[scottlr]

This isn't home theater, but does anyone know of a 3-head cassette deck, besides Nakamichis, which have adjustable playback azimuth? I know that technically they all do if you go in with a screwdriver (done that), but I'm looking for something with a knob on the outside. It doesn't have to be a new unit; older stuff is fine. TIA!

 

[Johnla]

I think some of the upper end of a few older Kenwood decks used to have such a thing.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Nakamichi baby. I think they patented it, and no one else could do it. At the very least, I've never seen one. How's this for something that runs in the family: I have a CR-7A, and my Dad has a Dragon.

 

[scottlr]

Yeah, Kevin, I figured as much. I'll post on some other sites to see, but if not, then I'm saving for the 7A.

 

[M Code]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottlr This isn't home theater, but does anyone know of a 3-head cassette deck, besides Nakamichis, which have adjustable playback azimuth? I know that technically they all do if you go in with a screwdriver (done that), but I'm looking for something with a knob on the outside. It doesn't have to be a new unit; older stuff is fine. TIA!

The Nakamichi model was known as the Dragon, unfortunately the auto-azimuth adjustment reacted too slow..

The highest performance cassette deck with auto -azimuth was one built by Marantz in the early 80s'. It worked with a thin piezo element under the head and was very responsive for auto-azimuth, the technology was provided by Philips and was used in their V-2000 1/2" video format...

 

[scottlr]

Thanks M Code, but I don't think I want auto-azimuth - somehow I don't trust it. I've adjusted enough heads with a screwdriver to know what I'm listening for. But I will look for the Marantz anyway - I never know.

 

[miketo]

Ah, the Dragon. I used to drool at the sight of one in a local audio store. I also thought the Nakamichi receivers were the cat's meow. Never owned either but dreamed of them for several years**. Good memories.




**And then discovered girls. But that's another story.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Quote:

the Dragon, unfortunately the auto-azimuth adjustment reacted too slow.

Auto-azimuth isn't something that needs to react quickly. Remember, any tape you put in the Dragon, has only been recorded at one azimuth anyway. It doesn't change throughout that side of the cassette. Once the deck has dialed itself in, it's set for the remainder of the cassette. Besides. I got to (ahem) play with my Dad's deck a fair amount. I don't remember the azimuth adjustment as being noticeable at all. (Used to play stuff recorded on my deck on his. Think I had an Onkyo or some such at that time. Tapes played back on the Dragon from my deck sounded better than being played back on the deck on which they were originally made!)


I got a CR-7A specifically because it has manual azimuth control. *I* wanted my own control over what it's doing. Plus, the Dragon is an auto-reverse deck, and the CR-7A isn't. IMO, an auto-reverse deck simply cannot match the raw performance of a single direction deck. And ... if you actually look through the old reviews, there are a lot of people that say that, believe it or not, the CR-7A was the best cassette deck ever made. By anyone. Forget about newer noise reduction schemes like Dolby HX (or whatever it was), Dolby S, etc.


Shoot. Nakamichi engineered the crap out of those decks. Remember the RX series? Some of those actually flipped the cassette in the well for ... "auto-reverse" ...

http://www.sonicsense.com/nakfaq42.html

http://www.naks.com/home.html


Go to the "Naks" link.