Is there a best Cassette Deck?

[Klangquali]

I would like to add information for the question about the best cassette deck: http://reviews.ebay.com/Revox-Nakamichi-and-Tandberg-the-Pros-and-Cons?ugid=10000000001829134
I think there is not one best but a handful of best. The ebay guide does comment the decks which were discussed in the closed thread what's the best cassette deck ever? the Nakamichi Dragon and the Tandberg. For me it is interesting to see that even in the Nakamichi family the Dragon has serious competitors.

 

[dafos]

I vote the Nakamichi 1000, the first super cassette player with three heads and auto azimuth alignment. Funny that the list includes so many Nakamichi models but excludes the mighty 1000 which was, to my knowledge, the first of the super decks by any company and the grand daddy of all succeeding Nakamichi decks including the famous Dragon. Also omitted was the 1000's smaller brother, the 700, which incorporated most of the 1000's features and performance at a more affordable, albeit still very expensive, price tag.

 

[dafos]

Remember that the 1000 was introduced in the early 70's when cassette replay was never considered a high fidelity playback medium, somewhat akin to present day mp 3 playback but a lot more limited in frequency response and dynamic range. The 1000 changed all that. Just imagine a digital player that equals the performance of high res players with mp3 files!

 

[steve williams]

I kicked myself for having sold my Nakamichi Dragon

 

[Bruce B]

I have the best!!

 

[steve williams]

I have the best!!

View attachment 4851

one of the best pieces of gear I have ever owned. Do you still use it Bruce

 

[dafos]

Beautiful deck, Bruce! Just wondering, in the event of technical problems, are there still replacement parts available?

 

[GaryProtein]

I would get either the Nakamichi 1000 or Dragon (I have a Dragon) or the Revox/Studer.

At their present ages, I would start to be thinking about mechanical stability. The Revox/Studer is built like a tank.

While the Tandbergs have always sounded excellent, their mechanical components were not quite as good as the other two.

This is the third millennium. Do you really need a cassette machine in 2012?

 

[Klangquali]

Yes, of course you need a cassette deck! If you haven't one you can't play this wonderful album analog:

 

[Bruce B]

one of the best pieces of gear I have ever owned. Do you still use it Bruce

Actually used it within the past couple of weeks. Works like a charm!

There seems to be parts available and techs to work on them..... so far!

Wasn't there a Tandberg deck that was supposed to compete with the Dragon?

 

[Klangquali]

Yes, the Tandberg TCD 3014 A.

 

[steve williams]

IMHO, nothing competed with the Dragon

 

[Klangquali]

Nothing? In the ebay guide the author means the Nakamichi CR7A competes.
In my opinion the SONY TC-KA7ES competes in playback sound quality:

 

[dafos]

This may not belong here but anyone remember the Sony Walkman Pro? Portable audio pushed to the extreme.

 

[JackD201]

This may not belong here but anyone remember the Sony Walkman Pro? Portable audio pushed to the extreme.

I owned one. I used to have fun with the pitch control. I'd record my voice and prank my cousins over the phone playing myself back as Darth Vader or Alvin the Chipmunk. LOL.

 

[flez007]

I owned at least four Nakamichi decks, neither at the level of a 1000 or Dragon, all were fine performers but unable to produce recorded cassettes that could sound well in other decks except Nakamichi ones, this one was my favorite

:

 

[Gregadd]

I never owned one but here is my vote:

 

[kach22i]

A couple of weeks ago Paragon in Ann Arbor had a Dragon in their used room. Don't know if they still have it though.

http://www.paragonsns.com/specials

They also have a Teac reel to reel which has been kicking around the place for a while. I've never asked the price, afraid of what I might do if I found out.

An antique store in Ann Arbor had a giant Pioneer tape player, it didn't say 3-heads on it. Someone else picked it up right before I got there for only $75, but I assumed it needed some sort of refreshing.

 

[TheAudioAssociation]

I owned at least four Nakamichi decks, neither at the level of a 1000 or Dragon, all were fine performers but unable to produce recorded cassettes that could sound well in other decks except Nakamichi ones, this one was my favorite

View attachment 5036:

I had one of those.... LX-3 I think?

Ended up with one of these as my last Nakamichi.... Still have it. Still works!

 

[tdh888]

, all were fine performers but unable to produce recorded cassettes that could sound well in other decks except Nakamichi ones

View attachment 5036:[/QUOTE]

I agree. When I graduated from my pre medical course my Dad gave me a Nakamichi 700ZXE to replaced my 2 head Nak 600. The 700zxe had automatic azimuth alignment if one wants to record. The 700ZXE has the same dimension like the 1000ZXL. Performance is at par. Tapes recorded from other cassette decks made by other manufacturer sounds lousy nor prerecorded cassette bought from the record bar