What's In Your Tape Cassette Deck Tonight?

The Velvet Underground 

White Light/White Heat

Lou Reed

Set the Twilight Reeling 

After years away, I acquired a cheap cassette player and hooked it into my main system. Shock. The vocals and mid range was beyond amazing. Now hold on just a minute. Cassettes suck, right? But I heard something natural, real, transparent and surprisingly captivating. Even so, cassettes have little low end truncated highs shrouded in that famous hiss. But still...it was there. The presence of the artists was somehow so natural. Lets face it. Each medium has its strengths and weaknesses. Cassettes have more than most but the window provided into the recording environment is unique and fantastic. Improve the unit, cables, etc and be prepared to be very surprised as I was. 

I use Nakamichi 682ZX almost daily. Everything was recorded on Maxell Metal Vertex cassette, the best there is. Sounds excellent, though it can’t match my Nottingham turntable. It is not supposed to. And I use Purist Audio Neptune cables with it.

I send my deck to Willy every three years or so for a regular service. The deck has over 10000 hours on it but the playback head is in great condition. I do keep it very clean and use LAST head preservative regularly, usually every one/two plays. It takes a few seconds to apply and seems to work great.

I had bought a complete set of the Doors on cassette and you know I never played them....and tonight is a good time,to play them.....thanks.