WHAT'S THE BEST TAPE DECKS AVILLABLE NOW ?

[MAN]

DEAR FRINDES,

I WANT TO KNOW SOME OF THE BEST TAPE DECKS AVILLABLE NOW IN THE MARKETS AT THE PREENT TIME, I KNOW THAT THERE IS NOT TO MANY GOOD MODELS NOW AVILLABLE LIKE BEFORE, BUT CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME,I WANT TO CHANGE MY OLD PIONEER ?

[CeesMasters]

Hi,

The best tape decks available now and in the past is Nakamichi. You can still buy them new and used. I own a LX-5 model bought it in the early '80. I'm still using it for recording radio programs. The sound quality of Nakamichi decks is amazing and has the same high level as a real-to-real deck.

Greets, Cees

[Forrrce]

Howdy, chaps :D
Nakamichi decks are OK but a liitle overrated. I've had a few myself (I currently own a CR7-E and a DR-10) and they all suffer from the same alignment problem, ie tapes recorded on a Nak will only sound good on other Naks and very dull on other good, well adjusted decks. This is not just personal opinion - Nakamichi decks are precisely tuned to a very rigid (and unique) azymuth. Another, though minor, downside is that they avoided implementing B&O's HX Pro headroom extension and Dolby-S, both handy tools which can make a difference. The best decks I've ever had are Aiwas - I used to be a real tape 'head' and I still own an XK-007, XKS 9000 and an XKS 7000, the latter two (for me) being the best recorders on the planet. The XKS-9000 was Aiwa's final flagship model and you may find them second hand if you're lucky. It's full of features also (Dolby-S, calibration, a special recording function for blank tapes, 3 heads, digital input, both coax. and opt. for direct-from-digital recordings) and weighs a ton...looks superb too.
Nakamichis are decent machines, but remember the alignment issue. Get a CR7 if you must own a Nak, as it has user adjustable playback azymuth on the front panel which is a great feature.

[efunk_adelic]

I own a tape player and I purchased it 2 years ago. It is absolutely awesome :D

It's the best player I've ever owned....


Denon DN-770R double deck with continuous play and all kinds of features... I'm very happy

[flow1]

Denon's are very very good;
Nakamichis are also very good. There is a rabid following, and tech centers to bring them to original specifications. They are built like tanks.
Tandberg's are amazing
Aiwa's are harder to work on I've heard, but they sound really good.

Check out ebay! There are lots of deals. No one makes good tape decks now; it's all used market.

Oh! Look at Onkyo Integra, like the TA-2058. Unreal quality, 3 head, very heavy, very good sound.

[mikkelbreiler]

I think Otari still produces one deck, Studer is still in the loop, the Revoxes werer still made at least as recent as 1998/99 or so. Tascam might still sell their last flagship, but it is not safe to say they will do more than parts for present and future (?) demand.
Other high end manufacturers are either still making decks or out of it very soon.

Some brands that are now very good fleamarket/thriftshop finds: Crown, Braun, Dokorder, Pioneer, Tandberg, B&O and so on are all good finds which depending on the model and condition can be a good companion, for years to come.
Especially finding them in a condition that is almost working can be a great - restoring a tape deck to previous glory can be very rewarding, it will allow you to learn what makes it work, recognize problems early on, know what to look for next time. There are mailing lists for enthusiasts who will take that interest beyond just buying an already working/restored.
But it was not that kind of deck you were looking for....

-breiler