Hello, I am going to look at a WM-6C next week. All seems well from afar, except for pics showing that the cover does not seem to be flush with the body. It might not be called the cover, the ‘lid’ you open to load cassettes and battery. Is this a bad sign, can’t imagine how it got warped apart from heat? I have a small checklist to go through, but even before I start this, I am worried about the lid not closing flush. Thanks in advance for any advice you may have! pics below. https://www.dropbox.com/s/8bpip2tb348sfmj/Photo 28-08-2021, 13 14 40.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/wkcxccnz8updf4g/Photo 28-08-2021, 13 14 53.jpg?dl=0 (apologies for originally posting this in boombox section!)
When you go to see it, check as Emiel said in your other thread it could be the battery not seated properly. If that does not work for you, I have one coming up soon it’s just with Deb64 for a service.
I went to look at the WM-6C, but declined to buy it. The price was good, £275, but the warped cover was, well, warped, and not snagging on the battery case. In addition, there were several other issues which I would appreciate an opinion on, as I suspect the unit may well need a service. It would only play (battery power) when the speed tune switch was set to Off. When it did play, I could hearing a vibration, like missing/bent teeth on a cog. When I listened to the unit and not the music this sounded like a creaking squeak. When I tried to FF/Cue it sped up for 2-3 seconds then ground to a halt, like the batteries couldn’t cope. Play then took several seconds to get going again. This may be operator error, as I realise now I was FF whilst head engaged, as opposed to just FF whilst not listening. I may step in at a lower price, but the vibration/creaking does sound worrying to me, so expect to have to budget for some repairs. thanks in advance for any opinions!
Hi. That looks like its been left in the sun possibly in a car in hot weather. The speed and vibration issues may indicate a problem with the speed control module CP602 I think. Deb64 may offer some guidance on this but you tend to get motor vibration and tape creep even when not in Play mode when faulty. The good news is it's fixable in a D6C with a replacement IC. Not so simple in the D6 however. I have to say it looks very clean in your photos. I can't tell what revision it is without the SN. If it's a 5 digit SN and you get it for around £190 I would be tempted even with these issues. Cheers B
Thanks for info, will try and get price down, with low offer. The seller is a high end Pre-owned Hifi dealer. They have stuff like used cables for £1250, cables! Walkmans not their main product line. I think the seller brought in a load of kit and the WM-D6C is part of it. Will find out serial number.
A reseller probably will have a default margin on anything they sell or stock to sell on consignment. Usually hard to get much of a discount from them. So the SN will give you an indication of what the unit would be worth once fully restored.
Well. Probably better to see what else is around. €300 for that one which may have had other issues is probably a risk I wouldn't take. As you know these WM-D6C Walkman were in production for more than 10 years if you include the D6 in the life cycle and ranged from the early 5 digit SN models with the V shaped or "pointy" amorphous head to less desirable models with cheaper heads and a high degree of Surface Mount (SMD) technology used to lower production costs. Most collectors agree these units are less desirable and do not sound as good as the early Rev 1 and Rev 2 units. Hopefully you find a good one in your target price range from another collector.
The D6 was introduced in 1982, and D6C 2 years later. I have tried to capture the most important points in one overview, including heads (here on S2Go). As stated by @Silverera , the earliest D6C units (and D3 for that matter) arguably have the best heads; amorphous pointy design for the best tape contact resulting in best audio quality.
The D6C was in production for 18 years, from 1984 – 2002. The last place I saw a new one in the shop was the Virgin store Champs-Élysées Paris.
So combined, the D6+D6C were in production for 20 years! That is an achievement by itself, as I don't know of any other Walkman that were produced for even half (10y) or quarter (5y) of that period.
Of course. I tend to forget about those production years after the field recording equipment went digital in 1994 with the MZ-R30 replacing the Walkman Professional at the ABC Australia. Pretty sure the BBC discontinued the Walkman Professional before that date too. I remember seeing a job lot of ex BBC Walkman Professional D6C's up for sale on eBay a few years ago.
