Post a Picture of your Tape Deck - Decks
- Thread starter mrgates3
- Start date
I have a CTF-750 in a stack of vintage pioneer gear- sharp looking tape decks!I did something silly yesterday while visiting a "Vintage Electronis Expo" (Waterford, MI) with some friends... a cassette deck came home with me.
A cassette deck?! Yes, a cassette deck. Yes, very silly.
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N2552
Super Member
I have a CTF-750 in a stack of vintage pioneer gear- sharp looking tape decks!
A very nice deck indeed. I owned one oversees. Reliable indestructible auto reverse with the 4 track head. Super hard head. Eats metal tape for breakfast. (If one wants to use metal) And a great looking machine. The best of the blue line lot. (And I've owned all blue line models). Highly recommend. Sonically maybe not full range hifi 20.000 hz. But who cares. It goes high enough and quite neutral.
I have pull the motor and remove a piece of a "pot tweaker" that broke off inside when I was adjusting the speed! I just put it aside for many years, as I have better decks... when I retire maybe...
N2552
Super Member
Do what you have to do. But a 50cts new or used pot would be a quick fix. Or make some one else happy with it. I got three (just now bought a third N2552 deck 
) N2552's and one N5741. One N2552 is complete but has more problems then just gears. It is fixable - for a later date rainy Sunday maybe - but for now decided to just swap parts and fix it with parts from the N5741. But I will really use the decks in three setups I will 'compose audio sets with three working N2552's thus. Having said that; Is ONE cassette deck not enough?. You bet it would be. And besides, who needs tape nowadays? But for me it is a great hobby and believe me if the chips or motors go serious defect. These decks are 'not' repairable. So I wanted more then one for these reasons. As far as the CT-F750 concerned I liked the deck. Besides what tape freak wouldn't appreciate the Pioneer blue line decks. But taste and tape matters of course
) N2552's and one N5741. One N2552 is complete but has more problems then just gears. It is fixable - for a later date rainy Sunday maybe - but for now decided to just swap parts and fix it with parts from the N5741. But I will really use the decks in three setups I will 'compose audio sets with three working N2552's thus. Having said that; Is ONE cassette deck not enough?. You bet it would be. And besides, who needs tape nowadays? But for me it is a great hobby and believe me if the chips or motors go serious defect. These decks are 'not' repairable. So I wanted more then one for these reasons. As far as the CT-F750 concerned I liked the deck. Besides what tape freak wouldn't appreciate the Pioneer blue line decks. But taste and tape matters of course
I always wanted a CT-F1250! A seriously sexy deck!Do what you have to do. But a 50cts new or used pot would be a quick fix. Or make some one else happy with it. I got three (just now bought a third N2552 deck
N2552
Super Member
Great deck. Can be a headache in every respect (reliability issues) but great sounding QUARTZ deck. No (cheesy) gears rubber only driven. Not the best durable motors and difficult to service. Hard heads that don't suffer tape wear. Metal tape no problem. But prone to cracking heads if the leads going into the heads corrode and expand. But an icon. Sounds and looks great! I wouldn't mind owning one again, but I'm more then happy with my decks.I always wanted a CT-F1250! A seriously sexy deck!
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Oh this was just a long time infatuation, due mainly to looks... I'm perfectly happy with my Nak and Onkyo...
N2552
Super Member
My decks and to summon it all up. No I won't buy others. I don't need others / more / Besides no moneyyyy! See picture
Ok my not planned ad hoc purchased last Philips deck arrived. One of the three N2552's This is purchased working refurbished and yes it works top left in the stack!
1) The first N2552 I purchased as is for parts or repair with eBay NL from business seller in in NL but shipped from Germany. It did power on drive worked intermittent but missed gears. But now doesn't even powers on anymore so that is the deck with the most serious issues. I paid €150 euros for that deck.
2) The second Philips N2552 I purchased local Dutch retail with warranty works fully functional as advertised. I paid a whopping €375 euros for it! It still has its original metal face plate extensions
3) This deck the N5741, is technically 100% a N2552 but manufactured without the faceplate extensions, different knobs and other color Vu meters to match other Philips gear from the era. The deck was purchased via eBay NL with a €122,- euros winning auction bid of mine, from a private seller as is not working for parts or repair, in Germany and shipped from Germany. It is however aside two the broken gears in perfect complete condition.
4) This fourth deck just now delivered to my doorstep. I purchased last week fully with new gears refurbished via eBay NL from a private seller in Slovenia (EU). Working refurbished new gears for €230 euros plus shipping
Note:
Like with the 3rd and last Philips N2552 that arrived today; an earlier owner in the past obviously has broken of the faceplate extensions as with the first (now dead) Philips N2552 deck I purchased as one can see (No lights on photo) They did this probably to make the decks fit smaller cabinets or other sized ( Philips?) gear and is a known phenomenon with these series Philips hifi components. And it is sad to see that.
Ok my not planned ad hoc purchased last Philips deck arrived. One of the three N2552's This is purchased working refurbished and yes it works top left in the stack!
1) The first N2552 I purchased as is for parts or repair with eBay NL from business seller in in NL but shipped from Germany. It did power on drive worked intermittent but missed gears. But now doesn't even powers on anymore so that is the deck with the most serious issues. I paid €150 euros for that deck.
2) The second Philips N2552 I purchased local Dutch retail with warranty works fully functional as advertised. I paid a whopping €375 euros for it! It still has its original metal face plate extensions
3) This deck the N5741, is technically 100% a N2552 but manufactured without the faceplate extensions, different knobs and other color Vu meters to match other Philips gear from the era. The deck was purchased via eBay NL with a €122,- euros winning auction bid of mine, from a private seller as is not working for parts or repair, in Germany and shipped from Germany. It is however aside two the broken gears in perfect complete condition.
4) This fourth deck just now delivered to my doorstep. I purchased last week fully with new gears refurbished via eBay NL from a private seller in Slovenia (EU). Working refurbished new gears for €230 euros plus shipping
Note:
Like with the 3rd and last Philips N2552 that arrived today; an earlier owner in the past obviously has broken of the faceplate extensions as with the first (now dead) Philips N2552 deck I purchased as one can see (No lights on photo) They did this probably to make the decks fit smaller cabinets or other sized ( Philips?) gear and is a known phenomenon with these series Philips hifi components. And it is sad to see that.
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N2552
Super Member
First recording and thus playback on the second Philips N2552 I purchased.
Tape: Maxwell UR Type I.
Tune : Johny Paycheck - Colorado Cool Aid
Sounds good this is the deck I purchased from local retail online, refurbished, new gears transistors caps etc and with 2 years warranty. I hadn't played a tape yet , neither recorded anything yet. EXITING!
But thankfully it does sounds good with a modern type 1 tape. Some headroom treble missing, but he it's a Maxwell UR Type I. But very low noise hardly almost zero, without DNL or Dolby engaged during recording and or playback
All in all good sound quality.
Little noisier with these aftermarket gears than with original gears but WOW and Flutter is spot in factory spec.
Tape: Maxwell UR Type I.
Tune : Johny Paycheck - Colorado Cool Aid
Sounds good this is the deck I purchased from local retail online, refurbished, new gears transistors caps etc and with 2 years warranty. I hadn't played a tape yet , neither recorded anything yet. EXITING!
But thankfully it does sounds good with a modern type 1 tape. Some headroom treble missing, but he it's a Maxwell UR Type I. But very low noise hardly almost zero, without DNL or Dolby engaged during recording and or playback
All in all good sound quality.
Little noisier with these aftermarket gears than with original gears but WOW and Flutter is spot in factory spec.
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Chad Michael
Dissonant Rhino
Just got the Fiio, the Sonys both need repair
N2552
Super Member
Cool!
N2552
Super Member
Yep 'you' with the trained eye can see the wrong tape EQ setting is used. I don't only played the Maxell UR here on the wrong EQ 70 settings it was also recorded that way by me that same day
. Why? I kept wondering why the difference between tape monitor / Source treble was so bigAnyways I recorded same tracks and playback with the correct 120Eq setting see picture:
And I'm happy to conclude there is now hardly any audible difference in high frequencies between tape recording and initial source and that with a type I tape is not bad
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N2552
Super Member
All gone beginning 2025. Sold to two 'pickers' in two sales. One bought the Philips gear and the other the rest JVC and some Pioneer and all media. I only got €550 ,-Euro's for everything in total! It had cost me €6300.- euros to collect it all from late 2023 through oktober 2024 and thus emergency sold in February 2025. I only kept my El cheapo Fenton speakers and some cables and plugs. Sold with €5750,- Euro's financial loss thus!
But that was then, and this is now. Vintage Hi-Fi is a great past time for me. I received a 2023 overdue €1100 euros tax refund, had €360,- euros in savings. I got so bored I almost went nuts. Thus I decided to buy one more time some vintage Hi-Fi. And only gear I own now - partly again - is what's in my AK signature. Newly re-purchased in last the 2 months beeing; 1980, 1981 vintage Philips components. A Philips 22AH708 receiver, Philips 22AH308, 3x Philips N2552, 1x Philips N5741, a €19,- Euro's eppfun Bluetooth streaming DAC adaptor and the Fenton SHFB55B bookshelf speakers. What did I paid for this Philips gear plus tapes I bought. In total: €1470 Euro's including sales tax and shipping. For me to 'play' with and thus NOT for sale. Look what is a treasure for one, is junk to another. Vintage, nor new high or low end Hi-Fi is a not an investment. It is just another money pit!
Note: Some of the JVC gear I sold last year is occasionally still for sale on Marktplaats DOT NL. It is not me, I got nothing to do with it. I'm no seller and I'm broke and stay thus loyal to my re-purchased Flips!
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Pioneer CT-F1000 > Nakamichi RX 202 > Denon DR-M4
