Which Nakamichi to choose?

@cleeds

Not an archival medium? Depends. Cheap stuff, 120 minutes, agreed. Metal Type 4, 60 minutes duration, absolutely disagree.

I have tapes made 20 years ago that sound fine. I used the ceramic cartridge bodied cassettes for mixdowns from 15 ips master tapes. Just amateur stuff, but I made damn fine CD’s, if I do say so myself.

Without going into details, I think that cassettes are a perfect way to extend the life of precious vinyl. Tapes don’t degrade; vinyl does, at least on most real-world systems.

leoniruii

Had a 680 ZX for a short while which was also a quality device.

The 680 is an outstanding machine. I still have mine - it was expertly serviced last year by Soundsmith. I use it with a Nakamichi NR200 outboard Dolby B/C unit. When levels are properly aligned, the recording quality is amazing. I keep it on hand to play a few historic recordings that I have and the occasional old mixtape. But, as a practical matter, even the best cassette deck is obsolete. And a good reel-to-reel deck will walk all over it.

Seek out a Nak Dragon. It speaks for itself.....

terry9

Not an archival medium? Depends. Cheap stuff, 120 minutes, agreed. Metal Type 4, 60 minutes duration, absolutely disagree.

The facts speak for themselves. You can’t get flat frequency response to 20K on cassette at 0 dB - when cassette manufacturers cited FR specs, it was typically at -20dB.

I have tapes made 20 years ago that sound fine.

Me too!

Tapes don’t degrade; vinyl does, at least on most real-world systems.

Tape most certainly does degrade. For example, where do you think that gunk comes from that must be cleaned from your tape heads, capstan and tape guides? A well-cared for LP will last for generations. Of course, they have to be stored properly, and played properly - but the same is true of tape. I have some LPs that date to the early 60s, and they play like new.

In any event, if you want to be serious about analog tape, reel-to-reel is the way to go.

I'm a serious tapehead and with a good tape and a machine serviced with a good tech and you have nothing short of magic.