"New" 8-track players being made?
- Thread starter kcollins4
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I think the players were produced into the early 1980's, although after the early 1970's most emphasis was on the cassette market. :scratch2:
http://www.8trackheaven.com/faq.html#3.
http://www.8trackheaven.com/faq.html#3.
You'd think with the "retro-look" craze thing going around with some audio electronics companies over in the "east",someone would have made an 8-track player to go with the record players and cassette players,but I don't think it will happen.For now,it's either Epay,garage sales,flea markets,or other places to find the player/recorders and tapes.I'm a big 8-track fan,have quite a few tapes and player/recorders.There is a "labor of love" for this format,first you need to get the decks up and running,then the tapes need some attention too.And it takes a tolarate "ear" also,to listen to 8-tracks,you've got a freq. response of only 50 to 10000hz,a signal-to-noise ratio of...say...40!!,and wow and flutter that's barely tolerable,but if you can listen past these faults,the 8-track is a tape format from long ago,still alive here in my audio collection!:yes: 
Rob
Rob
DENNYDOG
Addicted Member
Specs on my Pioneer H-R100 as it reads from the service manual:
wow and flutter- less than .15% wrms
frequency response- 30-15,000Hz
signal to noise reatio- more than 45db, although I'm not sure if this is with dolby on or not as it doesn't say. Most decks gain another 10db above about 5kHz with dolby on if that's the case.
Not the worst specs in the world. One thing I have noticed with 8-tracks though is most of them sound way better (if the tape doesn't break the first couple times you play them) than comparable cassette tapes from the same era, even the ones originally recorded in dolby. I have way more 8-tracks that actually sound VERY good considering the technology compared to maybe a couple of cassette tapes. Even the aftermarket tapes I recorded back then don't compare to the 8-tracks I've listened to.
Any thoughts on this?
wow and flutter- less than .15% wrms
frequency response- 30-15,000Hz
signal to noise reatio- more than 45db, although I'm not sure if this is with dolby on or not as it doesn't say. Most decks gain another 10db above about 5kHz with dolby on if that's the case.
Not the worst specs in the world. One thing I have noticed with 8-tracks though is most of them sound way better (if the tape doesn't break the first couple times you play them) than comparable cassette tapes from the same era, even the ones originally recorded in dolby. I have way more 8-tracks that actually sound VERY good considering the technology compared to maybe a couple of cassette tapes. Even the aftermarket tapes I recorded back then don't compare to the 8-tracks I've listened to.
Any thoughts on this?
Cleve
Super Member
Prerecorded 8 tracks DID sound better than prerecorded cassettes. Most albums on cassettes were HORRIBLE and unlistenable on anything better than portable stereo players. The only cassette I heard that halfway decent was a copy of Focus - Moving Waves that somebody gave me.
Now, a cassette I recorded on my Denon DRM3 - that was virtually indistinguishable from the original. I'd make copies of my LPs and listen to them so I didn't have to be concerned with cleaning the dust, the stylus, flipping the LP over (most albums would fit on one side of a 90 minute cassette) and all the other innumerable PITA tasks listening to LPs requires.
Now, a cassette I recorded on my Denon DRM3 - that was virtually indistinguishable from the original. I'd make copies of my LPs and listen to them so I didn't have to be concerned with cleaning the dust, the stylus, flipping the LP over (most albums would fit on one side of a 90 minute cassette) and all the other innumerable PITA tasks listening to LPs requires.
Maurice442
Active Member
I still have my Sony TC-228
Hi guys, I still have the Sony TC-228 that I purchased new in ???? I also have the Service Manual for it and like most of you said, it did sound better than prerecorded cassettes at the time and I still like it and I also have almost 100 tapes that I made a long time ago on it and I will put it back on my system as soon as I finish sanding the ceiling that feel down by my subs great efficiency at low freq .... (5 Hz and up)...:tresbon: :yes: :thmbsp:
Hi guys, I still have the Sony TC-228 that I purchased new in ???? I also have the Service Manual for it and like most of you said, it did sound better than prerecorded cassettes at the time and I still like it and I also have almost 100 tapes that I made a long time ago on it and I will put it back on my system as soon as I finish sanding the ceiling that feel down by my subs great efficiency at low freq .... (5 Hz and up)...:tresbon:
:yes: :thmbsp:Rewind?
I think the main advantage of cassettes was easy rewind and fast forward. Fast forward on 8 tracks was always fraught; the groans of protest from the tape transport plus the rustling of the tape kind of warned you not to do this too often, but did anyone try to make a rewindable 8 track; maybe squeezing a second reel into the case and having the same total length of tape running on and off both reels?
I think the main advantage of cassettes was easy rewind and fast forward. Fast forward on 8 tracks was always fraught; the groans of protest from the tape transport plus the rustling of the tape kind of warned you not to do this too often, but did anyone try to make a rewindable 8 track; maybe squeezing a second reel into the case and having the same total length of tape running on and off both reels?
70salesguy
Only 99 easy payments!
8 tracks
The single biggest deficiency of the 8-track design was that it was inheritly self-destructive. It was driven ONLY by a capstan. The capstan had to engage tightly enough to pull the tape out of the pack and wind it up again on the reel.
Every tape had a splice when new, and worst of all, the tape constantly rubbed against itself unreeling from the inside of the reel. Not a design that was meant to last.
Interestingly enough, broadcast tape carts used for commercials and PSA's were the same design.
All that being said, keep in mind IT WAS THE BEST WE HAD AT THE TIME! Prior to the 8-track, your choices for car sound were the radio or a record player!
People often forget that at each step of the audio advancement process, the current "state of the art" sounded great. A good player properly installed with good speakers sounded pretty good BITD. What did we have to compare it to?
Cassettes were a joke at the time. Years later when they became viable medium for sound reproduction, they eventually took over.
Remember when the Pioneer Supertuner Car Stereo Cassette units came out?
The hot setup was a Supertuner, a booster amp and a pair of Jensen Tri-axials! My best friend had this installed and it was considered a high dollar setup! :yes:
Summing up, I personally have several 8-track players, lots of tapes, great memories and the realization that they are fun nostalgia whose time has come and gone. :scratch2:
The single biggest deficiency of the 8-track design was that it was inheritly self-destructive. It was driven ONLY by a capstan. The capstan had to engage tightly enough to pull the tape out of the pack and wind it up again on the reel.
Every tape had a splice when new, and worst of all, the tape constantly rubbed against itself unreeling from the inside of the reel. Not a design that was meant to last.
Interestingly enough, broadcast tape carts used for commercials and PSA's were the same design.
All that being said, keep in mind IT WAS THE BEST WE HAD AT THE TIME! Prior to the 8-track, your choices for car sound were the radio or a record player!
People often forget that at each step of the audio advancement process, the current "state of the art" sounded great. A good player properly installed with good speakers sounded pretty good BITD. What did we have to compare it to?
Cassettes were a joke at the time. Years later when they became viable medium for sound reproduction, they eventually took over.
Remember when the Pioneer Supertuner Car Stereo Cassette units came out?
The hot setup was a Supertuner, a booster amp and a pair of Jensen Tri-axials! My best friend had this installed and it was considered a high dollar setup! :yes:
Summing up, I personally have several 8-track players, lots of tapes, great memories and the realization that they are fun nostalgia whose time has come and gone. :scratch2:
they did.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elcaset
It was clled the Elcasete, but it only had four tracks.Combwork said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elcaset
simple answer, no. That's like buying a dedicated AM radio.
Remember, latter day casettes with dolby beat the bejeezus out of 8 tracks. Let's not even bring CD's into the equation.
All my 8 tracks either self-destructed in the players or are long gone, or both.kcollins4 said:
Remember, latter day casettes with dolby beat the bejeezus out of 8 tracks. Let's not even bring CD's into the equation.
70salesguy
Only 99 easy payments!
8-tracks
I wouldn't, because I have a couple of the better 8-track decks from BITD, and there would not be much room for significant improvement.
I don't really believe that there is much of a market for such a product, but it would be interesting to hear other's opinions on the subject. :scratch2:
kcollins4 said:
I wouldn't, because I have a couple of the better 8-track decks from BITD, and there would not be much room for significant improvement.
I don't really believe that there is much of a market for such a product, but it would be interesting to hear other's opinions on the subject. :scratch2:
Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
Peanut Head
Close, Fidelipacks and Insta-Carts ran @ 7.5 ips, had no internal puck and were made better than 8 Track carts. Special lubricated tape stock from 3m or BASF was used and the carts were either full track mono or 1/2 track stereo. This along with the faster running speed offered superior fidelity over the 8 track. These carts had a hole in the bottom front where the recorder or playback deck would raise a rubber puck that engaged with the capstan. These rubber wheels were on bronze hubs with bearing packs. Compare that to the 8-track with a plastic or rubber puck on a plastic post that was part of the cartridge. There were different grades of radio station carts, but they were far more reliable than 8 tracks...they had to be. Oh, cueing was done by encoding a rumble tone at the beginning of the tape, where the splice was. Recording over the splice was never done.70salesguy said:
I would probably "look" at a player if someone decided to retro-introduce one,just to see how well they made it.I doubt someone would get real serious and make a recorder,just a player for those wanting to play their old tapes would probably do just fine.But I really think this would only happen if someone would find a bunch of old parts in a warehouse somewhere and assemble them to make a player,but I know it will be probably a "pipe dream" on my part.I wasn't really dishing the 8-track's audio specs. in an above mentioned post,it's just a normal listing of a typical player.Both Akai,Pioneer,Wollensak,and a few others had respectable freq. response(s) and other measurements that made some fairly decent recorders/player for the 8-track audiophile,and Dolby added a much needed boost to the the S/N,when it was available...of course,you could always add an outboard noise reduction unit...say :scratch2: ...did anyone ever try to add an outboard DBX unit to an 8-track recorder??:scratch2: Rob
LDK180
befuddled
70salesguy said:
Oh yeah, I remember. At that time, my wife to be and I, scrounged every penny we had and drove to Rochester to get one. That would have been in 1979. We didn't have enough but were able to talk the shop into selling it to us for what we had. It had a beautiful, green lit, round, dial face. Looked great in her 74 Challanger. A few years later I traded it, and fifty bucks, to my best man for the SX750 that is still in use. The Wife was really pissed at the time.
I got my license in '75. I put a Pioneer cassette deck in my car, and I'll never forget a guy in the class ahead of me saying "You got one that plays them little tapes" 
I got one of those cool KP-500 Supertuners a year or 2 later. It was cool!
I followed the herd and put in a pair of Jensen coaxials to replace my Pioneer coaxials, they sounded worse.
Not as much bass.
I got one of those cool KP-500 Supertuners a year or 2 later. It was cool!
I followed the herd and put in a pair of Jensen coaxials to replace my Pioneer coaxials, they sounded worse.
Not as much bass.
thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
I loved the 8-track as a kid. Nice size, solid feel in the hand, good clunk when pushed into the player and engaged...
but didn't like the clunk of the tape changing between the 4 sections, didn't like it doing so mid-song, nor did I like the difficulty fast-forwarding or rewinding (without dire concequences), and mine always seemed to drift- you could hear the songs on other sections ever so slight in the backround. Sound was never that good too, but then again, I was playing them through a Panasonic one-speaker portable.
I think I offered Retrokeeper my 8-tracks, if I can ever find them.
but didn't like the clunk of the tape changing between the 4 sections, didn't like it doing so mid-song, nor did I like the difficulty fast-forwarding or rewinding (without dire concequences), and mine always seemed to drift- you could hear the songs on other sections ever so slight in the backround. Sound was never that good too, but then again, I was playing them through a Panasonic one-speaker portable.
I think I offered Retrokeeper my 8-tracks, if I can ever find them.
