Wollensak 4765 cassette deck, anyone?
Audiophile Equipment
I learned the value of audiophile equipment early in my pursuit of the high end. I had accumulated enough gear for a system and was looking for the best possible tape deck… with Dolby C. From the popular magazines… Stereo Review, Stereo Times… the Harman Kardon T392 seemed to represent the pinnacle. So I bought one. It was OK… but such a huge step down from vinyl that I was genuinely bummed, especially since it cost something like $650… a lot of money at the time.
A few months later I was browsing a high-end audio shop and, somewhat morosely, told my story to a salesman. He just started laughing. “Those things are junk… you need a real tape deck.” He led me over to the window, where there was a seven-year-old used Nakamichi 1000… huge, with wood paneling all around it… looking more like a reel-to-reel than a cassette deck. He wanted $1,200 for it. That was an astronomical amount of money… and it was old. Then he said, “Take it home… try it.”
My first real jaw-drop moment.
It had the full depth and bass of vinyl… it was simply astonishing. It made the so-called “flagship” Harman Kardon sound like a cheap plastic transistor radio and without Dolby C. All that glossy magazine talk about bandwidth and specs… page after page of marketing… well, that’s all it was. This old, purpose-built audiophile machine performed leagues above the consumer-level product.
I was hooked.
It wasn’t my last audiophile purchase… but it was my last consumer-level purchase for decades.
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@ghdprentice Your post really hit home--back in the late 80's i bought a Nakamichi CR4A (still have) to record vinyl for the car-it was the closest thing i'd found to preserving the vinyl sound and was THE component that started my audiophile ball rolling--receiver to separates, then speakers, then a Sony R2R and so on and so forth. I preferred it to CD and i kept it to listen to albums i recorded and lost in a flood in Houston back in the 90's but when streaming came into my system it's been little used. I still have the 500 + cassettes i recorded----because of your post and for fun i just took out a tape and it played great--only a slight loss in the highs (metal TDK) --brought back memories-Nakamichi was great brand--thanks |
Dear @ghdprentice : I still own The Nakamichi 700ZXL ( came with Dolby C. ) and was one of my first high end audio item, superb. Over the time I had to change its recording/play heads through Nakamichi that because in those times they planned to go out of the market send me free of charge the book ( yes a book ) to repair it in the future. It is a wonderful machine where you can't ask for more and where you can " live " its marvelous technology even for today times. In those times nothing beats it not even the latter Dragon that's too very good. Yes, Tandberg was very good but only that: very good when the 700ZXL is just outstanding.
My main vintage " high end " ( did not know it was HE ) audio item were my old ADS L2030 speakers that are the ones that I still listen/use today and for me and after several comparisons are just unbeatable anda challenge to almost any today top speakers.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vintageaudio/comments/1kx349s/finally_scored_my_dream_vintage_speakers/
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R.
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Great how many folks remember Nakamichi fondly. I remember being rather broken hearted after purchasing the new teen Nakamichi CD player and having it sound terrible.... then over time them become a consumer goods level company. So it goes. But in the seventies and early 80's they were a tremendous force in the high end. |
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