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Recommendations please...

Discussion in 'Cassette Decks' started by Michelle Knight, Jan 21, 2018.

  1. Michelle Knight

    Michelle Knight Active Member

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    Well, while changing the tape belt on my tape deck, I've killed it. Looks like I've slipped and knackered something.

    Looking for another three head deck, between £200 to £300 second hand recommendations please. Up to Dolby C needed, single transport, no auto-reverse.
     
  2. Command8

    Command8 Active Member

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    These should fit the criteria:

    AIWA XK - S 9000
    marantz SD-60
    SONY TC - K 555 ESX
    KENWOOD KX - 9010
    KENWOOD KX - 9050S
    Technics RS-AZ7
    Technics RS-B 905
    ONKYO TA-6711
    SONY TC-K909ES TC-K990ES
    TEAC V-7000
    NAKAMICHI BX-300/300E
     
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  3. Michelle Knight

    Michelle Knight Active Member

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    Many thanks. I've locked the Nakamichi and B905 into my Ebay searches for next pay day in a fortnight.
     
  4. TheBomber

    TheBomber New Member

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    Michelle - I tend to think that it's not the getting hold of a good deck that's the problem, but the getting hold of someone to service it properly. Most of what you buy will need some work to bring it back up to spec, even if it is sold as working. Obviously once you have someone to do the service you might find they can mend your existing deck...
     
  5. Jorge

    Jorge Well-Known Member

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    Good point, @TheBomber !!
    I did manage to rebelt and calibrate my LX-3 but then I paid $500 for professional restoration of 3-head Nak, LX-5. Made more sense to me than paying hundreds for all those back-tension and mirror test tapes without which it is just a doodling, not proper restoration. I mean, if we are talking about 3-head Naks. The memory of soaking in Acetone and then oil-impregnating sintered brass capstan bearings still gives me shivers! Never again, not me!
     
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  6. Michelle Knight

    Michelle Knight Active Member

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    Well, I've got to start somewhere. Preferably with a balance between quality, and something I can maintain myself. I'm still kicking myself that I messed this up. I must have caught a wire somewhere. That's all I can think of.
     
  7. TooCooL4

    TooCooL4 Well-Known Member

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    If you do manage to get a Nakamichi for that price, because you are in the UK I would say check Bowers & Wilkins website for what they have parts for before you get it. No good getting something you can’t get parts for or get repaired.
     
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  8. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

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    I cannot say about mantaining yourself because I always take it to pros, but what I'd ask you is what do you prefer:
    • manual, assisted or automatic tape calibration features? (for adjusting the parameters to each tape so the recording is perfect)
    • song skip features?
    • headphone output? with or without volume knob?
    • colour? (black, silver...)
    • approximate date of manufacturing? (early/mid/late 80s/90s) (older ones are very nice but harder to repair)
    • plastic or metal made?
     
  9. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

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    Thanks Command. I agree with the B905 or the BX-300 or the Onkyo, but I don't think the XK-S9000, K555ESX, K909ES or K990ES will fit, because they are usually more expensive.

    The K555ESX also is a japanese version which should be imported and converted to 220/240V.
    I'd like to make a buying guide about that but still don't have the information.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2018
  10. Michelle Knight

    Michelle Knight Active Member

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    Assisted or automatic tape calibration would certainly be very nice to have.
    Song skip ... Again, a nice feature to have. That would be a strong like
    Headphone output with volume knob would also be a real bonus as it would mean I could use it without an amp.
    Colour - no preference.
    Approximate date of manufacture - no preference. Different manufacturers had good and bad times throughout their times.
    Plastic or metal - Preference metal, but if a good performing unit comes in plastic, I'm not going to turn my nose up at it.
     
  11. bub

    bub Active Member

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    I recommend the BX300. Best sound for your buck, and mechanical problems (rebuilding dead motors, bad leaf switches) are relatively easy to fix. I can verify the headphone out is excellent, most other decks it is an afterthought.

    Sony decks... they require more work than most others due to bad pinch rollers (Supply Roller replacement requires realignment), bad solder joints, and many compromised models (anything less than the 950/970/990 Japanese 555ESA,ESG,ESJ,ESL etc) Even 909 is not as good as it can be.
    I just spent some time upgrading an 890ES to 970ES "spec" (they sabotaged the otherwise identical 970ES to make the 870ES/890ES, a lower grade model). New Opamps, Caps, headphone amp, ANT4066.

    I do not recommend using song skip or AMS.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2018
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  12. Command8

    Command8 Active Member

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    How about the teac v-1030?
    Im buying one tomorrow from a flea market seller for around 50 euros.
    It's from the 90's so I doubt you would get any maintenance issues. From what I've read it's one of the last best ones.
     
  13. bub

    bub Active Member

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    At that price for a 3 Head Deck, it's a steal!

    From what I've read, the late (90s) Teac decks like the V6030S, V8030S are disappointing decks that do not deserve their pretty faces, as they contain subpar electronics that belong in a lower end deck (like K670). The V1030 might be based on one of these decks.
    But for that price, it's hard to say no!

    Any machine that I buy I expect it to need work even if the seller says it's good. At this point, all decent cassette machines are over 10 years old. The trick is to find a model that sounds good but is easy to fix up for the average user (or find a reputable tech).

    (I do secretly want one of these pretty but flawed Teac decks...)
     
  14. Command8

    Command8 Active Member

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    The seller is also selling a nakamichi 150 for 60 euros.
    IMG-20180121-WA0004.jpg
    I only want to buy a deck to do serious recording, something my double deck pioneer is lacking in.
     
  15. bub

    bub Active Member

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    I also have a BX125, the only difference is that the BX150 has better output pot and counter. The BX125 makes excellent recordings, but there is no external bias fine adjustment. This means you are stuck to using TDK SA/XLII that the machine was set up for, or any other tape with a similar bias point.
    60 EUR is an OK price, and it might (and probably will) record and play better than the Teac, but the ease of use of Bias fine tune and 3 head monitoring for recording is a big plus.

    Since you can see both decks in person, buy the one with the best condition head and pinch rollers, and bring a tape and headphones with adapter to test. For the 2 head Nak, rebuilding the motors is probably required at some point, and it might use idler drive instead of the later gear drive, 1 more part to replace.
    But the plus side of the Nak is that there are a lot of people that own them, and finding advice on how to fix common issues is easy. Nak brochures for their 2 head decks claim that they outperform most other 3 headers... I can definitely see that happening in some cases!
     
  16. greg

    greg Member

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    I'm opinionated, BX300 all the way.

    GB
     
  17. Command8

    Command8 Active Member

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    Here is something to note @Michelle Knight if you are buying your deck online.
    The declared specifications will vary greatly from the actual product.
    See for example tthe Teac v-1030:
    On paper, it outperforms the Nakamichi in every way.
    But looking at the heads of the teac and the nakamichi, you can already tell which one has been taken care of by the owner.
    20180128_112200.jpg 20180128_112225.jpg
    While the teac works, it sounded absolutely horrible. The nakamichi doesn't seem to work, the FW and RW don't work, it plays for a couple seconds then stops.
    20180128_112046.jpg
    But all these defects allowed me to lower the price, I got it for 40 euros. I just need to either repair it myself or find a repairmen, coupling the additional costs to repair it still is cheaper then if I bought it untested from E-bay.
     
  18. Michelle Knight

    Michelle Knight Active Member

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    Thanks for all the advice. It's being well noted.

    At the moment, someone is looking at my B705... and they might have got it working. However, they aren't charging much and I'm not pressuring them, so I don't know its fate yet.
     
  19. TooCooL4

    TooCooL4 Well-Known Member

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    Michelle check your PM
     
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  20. bub

    bub Active Member

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    That is a common Nak Sankyo problem- you need to clean the leaf switches and rebuild the reel motor. Look on tapeheads for instructions.

    Be careful if rebuilding the reel motor- you need to build your own tool to move the brushes out of the way when you take the back cover of the motor off.
    You can also try spraying deoxit into the motor for a temp fix.
     

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