Is it all in your head? https://www.stereo2go.com/topic/ind...5770785222165810&board_oid=193392314111653425 Amorphous or Permalloy Heads? https://www.tapeheads.net/threads/amorphous-or-permalloy-heads.85341/ Amorphous heads usually last longer than Sendust heads, and that means much longer than any Permalloy. Amorphous materials are supposed to be harder than are similarly composed crystalline materials too. Laser amorphous heads were cut with a laser precision, for better surface contact with the tapes.Jun 1, 2011
Have to agree with what’s written as my Aiwa deck as far as I’m concerned was one of the best sounding. Back in the day I couldn’t afford a Dragon(now I can)but had this girl since new and just love the sound she produces.
The 35711 head has around 120mH @ 1kHz. As far as the general difference between amorphous and permalloy, it really depends on the particular head. While it's true that amorphous ones will last longer, there are some softer amorphous ones and some harder permalloy ones. So really can't generalize. Same is true in regard to sound: in some cases there are significant audible differences, in others not so much.
Thanks for the info. I was also wondering about the bias frequency of the WM-D6C. I read somewhere that it is 75KHz, but the bias trap on the output of the record amp (L102/C151) calculates to ~65KHz, so...????
@Kiwinut Your 990 AIWA is a superb deck, that stands in line with the best. Some may argue that it is on par with the Dragon in the way it sounds. For my taste, it LOOKS much better than the Dragon, and pretty much any Nak.
@Duey71 I think the most special feature in this AIWA 990 is its tape calibration "Data System" BIAS -REC Levels-EQ". Some folks believe it is one of the best, and rivals one of the Nak CR-7A.
I purchased this brand new, I really wanted a Dragon but it was out of my price range(actually I really didn’t want to pay the money) and the 80’s were all about flashy lights and gadgets. I remember the salesman saying as far as he was concerned this was as good or if not better (most likely ment the flashy lights) but I have hung onto her and I am pretty sure this is the forth service I have had done, but this time there was a dry solder on the output rca. I have thought about selling but I just can’t do it. It looks awesome and plays awesome. I have a service dude who recons these decks are easy to deal with. But have had others who won’t touch it with a barge pole. Unfortunately over the years I’ve lost the manual, but as I said she’s a thing of beauty when running, audio and visual. And thanks for appreciating that. Cheers Kiwi nut
@Kiwinut Hang on to it for as long as you can. You probably won't find anything equally as good of a recorder for a reasonable amount of money, and in this pristine condition and known provenance - good luck! I have been looking for F990 for a few years ("it's the one that got away"). And every year they get more scarce and more expensive, and most of them have already been molested by DYI hacks. These AIWAs 770-990 decks are very complex and difficult to service, sensitive to proper belts for low W & F, consequently, there are not very many techs in the world who work on these particular models with a high success rate. And yes, everything about this line of AIWA decks is stunning: from piano-style keys to solid line-level meters, from tape calibration to recording sound. You've got a real winner there!
