help me with cheap tape deck.

do you need DAC for DAT?

No you don't need an external dac for a DAT player. They are like one box cd players with a dac section built in. DAT players have a digital out to use a dac if desired.

See if you can find a Nakamichi LX5. If you wanted to spend the $$, a CR7A would be better (automatic biasing, alignable playback head, and a few other bells & whistles), but the LX5 is very good. It doesn't have analog VU's, but with cassette that's a benefit, not a detriment. VU's read average levels; what you have to be concerned with when dealing with cassette is peak levels, and the Nakamichi meters do that just great. I have both units, so I can attest to their quality as recorders.

i truly suggest a sony 3 head with dolby S!!!!!! $250 at frys electoronics (a warehouse sized store we have in california). combined with metal tape, it can be truly archival. the metal wont lose highs, and dolby s is ded (yes-DED) quiet clear accross the audio band, not just the top half. you cant tell if the cd or tape is playing! for that kind of money, you can afford to take the chance. btw, its NOT taking a chance.
nakamichi isnt making decks anymore and the parts are becoming scarce, in addition to people that know how to work on them, and i loved my 700!
....regards.....tr

Hi- apologies for being so late in posting this.
I suggest the Onkyo TA-2060. It has Vu meters, and
two LEDs, for -0, and +03db, but otherwise, all mechnical!
I really enjoyed the 'two-tone oscillator' that generated a
400hz tone, then 1000hz tone, then repeats, for use, with
the playback head, calibrating for the Dolby and bias.
It was built solid, very heavy, very sturdy! I have been
looking to reclaim one for a month. I see alot of 2058s or 2600 series, but I haven't seen one, electromechanical-meter
TA-2060 yet. I don't know where it was built. Good luck!