Cassette tape decks, what is the fascination?

[Archguy]

For some reason I found making a mix tape was more fun than a mix CD.

I'm so obsessive that I used to try to get my mixes to end within a few seconds of the tape running out. Was harder than you might think because the tapes weren't exactly as long as they claimed to be. Jeez what a time sink. You had to record mixes in real time too IIRC. Wouldn't dare pause for fear of an audible dropout in the result. CD mixes were a whole lot easier, as well as more stable and better-sounding.

 

[RichTassoni]

I have 3 cassette decks. 4 if I count the old Wollensak 4765 I now have under rebuild. All with dual capstan, full Dolby and full function auto rewind/play. I rebuilt them and the sound is terrific. Biggest issue is finding good high setting tapes.

Amazon all kinds of them.

 

[RichTassoni]

I have to admit, the availability of streaming music makes cassettes a fun nostalgic exercise for me. It's cool to read that some folks still make the most of the format.

I love recording from XM radio deep tracks and BB KING BLUESVILLE of.

 

[RichTassoni]

I've never like the sound of prerecorded tapes they seemed muffled to me. Seems I could always make a recording better. And there db levels were always so low.

 

[RichTassoni]

I'm so obsessive that I used to try to get my mixes to end within a few seconds of the tape running out. Was harder than you might think because the tapes weren't exactly as long as they claimed to be. Jeez what a time sink. You had to record mixes in real time too IIRC. Wouldn't dare pause for fear of an audible dropout in the result. CD mixes were a whole lot easier, as well as more stable and better-sounding.

Yea nothing you can do when the tape runs out, I would watch it and just start turning the in put levels down fading it out .

 

[MannyE]

I've never like the sound of prerecorded tapes they seemed muffled to me. Seems I could always make a recording better. And there db levels were always so low.

That they do! But I was surprised at the quality of sound I was getting from the Nakamichi using trashed, dusty thrift store tapes. I can only imagine that an audiophile product or home recording could sound very good indeed.

 

[RichTassoni]

I was very lucky get this Very nice JVC TD V621 cassette deck off eBay, with the bias set right and the VU meter set at + 3 or4 and Hx pro ,dolby B ,mpx filter on I'm getting just about CD quality sounds from good high bias tapes recording from XM radio.

 

[62vauxhall]

Amazon has lot's of them also e bay

I may be wrong, but I'm assuming you believe a Sony EL-7 accepts standard cassettes but it does not. It's format is Elcaset which is considerably larger, has 1/4" tape inside and travels at 3.75 ips.

While there are typically a couple of vendors offering usually used Elcasets on e-bay, there are likely thousands who are selling blank garden variety cassettes.

Just about three weeks ago I traded an equipment dealer approximately 160 blank, factory sealed, 90 minute or longer CrO2 cassettes for 8 factory sealed, blank, 90 minute FeCr Elcasets.

What I meant by not cheap is that those Elcasets were selling for $50 each where I made the trade.

 

[N8Nagel]

I'm so obsessive that I used to try to get my mixes to end within a few seconds of the tape running out. Was harder than you might think because the tapes weren't exactly as long as they claimed to be. Jeez what a time sink. You had to record mixes in real time too IIRC. Wouldn't dare pause for fear of an audible dropout in the result. CD mixes were a whole lot easier, as well as more stable and better-sounding.

That's what razor blades and Scotch tape are for...

 

[restorer-john]

...Cassette decks were basically for recording stuff to play in your car. The only brand of cassette deck that anybody really cared about was Nakamichi...

That's perhaps what you believed, but trust me, cassette decks were for recording anything and everything you wanted, at superb fidelity, to play on that deck and that deck only, in your loungeroom or anywhere else you desired.

Nakamichi was simply another brand and not the best, there were plenty of decks from other makers that were less finicky, more reliable and performed just as well if not better.

Good recordings still sound just as good as the CDs or Vinyl they were recorded from. I know, I have plenty, and many, many cassette decks. They are getting difficult to keep going though with all their nylon and rubber parts. Fun and games.

 

[N8Nagel]

I may be wrong, but I'm assuming you believe a Sony EL-7 accepts standard cassettes but it does not. It's format is Elcaset which is considerably larger, has 1/4" tape inside and travels at 3.75 ips.

While there are typically a couple of vendors offering usually used Elcasets on e-bay, there are likely thousands who are selling blank garden variety cassettes.

Just about three weeks ago I traded an equipment dealer approximately 160 blank, factory sealed, 90 minute or longer CrO2 cassettes for 8 factory sealed, blank, 90 minute FeCr Elcasets.

What I meant by not cheap is that those Elcasets were selling for $50 each where I made the trade.

View attachment 1089477

If they're that valuable, could you revive dead ones by opening them up and rewinding them with 1/4" tape stock intended for professional R2R use, or is there something different about them?

 

[62vauxhall]

If they're that valuable, could you revive dead ones by opening them up and rewinding them with 1/4" tape stock intended for professional R2R use, or is there something different about them?

Theoretically, yes I suppose so. There are record settings for type I, II, & III tape but I've only seen types I & III Elcasets. If one were to attempt re-loading with R2R tape it would be type I as getting hold of type II (EE) tape is neigh on impossible and there is no such thing (to the best of my knowledge) as open reel type III.

I have not been an owner for very long and getting the deck up to snuff took a while so actual use so far has been minimal. With the deck, I received several tapes which had been previously recorded - studio and live stuff by the former owner's band. They were a mix of type I and type III. Re-recording revealed a known problem with Elcaset tape shells - the take up hub binds due to no longer effective lubricant. That can be remedied but I have yet to spend time determining how to disassemble/re-assemble the shell halves. There are as yet, no issues I've encountered with the tape itself which seems to have survived just fine.

Re the sealed blanks I've overall acquired, most are type III but a couple are type I. So far I've been a bit childish by not having made a new recording on a type III yet, only type I - not wanting to squander any until I became used to and confident with the format.

Judging from playing back some of the recorded tapes that came with the deck, type III's are superior for fidelity and accept a hotter signal. That said, type I is no slouch and to me seem to sound just as good as open reel recordings made on my Teac A3300 and Pioneer RT-707 when recorded at 7.5 ips.

 

[RichTassoni]

I may be wrong, but I'm assuming you believe a Sony EL-7 accepts standard cassettes but it does not. It's format is Elcaset which is considerably larger, has 1/4" tape inside and travels at 3.75 ip

While there are typically a couple of vendors offering usually used Elcasets on e-bay, there are likely thousands who are selling blank garden variety cassettes.

Just about three weeks ago I traded an equipment dealer approximately 160 blank, factory sealed, 90 minute or longer CrO2 cassettes for 8 factory sealed, blank, 90 minute FeCr Elcasets.

What I meant by not cheap is that those Elcasets were selling for $50 each where I made the trade.

View attachment 1089477

I'm using TDK SA, TDK SA,X MAXELL UD XL II ,AND MAXELL XL II S all bought on Amazon the tape deck automatically sets it's self to what kind of tape you're using. I used to use mostly normal tapes type i and they sounded pretty good, but for the little extra costs im going mostly with cro2 type ii high bias and enjoying the better sounding music.

 

[RichTassoni]

The cassette format was strictly a connivence product. With sophisticated noise reduction the cassette format could provide acceptable sound for a fraction of the cost of R2R tape in a much smaller size, too. The quality could easily surpass mass produced LP if desired, though not always accomplished. Lps take infinitely more care to maintain top notch performance from day one. Cassettes not so much. But if your tape deck isn't well maintained you can easily destroy a tape in a fraction of a second. When Maxell was producing Cassette tapes the UD series shells and tape were guaranteed for life. I still have all my UD tapes with only a few having failed because of a compromised Ford cassette player in a Car. My Nakamichi decks still perform Quite well. Sure the tape path needs cleaning, O rings, belts and tires need to be cleaned and maintained and guides and heads eventually replaced. Everything mechanical eventually wears and becomes unserviceable. I still have 2 Nakamichi that I use to make CD's for friends and to make tapes to play in my Dodge Diesel pickup. I may have to bow to technology some day and install a new sound system. But till then its cassette for the Ram truck.

You just got to love this older looking stereo systems.

 

[RichTassoni]

I never understood the point of "preserving" vinyl. Who are you preserving it for? The person who gets it from a thrift shop when you're 6 feet under? I have records from my childhood in the 80's that I played on my crappy Quasar stereo that still sound great. And if it's wear one is concerned with, tape heads have a limited life span and are NLA. Your tape head will wear much faster than your LPs.

To have vinyl is to listen to it the way it sounds. But I have some old vinyl that well I really didn't want to play to much with my good cartridge speaking of Grand funk railroad. So I clean them up best I can and transfer them to a good tape bump up the VU,s a little and make sure there EVEN, and filter out some of the background noise and Walla I have a much better sounding Grand funk railroad to listen to.

 

[danj]

Because I have several hundred cassettes that I have been collecting since 1971, many of which still sound great. I bought a very nice cassette deck last year and went through most of my old cassettes to determines which, if any, need to be discarded. Out of about 300 I tested (it took many weeks) there were only about a dozen that hadn't aged well. I seldom dub my cassettes to CD because they don't end up sounding better and aren't worth the effort for me unless I want to play in my Toyota, which does not have a tape player.

And, basically, I have always enjoyed tape recording and using a fine machine to do it.

 

[SPL db]

Cassettes are basically being given away now. Great way to listen to music I might not have before. If I like it, I'll buy it on another media source.

 

[BOUXY]

Because I have several hundred cassettes that I have been collecting since 1971, many of which still sound great. I bought a very nice cassette deck last year and went through most of my old cassettes to determines which, if any, need to be discarded. Out of about 300 I tested (it took many weeks) there were only about a dozen that hadn't aged well. I seldom dub my cassettes to CD because they don't end up sounding better and aren't worth the effort for me unless I want to play in my Toyota, which does not have a tape player.

And, basically, I have always enjoyed tape recording and using a fine machine to do it.

"seldom dub my cassettes to CD because they don't end up sounding better"
Try picking up another ancient R2R and recording your good Cassettes at the fastest speed at least 7 1/2 ips and see if you can still say this

 

[danj]

"seldom dub my cassettes to CD because they don't end up sounding better"
Try picking up another ancient R2R and recording your good Cassettes at the fastest speed at least 7 1/2 ips and see if you can still say this

Think about it.
I owned R2R for 30 years. Dubbing a cassette onto any other medium will not make it sound better unless you process the hell out of it. R2R has greater fidelity to the source than cassette and will make a nearly perfect copy of music, noise, and all. If it makes the music sound better it is adding something such as warmth or distortion that isn't part of the source.

 

[armyslowrdr]

I just love the look of the machines!