even one labeled as "Party Hits". Eurhythmics-"Sweet Dreams" is playing now. Wow! It's fantastic.

Here's the list of cassette decks in my stable.

JVC TD-W709 dual cassette recorder- This is the one I finally got working right. I bought this unit years ago new, but never used it much. It’s now back in rotation. I cleaned and demagnetized the heads. This may be my main unit for recording LP, CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio to cassettes for use in the 4Runner.

Toyota OEM AM/FM cassette in my 4Runner- I use it all the time.

AIWA HS-J470 AM/FM cassette recorder/ walkman size. I don't use it much, but I may have to check out my new tapes on it.

BSR MCD8050 CD/cassette recorder- It still works but the tapes sound muddy. Maybe I’ll try to align the heads.

Superscope by Marantz CD-320 cassette recorder- It’s no longer working. The cassettes don't turn. I suspect the issue is broken belts.


Here's some other AK cassette threads.

Back into cassettes- Great tunes for dirt cheap

My Tape Stash

Resurgence of cassette media
 
I have loads & loads of cassettes made over 35 years ago on my trusty Sankyo STD-1410...and most still sound good on my Denon. Plus...I keep running across near-mint prerecordeds at garage sales...I've found some nice jazz for a quarter a pop. I'll ALWAYS buy a cassette when it's just a quarter!
 
I have a Nak 480, a 582 and some 10 other decks, and listen to my 500+ tapes from time to time- mostly for sentimental reasons. They still sound excellent though most are over 25 years old.
 
bluesky said:
I've got a ton of cassettes in storage, many collector's types, just can't find a cassette player that works, and was starting to become way to costly to try to fix a good one up...so I just gave up.

Collectors cassettes??? Well, if there is such a thing, I have a few. Actually I'd like to get them transfered to CDs. Just can't seem to get a cassette deck that functions. Too many moving parts.
Click to expand...

There is such a thing and an entire online community dedicated to the hobby.

I have serious tape lust, and I now have 3 vintage decks. Of course, they dont sound as good as my vinyl and CDs but they give me warm fuzzies. I love my tapes, they remind me of my youth.

I also feel the same way about VHS versus DVD:D
 
dumptruck said:
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.
Click to expand...

To hell with selling, listen to them! That's where the value is... piss on the market that won't support cassette. I think that they are probably more popular than, say, laserdisc, as was previously mentioned by someone whose opinion I generally respect. I have over 1000, rewound, correctly stored, alphabetized and easily accessible. Still a good way to get two albums into a small package for on-the-go. Boomboxes are still viable portables, and I hate to throw away anything I invested so much time and effort over the years on. If I give up on cassettes I'd likely give up on LP's, too. Analog rules no matter how you slice it! That said, there's still room for digital in the grand scheme of things...:yes::music:
 
Paul__Graham said:
I recorded lots of hours of FM radio from 1978 through 1980. Still have the cassettes. The song selection of late 70's rock, along with the commercials, is a real treasure. Other than that, lots of hiss and noise.
Click to expand...


I have a friend who recorded tons of FM shows on cassette back in the late 70's & early 80's, he had shoe boxes full of them. I asked him about them a couple of years ago and he told me he had thrown them away!
 
Well, I for one still have a number of cassettes, probably around 70. I still will listen to them although I have not in some time. I still believe a good cassette deck is worth having. I have a bpc Kenwood still in great condition that I can use. I also picked up a Pioneer CT-F950 that I will be fixing up.
What am I going to do with my cassettes? Well, for starters I must say that I won't be recording on cassette and have not done so for years. Second I am going to take most of my cassettes and digitize them thus another need for a good deck.
For the record I would not mind getting my hands on one of the coveted Pioneer models, a nice Nakamichi (incl a dragon) or the Technics Dragon Killer. Any one of those will never see the flip pile if you know what I mean.
 
parman said:
I have a friend who recorded tons of FM shows on cassette back in the late 70's & early 80's, he had shoe boxes full of them. I asked him about them a couple of years ago and he told me he had thrown them away!
Click to expand...

Felonious crime! That's our history, the radio folks like me DIE to hear airchecks! Criminal abuse!
 
i play my Studer A710 more than anything else lately...I find some of the classical cassettes I have to be stupendous.
 
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