Hey guys...
I've been looking around for a while for the perfect walkman for me. I found this forum, and thought I'd ask some folks that know what they're talking about!

Basically I'm an electronic producer, and a cassette tape/walkman fan. I run tracks through tape quite often, and I love listening to cassette tapes. But my Sony home stereo seems to have broken, and won't record anymore. I was wondering if you guys could suggest the perfect walkman for me. So here's some things I'm looking for in a walkman:
1. Has good recording, and playback quality. I've gotten the Sony TCM-200DV, and it was just terrible. I couldn't hear anything under about 300hz or so, and it had a ton of hiss.
2. Sturdy enough to last me. I'm quite careful with my things, so that isn't too big a problem... but it'd be nice if it didn't break on me because of normal use after a while. Because not only will I be using it to run songs through cassette, but I'm getting this to listen to music on the go of tunes I've recorded to tape from my computer.
3. Preferably under 30 bucks.
4. And preferably stereo.

That's about it really, not asking for a whole lot.
Thanks for the suggestions in advance! :-)

-Skot

TC-D5 and WM-D6C come to mind but they are not cheap...

agree with bub -

i have both that 5 and the 6c -

you will pay alot more than 30 --

but the results are worth it

get a D6c (the C denoted the Dolby C model - there is an earlier model without, but that is seldom seen)

http://www.mcmullon.com/icolle...sony/sony_wm-d6c.htm

or or a Marantz cp430

http://www.audio-ideas.com/rev.../marantz-pmd430.html

they're both around 100-130 quid

neither site I posted is ANYTHING to do with me

great tuff mechs
superb performance

buy cheap buy twice though


ps

minidisks are for digital idiots

oh hi Beanie

*waves hand*

swt

Sony D6c, or Marantz PMD430 feild recorder, reporters use these on the run all the time and they hold up, but expensive, you can also go with a minidisc recorder, if you have the money buy a HiMD, you get linear PCM, my favorite being the MZ-RH1 or newer SD recorder, you get the "plug-in mic" option, which will allow you to use a good electric condenser microphone and also a line-in with level controls, MZ-RH1 blow any other minidiscs and even most SD recorders out of the water.

And yes some digital device are not evil, just can't stand MP3 format. As far as Minidiscs HI-MD was the way to good, a good quailty SD recorder sample at 24bit/96khz resolution, which is way pass CD quailty. Good one to go with would be Sony PCM-M10 it only $229 bucks, but is a great recorder and all metal, no cheap plastic, plus has a decent headphone amp, or you can set it to line out in the menu, to run a external amp, has audio level meter and clipping overload LED, so if your have your mic's to hot you can spot it easy, without have to see the LCD.

Well, I'm really looking for something around the $30 range, guys. I don't have much cash right now, nor will I for a while. I'm not looking for audiophile quality, but just something with decent quality that can handle some bass.

And it seems some of you are a bit confused... I'm not looking for digital whatsoever.
I run songs that I've made through cassette to give it tape saturation, and compression. So it gets that analog feel. I simply plug a male to male 3.5mm cord from my computer to the microphone jack on the player, press record, and then play on the computer.
Then I run the cord from the headphone jack on the player to the microphone jack on the computer, and do the opposite. So ths isn't going to be used for field recording, either.

But I want a cassette walkman so I can also listen to stuff I've recorded to tape on the go. So I just want it to be able to both record, and function as a personal player, with decent quality. Like I said, it doesn't have to be audiophile quality, just decent. And at least decent bass response down to like 60hz, because I make/listen to bass music.

Personally I do not it will be easy to get a decent tape recorder at that price (Unless you want those Sony TCM-150 type voice recorders, not suitable for music).

You will get a proper LINE-IN and LINE-OUT from a D6C, which I also use for recording.

An alternative is the WM-D3, but those are not cheap either, and  will likely suffer from a broken DD center wheel.

if you want manual levels you could try and get a Sony TC 158
I just sold one for 20 quid - about 30 of your US dollars

they are portable - just not walkman portable

May have a Sony TC-D5M recorder not walkman but is portable, will check over the weekend if it works.

Hi Skot I think you are asking for the impossible, you will not get what you want at that price.

You are better off waiting and saving money for a D6C like most people have recommended.

that is the harsh reality

and tbh - if you save up for one

and find out you don't like it

you're guaranteed money back

but you will like it - it wasn't industry std for no reason

and it's quite possibly the finest tape walkman there is
and puts most home decks (sub 300) to shame

Well... that was the answer I was afraid of. I suppose since I couldn't find it on my own after lots of searching, it was only inevitable to hear it when asking. I guess it'll have to wait then... unless I run into a random good deal.
Thanks for clearing this up though, folks. 

30 bucks

if you can save that 2 more times
I know it sounds *duh* obvious

But you can do it

do what you have to do  to get the snaps you need - and just wait - 10 bucks aside for the next 6 months - that's all it is!!!



Buy the one deck you KNOW you really NEED, WANT and it has pitch control baby!