Advent 201 tapedeck: Is good for a modern setup?


I just came across an Advent 201 in good working condition. It's famous for being the first true Hi-Fi tapedeck (an ancestor of the Nakamichi Dragon somehow), and some people even say that it "blows away" modern tape decks.

While it has a good reputation, I have doubts that it's suitable for my non-vintage setup. I do not have a tube amp, so having the sought-after Hi-Fi analog sound is probably not possible.

The #1 use of this deck will be to transfer my collection of old demo cassettes to digital archives. I want maximum playback quality, even if the tapes were dubbed on bad equipment or pro-duplicated at a cheap factory. It's possible that vintage equipment might not be right for the source or destination material. Any thoughts on this?

How would the playback quality compare to a modern tapedeck? This is the original 1971 design. While it supposedly has high-quality heads and a great drive mechanism, how might it compare to a 3-head Nakamichi for example? I expect that I will only need the included Dolby-B noise reduction since C tends to screw up DIY recordings in my experience.

(Stupid question: On multi-head tape decks, how many heads are used for playback?)

Either way, I think I'm gonna buy a copied manual to calibrate it properly. Before this, I was seeking out a Nakamichi and I'm really wondering if I'd be any better off. I like to learn as much as I can about audio, so I'd appreciate any input.
demogorgod4cc

Showing 2 responses by bigtee

In its day, the 201 was excellent. I have one of the originals. It was a "2 head" and compared to more current recorders, well, it just doesn't measure up. It was rolled at both ends and has a fairly high amount of flutter and distortion. I never thought the Dolby B tracked that well and the head wore fairly rapidly.
I personally think the Nak is a better choice. Sony did make a 3 head ES deck that was excellent and I'm sure there others. I would use something a little more modern.
Someone else had basically the same deck as the 201 but I can't remember at the moment who it was(brand.) Wollensak used the same transport on one of their decks.
Anyway, Nak had some great decks at one point. I have an old BX model that isn't bad but not as good as the higher priced ones.
The 3 head deck uses separate play and record heads where the 2 head uses one that serves both functions. I also liked the 2 capston decks better. They kept the tape more evenly tensioned. The Advent was a single capston (roller.)
Yea, stay away from dual decks. Most are crap! The Naks probably your best bet.
The Sony I refered to was about $1000 new. Pretty decent deck and was more for commercial use.