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From: shauns@vice.UUCP (Shaun Simpkins)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: Wanted:  cassette deck advice!
Message-ID: <85@vice.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Feb-85 13:09:23 EST
Article-I.D.: vice.85
Posted: Mon Feb 25 13:09:23 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 4-Mar-85 06:46:43 EST
References: <4846@cbscc.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 52

> I'm looking to buy a cassette deck ($300 - $400) range, possible local
> (Columbus, OH) or mail order (ie: Illinois Audio, or Direct Sight and Sound
> of Alanta).  Several choices I've had recommended are:
> 	1) JVC KD-V6          local ~$299        mail ~$229
> 	2) Nakamichi LX-3     local ~$599        mail ~$399
> 	3) Onkyo TA-2056      local ~$369
> 	4) Sony TC-K555       local ~$399        mail ~$329
> 
> As of right now I`m leaning towards the Nak and planning on buying
> it mail order.  Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated 
> especially from owners of the above decks, or people who have bought
> from Direct Sight and Sound (they have a smallish add in the back of
> Stereo Review Mar 85).
> 
> A salesman trying to put down the Nak mentioned that Nak aligns
> the heads on their decks different from most other decks, is this
> true? Isn`t there some kind of standard?
> 

I would suggest looking at the Nak BX-300 before you run out and purchase
the LX-3 - I think the BX-300 gives more value for the same list price.
It is a 2-capstan design, hence low flutter, hence much better reproduction of
things like piano, oboe, massed strings, etc.  The LX-3 is a single capstan
design 3 to 4 years old and I suspect Nak is clearing them out.  To my tastes
the BX-300 is less gaudy than the LX-3.  B&O does a better job at high sex
design than Nak (High Sex Design = faceless aluminum sheet with wood trim that
does something audioish).

Nak aligns their heads BETTER than most manufacturers.  Nak does use the IEC
standard, which standardizes recorded flux, rather than the NAB standard, which
standardizes playback level.  The IEC standard forces you to compensate playback
head deficiencies in the playback circuit.  The NAB standard allows you to peak
the recorded signal to compensate.  Thus, transportability of recorded tapes
suffers with the NAB standard.  A NAB-standard tape may sound slightly hot on
a IEC deck, and a IEC-standard tape may sound slightly dull on a NAB deck.
With today's decks and head quality this effect is small.  However, differences
in head alignment of no more than a few MINUTES of arc will wipe out the entire
top octave - and a few minutes of arc alignment difference between decks from
different manufacturers is a common occurrence.  Manufacturers try to keep
their head alignment very tight so that tapes recorded on one of their decks
can be played on another example of the same model with good fidelity - but as a
general rule the manufacturer's spec can only be met for r/p on a single
machine.  This is the main reason why Auto-Azimuth Alignment decks exist,
particularly in automobile installations.

The wandering squash,
-- 
				Shaun Simpkins

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