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Tape Machines Everything Analog

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  #21  
Old 06-06-2016, 01:45 PM
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Vintage Pete Vintage Pete is offline
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The real beauty of the Dragon was the NAAC (Nakamichi automatic azimuth correction) system. This kept the azimuth of the playback head continuously aligned to the tape axis without the use of test tones. The system used the music itself as its reference, through an ingenious (and rather complex) system of phase comparators and miniature servo motors that continuously adjusted the position of the playback head during playback for optimum azimuth. Thus the Dragon had a kind of crystalline clarity in the upper frequencies seldom found in cassette playback. Another beauty of it was that the system would work despite any irregularities in the cassette housing (the cheap prerecorded cassettes were very prone to this) or even the direction of tape travel. Thus the auto-reverse Dragon could play in forward or reverse with equally high quality results. The NAAC system overcame many problems with the cassette format, allowing prerecorded tapes (or tapes made on someone else's equipment) to be played back with outstanding results.

The downside of all of this engineering was it made for a very complex component, and not everyone would (or will) service them.

Overall, however, the Nakamichi Dragon was a real fire-breathing champion.
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  #22  
Old 06-06-2016, 02:15 PM
cleeds cleeds is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioGremlin View Post
... Btw the CR-7E had considerably better specs than my very heavy Revox RTR recorder.
If you examine the specs carefully, I think you'll find that you're mistaken.

For example, frequency response for tape decks was measured well below 0 dB, and was measured at a lower recording level for cassette than for reel. So you can't compare those numbers directly to each other. At its 1 7/8 ips tape speed, cassette couldn't reach high frequencies as well as reel - if only for that reason. It was a challenge to get up to 16 or 17 kHz on cassette, while reels could easily go above 20 kHz. And cassettes had virtually no headroom compared to a good reel machine.

Don't get me wrong - a well-made cassette on a fine machine could sound very, very good. But even the best cassette decks couldn't catch the better reel machines, ime.
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  #23  
Old 06-06-2016, 02:23 PM
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I bought a new Nakamichi CR-7A in 1988 for $1500.00. In those days there was no discounting Nakamichi. During it's production run Nakamichi made a change in the way the tape spools operated. I shipped my deck to Electronic Service Labs (Nakamichi Service Center) and had the upgrade installed. The CR-7A performed flawlessly for years and made excellent recordings with its discreet 3-head setup. I preferred it to the Dragon because I was not interested in reverse play or the complexity of the Dragon's auto tracking azimuth system. Nakamichi was head and shoulders above other manufacturers in recording and playback quality for many reasons, like manufacturing their own tape heads, and their amazing Nakamichi asymmetrical resonance-free double capstan silent mechanism.

I kept my Nakamichi CR-7A until 2007. At that time it was in need of service to the drive system and occasionally wanted to stop on its own. I contacted ESL to get an estimate on a full service to the deck and was quoted $650.00. I decided to sell the deck instead. It was a fine cassette machine. If one can be found that has had the spool upgrade installed and is in good working order you will be impressed with its performance.

I made custom solid walnut side panels for my Nakamichi CR-7A. Here it is sitting on top of my McIntosh 4300V receiver.


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VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A
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  #24  
Old 06-06-2016, 04:00 PM
Harlequin Harlequin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cleeds View Post
It was a challenge to get up to 16 or 17 kHz on cassette, while reels could easily go above 20 kHz. And cassettes had virtually no headroom compared to a good reel machine.

Don't get me wrong - a well-made cassette on a fine machine could sound very, very good. But even the best cassette decks couldn't catch the better reel machines, ime.
Ahhhemm!

Sony EL-7 on thevintageknob.org


http://www.preservationsound.com/wp-...et_Feb1977.pdf
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  #25  
Old 06-06-2016, 04:32 PM
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Jasper.......It is a true shame the Elcaset format didn't take off. Using 1/4" tape running at 3-3/4 ips put that format in a different league. Had the industry as a whole expended the same developmental effort into the Elcaset as was focused on the cassette, that format would still be viable today. Cassette ruled the roost when Elcaset was introduced and no one wanted to make the shift to the new format. It's a pity.

I believe an updated version of this TEAC AL-700 would sell well today if the format was maximized and sold today.


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STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
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VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A

Last edited by jdandy; 06-06-2016 at 05:43 PM.
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  #26  
Old 06-06-2016, 05:07 PM
Harlequin Harlequin is offline
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I'm with you there Dan....[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl4ttaXv220[/ame]
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  #27  
Old 06-06-2016, 06:23 PM
AudioGremlin AudioGremlin is offline
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I compared the sound quality of my Revox B77 to the Nakamichi CR7E and I actually preferred the CR7E. The FR of the Nak was 18hz - 21Khz with metal tape. I too was unsure so I borrowed another B77 to check but the result was the same.
The CR7 was universally accepted as being sonically better than the Dragon, it certainly wasn't lacking in dynamic range either. It amazes me just how Nakamichi achieved such results from a mere cassette but achieve it they did.
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  #28  
Old 06-06-2016, 07:01 PM
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It would have been interesting to see what NAK could have done with a Dolby S deck. Too bad they pulled out of the cassette business before S decks came out.
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  #29  
Old 06-06-2016, 07:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioGremlin View Post
I compared the sound quality of my Revox B77 to the Nakamichi CR7E and I actually preferred the CR7E. The FR of the Nak was 18hz - 21Khz with metal tape. I too was unsure so I borrowed another B77 to check but the result was the same.
The CR7 was universally accepted as being sonically better than the Dragon, it certainly wasn't lacking in dynamic range either. It amazes me just how Nakamichi achieved such results from a mere cassette but achieve it they did.
Allan.......I compared my Nakamichi CR-7A to my Revox B77 Mk2 several times. As good as the CR-7A is, my 2 track Revox outperformed the Nak, particularly in dynamic range. These two racks of equipment are in the control room of my recording studio. I really don't use the machines to do dubs of LP's or CD's. The reel to reel machines are for live analog recordings and the cassette machine is to make demo copies or play a clients cassettes when necessary. I used to have the Nakamichi CR-7A in a two channel stereo system where it excelled at recording LP's and CD's.

I still have one Nakamichi cassette deck, the model BX-300 that's now in the studio control room, and a Sony K890ES in the living room system.


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STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
LIVING ROOM - McIntosh C2300, MC75 (2), MR85, Magnum Dynalab 205, Simaudio MOON Neo 260D-T, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil, Aurender N100H, Shunyata Sigma USB cable, Micro Seiki DD40, Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Nakamichi BX-300, Sony 60ES DAT, PS Audio P10, Furutech Flux 50, Sonos Connect, Stillpoints, Wireworld, Kimber, PMC EB1i, JL Audio f113
VINTAGE - McIntosh MA230, Tandberg 3011A tuner, Olive 04HD, Sony DTC-59ES DAT, McIntosh 4300V, JBL 4312A

Last edited by jdandy; 06-06-2016 at 11:10 PM.
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  #30  
Old 06-06-2016, 07:45 PM
pete6737 pete6737 is offline
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One of the first memories I have as a budding audiophile in junior high was reading about the Nakamichi Dragon in Stereo Review. I daydreamed of owning one. Sadly I never owned one. I did own a Nakamichi Dragon car stereo for a short time , then I traded it for the newest thing, an Alpine CD player. Been chasing the audio bug since.
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