Just saw this video yesterday, do you think the tape inside these is new or NOS? Either way very interesting stuff.
I have just been looking on the Japanese Sony web site. Since you can still buy Sony Radio Cassette recorders https://www.sony.jp/radio/products/CFD-S401/ it is not surprising that Nagoka (or the company making the tapes for them) thinks there is still a market for a decent quality but basic Ferric Tape. As one of the cassette duplication companies said in an article I read "The market for cassettes that never went away was Talking Books". The companies producing those won't want to be messing around with NOS tapes with a limited supply base. p.s. Here is a translation of the CFD-S401 specifications. One of the few new cassette recorders with a soft touch mechanism. Product Information store - Radio / CD radio radio radio Radio - CFD-S401 - Main specifications Radio/CD Radio Radio Radio Support and Inquiries Top List of products Comparison table Radio stamping service Sony Store Shopping Information CD Radio Cassette Recorder CFD-S401 Top products The main specifications Main specifications Compare with other products Feature table CD Player Club CD-R/RW Playback ● Playable format Music CD/MP3 *1 Shuffle Play ● Program Play ●(25 songs) Repeat Play ● *2 Playback speed adjustment without changing the pitch - CD Synchro Start Recording ● Radio Department Synth Tuner/Preset Stations (FM/AM) Favorite radio station registration (3 stations) Number of preset stations (30/10) *3 Receiving Band (AM) ●Mono Receiving Band (FM) ●Stereo Receiving band (FM wide) ●Stereo Receiving band (TV/ VHF1-3ch) - Receiving band (TV/ VHF1-12ch) - Tape part Auto Shut Off Full Auto Shut Off Feather deck mechanism ● Radio Timer Recording ● Timer part Clock/Timer (Alarm) ● Sleep function ● Timer (alarm) / Setting by sleep sound source ● Volume setting at the start of the timer (alarm) ● End time setting - Timer Recording ●(1 program) Quality MEGA BASS - Speaker (cm) Full range: 8 (x 2 co) Practical Maximum Output (W/JEITA) 1.5+1.5 Battery duration (hours) *4 Fm recording - Fm reception (2) Approx. 25 hours (volume 14) When playing music (when playing tape) (2) Approx. 19 hours (volume 22) When playing music (when playing CDs) (2) Approx. 12 hours (volume 22) (JEITA) Input/output terminals Audio input (voice input) ●Stereo Mini Mixing microphone input Mini Jack Headphones ●Stereo Mini Earphone - Basic specifications Built-in microphone - AC power consumption (approx. W) 10 AC power consumption (approx. W) (power off/off) 1 Type of power supply (electric light line, dry battery) Included: Power cord Sold separately: Single 2×6 Maximum dimensions (including JEITA/ maximum protrusions) width x height x depth (mm) Approx. 320 x 134 x 199 Mass (when storing kg and batteries) About 2.8 Accessory Power cord × 1, head cleaning kit × 1, instruction manual and warranty × 1 Accessory Power cord ● AC Power Adapter - Wireless - Batteries for remote control - External microphone - *1 Copyrighted files cannot be played. *2 There are 1 songs/whole songs/program repeats. *3 Number of manual setting stations *4 (1) When using Sony batteries (JEITA) (2) When using Sony alkaline batteries (JEITA)
That is actually quite nice to hear. I actually watched Techmoan's video on the new Cassette recorder for Sony, the Japanese one seems like quite a nice device (the one we got in the UK that is still in stores seems a bit lacking for a £60 device when used decks on eBay can come with more functionality for almost half that price) and I'd get it if I was someone living there just looking for a new deck. I am glad that it seems more likely that Nagaoka are manufacturing their own tape instead of using Korean stock as others were saying, it's nice to have some fairly good quality ferric tape from Japan
Who knows? When I worked briefly in the tape industry in the late 90s (when tape was pretty much dead production-wise), my boss had a few "pancakes" up against the wall. They're around 2' (60 cm) in diameter so there is a ton of tape. He claimed they were 3m Scotch's TOTL Audio Tape and he'd have enough to last the rest of his needs. I'm sure if you had a few boxes of these you could make a few thousands cassettes.
I keep wondering if anyone got any further with the idea of slicing and loading video tape into audio cassettes. There is quite a lot of tape in a VHS cassette. I just sold a batch of 24 to a delighted buyer (who mainly wanted the programmes but was also interested in the tapes) and have another 90 here to sell.
I know your comment is old Longman, but I just did a job for the guy that set up 3M's Tape Media Factories, he was very familar with tape slicing, he said they had full-time guys that only sharpened the slitters, metal tapes used to go through a ton of them. He said most of it started with wide tape sliced down to the needed size. I also learned that the reason computer backup cartridges have a metal plate is because the read/write heads have to have perfect alignment with the tapes, with music it isn't an issue, the dropouts are too quick to notice.
This is an old thread, still this Nagaoka cassettes are (were) a clear indication that the cassette market - if there is any - is not about keeping the flame, but about catering to nostalgia about the crappiest and oldest stuff. Look at that shell, look at that label, this is 1960s design, plain and boring. As a Gen-X'er, I would never buy these. Ugh.
@CDV wow I did not know that it might not be that good. I wish we had more reviews. A millennial like I was, when I used cassette as a kid, I could not make the difference between high quality or low quality. I suppose they can get me with nostalgia in this manner.
@godfrey I am not saying it is not good, I don't know how good is it. I am just saying that it looks like it was made in 1960s or early 1970s, which to me is a turn-off. If you don't care about the looks, great! But to me the look and feel is a part of the experience. In any case, regarding quality of the tape itself, everything that is still manufactured now, like Mulann/RTM is at best late 1970s level of quality, and it is only the most basic Type I tape. Which is why there is no cassette comeback, there is no cassette revival: there are no good tape machines manufactured now; the only half-good component deck from TEAC is a whopping $500, the only tape is Type I made of R2R tape. Meh. There were tons of designs in 1980s - early 1990s, here are just a couple: Most Russian cassettes looked like that Nagaoka all the way into 1990s, and I grew strong aversion to this style. This one is from 1991:
One of the reasons I enjoy the hobby is that the good stuff is impossible to reproduce and make money today. But there was so much out there when it was popular, if you search hard enough, you'll find just about anything. Sure it's cool that some niche companies are churning out tapes but it will never equal the excitement of the old days when something new came out.
