Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr14/cd_tt_1.zip/GC1.TXT

Text File | 1995-02-16 | 13KB | 260 lines

*******GUIDE TO CASSETTE DECKS AND TAPE TRADING***************

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
PART 1:  CASSETTE DECKS:  A BUYING GUIDE
      NEW CASSETTE DECKS
        Shopping
        Extended Warranties
        Dual-Well Cassette Decks
     USED CASSETTE DECKS
        Used Cassette Deck Price Guide
        Where to Find Used Cassette Decks
PART 2:  SET-UP, USE AND OTHER SUGGESTIONS
     Set-Up
     Setting Levels
     Head Cleaning
     Demagnetizing
     Professional Maintenance
     Bias Setting
     Dolby
     Erasure Prevention Tabs
     Tape Length
     Tape Brands
Part 3:  TAPE TRADING INFORMATION AND ETIQUETTE
     Your List
     General Tape Trading Etiquette
Part 4:  HOW TO GET STARTED
     Grateful Dead Hour
     Local Friends
     Buying Tapes at Cost
     Tape Trees
     Groveling
     Suggestions On What Tapes To Start With
        Deadbase
        Terrapin Tapes

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PART 1

CASSETTE DECKS:  A BUYING GUIDE

The cassette deck market has changed quite a bit in the last few years.
Single well decks are becoming rare and 3-head decks are now almost
non-existent.  The other thing is that most of the decks available now
are crap.  Like with many other types of audio and video equipment, the
current trend seems to be to pack on as many features as possible, but
this comes at the expense of the overall performance quality.  Most of
the cheaper decks today are going to break down under the constant use of
tape traders.

Here are my very biased suggestions on looking for a good cassette deck.
 I would consider myself an audiophile and also have some experience in
professional recording.  You can take that for whatever it is worth.  For
the record I have an Onkyo TA-2056 and an Aiwa AD-F990.  Both are 3-head
and date from 1985 or 1986 or so.  I bought the Onkyo at dealer cost and
the Aiwa used from a friend.  If I had the money I would have Nakamichis.

Why do I need a good cassette deck?

You may say all you care about is the music and you don't really care
about spending a lot of money on a good cassette deck.  Well, for one
thing you might change and start to care about better sound.  I strongly
believe good sound goes a very long way in the enhancement of the musical
experience.  Also, the better your deck is the better dubs you can make,
which makes you more desirable in trading.  Better quality decks will
also get you in a better position on a tape tree.

General Comments

I lean toward 3-head decks because in most cases they perform better and
the ability to monitor the playback while recording can be extremely
useful in use and calibration.  Most features are of no real use and can
sometimes degrade the deck's performance.  This is particularly true of
auto reverse.  Since the heads have to move they become easily
misaligned.  The auto rewind feature on many Onkyo decks is not really
useful but is not sonically degrading.  A real time counter with time
remaining can be extremely useful.  Since even the better decks are not
really built that well anymore, reliability is something that also needs
to be considered.

NEW CASSETTE DECKS

Below are the new decks I think worth looking into.  Most of them are
3-head and all of them should have some sort of fine bias adjust.  All
but the Nakamichis have Dolby HX which is supposed to help widen the
dynamic range.

Nakamichi

Nakamichi arguably makes the best sounding cassette decks you can buy.
However, they are not made as well as they used to be.  If you run a Nak
hard, like many tape traders will, it is going to be in the repair shop
at some point.  Actually, most any deck run hard is going to need work
done after several years, but most people tend to expect more out of
something that costs as much as a Nak.  Look into extended warranties.
The DR-1($929 list) and DR-2($749) are both 3-head decks.  The main
advantage of the DR-1 over the DR-2 is the azimuth adjust which helps to
optimize playback of tapes made on other machines.  The DR-3($429) is a
2-head deck that will out perform just about every other 3-head deck.  It
would work great as a playback deck in your dubbing set-up.  The
Nakamichi pro decks might be worth looking into, but I have no price
information.

Sony ES

The Sony ES series is beginning to look like a good possible alternative
to the Nakamichis.  The TC-RX606ES ($400 list) is just about the only
decent deck with mic inputs, but it is a 2-head model and unfortunately
has auto reverse.  The 3-head models include the top of the line
TC-K909ES($790) which looks like a very nice deck.  The TC-K717ES($560)
does not spec as well as the other 3-head decks mentioned in this article
but should be built very solidly.  I have not had the opportunity to
listen to any of the ES series cassette decks, but I have heard good
things from reliable sources.   They are among the few decks with the new
Dolby S which I don't really know much about, but have heard it is
supposed to work very well.  Another plus to the Sony ES series is the 3
year warranty, and in general they should be very reliable.  I don't like
the  regular (non-ES) Sony line very much at all and would avoid them.

Aiwa

Aiwa AD-F850 ($400 list) is a 3-head dual capstan deck.  I have heard
some complaints about transport problems in Aiwas.  My F-990 is about 8
years old and has not given me or it's previous owner any troubles.  Like
Nakamichi, the Aiwa decks are not built as well as they used to be.
Consider an extended warranty.  There is also an Aiwa AD-F950 which
should have a list price of around $500.  It was not listed in the Audio
directory, possibly because it is a new model.  For many years the upper
end Aiwa models have proven to be very good sounding decks for the money.

Denon

Denon DRM-740 ($400 list) is a 3-head deck that is very reliable but I
don't think it sounds quite as good as the Aiwa.  The DRM-540($250) is a
good 2-head deck for those on a limited budget.

Shopping

All of the above prices are list price and should really only be used for
comparison purposes.  Actual prices will vary considerably from brand to
brand and store to store.  Most of the above equipment will not be
available at mass market stores such as Circuit City and Best Buy.
Regular prices at independent audio retail stores will likely be fairly
close to list, but in exchange you will get good one on one service and a
chance to listen to the equipment.  Some of the more upscale stores will
have nice listening rooms and will often let you take equipment home to
try it out.  Some independent retail stores will sell for lower or have
sales often.  Things will be different in different parts of the country.


The best prices are usually available with mail order where you can get
in the neighborhood of 10%-20% off of list price.  Be careful with mail
order and know who you are dealing with.  Using a credit card is a good
idea as the credit card company will back you up if you have problems.
Ask about warranties.  Some mail order companies that are not official
dealers may not honor manufacturers warranties on all of their products.
The rec.audio.marketplace newsgroup occasionally posts surveys of mail
order places.  Our friend, Ken Hays, at Terrapin Tapes 1-800-677-8650
will offer prices competitive with any other mail order outfit and he
will treat you right.

If the above prices seem too high to you I strongly recommend searching
out the used market(see below).

Extended Warranties

Extended warranties for as much as 5 years can be had for as little as
$35 and are certainly worth looking into.  Do not pay too much and do
read the fine print.  It is best if the extended warranty is from the
manufacturer.  If you do get an extended warranty, try to get one that
will allow general maintenance and use it for all it is worth.  Take the
deck in to have it adjusted, aligned and internally cleaned about once a
year.  Even if you don't get an extended warranty it is a good idea to
have this done.  New decks costing less than about $250 are rarely worth
an extended warranty or even getting repaired, which is another reason
for avoiding them.  Also, certain credit cards will double your warranty.
 If you are doing, or plan on doing, some very heavy taping, your deck is
likely going to need some kind of service within 5 years.

Dual-Well Cassette Decks

I don't think too much of dual-well decks, but if your are on a very
tight budget it may be the only way to go.   At this point my main
recommendation would go to the Sony TC-WR801ES ($430 list).  The
TC-WR901ES ($670) is nicer, but at that price you are likely better off
looking into separate decks.  The Denon DRW-840 ($400 list) is worth
looking into.  If you are really broke consider the Denon DRW-660 ($300
list).  Anything less than this is going to break under moderate to heavy
use.

USED CASSETTE DECKS

I usually don't think it is a good idea to buy a cassette deck used since
they have so many small moving parts.  But given the sorry state of the
market today it now looks like one of the better ways to go.  Don't buy
one from a Deadhead, they work cassette decks to death.  Try to get one
from someone who did not use it too much.  However, avoid anything that
has been sitting completely unused for more than a year or so.  Check all
transport functions and make sure they all work smoothly.  A good tape to
use to test the deck is something with acoustic piano on it.  Listen for
wobble of flutter in the tone and a fuzziness on the attacks.  See if the
owner will let you try the deck for a period of time.  Many of the better
decks from the early to  middle 80s where built very solidly and should
last a good while.  Avoid decks with auto reverse and other unnecessary
features.

Most any Nakamichi deck would be a good choice, just be real certain the
transport is in good condition.  The older top end(3-head) Onkyos and
Denons where very good and rugged.  Aiwa is worth looking into, but like
the Naks beware of transport problems.  Pro models from Tascam/Teac,
Fostex and Tandberg are sometimes worth a look but are generally not too
common.  Always try to get a 3-head model but Nak 2-head decks are
generally fine.  Some sort of fine bias adjust is also a good idea.  The
original box and manual is a plus.

Used Cassette Deck Price Guide

Aiwa, Denon, Onkyo 3-head decks:
     C. 1980-1985- $50-$150
     C. 1985-1990- $75-$200
     C. 1990-1994- $125-$275
Nakamichi decks from the 70s usually have 3 digit model numbers like 500
and 700.  The should go for around $100-$200.
2-head Naks from the 80s will cost around $200
3-head Naks from the 80s will mainly range from $250-$600
The classic Nak Dragon and CR-7 will sell for between $750 and $900.
The current Nak models should sell used for a little more than half of
their list price.  They will go for a little more if they are in really
good condition.

Condition and specific models will effect the prices greatly.  When new,
Aiwa, Denon and Onkyo 3-head models from the 80s ranged from $350-$700.
I think Aiwa has had some models in the $1000 range at some point and
used prices for those would be closer to $400.  Nakamichi new prices from
the 70s to the present have ranged from about $250-$2000.

Even if you have to get some small repairs done, I think you will most
likely still be ahead on your money.  If a cassette deck is going to have
some sort of catastrophic failure it is most likely to occur in the first
year or two.  After that, most repairs concern replacing worn out parts
which is usually not too expensive.  I am told Nak repairs are a flat $80
plus parts if you send it to the Nakamichi factory to be fixed.

Where to Find Used Cassette Decks

The best deals will usually be found in the classified ads.  There are
also a variety of places on the internet including rec.audio.marketplace
where you can find used audio equipment.   There are some stores that
sell used equipment and usually offer some sort of warranty, usually 90
days.  Repair shops also sometimes sell some used equipment.  Hunt around
for deals in places that sell used electronics in general.  Pawn shops
are usually overpriced and won't take stuff back.  They will often take a
lower than marked price.


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