Cassette Quality

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Shevans
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Cassette Quality

Unread post by Shevans »

A few days ago I powered up the Nakamichi 700 that I got from the in-laws. It has a motor or "something" running all the time and a bit noisy if used in its vertical position, but laid on its back feet I was astonished to what I could hear. It came with a prerecorded best of "Hot Chocolate" tape and the sound was amazingly good, compared with the same recording on Deezer (320kbps) it made you want to boogie along but the Deezer version just seemed flat in comparison. There were also a few other tapes of dubious taste but they all sounded brilliant, in fact I would say even better than my NAD CD player!

Was tape (cassette) really that good before CD's took over?

I have actually stuck it on eBay as I don't really need another source (of martial {ADMIN EDIT - I think you mean marital or I hope you do :shifty: } disagreement).

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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Cassette Quality

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Yes but only through good players, it had that *analogue* quality we associate with records and TT. Its only problem was tape stretch and looseness around the head which could make it difficult for it not to behave like belt drive when sustaining notes :shifty: and of course the tape noise problem. If you want real excellence then get a good reel to reel like a Teac or Revox, but even the cheaper Akai's are very good.

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Re: Cassette Quality

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

Well they are not called Master Tapes for nothing .

I would love a reel to reel , its just there's no commercial software available . Given that every 60's and 70's rock band as cashed in and released the same albumns on every concievable format , I'm surprised they've not latched on the reel to reel release . :D

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Shevans
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Re: Cassette Quality

Unread post by Shevans »

I have done a little Googling on the Nak 700 and it was a very high end model, interesting what you say about loose tape on the head as the Nak 700 has some way of keeping the tape tight on the spools.

I think a reel to reel would be even less popular with the wife, although the kids would have a great time playing with the spools :naughty:

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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Cassette Quality

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Reel to reel was never about pre recorded, it was about making your own recordings. Though there are some astonishing classical (so called) tapes that come up occasionally at ebay.

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Shevans
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Re: Cassette Quality

Unread post by Shevans »

My father was an audio engineer in his early television days and had an original recoding of Lulu and the lovers Shout that he made. Used to listen to it when I was young and it contained all the studio talk and "take 1" etc. no idea what happened to his tapes but as he threw away a Garrard 301 and a pair of Ditton 662 speakers in a skip I'm not expecting to inherit them.

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Re: Cassette Quality

Unread post by phil66 »

Shevans wrote:I have done a little Googling on the Nak 700 and it was a very high end model, interesting what you say about loose tape on the head as the Nak 700 has some way of keeping the tape tight on the spools.
Is it a Nak 700"only" , or a 700ZXL ? I own a Nak 680, and it exactly does what you describe - the sound is very very good compared to some modern medias .... and I love these old machines !

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Shevans
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Re: Cassette Quality

Unread post by Shevans »

It's the original 700, as you say it sounds very good and I absolutely love the styling. Also if the Vikings invade I can use it to fend off a few as it weighs so much :D

Its good but I really don't want to have another media format in the house, only just got rid of an 8-track.

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Re: Cassette Quality

Unread post by jammy395 »

Ah....8 Track.................Had an 8 track player in my old Vauxhall Viva, Cool at the time................ 8-) :whistle:

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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Cassette Quality

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

I loved my old Vauxhall Viva (HB), it was painted light blue so I painted clouds on it (well I was a long haired hippy at the time). Traded it in eventually for a VW love bus :mrgreen: . My Viva just had a MW/LW radio in it.

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