Does anybody own this gem from 1978? Nakamichi Tape Deck with 80 watt speakers that have six tiny, super performance amplifiers built in. The ADS 2002 looks like an early entry into portable boomboxes using a traditional looking Nakamichi Tape Deck. Is anyone familar with this Nakamichi and is it stereo?
Should be Stereo. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nakamichi-...087125?hash=item4b6df17215:g:zpcAAOSwY-NdvSLz https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/ads-2002-bi-ampflified-speakers.46183/
This is from your Ebay Listing Mystic Traveller, you have to love an over-engineered piece of audio from the 70's. It looks like you need the whole system for it to work, the huge power supply and the odd cables, are those European Standard? It looks like Nakamichi might have beat Sony to the stereo portable cassette world. I'll have to do some research on this system and see if I can dig up some more info.
The speakers have built in amplification, this ad shows one without the back cover from 1976. Just browsing around other forums and it looks like this had a good reputation but it was $700.00 USD when new, using the inflation calculator, that clocks in at $3100 USD today. Other press releases seem to indicate that Nakamichi built the model 250 for this system.
A Nakamichi Ad lists both the 350 and 250 cassette players as part of this system. It looks like they were only sold as a set with the ADS Power Supply.
I sold one of these systems at the audio store I worked at 1975 - 1978. The cassette deck was specifically made for this system. It was an awesome car stereo system. The speakers were amplified versions of the L200c speakers (of which I own a pair). The third box was an A/C power supply for the three other pieces if they were going to be used inside, otherwise the power for the amplified speakers came to them in the cables that connected between the speakers and the cassette deck. The cassette deck was connected to a 12v power source in the vehicle.
What was the market reaction to the system Keith? Up in Michigan, with all the automakers, anything with a Japanese Name was frowned upon in the late 70's but both AIWA and Nakamichi put out great products and by the early 80's were highly regarded. I still don't know how most people could afford some of this equipment, credit cards were usually for a store like Sears or JCPenny's but audio stores always wanted cash.
In Cape Girardeau, we had plenty of people with the money to spend and no objection to Japanese products. We only sold two of these systems and both actually ended up in towns south of Cape Girardeau with "wealthy" farmers. We did take cash, checks and credit cards.
We had a local Spitfire or MG Dealership by us, coincidently on the way to the computer/stereo store. $3500 for a Spitfire, $2000 for a stereo or Apple II or a little less for a PET. My first job paid $3.35/hr, I never understood how grown-ups could afford any of it. One of my first vintage audio purchases (2004) was a monster 70's Marantz, these were the most expensive and elusive to us little kids.
Found the brochure for the Nakamichi 350, I'm pretty sure that's an MG? Cool unit and kind of qualifies as a kangaroo model with the added battery case.
I didn't notice that they used specialty connectors. The Marantz CH-53 is like that with wires going everywhere since the speakers are powered with the wall wart. Do you have the speaker connectors?
With the help from others this is the way to connect. 1 is positive 5 is negative ground The above power to speaker 1 then the connecting cable or umbilical from 1 to 2
