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Chime in.What's the Best Cassette Recorder ever ?

I just recently purchased a used Teac V-900X from a local
used Hi Fi shop and was amazed at the specs of the machine,But more amazed at the sound coming from this unit. I had my CD of Ray Sings Basie Swings and dubbed it onto my Teac cassette recorder with DBX fully engaged on the machine and levels kept at 0 DB or -4 on peaks with my Maxell New XLS Type 2 tape. All I could say was WOW, WOW.
The tape copy had lower noise then the CD and more dynamic punch. I used my old Mit 330 Cable as a dubbing cable from my Toshiba DVD SD 2705 to the Teac. I know thats not much of a front end for playback, But I do not have hardly any Cd's in my collection just tapes and reel to reel live recordings along with a huge collection of live Dat recordings as well .
I did some research on the net and came upon the specs of the Nakamichi 1000ZKL. The freq. response is better then the Teac, But the Teac is no slouch either.
The owners manual on the Teac V-900x state Freq. response 30 to 21k + or - 3 DB. Signal to noise 92 DB(dbx in at 1K,
dynamic range 110 DB DBX IN, 1KHZ PEAK LEVEL. I opened the lid to the machine and I noticed it only has one belt in it not the typical 8 or 9 belts seen in others. The machine has 3 motors 1 DC FG SERVO DD capstan motor,1 DC REEL MOTOR,1 mechanism control motor.Now all I need to do is snap up as many virgin Sealed Metal Tapes I can get my hands on and then have some real fun. I will be recording live on the Teac V 900x next week with a small symphonic community group and will report my findings to all of you on how it holds up to a live recording which I am sure will be a challenge to keep the meters at 0DB.
In the past I have heard the Nakamichi machines most all of them along with the Revox decks as well and I cannot recall the noise levels down as much as this machine can do along with the dynamic range as well.
Waiting for your comments
Don
76doublebass
inna
8,240 posts
 

By the way, I use my finely tuned and aligned Nakamichi 682ZX almost daily for background music. I make compilations off the vinyl and cds, use only Maxell Metal Vertex tape and Purist Audio Neptune cables.

No, it is not among the best cassette decks, but it is very very good.

vvvvvv6's avatar
vvvvvv6
95 posts
 

This is compiled by Gemini based on parts availability, techs who still can service them and ease of repair.

 

Serviceability Rating Matrix (2026)

Brand  Sound Quality Parts Availability Ease of Service Best For
TEAC / Tascam High (Pro) Excellent High Daily listening and recording.
Sony (ES Series) High Moderate/High High The best "all-rounder."
Technics Moderate/High Moderate High Durability and direct-drive models.
Denon Moderate/High Moderate Moderate High-value, reliable "under-the-radar" decks.
Revox Reference High (Legacy) Moderate Audiophiles who want a modular, pro-build.
Nakamichi Reference Moderate Low (Complex) Serious collectors; requires specialist techs.
Akai Moderate Low/Moderate Moderate Users wanting long-lasting "Glass Heads."
Tandberg Reference Very Low Very Low Extreme enthusiasts; parts are often custom
inna
8,240 posts
 

That was one reason why I decided not to get Tandberg 3014 or 3014a years ago. Difficult and expensive to maintain. Another reason was that if I really wanted super tape sound I should get reel to reel deck, Otari or Ampex or Studer. I still want one of them but can't justify the expense.

livin_262002
202 posts
 

Interesting list. I agree with Gemini on lack of parts availability for Tandberg but it’s much easier to service Tandberg decks compared to Nakamichi and others. I have owned my 3014As for about 13 years now and they still work beautifully serviced once a year or two.

 

I agree with Inna RtR has superior tape sound, I have 2 Tandberg TD-20A SEs.  They bettered my Revox PR99 MK2. But cost of tape now doesn’t justify new acquisition.

inna
8,240 posts
 

I think, tape is about $50 but I haven't looked for a while. As for master tape dubs from reputable sources, yes, this is a disaster.

Tandberg sounds better than Revox? That's good to know.

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