WHat did Audiophiles hear during Tape deck era?

This was an interesting read:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_deck

Cassette tape format was originally designed for voice recording applications, not hifi.

Started with your typical portable cassette tape recorder. Then later adapted to tape decks for use in hifi systems.

Follow-up technologies enabled cassettes better for hifi music applications.

" " The "compact cassette" (a Philips trademark)[1] was introduced by the Philips Corporation at the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin in 1963[3][4] and marketed as a device purely intended for portable speech-only dictation machines.[citation needed] The tape width was 1⁄8 inch (actually 0.15 inch, 3.81 mm) and tape speed was 1.875 inches (4.8 cm) per second, giving a decidedly non Hi-Fi frequency response and quite high noise levels.[5]"

Frequency response of hifi cassettes was up to 15khz or so.

Back in those days, I could hear to 20khz and easily noticed the difference (lack of air) with cassettes.  Noise reduction technologies like Dolby B and C helped keep the tape hiss noise levels down.

Nowadays, 15khz would work fine for most older ears like mine that no longer hear to 20khz.

Basically it started life as a rival to the dictaphone system that is true.
i remember having this crabby little portable cassette recorder in oh 1974 or so.
I am sure it sounded awful and made terrible tapes but as a new teen just discovering rock music I was in heaven with it.

Yep Uber my first music maker was a Hitachi portable cassette recorder ~ 1972 or so. BEfore that a Panasonic transistor radio.

I graduated to a $200 Sanyo compact system with radio, phono AND cassette a year later. Woohoo I was in heaven. Until I started to visit the "high end" hifi shops in the area a few years later..

Nowadays cassettes have all the air. See the irony? They are also the tone champs. I already mentioned dynamics, they’re the best at that too. What’s left? Not much. Whatever’s left you can have it, though. If you’re happy I’m happy. 😀  And as Bob Dylan sez at the end of all his cassettes, good luck to everyone.

Gk you might be mistaking hiss (noise) for air (which is part of the music).

"Air" refers to most of what you hear in music above ~15-16khz.

But that’s OK. If you are also truly hearing Bob Dylan say that as you repeatedly insist, you may have other much bigger issues to deal with. Good health brother!