Metal Guru: Why Sony's Early Eighties TCK 81 was the First Great Modern Cassette Deck
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- As the 'cassette revival' continues, now is a great time to remember this classic high end, 3-head, dual capstan deck. Cleanly styled, well specified and well built, it brought metal tape to the masses, and offered near-Nakamichi performance at half the price. Better still, there are still loads around, making it a great machine to get into - if you're 'cassette-curious'! Mike and David agree that it's great retro buy.
Each episode of Hi-Fi Riff features Mike and David's unedited, unexpurgated views about all manner of weird and wonderful hi-fi designs. Business executive Mike has a wealth of knowledge from previous hi-fi retail experience, and David has written about hi-fi for thirty years. Now Editor-in-Chief of StereoNET, he's picked up a few things along the way.
So relax and enjoy some one-take hi-fi riffing - and please leave your comments below. And don’t forget to hit the Subscribe button, this one goes up to eleven!
The eighties-tastic title tune is called ‘UFO/Mike’s Jumper’, and used with the express permission of our old pal and rights holder Simon Lythe.
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Optonica RT3838 was my favourite deck
mine is the revox B710, the phase Linear 7000 and the CT-F1000 from Pioneer released in 76, this are my favorite ones from the 70´s also have a Philips from a mini system F series 79 only ,and still today i´m amazed with it´s quality, because i thought in the future there will be better recording decks but as all i shot myself in the foot as in 1980 all brands decreased a lot their quality, but good decks still to come as the Z-7000 from Teac, a SAE but don´t know the reference it as a blue display and it was released in 1980 i think and the CT-91a from pioneer and the CT-93 also the CT-95 and from nakamichi allthough i have their best decks being the Dragon the worst deck i ever bought ,but the cassette deck 1 was the first to be built with a litle less bad materials but i like to put in use the 700ZXL after restored as others with regular maintenace kept working
A great way to relax and unwind watching you guys chat hifi after a long day at work.
I’m genuinely interested in how many components you guys own and how often you listen to them all.
Coincidentally, I just bought my first cassette machine last month...a beautiful looking and superbly built Toshiba (!) PC 4030 from 1977. A more impressive design object than the players that you've talked about, dare I say. Heavy brushed aluminium and analogue VU meter loveliness in a 'table top' (or ski slope), form, looks a bit like an upmarket dj's mixing unit. I've taken the case apart, worked out how to get the mechanism separated, and now am source 4 new drive belts to replace the originals which have turned to tar. Such is the superb build quality that I'm sure it will live again, and electrically it seems to function perfectly. I had a hazy and poor regard for period Toshiba hifi, until I came across this, admittedly rare, cassette deck.
Keep up the good work guys, be kind and rewind I say! 😅
Adrian in Hackney.
i had a toshiba conected to a professional high-end system ,professional and the recordings made there all sound good and most of the cassettes were BASF LH-EXTRA I, when they were very well built, till 84 , the deck was a PG-15 i think, also sold under their other brand aurex ,i have a older toshiba system ,the turntable is one of the best i ever heard and the stylusMM was an aurex and it had a proper cartridge with a pre-amp, suplied but can´t remenber what were the specifications wasn´t MC but made by toshiba
Ski slope machines are just cool! I have a defunct Aiwa ski slope which I must get working again.
Even when I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about I find you 2 compelling viewing/listening (for snobs lol)😆
We are never entirely sure what we are talking about either!
Mike
Cassette decks. As a musician, twenty years ago I'd do a recording session at maybe Air Studios for example, and in the control room we'd listen back to the take of a track and I'd say "Yeah, sounds good. But have you heard my Nakamichi DR-1?"
I had one of this! It was really great. Used with TDK SA-X.
I still use my Sony Pro Walkman for recording live music. On metal tapes it’s superb quality 🎶🎵😎 Nice riff fellas👊🏻
We both own walkie pro's and love them!
Mike
Still waiting for the Yamaha Ns 1000m speaker review ❤
You guys bring back some great memories. My favorite was Maxell UD-XL II C90.
I love my (purchased new) Denon DRM-710 with 3 Heads/motors, dual Capstans and most importantly Dolby HX-Pro, I know of no better machine at the price. Inside it is easy to work on (I've only had to replace the belts) It replaced my late 70s Sony TCK4A. I did look at the Nakamichi and the Aiwa (which was a heap inside), but for the money I could only get a single capstan 2-head Nak and what also swayed me was the BBC (where I worked as an engineer) bought the Denon DRM 710s. All these years on I could not have made a better decision. It also performs really well on the new RTM C90 (Type 1, basically BASF LH) tapes. My big question is: Has it got a "Loudness" button! :-) - Justin
i eneded up buying two denons as they both are good , but diferent in sound, the DRM-700a and the DRM-800a , i had already a older one from the previous series m44Hx if memory doesn´t fail me, if they had calibration i would put them along the best ever made decks but being the way they built it ,it´s ok but the level control is a must have, also as what people not knowing what their talking about ,the so called coloured sound as in the early day the best ones had it , basically is like it had a "loudness button", always on. the DRM-700a is exactelly the same as the after released DRS-810
Metal tapes suffered less from high frequency saturation, so their frequency response was very good when recording was high - that was the main 'advantage' as I recall?
Signal to Noise ratio is about 'on par' with most Type II tapes, about +2dB better than Type I. Type I tapes generally improved with the likes of TDK AD and AD-X which were super Type I tapes. Type I tapes do generally handle high levels better than many Type II. It's a slightly complex subject, it's often swings and roundabouts etc.
My first cassette player was a Sanyo M2000 my Dad bought me in April 1973 - happy days indeed!
Yes, Type IVs have higher maximum output levels than all other types, although some good Type Is like TDK AR-X come close. Along with high MOLs, Type IVs can take high treble levels as you say, so the result tends to be a very punchy sound with lots of treble sparkle. All the same, the later generations of Type IIs were extremely good.
Great riff, thanks guys!
Do you have a big box of pristeen shrink-wrapped metal tapes to go with the deck? If you do, then that is real wealth these days!
Hi.Have you seen how much the old "super metal" tapes go for? ie TDK MA-XG. They fetch up to about 100 quid a piece when I last looked.
i remenber at the time having a very expensive sony system from Esprit series, pre,power amplifier, turntable and speakers but having a 700ZXL i didn´t bought the deck but either than the FX7 this was in the next year the best but i wanted to get a Teac Z-7000 but ended up buying a Z-5000
what a statement TCK81 wasn´t close to be the first modern cassette deck as in the 70´s there were decks that sound better than any 90´s built expensive cassette deck i think i know something about cassette decks as in my hi-fi colection i have 47 cassette decks and only one is cheap but was my first as before i only recorded open reels and a 8-track cartridge in the car ,the main reason i bought the CT-F2121 from Pioneer was me needing a family car so i bought a bmw 4 door car and had already a radio cassette player from Pioneer, those with chrome look
Great riff, sadly no socket shots 😀
Cassette decks are definitely back, and have been for a couple of years now, whilst not for audiophiles per say, but you’d be surprised how many were sold last year if you look at figures, depending on the genre etc, but tapes are massively big in underground metal / electronic music.
Hi Guys. I've just finished rebuilding a Pioneer CT-F9191 from 1975- 1977. A beast of a machine. The sound quality is staggering, even on ferrics. Calibration of these older machines for modern tape formulas can make a huge difference. My favourite 80's cassette deck has to be the Aiwa ad-f990. Pure 80's-tastic.
Excellent!
Chaps, thank you so much for this lovely review!
A friend of mine has the Sony TC-K81 and it is indeed a lovely deck. Personally, I am not really a fan of early 1980s cassette decks, unless they are Nakamichi, but I must admit, the -K81 is quite a solid performer, both musically and technically. It is robust as a Massey-Fergusson and sounds really good. You compared it to a more modern TC-K611S which, I believe, was reviewed by HIFI World back in the day but unless Dolby S is a must, my preference would actually go to the older -K81. It was built to a higher standard as Sony was just getting into the high-end realm of cassette decks and one might argue that this era started with the -K81.
Thanks again and all the best, as always!
Excellent comment - thank you.
Totally agree. The TC-K81 was definitely a better machine than the TC-K611S and subsequent TC-K661S, although to be fair, it was a lot more expensive in real terms.
In 94 or 95 I purchased a Sony ES dual cassette deck and an ES 5 disc CD player and the third from top of the line ES integrated amplifier. Don't remember any of the actual model numbers but it was a great system. My buddy used the cassette deck way more than I did. He would copy and sell or give many bootleg tapes to friends and acquaintances. I'm not sure why I purchased it because I was hooked on Cd's. We would sit and play poker on a Rainy weekend day and I would load 5 discs and hit random play and we would bet on which CD and track number would play next. Shots of Southern Comfort and beer were always on the table.
Sounds brilliant!
Where did you buy from?
Mike
Evening Gentlemen👍👍
Evening JKBB 👍
About a week ago I finished restoring a TC-K75, which is 99% a TC-K81. Luckily this version has F&F heads - no wear! :o)
Nearly bought one of these DaMM!
Cassette decks were a fallout from the KLH unreliable Reel to Reel deck which pioneered Dolby B noise reduction in the US and World with the 3M Wollensak Cassette transport built in the old Revere(a historic camera and reel to reel company) factory in Chicago and KLH Dolby B circuitry(now branded Advent). The Nakimichi cassette transports were very poor such as the HK and early Advent (Henry Kloss had left KLH to make projection TV's.) which were not reliable with their piano key operating controls. To make better tapes later came Dolby C and the end of era failure Dolby S.
Nakamichi never added S to their machines. All these formats added licensing fees to each deck. Today, the only cassette decks for purchase are single motor mechanical decks which were abandoned early on for hifi and new ones and prerecorded tapes, the indy music fad, have no noise reduction at all. The early producer of cassettes with this new fad who had made Broadcast carts, had no supplier of new tape, so had to build their own factory to supply here in the US 1/8th in tape to continue production. So, new tapes are
as hissy as cassettes prior to the invention of noise reduction by Dolby. And online a reviewer said the fantastic metal tapes starting with the Advent Chrome tape and the metal tapes apparently would violate the European environmental standards in place which ban
leaded solder and other heavy metals from electronics.
YES I AGREE WITH YOU THIS HEADS IS THE BEST SOUNDED,AND FERRITE HEADS,AND SA HEADS IN JVC,IVE GOT 2 TCK 71 DECKS,IM A POOR GUY,.I CAN TELL YOU TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AFTER 42 YEARS THRES NO SIGN OF WEARING ON IT
" Lexus of Love " that sounds like something to do with dogging if you don't mind me saying so lads.
Well it does have a slightly curious ring to it...
@@MrVinylista That's right
Nice Riff folks, did either of you go the minidisc route back in the day?
Indeed.. We are both fans and still own minidisc decks 👍 Mike
Alan Freeman....'pop pickers'! 😂
Cassette decks are great
Sadly, one of the drawbacks of a good three headed deck like your Sony is the unavailability of 'new' compound REC/PB heads.
Certainly true for many cassette decks, but the Sendust & Ferrite heads on this generation of Sony decks are extremely wear-resistant. They outlast practically every other part of the machine.
@@MrVinylista Thanks for the replies, often too many UA-camrs can't be bothered.
Back around 1994-1997, I bought a sec hand Sony TC-K730ES, and decided in the late 1990s to get a new head from Sony. I didn't fit it until about 2005. Anyway, last year I decided to get the 'old' compound head lapped professionally by Terry Summertone. It wasn't until on inspection I realised that this would have been very difficult as the two-heads were *also* bonded to the head assembly. It looked like araldite - which made the lapping job a high risk affair in getting the two separate heads off in the first place!, so I abandoned the notion. I left the 'old' head with Terry saying 'you can keep it' etc.
Finally, for my sins I have about 30 (yes - thirty!) cassette decks - most of which were bought to restore. I tend to go for machines that are 'built like tanks' or similar, and those with very few integrated circuit chips 'IC' in them.
Not to mention too - I have two reel to reel machines.
I find the temptation almost irresistible to bring an old machine back to near 100% spec. ;o)
Regards.
Not the Nak ZX-9?
Maybe the second as it was 1982 - gorgeous machine!
Recording engineers favourite bands ..Tape that,Capstan sensible and Talking heads. Right,i'm off.😊
Capstan Sensible! Inspired.
Best comment ever!
Mike
@@Hi-FiRiff Very kind of you. I thought about the Velvet Underground (VU),but figured it might be a bit too cryptic. 🙂
... and Thomas Dolby, of course!
Mike
@@Hi-FiRiff Oh,yes. I forgot about him. I suppose Alanis morecassettes is pushing things way too far?!
You two belong in a home, you'd be happy there.
What makes you think we are not? Mike
Rather unkind .....
@steven2809 another troll with too much time on their hands it seems
You should see what people are paying for blanks these days!!!
Tell me about it!!
Mike
The humble cassette, not as good as an Akia CR81D and stash of - clunk - 8 tracks! Lol.
Seriously, cassette was a barrelfull of fun making your own or playing better commercial tapes such as the XDR or Chrome ones and for what it's worth it's indeed 1980 we saw Metal compatable decks over here.
Thing was not all decks that had a metal position made decent stab of recording on them to justify the price although your Sony certain was one that could so in practice you might of been better off using a Superferric like TDK's AR or Maxell's XLI-S.
The more basic models of Sony's range in 1980 such as the TC-K-22 with its V U meters or the 33 with LED peak were good two headers that also featured Sendust heads and capable of decent recordings having used them as a kid a little older than you at the time.
It also was the time I discovered on quiet tapes like genuine Cr02 types from BASF no dolby was more open sounding.
And yes the humble TDK D correctly dialed in could sound pretty decent - they usually are driven to +3 db on my current Yamaha's.
Maxell UR's can sound excellent too. +3db on most Yamaha's is normal Dolby level as Yamaha calibrate to 160nwb/m din at 0db. On a Nak 0db would be at 200nwb/m Dolby level, the equivalent of +3 on your Yams.
Great comment. You can get +5dB onto later model TDK Ds with the TC-K81, with little signs of stress. Really good sound too, just a bit of tape hiss.
Ahhh... brushed aluminium facias
Ooh matron!
Cassette decks in 2024 are laughable!! 🗑️😆
It's certainly a bit eccentric, but amazingly sales of pre-recorded music cassettes are actually going up. There is a cassette rival going on, of a kind.
Pair of snobs
Most complimentary, thank you.
Mike 😁
Lame comment
Silly troll.....
.
Now listen chaps, If you are going to tell us about your interesting old cars we need a bit more detail. Which model Volvo (Amazon?) and Lexus (IS200?).