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Top 10 holy grail cassette decks?

ConradH said:
Regardless you're still dependent on tape quality and all these old decks will likely need new belts. The catch there is the original perfectly fitting factory belts won't be available and you'll have to install a not-quite-perfect belt (sometimes even if it came from the factory) and the performance won't be quite as good as when the deck was new.
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I never experienced this as an issue when having my decks serviced.
 
ConradH said:
Regardless you're still dependent on tape quality and all these old decks will likely need new belts. The catch there is the original perfectly fitting factory belts won't be available and you'll have to install a not-quite-perfect belt (sometimes even if it came from the factory) and the performance won't be quite as good as when the deck was new.
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The Z6000 does not use belts and that may well be true of others listed. Oops, there is a belt to open the cassette door :)

Roger
 
And on the thread subject. All really depends on the purpose of getting a deck. If you make a list of 10 greatest decks that could be gems in a collection it will be one list, if you need a workhorse deck that will be serviceable for years to come and with a good sound quality to boot it may be a completely different list. And you need to take into account that there is almost zero chance to find a deck out of either of these two potential lists in a fully working condition if is not from a reputable service technician. Any deck of this level would need quite a lot of work done on it before it can be anything more than a collection item. And many could only be collection items now.

A simple example - the Pioneer CT-F1250. One of the better looking decks - sure. But if you expect it to work well - not many chances, really, without a full service and a new head. And where exactly can you get a new head for it? And if something breaks in that deck you are more or less stuck - many bits only can be cannibalised from a donor unit.

Another example - top Nakamichi decks. Some of these are great, but on many now the heads are worn up to a large degree and when the PB head is gone you are stuck again - the only way to restore the deck is to find another with the same heads in a better condition.

IMHO, we need a different kind of list of best 10 decks for people who want to use them daily and not just admire the looks.

Cheers

Alex
 
As has been posted above The Tandberg 3014/ 3014A rates up there near or at the top, the Nak ZX 7, ZX 9, are also very very nice decks to own and use. I will go out on a limb here and also include the Nak's 600/ 600II which are older 2 head machines that in their younger days were considered top notch machines and can be had for a reasonable sum of money today. I have 3 600's and love them. A Holy grail deck has to also work when you want it to, sound great and be fun to use plus these things are built like mini battle ships.
 
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Jvc td-v661

JVC TD-V661

This is by no means the "best" deck out there, but it took me by surprise when I obtained one in good working order, because it works so damn well. Its a deck that's straight to the point, has test tones for bias calibration built in, performs well across all tapes and is not fussy. Dual capstan, direct drive (with a belt for supply capstan, easy to replace). Records nice and is very durable, brings out the best in even basic Type 1 tapes (record and playback). I have put mine through very heavy use and it has never failed me. Other decks seem to read its recordings well too.
 

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Alex Nikitin said:
And on the thread subject. All really depends on the purpose of getting a deck. If you make a list of 10 greatest decks that could be gems in a collection it will be one list, if you need a workhorse deck that will be serviceable for years to come and with a good sound quality to boot it may be a completely different list. And you need to take into account that there is almost zero chance to find a deck out of either of these two potential lists in a fully working condition if is not from a reputable service technician. Any deck of this level would need quite a lot of work done on it before it can be anything more than a collection item. And many could only be collection items now.

A simple example - the Pioneer CT-F1250. One of the better looking decks - sure. But if you expect it to work well - not many chances, really, without a full service and a new head. And where exactly can you get a new head for it? And if something breaks in that deck you are more or less stuck - many bits only can be cannibalised from a donor unit.

Another example - top Nakamichi decks. Some of these are great, but on many now the heads are worn up to a large degree and when the PB head is gone you are stuck again - the only way to restore the deck is to find another with the same heads in a better condition.

IMHO, we need a different kind of list of best 10 decks for people who want to use them daily and not just admire the looks.

Cheers

Alex
Click to expand...
Well said Alex. I completely agree with you.

My interpretation of the list which was asked for here is the very best decks which have ever been made.

FWIW: This is one of the reasons why I love the Naks with the Sankyo tires that so many people despise: Because the fact that these tires fail so consistently means that a great many non-functional Naks out there with worn-out tires still have practically new heads. That was how I purchased my non-functional CR-7A. It looked like it had sat ever since its tire failed ~25 years ago.
 
First round?

Assuming all of them well regulated, recapped, de-magnetized, lubricated, etc, etc, etc...

Nakamichi DR-1 (please...)
Sony TC-KA7ES
Teac V-7000
Tascam MK122-III
Luxman K-05
Aiwa XK-009 Excelia
Teac C3X
Pioneer CT-1250
Pioneer CT A1
JVC TD-V1050TN
 
No mention of any Akai decks yet? I own an Akai GXC-570DII that, although may not necessarily be a "holy grail", I believe it was Akai's TOTL (at $900) and has to be one of the best-looking cassette decks ever!
 
Second round:

Akai GXC-570DII
A&D GX-Z9100EX
Sansui SC-5110
Technics RS-M95
Philips N5748
SAE C101
Denon DN-790R
Yamaha KX-950
Aurex PC-X88AD
Onkyo TA-6711
Sharp RT-7100

Again, these machines only well calibrated, de-magnetized, recapped, lubricated, etc, etc, etc...
 
Ok a little research and memory trawling.My Teac 900 vx. I don't know how it would have stood the test of time It was excellemt when i had it.
 
Noreaster said:
No mention of any Akai decks yet? I own an Akai GXC-570DII that, although may not necessarily be a "holy grail", I believe it was Akai's TOTL (at $900) and has to be one of the best-looking cassette decks ever!
Click to expand...

guiller said:
PS: of this list I own a CR-7A, the best cassette deck I've ever had. Other decks that I have are Tandberg TDC-440A and TCD-330, Nakamichi Cassette Deck 2, Tascam 122 Mk 2, Akai GXC 570D and Onkyo Integra TA-2360.
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I´ve mentioned the GXC-570D (version 1) as one of the decks I own. I agree with you on it being one of Akai´s best decks, but it is far from the performance level of the Nakamichi CR-7 that I also own, at least IMHO. My interpretation of the OP question was to list the best decks ever. Of the lot I have, much as I love the two Tandbergs, only the CR-7 is a superb performer, for me at least. All of my units are well serviced and mantained by 3 local experts in the major brands (Nak,Tandberg, Akai/Teac/Tascam).
 
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steerpike2 said:
I have one of those - a gift.
It may look fancy & have lots of buttons, but the tape transport mechanism is really crappy, very average design & construction.
(not crappy like 1990s cassette decks, but by no means high end)
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I put it just to be a bit fair with Optonica. They did some good stuff in Audio too...
 
Only deck I own and want is my Dragon. That's my personal list although I realize that there are other fine decks out there. Interesting reading on this thread.
 
Ultralyd said:
It's so funny.

There are so many threads with similar subjects.

"Name the three best cassette decks".

"Here's The top ten list of cassette decks"

"What's the holy grail of cassette decks?"

The fun factor is that every time, not three, not ten and not THE holy grail but somewhere between maybe 25 and 250 different decks are mentioned as being among the absolutely very best top decks evermade in the whole wide world.

Most, almost all, of these decks are completely irrellevant in this context.

This thread will just repeat the pattern over again.
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pretty much exactly correct

ConradH said:
Regardless you're still dependent on tape quality and all these old decks will likely need new belts. The catch there is the original perfectly fitting factory belts won't be available and you'll have to install a not-quite-perfect belt (sometimes even if it came from the factory) and the performance won't be quite as good as when the deck was new.
Click to expand...

I have never seen or had issues with this, use turntableneedles.com, always get correctly sized belts, IMHO, never put a wrong sized belt in a deck, it WILL effect performance negatively, if you cant find the right size (never happened to me) you up **** crick.

Karl vd Berg said:
First round?

Assuming all of them well regulated, recapped, de-magnetized, lubricated, etc, etc, etc...

Nakamichi DR-1 (please...)
Sony TC-KA7ES
Teac V-7000
Tascam MK122-III
Luxman K-05
Aiwa XK-009 Excelia
Teac C3X
Pioneer CT-1250
Pioneer CT A1
JVC TD-V1050TN
Click to expand...

yea, umm, exactly one of those would make my list, the pioneer A1, thats it, maybe the K05, maybe.
 
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