Most of the technical specifications presented in this post are accurate. But comparison of 8T to vinyl presents too many variables to derive at a conclusive verdict.
Let's take a pristine vinyl recording played back on a good system. Then take the same tape recording played back on a good 8T machine (if you can find one these days) played on the same system. The vinyl will win out every time. The comparison must be done using the same system for playback and the best quality of each media available.
When 8T players first came out it was all the rage. Portability meant taking your music anywhere. And the most popular place was in the car. As a teen, I put one in my car and was thrilled. Then cassettes came out later. Beside being more compact the players and the cassettes were more reliable. 8T tapes and players, as they aged, were prone to "eating tape" and jams. Cassette makers probably learned what not to do.
As far as sound goes, the 8T was superior to cassette due mostly to the tape size and speed (IPS) which has been mentioned here. If 8T had been more reliable I would have stayed with it over cassette. Then came CD. Another new world. I like CD's but there's no denying my devotion to vinyl.
Let's take a pristine vinyl recording played back on a good system. Then take the same tape recording played back on a good 8T machine (if you can find one these days) played on the same system. The vinyl will win out every time. The comparison must be done using the same system for playback and the best quality of each media available.
When 8T players first came out it was all the rage. Portability meant taking your music anywhere. And the most popular place was in the car. As a teen, I put one in my car and was thrilled. Then cassettes came out later. Beside being more compact the players and the cassettes were more reliable. 8T tapes and players, as they aged, were prone to "eating tape" and jams. Cassette makers probably learned what not to do.
As far as sound goes, the 8T was superior to cassette due mostly to the tape size and speed (IPS) which has been mentioned here. If 8T had been more reliable I would have stayed with it over cassette. Then came CD. Another new world. I like CD's but there's no denying my devotion to vinyl.