Not long ago I picked up a Sony WM-R202 from Japan. It's in incredible cosmetic condition and I'm amazed by its build quality. It needed a new belt, which was easy enough to swap, but now that it's playing tapes I've noticed that it isn't sounding as clear as it should. It seems like the treble is rolled off. I'm testing with ferric prerecorded tapes without Dolby NR. I found the service manual and tried adjusting the azimuth, but there was no real difference. When I first press Play, for a second or two things sound OK, but then quickly (over the span of another 1-2 seconds) the treble rolls off. I've cleaned the capstans, rollers and head as best I can. The rollers seem to be in good condition; they're not cracked or sticky. I know that some of the moving parts need re-lubrication as when I first replaced the belt the wow and flutter was all over the place, but letting a tape play for an hour or so seemed to get things working more smoothly...but I can't imagine that would have much to do with what I'm hearing. Any ideas where I should look next? Thanks!
