Cassettes still rock!

Most of youse guys really missed out on something fantastic when you swallowed that propaganda in regard to PC versus analog.

When I read how this "rich phile" who belonged to a club that met and discussed expensive cartridges over cognac, had gone to PC, but failed to mention that to the other members, I decided to look into PC.

That was some years ago when guys on the PC forum were taking the time to explain things to the PC illiterate. Stereophile even had articles about what cards to swap in your PC. The PC guys kept telling us that it was possible to get PC playback as good as R to R, but we said "No way".

I listened, but I couldn't understand PC, and If I couldn't understand it, I know yall couldn't understand it. Since I couldn't understand it, I found someone who could (the smartest thing I've ever done)

As I stated, this was some years back, and besides the PC cards, you needed a "Analog to digital converter", the reverse of a DAC, in order to put records on "hard-drive" in an Audiophile manner; "Benchmark" sold that. They no longer make them, consequently, you'll have to buy one used if you can find one at all.

Every since I've been in this game, in order to get something comparable to what the "Rich-phile" had, it cost thousands of dollars; I think those necessary computer cards cost in the vicinity of $200. dollars; I could swing that.

Not even "Benchmark" was available at that time, I had to modify a cheap analog to digital converter, but it worked, I was able to bring it up to "Audiophile quality"

After all of that, I enlisted the aid of a "Computer Guru" and told him I wanted to "down-load" Cd's and records, and just sit in my listening chair and listen to music without touching a record or CD player. He told me to go WAV and external hard-drive. I told him to go at it, and get me up and running.

Presently everything is on external hard-drive, and most of the time that's all I listen to; however, if you don't play your R to R, it will quit working. Which reminds me, I had better put on a reel.


Happy listening everyone.

Cassettes are, sort of objectively, inferior in sound, but they do sound better than anything. It has nothing to do with quality.

On a similar level, I read so many accolades about current high class reel-to-reel tape sound. I have been to two shows and one hi-fi dealer that played them. Easily contender for "the worst of the show" and really lacking at the dealer. Someone may like them, but someone may not be that impressed.

I love cassettes, I have an Akai GXC 760 D hooked up to a Rotel RX 1203 in my vintage system sounds great and looks the nuts....

I dragged out my long stored cassettes with my vinyl when re-setting up my turntable. Got around purchasing a used simple Nakamichi CR-1A, as I really didn’t see using it as I did 35-40 years ago, (recording many albums and CD’s for auto/mobile use prior to the inclusion of CD players in cars, or mini players), and my old deck is nowhere to be found. Thus, only primarily need playback for the surprising number of tapes I had (record label releases). I was wondering where some of my music went, as I knew I once had these ‘albums’, just forgot I had so many on tape.

What I have found is some sound amazingly good, some not so much vs their CD, or vinyl counterpart. After time, (maybe some never did), I don’t think the record companies put enough effort into creating good mastering and playback quality on cassette tape vs their vinyl or CD counterpart, but some did, and those indeed shine.

I have figured out a way to record as well (without a tape-out), so have erased many of my good quality metal and chrome tapes to play around with that, many times with very good results. But I also found quite a few had mold from being boxed in my basements or outdoor storage units over the years, and that made them useless. And the cost off a good quality blank tape is ridiculous today, as you have to basically buy old new stock, or a bunch of pre-recorded ‘blank’ tapes off of someone unloading them, and they charge a pretty penny as they know there is really no supply for new good quality tapes.

All that said, I’m glad I have the Nakamichi and my old tapes to play, and and quite surprised just how good some of them sound. 

Very interesting. Worth looking into a deck to give it a whirl.