I had an aiwa ad-f810 but can't find it so need a new recorder . As far as i know this was a competent machine but nothing special. now i am after a new machine but don't know where to look . I want a good machine but will not pay silly money . So what's the best i can get for a max of £100 ? As a kid i always wanted an aiwa ad-f770/990 . Are these as good as i remember or should i be looking at others ?  

  What do you guys use . No dragon users please,unless you want to sell me one within my price range LOL !!  That is why i am asking here and not tapeheads.net ! 

   I want 90% of the performance at 10% of the price

What types of tape are at your disposal? No point dreaming of that exotic deck that only likes a certain vintage of a particular brand of tape if all you can get hold of or afford are cheapy type I cassettes.

Do you enjoy spending time tweaking tape bias, level and eq to get 'the sound' or just want to record music on properly auto calibrated tapes for listening?

Do you have preferences for other makes or does it have to be AIWA?

Do you have any preferences with regards to NR? Some people hate NR, but properly done, NR can make even the most hissy of tapes silent.

A good 3 motor, 3 head, double capstan player with manual bias adjust should be available for £100. Look out for recorders with those features ;3

Edit: Oh yeah, don't forget the HX-Pro and Dolby NR ;3

Thanks for your really quick replies . A quick reply would be .

PLOP.  I have a box of in wrapper Thats mrx pro 90's ans a few tdk sa-x's and ma's ( bought 10 years ago from a record shop in cheam closing day for i think £15) And yes i like to fiddle .

Nick. My dads still got a Kx 580 , not the se . And i think my old adf 810 was a match ,but i know the se is better and well thought of .

 Elektroneko. Spot on ! what i am looking for . It just seems that even half decent decks have started to hold value resonantly ? 

For about £100 you could get the Pioneer CT-S830S.

Quite a modern early 90s deck. It has auto calibration for bias, level, and EQ for whenever you just want to record to listen. It also has manual bias for when you want to fiddle.

The 90s Pioneers all record type I cassettes such as the Maxell UR 90s from Wilkinsons superbly and even moreso for higher end tapes such as the TDK SA-X.

It also has the excellent Pioneer Reference Master Mechanism transport, which is a 3 head, 3 motor, dual capstan closed loop transport with W&F value of < 0.023%.

As for Dolby, you have a choice of B, C, and S. Also Dolby HX-Pro.

If you don't want the manual bias, then there's the cheaper CT-S740S that usually goes for under £80 reviewed here by S2G's own member Tuna here

http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=7037

Pictures

http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=6846

I have never considered a pioneer. I shall have a look into it. Thanks.

   I am bidding on this at the moment but i think it is going to go ebay silly . Is my £100 max to much? though i have a sneaky suspicion its going higher than its worth!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3009...id=p3984.m1423.l2649

although not as high quality as a dual capstan transport

the Kenwood KX 880D is a decent deck
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KENW...;hash=item2c6cea4b7b

I have one in my collection - and 40 quid is about right (if it's in good nick and working)

it won best tape deck under 300 pounds in 1988 in What Hi Fi