cassette tapes vs. Cd

[tubemusic]

I haven't tried to compare the two nor actually listened to a cassette in years, but with my new appreciation for vinyl and a couple of deals on cassette players from the thrift store, I'm wondering. Now to find some blank cassettes.

 

[for_p1]

Forget it. Cassette were poor media even i its hay day. If you want tape - get a DAT machine. It is easier to find DDS-1 cartridges than blank Me or even Cr audio cassettes.

 

[Luthierman]

Ahem....they aren't all that bad. Have you ever heard any recordings done or played back on a high quality three head deck? When done correctly with good tape, the sound is not better than a cd, but it is different with just as much detail, and has a warmth that makes tape appealing.

 

[iloveamps]

Cassettes can sound pretty good, but if you're interested in tape as a medium, you should look into getting an open reel. The sound quality is incredible.

 

[tubemusic]

I would like to try a DAT. As for open reel, I've never had one. How hard is it to find tape for them? How expensive?

 

[iloveamps]

Tape is not too hard to find. There are still two companies out there making it new, but it's pricey at about 20 bucks for a 7" reel. Used tape is a gamble, but there are some formulas out there that are usually a safe bet. NOS tape isn't that hard to find, either. If you wait patiently, you can usually find good tape for around 5 bucks a reel. Easily obtained for 10 bucks a reel.

They a lot of fun. It's not the most cost effective medium but the cost/fun ratio is great. They're well worth it.

 

[icenine]

If you can find a three head Nak get it and enjoy the factory cassettes, many of which will sound damn fine for the price you pay. Reel to reel does sound nice but is just too expensive in the long run and I think one tends to play them less the longer you have them....

that is how it has been with me YMMV
some of the three head JVC decks are really good too and not at all costly

 

[captaingamez]

Forget it. Cassette were poor media even i its hay day. If you want tape - get a DAT machine. It is easier to find DDS-1 cartridges than blank Me or even Cr audio cassettes.

spoken like a true expert!!!!!

no seriously thats a pretty ignorant thing to say, cassettes were never a poor media, i mean compared to DAT?? your joking, DAT was a bad joke in the history of musical reproduction, thats why it died quick as hell, DAT is a total and absolute waste of money, unless your in the production side, snd it makes even less sense there in the modern world,

Nakamichi 3 heads sound better than cd with a decent prerecorded tape in them, when they are set up right.

 

[ssmith3046]

I'll take my Dragon and a cassette over my Marantz CD5003 CD player any day.

 

[AnalogDigit]

The early prerecorded cassettes were of terrible quality. No noise reduction, and subpar normal bias tape. The latter ones in the late 80's and 90's are pretty decent quality with chrome tape, Dolby noise reduction and HX pro.

Trouble with buying a used deck, it might need new belts. On some hi-end decks, there easy to find.

For recording, get a good 3-head cassette deck, dual capstan, Dolby B or C noise reduction. Nak, Revox and Tanburg decks are the best, but other decks from Aiwa, Sony, Denon, JVC, Onkyo, Harmon Kardon, etc with HX Pro are also good quality. Depending on what music you want to record, rock or pop music is good for high quality Normal or Chrome tape, Jazz or Classical Chrome or Metal tape. Using this combination you will be impressed at the results.

 

[tcdriver]

The early prerecorded cassettes were of terrible quality. No noise reduction, and subpar normal bias tape. The latter ones in the late 80's and 90's are pretty decent quality with chrome tape, Dolby noise reduction and HX pro.

+1. My experience has been that some cassettes can sound better than their LP or CD counterparts.

 

[Battra92]

For what it's worth, HiFi VHS sounds excellent and, in my opinion, much better than plain old cassette tape. I've recorded LPs to VHS

It's a finicky format but it can be had for cheap and I'd say in most cases is on the level of CDs.

 

[fredcohiba]

I have many CDs that I have recorded to my Nakamichi 480. No-one so far has been able to tell the difference between the 480, using a tape of good quality (TDK or Maxell) and the CD source. Que them up at the same time and switch the source back and forth - no difference.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

And VHS Hi-Fi has companders you can't defeat to mask the head switching. And it's tracking is mediocre at best. If you are going to use a VCR, get a Beta with a PCM adapter.

 

[tubemusic]

For what it's worth, HiFi VHS sounds excellent and, in my opinion, much better than plain old cassette tape. I've recorded LPs to VHS

It's a finicky format but it can be had for cheap and I'd say in most cases is on the level of CDs.

My buddy is trying to get me to try this.

 

[SOTA]

And VHS Hi-Fi has companders you can't defeat to mask the head switching. And it's tracking is mediocre at best.

I cannot disagree that there is a very audible deficiency with VHS at the 6hr speed but at the 2hr speed it cleans up nicely. Thankfully background music on a 2hr tape at a noisy gathering is seldom held to critque...unless someone at the bar starts yelling "FreeeeeBirrrrd"


J.R.

 

[Derek92994]

I love cassettes and they sound fantastic. I use JVC TD-V661 3 head unit HX PRO Dual capstan. Very close to the source original, sometimes I cant even the tell the difference. As for Hi-Fi VCRs Beta Hifi is the way to go for sound, my old 1984 Sanyo VTC-M40 amazed me when I did a recording of Yes RoundAbout from the Original LP. Here's a youtube vid of it performing, even through the youtube compression you can hear that this machine does well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX-kdJK5Lag

As for dat.....its digital (gags) not my cup of tea sorry, but each to their own.

 

[Daunia 70]

Back in the mid-late 80's (and maybe even early 90's),pre-recorded cassettes were just as popular as CD's in the UK,and for good reason...A three head dual capstan cassette deck (especially a Nakamichi),could sound better than the average CD player to a lot of ears as previously mentioned.
Pre-recorded cassettes can sound more analogue,therefore more involving than many CD's and still do,especially decent quality pre-recorded ones.Also of-course there's always the option of making some excellent quality recordings,especially when using metal and chrome tapes.
Luckily,pre-recorded cassettes are still quite easily found at bargain prices (10p each usually around here).

 

[vga911s]

Forget it. Cassette were poor media even i its hay day. If you want tape - get a DAT machine. It is easier to find DDS-1 cartridges than blank Me or even Cr audio cassettes.

I beg to differ.You sir are not listening to cassettes that have been recorded on good equiment using high quality tapes. The very reason I own the brand of CD players ( Califorina Audio Labs) i do is due to their sounding more like a high end tape deck than other players of their generation. Tape has its place in my audio system due to its sound and its one that I love to hear when done right..

 

[classic carl]

I bought a 2 head Nakamichi deck on BT a couple of years ago to play the few pre-recorded tapes that I had leftover from my last deck that **** the bed. I was amazed at the sound quality. I only have about 20 tapes, most of which I picked up on BT and local used record stores for next to nothing, but they all sound incredible on the Nak. I bought some NOS blank tapes a while back, but I have no intention of using them.