Pioneer CT-F500 or TEAC A-103
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Mark W.
Nut house of the Universe
No knowledge of the TEAC but the Pioneer is the Bottom of the line it's a basic deck nothing special and a set of belts will triple your investment in it.
If you play cassettes once in a blue moon and want a smaller deck to listen with it's OK. But not a deck or much real value.
Someone else will have to give you the poop on the TEAC
If you play cassettes once in a blue moon and want a smaller deck to listen with it's OK. But not a deck or much real value.
Someone else will have to give you the poop on the TEAC
it is to be mainly be used for recording music from the computer onto cassette so that I can use them in my boomboxes and car cassette radios. I read that the TEAC A-130 is supposed to be kind of good, nothing special either, but then again I am not looking for the top of the line.
Big Tuna
Too Much Power!
Pioneer, all the wayyyyyyyyy! the CT-F500, albeit for me to argue the "BOTL" statement by Mark, I have to disagree. The CT-F500 is hardly BOTL when compared to all the rest of the other tape decks out there. IMO, it is the sleeper of the bunch. I had one many moons ago, in my early teens, and it recorded absolutely flawlessly. virtually Zero hum & noise heard on it's recordings. The TEAC is ok, but compared to the CT-F500, it's a clunker. You will be much happier with the Pioneer. You have the ability to get both, fix them both and see which one is the best overall unit for what you need it for. I put my vote in for the CT-F500, since I had one, and BTW, I had that same TEAC as well, just not for very long 
Cogsinister
Super Member
I had a CT-F500 many years ago and it is a superbly solid deck that sounds great....not BOTL at all !!!!
Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Well, I had gone back to the flea market before getting answers on the forum bought it. I figured, for $7, if its a bad choice I wouldn't lose much but also did not want to take the chance of someone else buying it and I would find out later if I made a good buy from all of you. It also works, so that's good, but will still open it up and check it out.
Earlier I lost out on a boombox because I hesitated and figured no one else would buy it. I was wrong!
The TEAC A-103 is at another flea market on Sunday. If I can bring it down to $10 I might go for it but $15 is not too bad either. But do I need another piece of equipment to compare to see which is better :sigh::scratch2:
But thanks all so far for making my buy a better deal :thmbsp: and if there are more "go for its" for the TEAC then I just might go for it as well without hesitation. Can't wait to try out the Pioneer though.
Well, I had gone back to the flea market before getting answers on the forum bought it. I figured, for $7, if its a bad choice I wouldn't lose much but also did not want to take the chance of someone else buying it and I would find out later if I made a good buy from all of you. It also works, so that's good, but will still open it up and check it out.
Earlier I lost out on a boombox because I hesitated and figured no one else would buy it. I was wrong!
The TEAC A-103 is at another flea market on Sunday. If I can bring it down to $10 I might go for it but $15 is not too bad either. But do I need another piece of equipment to compare to see which is better :sigh::scratch2:
But thanks all so far for making my buy a better deal :thmbsp: and if there are more "go for its" for the TEAC then I just might go for it as well without hesitation. Can't wait to try out the Pioneer though.
Mark W.
Nut house of the Universe
Well in case you guys don't know what BOTL or TOTL actually stand for it is Bottom of the Line and Top of the Line
The line in this case would be the Pioneer lne of Cassettes that includes
CT-F500 CT-F600 CT-F700 CT-F800 CT-F900 CT-F1000 All from 1978
the next line was the CT-F650 CT-F750 CT-F950 CT-F1250 All from 1979 with the CT-F1050 following in 1980
The Line before it was the 1977 line up CT-F4242 CT-F6262 CT-F7272 CT-F8282 and the CT-F9191 being carried over as the TOTL since 1975
There are some over lappings but the fact of the matter is that in the 1978 PIONEER Cassette Deck line up the CT-F500 was the bottom of the LINE. Now it might have been a better cassette deck then any other manufacturer made that year (it wasn't) But it was the BOTTOM of Pioneers line up.
Pioneer has made many other LINES of Cassette decks BUT in FACT the CT-F500 is the BOTTOM Offering from the line it was produced in. It is an Entry level deck PERIOD nothing more no matter how well it is built compared to anyone elses deck. Or any other LINE in the Pioneer stable.
So I stand by everything I said.
The line in this case would be the Pioneer lne of Cassettes that includes
CT-F500 CT-F600 CT-F700 CT-F800 CT-F900 CT-F1000 All from 1978
the next line was the CT-F650 CT-F750 CT-F950 CT-F1250 All from 1979 with the CT-F1050 following in 1980
The Line before it was the 1977 line up CT-F4242 CT-F6262 CT-F7272 CT-F8282 and the CT-F9191 being carried over as the TOTL since 1975
There are some over lappings but the fact of the matter is that in the 1978 PIONEER Cassette Deck line up the CT-F500 was the bottom of the LINE. Now it might have been a better cassette deck then any other manufacturer made that year (it wasn't) But it was the BOTTOM of Pioneers line up.
Pioneer has made many other LINES of Cassette decks BUT in FACT the CT-F500 is the BOTTOM Offering from the line it was produced in. It is an Entry level deck PERIOD nothing more no matter how well it is built compared to anyone elses deck. Or any other LINE in the Pioneer stable.
So I stand by everything I said.
Cogsinister
Super Member
Good for you.........idiot.
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jleon92f
Addicted Member
I have the CT-F1000,9191,700,850, now. Moved out my CT-F950 to a new home. Great machines. They do not make them like that anymore.
Thanks,
John.
Big Tuna
Too Much Power!
You just can't look beyond the numbers, can you, Mark?
