Quest for a new tape deck

[persiflage]

Venkat,

A couple of observations from personal experience:

- audiogon may be slightly pricier than ebay but chances of goods living up to description are higher. This does not means good stuff is not available on ebay, just that you have to be extra careful.

Because of the cult value attached to Naks, ebay does attract some unscruplous folk who will describe the product as 'mint' when it's anything but. In particular, beware of the phrase 'this product is sold as-is'. Look for good detailed product descriptions, ask for photos of actual product (not a brochure scan), ask as many questions as you needed before bidding. Look for sellers who have a decent return policy, this means they are confident of their goods passing the acceptability test.

- do some research on Nak models. Since servicing them in India is near impossible, choose minimalistic models that don't have bells and whistles. Extra features involve parts that are most likely to break down due to wear and tear. A good example is UDAR, featured on the RX series, which is Nakamichi's very convoluted way of incorporating auto-reverse on their machines (the mechanism flips the cassette around; Nakamichi at the time believed it was impossible to achieve perfect alignment of moveable heads, which is how conventional auto reverse works).

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Persiflage

 

[venkatcr]

Thanks guys. I will see what is the best I can do to get a reliable Nakamichi tape deck.

 

[Kamal]

Venkat, are you determined to go in only for a Naka?
Viren has a Naka Deck which he is unable to use bec he cant find anyone to repair it as parts are not available.
What if you land into a similar situation?
You could check out an Onkyo-they still sell & service Tape Decks.
I have an Onkyo & it sounds lovely;& an important reason why I went in for an Onkyo was bec of availability of after sales support, even 10 yrs after my purchase.

 

[venkatcr]

Kamal:

It is true that Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer and even TEAC make good tape decks. Iactually have to listen to them before I decide. The advantage with a Nakamich (hopefully one in a good condition) is that you can buy it without second thought. Anyhow, as I said, I might just keep it on my rack for oooomph value even if it does not work.

Another idea that is floating in my mind is to convert all my tape collection into CDs through the PC. There is special PC based tape drive that is available only in the US.

As of now, I use my car system to hear some old tapes.

 

[Kamal]

Venkat, I understand your desire to possess a legedary deck.
But,why only the visual oomph? Why not an aural one also?
Remember,even cassette tapes played thru an excellent deck possess the magic of analogue sound.
I request you to please do some listening sessions of the brands you listed -
& Then decide.

 

[persiflage]

Thing is, a good Nak's performance is way above and beyond anything that is produced this days. I used to think that cassettes are an inherently low-fi medium till I heard the same tapes played back on a Nakamichi (in my case, the cassette deck 1.5).

Kamal: re. Viren's dysfunctional deck. If the issue is with parts like belts, pinch rollers, capstans etc. then these are easily procured for not too much. The serious parts (heads etc.) on the better Nak models rarely wear out with moderate home use.

If interested I can pm you a couple of helpful contacts who can provide some basic DIY remediation tips if you will email them a brief decription of the problem you're facing.

Regards,
Persiflage

 

[abhijitnath]

Remember,even cassette tapes played thru an excellent deck possess the magic of analogue sound.

Not necessarily. Most of the tapes I have seem to be digitally sourced, plus recorded at 50-100X, thus adding HF rolloff, tape hiss, and wow & flutter! (although you can minimise the last through a good deck, of course).

 

[persiflage]

On the other hand, much of what I listen to is AAA!

 

[abhijitnath]

Lucky you
Most rock/jazz that I bought from 95-03 (Indian editions) was AAD or ADD to CD and then recorded from the CD master onto tape.
Where did you buy these AAA tapes?

 

[dinyaar]

Hi Guys,
There is a NAKAMICHI 1000 MK ll for sale in mumbai. The seller is G VAZE and his cell No is 98209 49395. Asking for Rs 7500/-
Keep in mind that its a 30 year old classic and more a collectors item rather than a peice of reliable/servicable gear.
Have not seen/heard it but am just passing on what i got to know as there are some of u looking for Naks.
Please google and see the SIZE of the deck. Think its bigger than the current power amps!!!!!!!!!!
Regards

 

[Kamal]

Just like there. are quality issues in CDs, there are some in cassette tapes too.
I possess excellent as well as some crappy tapes.
My comment was iro Hi Qlty tapes played back thru a Hi qlty deck.

 

[fscottf]

Dinyaar,
Do you have the contact details of the shop in Juhu, re. cassette decks?
My requirements are different from that of all of you guys in that I am a layman. However I require a good system since I (and the older generation in my family) have tapes which they would like to play and enjoy. I don't seem to get any good cassette players from the normal audio/video shops strewn all over in Bombay ( I am referring to the Chromas and the Sony Monys of the world). Also I am new to Bombay.
P.S. : I have a Philips HiQ International Stereo Player for playings records - can anyone propose a place where I can get it serviced? I would also like to stock up on needles for it. Philips doesn't stock spares for systems which are more than 10 years old; this is circa 1979.

Thank you
fscottf

 

[dinyaar]

Hi,
Firstly welcome aboard!!!
Sure the place is called Boomerang and the No is 26194452. Speak to either Grattan Vaz or Vijay Singh.
Now from what u mention the Nakamichi that is available is not the correct choice. Its more a collectors dream. May not be the most reliable machine and service/repair will be a problem. But Boomerang are dealers for Yamaha and u could check if a Yamaha tape deck is available. Ask them about the turntable service too as the person i went to ages ago has now migrated to Pune.
Also check with Onkyo if they have a tape deck or lastly just scout around u will surely get used denon,yamaha,pioneer,marantz or sony tape decks for very little money.
Regards

 

[fscottf]

Dinyaar,

Thank you for the quick response!
Will call them to check.
You are absolutely right when you say that availability of service/spares is critical to selection.

My long term objective is to build a 'composite' hifi system, comprising turntable/CD/audio cassette playing. I am not sure as to whether I should go in for a single brand ( I don't think there will be one) or do mix'n' match by selecting best of breed( based on functional/availability of service/spares in Bombay criteria).Going further I would like to link this audio system to a HD TV to make it and end-to-end system. That's a '5 year plan'!

Keep in touch
fscottf

 

[dinyaar]

Hi Fcottf,
Great 5 year plan.
Keep in mind availability of records in mumbai is rare now and very very few places stock them and that the old cassettes u have may not be in the best of condition to reproduce sound in any faithful way. A simple audio set up in todays times is a cdp/amp/speakers and if u must then add a TT and tape deck later.Even budget cdp s are now decent and sound detailed and musical.
Have replied to u on another thread with places to visit for gear in bbay.
Regards

 

[saikat]

Hi,
Went to national market (bangalore) this weekend. Saw a couple of old Technics cassette decks. Also on display were a lot of old amplifiers/cd players/equalizers/tuners from Pioneer/Kenwood/Marantz/Sony etc.

The owner also has a storage place in the building called city market, first floor. Could not hear any of the equipment as they were all stacked up without any connections. The guy said he imports them from Singapore, Europe, Japan. What was appalling was the condition of some of the equipment.

This is for information only. Advice caution if you intend to buy anything from here.

Cheers!
Saikat.

 

[sureshkuranjalayil]

Dinyaar,

Thank you for the quick response!
Will call them to check.
You are absolutely right when you say that availability of service/spares is critical to selection.

My long term objective is to build a 'composite' hifi system, comprising turntable/CD/audio cassette playing. I am not sure as to whether I should go in for a single brand ( I don't think there will be one) or do mix'n' match by selecting best of breed( based on functional/availability of service/spares in Bombay criteria).Going further I would like to link this audio system to a HD TV to make it and end-to-end system. That's a '5 year plan'!

Keep in touch
fscottf

Dear fscottf,

Have you got your Philips Record Player serviced. If so, kindly give me the details of the service centre/person as I am having one Philips player which needs servicing.

Best wishes,

Suresh
[email protected]

 

[wilfredt]

If this is of interest to any one keen on buying a good cassette deck, feel free to ping me.

I have a very rarely used Nakamichi DR-8 in good condition. I am not using it these days and would be happy to sell.

Thanks
Wilfred

 

[ranadatta]

Hi,
I have been using a Nakamichi DR 10( 3 head) for the last two years. Before that had a Denon 3 head cant remember the model. Of all the decks i have used i.e sony, technics,denon and nakamichi, I would rate the Nak as fantastic then the technics, then sony and finally the denon. I didnt know companies are still making 3 head machines but if u get a used one buy it. U could get a used Nak for 10K which to me is a bargain. Having said that if u are not going to record a lot a decent 2 head machine would do too just avoid the twin decks which are poor sounding. If in Mumbai try a place called THE SHOP at JUHU. When the Nakamichi dealer shut shop these guys bought all the stock and till last year they had 2 New Nakamichi decks (DR 8 & DR 10). U can bargain big time!!!!!!!!
Regards.

Hi dinyaar. cld u give me directions to the shop. anthing starting from Jw Mariott would be helpful

 

[ranadatta]

If this is of interest to any one keen on buying a good cassette deck, feel free to ping me.

I have a very rarely used Nakamichi DR-8 in good condition. I am not using it these days and would be happy to sell.

Thanks
Wilfred

Hi. can i have your phone no