The Alpage FL-3100 Stereo Cassette Deck: An Orchestra of the Sound in Alpine Technology

Imagine a world where Alpage (alpine pastures) not only nurtures nature's beauty but also births cutting-edge technology. In a surprising twist, Alpine, renowned for crafting car radios, ventured into the realm of cassette decks. In a crescendo of innovation, the year 1980 witnessed the first entrance of the Alpage FL-3100 Stereo Cassette Deck.



This nice example of an array of features that harmonize to redefine the cassette deck experience. With its Metal Tape Handling Ability, Fluorescent Peak/VU Meters, and Extra-Large Flywheel Tape Transport, the FL-3100 heralds a new era in cassette deck design, propelled by Alpine advanced technology.

Metal tape enthusiasts rejoice that the FL-3100 unleashes the full potential of these new-age cassettes. With significantly improved frequency response and dynamic range, the FL-3100 stands ready to capture every nuance of your favorite tunes. Its precision-engineered tape heads, specially crafted to withstand the rigors of metal tape recording, ensure a symphony of clarity and fidelity.

Equipped with fluorescent meters that seamlessly toggle between peak and VU modes, the FL-3100 empowers you to fine-tune your recording levels with unparalleled precision. Its tape transport mechanism, driven by a precision motor and an extra-large flywheel, guarantees unrivaled accuracy and stability, ensuring your music flows seamlessly.

At the heart of the FL-3100 lies the Super Long Life Sendust Head, meticulously designed to optimize performance with metal tape. Unlike conventional recording tape, metal tape harnesses the power of pure metal particles, delivering an unparalleled audio experience with extended frequency response and exceptional dynamic range.

But the FL-3100's innovation doesn't stop there. Its Fluorescent Meters, employing advanced electronic circuitry and display technology, provide unprecedented accuracy in monitoring recording levels. Whether you're navigating delicate musical passages or unleashing sonic crescendos, these meters ensure your recordings are pristine and distortion-free.

Concerned about tape hiss? Fear not, for the FL-3100 is equipped with the renowned Dolby Noise Reduction System, offering a 10 dB improvement in signal-to-noise ratio above 5 kHz. With a switchable MPX filter, this system guarantees a whisper-quiet playback experience.

Embracing convenience without compromise, the FL-3100 features a Pneumatically Damped Soft-Eject Mechanism, ensuring smooth and quiet cassette handling. Illuminating the cassette compartment with a bright internal light, this deck makes monitoring tape usage effortless, whether you're recording live performances or conducting routine maintenance.

In the realm of frequency response, the FL-3100 shines with a range of 20 – 19000 Hz on metal tape, accompanied by an astonishingly low Wow and Flutter of only 0.05%.

 

Alpage was a really good audio brand, owned by Alpine Group, who was owned by Alps electronics. Alps made a ton of components, circuit boards, and odds/ends for audio equipment, so it was probably cheap for them to chuck their own components into their own audio gear. Alpine as a group always had a thing for making really good cassette decks, and that's really the only thing Audiophiles remember about them now. Now they didn't use the Alpage name for very long, and their decks newer than the one you posted were particularly noteworthy.



This is possibly the best Alpage deck they made from the time of the OPs unit. The AL-300. It has the fine biasing stuff, 3 heads, MPX, full logic control. I'd love to have one of these babies. (1980-1982). For 1980, this was an absolute unit, and a true beauty.



Made directly after the AL-300 upon its discontinuation. The AL-90. It was around this time that Alpine dropped the 'Alpage' name, and thought it would make more sense to use one name for all products. Sporting this new branding, the AL90 is regarded as one of the best cassette decks you can get, and owners will gladly take this unit and challenge the best of Naks. I love it. The VU meter design is a hold over from the 300 above, and the legendary Alpine DD system was employed. Truly exquisite. (1982-1984)

Alpine went through yet another branding change in 1983. They purchased Luxman group (who was struggling financially) and dropped the Alpine name in the US for home audio and instead took the Luxman name. They did, however, take their own electronics, engineers, and design, and simply tack on the Luxman brand... and the quality began to suffer. Nevertheless, Alpine took the legendary AL-90 cassette deck which was discontinued in 1984, and created the Luxman K-05:



Look familiar? Yeah, it's just a minor update to the AL-90. Same VU design they used all the way back in the Alpage days. Ditto the overall design, engineering, and styling... all simply a repackaged version of the AL90... just with updated Luxman branding. Strange enough, In Japan, Alpine decided to place their name beside the Luxman badge for all components, calling themselves (Alpine/Luxman)... further ticking off Japanese Audio nuts.



Alpine did one more premium deck in 1987. The K-109. Unless you look at the cassette door and how similar it is to the K-05 and AL90, you may not suspect this to be a descendant to the old Alpage days... but it definitely is. The VUs were finally replaced with a digital setup as well. (analog needles were not en-vogue then). Remember that the K-109 is loosely based on the previous decks... their is no direct comparisons as with the other decks.


Bottom line is, Alpine has had quite the spotted history with home Audio, and the years that they owned and produced Luxman gear is considered their worst years. Nevertheless, their cassette decks have always been strong, and the K-05 is the culmination of years worth of serious engineering and design expertise.

 

Yes, there were USA/CAN versions of all of these models. Hifi engine has catalogs for all of these except the AL90 in the US region for download, plus I have personally laid eyes on the K-05, K-109, and AL90 in the USA… all were 120v.

I think it’s very tough to get US versions because there simply weren’t many of them out there. Luxman had very little brand presence in the US, as customers here were familiar with Pioneer, Marrantz, and the other typical Stereo brands. Not to mention the fact that dealers of those popular brands usually don’t cover Luxman, so it wasn’t even an option for some. Luxman had and still has a solid fanbase in Japan, and that’s where you’re going to see second hand ones come in for sale. As far as alpage goes, similar story, except their name being changed so quickly makes those units even harder to find here.

I’d say the reason these are filed under a pro magazine is because of price. These were insanely expensive, and if I remember correctly the K-05 outpriced Nakamichi. You aren’t finding these in regular HiFi magazines or outlets.

 

Here's a dude selling a beauty of a K-05... in Canada:

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/det...5-alpine-al-90-silver-copy-w-original-manual/

But it's gonna cost you. $8,000 CAD. They are worth quite a bit... but not 8,000. You could probably make this guy an offer for up to 60% off and he'd take it. I've seen them sell for a few thousand as of recently... used to be they were cheap:

https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/det...5_cassette_deck_in_perfect_working_condition/

This 2012 listing in Canada saw a K-05 sell (again in Canada) for $375... that's about $200 USD! Lucky buyer...

I suppose if you took a step back and examined this information, it's really all a bit of intriguing storytelling. Audio gear has really gone up in price the last 12 years, and it's ultimately up to buyers to decide if prices of these old pro-sumer pieces are worth the inflated prices they sell for now... it's a shame because we can all see the bargain bin prices they used to sell for in the rear view window, plus folks collecting in the early 2000s will have mostly paid next to nothing for components like these, so there is a distaste for how the market is now. I know I missed out on the chance to own some of these classics back when they were attainable, as I was too young and poor to care.