I use Nak 682ZX on a weekly basis and send it to Willy Hermann for service every five years. It also has custom transformer and $1500 interconnects to pass the signal to the amp.
No, it does not sound as good as Nottingham Spacedeck turntable. And I use only the best tape there is - Maxell Metal Vertex. But it does sound very very good. I used to use Dolby B from time to time but no longer - more disadvantages than advantages.
I suggest paying more and getting 680ZX, 682ZX or ZX-7. My preference would be 682ZX, but it is rare and more expensive.
I started another thread regarding tape some time ago. For me nothing sounds quite like tape. My Studer reel-to-reel project is on hold but I'll get there in time. |
I think, he now does only overhauls if it is the first time that he works on your deck. His 'overhaul' is not at all ES Labs overhaul who literally completely disassemble and reassemble decks and claim to make them like new or better. But they charge thousands, so I told them to go to hell. Willy does what needs to be done and tests everything in the process. I paid something like $650 the first time and about $350 second and third times. The wait time is a few months, at least it was last year. |
Yes, Tandberg 3014 and 3014A or Nakamichi 1000ZXL would be my choice. I would not pay too much for the ZX-9, and it costs a lot. |
You are most welcome, just please don't ask for more. On another note, Willy really upset me last time. He now ships only UPS Ground, though I asked him to ship USPS Priority. He refused, for whatever reason but not for the reason of cost because I of course was going to pay for it. As a result of it, my deck in the original box and well double-boxed was lucky to survive coast to coast ride. I got a big hole punched thru the outer box and three more big hits. I conveyed to him my thoughts after that, and I didn't tell him to go to hell, but next time I am not sure I will ship the deck to him, maybe to Soundsmith. But perhaps Willy has changed this since I last spoke to him in September, I don't know. Years ago he would ship USPS on request, no problem, though he mostly used to use FedEX Ground. I have never had any problem with USPS Priority, not even close. |
uberwaltz, if the same recording sounds as good on your Nak as it does on your Nottingham, something is not quite right. There are a few possibilities.
I have the same turntable, better Nak, top tape and probably better cables, and it does not overall sound as good as the turntable, though the tape is more coherent and smooth. Biggest differences are dynamics and soundstage - Nak cannot compete, though it does both quite well, for a cassette. You really need good open reel deck to compete with your Nottingham. I would also suggest trying fuller sounding cables, Nordost is not famous for that. |
There is more than just losing highs with dolby - sound loses fullness. Tape hiss is inevitable but can be minimized, you do need excellent deck and tapes for that. Besides, almost all older recordings have tape hiss to various degree. |
Once aligned and tuned my deck keeps it for quite some time. I also treat playback head with LAST tape head preservative before playing every cassette, it lasts for two sides. This is not a substitute for cleaning, of course, only a complement. When properly maintained Nakamichi head should be good for at least 10000 hours, I am not sure any head or just better heads. |
This will provide a good test of the system sensitivity and your hearing. Get two Walker 1/2" resonance control discs, $50 each.
Place one very near Nottingham motor without it touching the motor holder, place another one on top of the deck where the transport is located. You should hear a slight improvement in clarity. If you don't - there will be a work to do. Nottingham Spacedeck is a very emotional, dynamic and quite quiet turntable, some people prefer it to much more expensive tables. Also, when recording from it, I can clearly hear differences in pressings when listening to the Nak. I can also compare cables and phono stage power cords this way. |
I heard that Dragon requires more maintenance, and I bet 682ZX records better. ZX-9 is extremely rare and very expensive, great machine, but 682ZX has a classic Nakamichi sound which many prefer. 680ZX is probably the best value overall, though I heard that the bass is not as good as 682ZX's. Can't verify that. ZX-7 is fine too, getting rare as well. I took a look at ebay, prices went up significantly compared even to the last year.
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Right. With good metal tape you can push Nak, at least better Naks, to 8 or even 9 while recording. I usually do 6 or 7. With Type I and Type II tapes, which I no longer use, it is no more than 5 for me, as recommended by Nakamichi. |
There is definitely a strong element of nostalgia in playing tapes, though I myself have never stopped playing them.
I used to have LX-3 for about a year. It broke, and instead of having it fixed I decided to get 682ZX and keep it forever. It's been 18 years since. |
