Went to a local O'Reilly Auto Parts store last week. The workers were all in their 20s. And what were they listening to? Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon. The music from my youth, mid 1970s, has had incredible lasting power.
I bought a Technics 333 cassetted deck for 60 bucks off Facebook marketplace, and bought a couple of 3D printed gears from a guy in Slavakia for pretty cheap. I still need to grab a cup of coffee and install them, though. It sounds better than my Pioneer CT-F1250. The only reason I'm bothering to fix these two decks is because I picked up hundreds of tapes at estate sales about 15 years ago for free. It's just kinda fun to play a tape every now and then.
1) You're lucky you found that guy! If that's what the Technics actually needs... 2) $60 for something barely worth $60 working? I'm not familiar with the 333, so correct me if I'm wrong for thinking that this is a mid-to-low end machine? Coles Notes Frank Zappa version: Is this trip really necessary? 3) It's not surprising that the Technics, even a relatively cheap one, sounds better than a Fry-An-Ear CTF-1250. I used to sell those drecks at a chain Hi-Fi store in a big shopping mall; not only did they sound lousy, but the 1250 was ESPECIALLY unreliable. Things actually improved as you went DOWN the range with Pioneer; the 950 & 850 were progressively more reliable, although they didn't sound much if any better. The very bottom machines like the CTF-600 & CT-20 were reliable, AND sounded alot better too! But that's not saying too much, as they sounded pretty much like an average to slightly better than average el-cheapo cassette deck from any other manufacturer...🤦
@joerosen5464 You're exactly right. I actually used to sell the CTF 1250 as well. I was never impressed with it sound quality, at least for its price. But I also look at it as the 1959 pink Cadillac convertible of cassette decks. And the techniques actually sound significantly better and has more modern features in it. Have the pioneer mainly for show. Think of it as kind of like having a Porsche Spyder. It's not the best handling thing around, nor is it comfortable, but it's pretty darn cool. And I actually wanted the technics because I wasn't trying to get a special deal, I was just trying to get something that I could use. As a daily driver, if you will.
@joerosen5464 by the way, since I was in the business between 76 and 83, I actually had quite a few cassette decks. By far the best sounding when I had was a Denon DR350. The problem with that one was after about a year it had a problem with the clutch on the take-up rail squeaking. And there was no resolving it. That was really a pain because I replaced it with a Sony deck that was more expensive etc and it did not sound nearly as good. Frankly about that time I started moving on to beta Hi-Fi as an open real replacement. At the time I literally thought that would replace open reel, or at least there was a good chance it would. It didn't have the chatter problem that VHS sci-fi had. I actually did some DJ work at the time and I actually used that beta Hi-Fi machine for a lot of the music when I could pre-record the playlist. I even added some video along with it that you definitely can't do with with cassette tapes or open reel.
What I miss about cassettes is making "mix tapes" on my dual cassette deck. Buying "the best" cassettes (CrO2, or whatever the flavor of the day was on sale) and then writing the songs down on that tiny insert. The good ole days!
A fairly loud hum is likely to be a bad or open electrolytic cap in.power supply after the rectifiers to smoooooth out a.c. ripple. Fudge ripple is good though!
I really love that a lot of folks are into the vintage craze here lately. I also been wanting to go out scouting for a separates system but as far LP Records, or players, No Thanks! I'm not going back and have all the hassles like I had before, Put ALL my tunes on a solid state drive, or 2 and sit back and enjoy!
YES Kevin! WATTS: I have 2 x 15W in a 1974 Pioneer SX-434. It was given to me in 1979 when I was 14. Only recently did I learn that it's actually an entry level receiver and low power. I never knew that and never cared, I've always loved it. It has a great FM tuner, good sound, and PLENTY LOUD for me. I rarely turn the volume up to 1/3 of its travel, and in our 1800 sq. ft. 1.5 storey house I can clearly hear it around most of the house. And it's never been recapped. LOL!
Also, by staying at the lower end like this I can buy other brands to try - Sansui, Harman/Kardon, etc. - without spending the really big bucks. I can buy several lower powered receivers for the price of a single monster receiver or any Marantz.
Much better than a sounDesign w bass n treble on 1 knob and a shit-ass cartridge an vinyl grinding stylus!.if u can, try to get an SX750 or Kdnwood's KR6600.good power 50 to 56 watts w lots of hook- ups.
In the mid-70s I was one of the 1st in my town to have to have a cassette deck to record on. I used it to save my records. The second play of an album was to record it for my car. Most of my record collection have lass than a dozen plays. Now my collection ROCKS! I still have my cassettes & 3 decks that are dying or dead.
I have the same record collection, although purchased in the 80’s. But my cassette collection still survives today, re-recording over tapes also bought in the 80’s, 90’s and making really sweet sounding tapes (new P3 turntable helps)!
Have you tried to open the decks and see how the belts are looking? sometimes it's just the belts that needs replacing. In some cases, it can be done simply and easily, and plenty of tutorials on YT. Worth a shot
The best vintage cassette decks I've had luck with restoring are from the following. Technics M270X, AKAI GX-F31 and Pioneer CT-W850R. The worst vintage tape decks for me have been anything Onkyo. Dude is also right. Almost any 70's vintage cassette deck's belts have turned to sticky black tar like goo in 2024. Cleaning all the parts is a time consuming challenge. Buy the older heavier tape decks because their parts are mostly metal, heavy duty plastic, big transformers, heavy motors and analog or primitive digital VU meters. Get a cassette deck that plays both metal tape types and has Dolby. The more features add you the more things there are to break. Keep your cassette deck Simple!
It's great to see the youngsters getting into good sound and good music. Tangible things. Enjoying music. Enjoying history. With friends and family face to face.
Another excellent and perceptive video, Kevin! I view recapping vintage electronics as prophylactic, akin to putting new tires and changing the oil and filter on a 40-year-old barn-find car. Back in the days of tube gear, you almost had to change out caps and resistors every few years - heat and cruddy parts (by today's standards) guaranteed using such a strategy. Caps are engineered to last only a certain period of time, after which they can fail, and sometimes they can take out other components when they call it a life. On the other hand, if a component is functioning properly, I regard recapping as a low-priority project. Occasionally, you note a slight improvement in the sound, but by no means always. On the other hand, recapping the crossovers in speakers more than 30 years old very often results in significantly improved sound, in my experience. Speaker manufacturers have forever regarded the crossover as the first place on which to cheap out. Just my experience . . . YMMV.
Woh! I am still using some old Tannoy speakers from the early 90s, so maybe thirty years old. I forgot about the crossover caps. I will have to check them. Not that my ears are as good as they used to be, but who wants to blow your tweeters with full bass?
Geez Kevin, you did it again, you nailed it, on all points with the honest truth.. totally agree with everything you said, except I personally would love to see cassettes come back. I've been on a quest lately buying cassettes in mint like new condition for my vintage Teac cassette player. Which cassette tapes on a good system can sound amazing . And totally agree about the wattage thing,. I have a Pioneer 780, puts out 45 Watts but if I crank it up to 10 watts, it's far too loud for regular listening
Lol, I guess now I know why I can no longer buy cassette tapes for cheap. You are part of the competition hehehe.... Yeah, tapes are steadily rising in price and good ones are becoming harder to find.
I would love to see cassettes come back as well. I just don't think it's in the cards. A cassette in great condition played on a nice deck is a lot of fun - I agree 💯
@@edwardbagu1252are you buying cassette tapes to horde, or to play and enjoy.? I'm buying them to play and enjoy,.. after I die you can have them them for cheap..lol
I enjoy this channel. I work at a non profit that receives vintage stereo speakers and amps and other gear so nice to know what the trends are (and what may carry more value). Thanks Kevin.
I love my cassette decks. All 12 of them. I just recently purchased a few cassette lots on ebay. About 100 prerecorded in total. Only 3 of them have issues. Some sound better than my vinyl. Some not so much. There is just something about physical media that I love. I like the technical side of making recordings. It really tunes your ears into getting the best sound on them. Vintage is the BEST hobby. FYI- love your videos and your store!
Thank you. I feel better now. About ten years ago I started noticing an online obsession with "re-capping" on audio tech sites and ebay ("Newly re-capped!"). To my knowledge, I have never had a piece of vintage equipment stop functioning properly because of a capacitor failure, but I'm not a repair technician. Deoxit (and similar cleaning/lubricating products) can be great for dirty electrical connections, scratchy pots or freeing up sticky knobs, but it's kind of like washing and vacuuming your car. If the engine isn't working, that's probably not going to help much. P.S. About the watts: Speakers today can be extremely efficient and pack a lot of punch into a relatively small box. Although I have some vintage Wharfedale, Infinity, Advent, Spica speakers, I mostly listen to my vintage amps and receivers through newer speakers from Monitor Audio, KEF, Klipsch, Focal and Triangle -- all of which have their own distinctive "company sounds," which can really bring the older equipment to life.
I worked at a radio shack at 16. This was 1976, receivers went from 3 watts per channel to 150 then. I wired them all to a switcher and speakers to another. I used to put the 3 watt receiver on the mach 1s and it sounded fine. The best was maybe 40 to 75 watts, you got decent features, decent sound and a decent tuner. Tape decks, made a huge difference what you spent for making good recordings but not so much for playback. We had a nice dolby 8 track machine that did a fine job of making tapes better than pre recorded.
good video. While many lust after the big Pioneer or Sansui mega receiver, it is not needed by most. Most folks listen to 3-6 watts on average. Maybe 20 watts if speakers are not too efficient. I remember a few years ago I re-capped a Sansui AU-317 for a friend, cleaned all the posts, reset the bias. Afterwards I measured all those OEM caps and they all still tested good with low ESR. But along the same lines have seen many Sansuis with the famous semi-conductive glue that will eat component leads over time. also agree the young kids are really getting into vinyl and record platers/turntables which is really great to see.
Great video as always. I “fixed’ a Nakamichi 2Bx a few years ago to play my 1980’s tape collection. Reveled in the glory of those TDK SA tapes for about a week. Now it’s in the rack mostly to keep the CD player at a more convenient height.
I gave a lot of my 1960's and '70's vinyl to my son who also got my Dynaco A25 speakers and Dual 109 turntable. He had a digital setup to process the records and create digital files that he then could easily transport and replay anywhere with Blutooth. I kept the Pioneer SX424 that was the heart of the system in the 1970's because it had lost the left channel. I recently had it repaired for a couple hundred bucks (power circuit issue) and bought a cheap pair of small speakers that sound fine for my office room. I saw all the "recapping" stuff online, but found a technician who works on all the classic stuff locally and had him tell me what the issue was. It's back in service pumping its 13 watts per channel through those speakers that are a better match than the monsters I built back in the '70's when components were readily available and fairly inexpensive. Then I heard a set of Bose 901's at the local HiFi store hooked to a hefty Marantz amp and ......oh well.
Good video as always! A couple of comments: 1) Sony, more than anyone, recognized the portability benefits of cassettes with the development of their Walkman lineup. It's amazing how their market dominance in the category made them blind to their vulnerabilities-- in a matter of a few years the entire franchise evaporated with the onslaught of the iPod. 2) Your comments about unnecessary wattage are spot-on. Unfortunately it's a reality that higher-powered amps and receivers also have more functionality-- more tone controls, more inputs, more outputs, more metering etc. It was rare to find a model that had all the bells & whistles with only modest power output.
So as someone who is an engineer, I think you’re 50% right about the recapping (I also fix old electronics). Capacitors are used to keep voltages stable, along with a slew of other things. For the most part, in a steady state circuit they are about the only things (or the quickest) things to degrade. Thus your transistors / resistors aren’t going to be receiving the correct voltages (albeit too much or too little) which causing strain on those components. It’s always good to recap old equipment, as it may just keep some really rare or irreplaceable transistors from needing to be repaired that much longer (looking at you, Dual 701 rare transistors).
The thrift stores in my area are now selling cassettes, 8 tracks and VHS tapes. As a tech I have seen an uptick in cassette deck service in the last 4 years. It seems to be mainly 20 somethings driving this resurgence.
I stopped by with my pre-teen last Friday. I got a pair of Mirage Omni 250 tower speakers for my more modern stereo. I don't think they would have been a good match for a vintage receiver but they are right in line with what I was looking for. They are a big upgrade over my tiny surround speakers I was using. I also let my kid pick out a cassette. He choose a Deep Purple live album. We only have a player in my old SUV. I told him the player might eat the tape but that it would just be part of the cassette experience. 🤣 The tape is working great and he loves listening to it.
I just finished my system I’ve got a sansui au 700 as the amp .onyko cd player .a sansui equalizer .and a Sony turntable.for speakers I’ve got a set of wharfdale e 90s and a set of wharfdale e70s then a set of bmx halfstacks finished by a set of peavey half stack speakers this is more than I ever expected .it is amazingly clear and the bass will rumble your soul .every person that’s heard it says it’s the best sound stereo they have ever heard the receiver made the difference it’s a amazing system all old school and perfectly matched.can’t believe it’s in my living room
Happy to see another Sansui person! I love the look of the AU-700 ! I got two systems running on Sensui Amps, the one I'm listening to this video on is the AU-317 II and the kitchen one is the AU-D33. I just love the looks and sounds coming out from Sansui amps. Have fun!
I have played around with many solid state amps and receivers from the 70s. I am 44 and was born after most of the equipment I own was made. Glad to hear younger people are getting involved too.
I purchase blank cassettes so that I can record and play an entire album without getting up and flipping the vinyl. For instance, when playing music while cleaning the house, or perhaps taking a shower. The problem is the restoration of cassette decks, where, unless you're an expert with knowledge and equipment, it's best left to someone who is. Lastly, a vintage cassette deck worth spending hundreds of dollars to restore is best being a three head deck, which by itself will cost a minimum of between $400 and $4,000 depending on make, model and condition. Great videos.
Always love your videos, considering moving close to your shop so I can be a regular 🤣 I am putting an era-correct cassette deck in my 82 Toyota, so I have to have some sweet tapes!
I had a Pioneer 9191 cassette deck in high school in the mid 90s. It was a hand me down from my brother. All my friends loved the look of it with the front loading function and the pull down curved cover. I wish I had kept all of the gear that he gave me. I’m just now getting reacquainted with vintage equipment. Trying to figure out what I want. I know for sure a 9191 will be part of my setup. Great channel and content. Thank you.
Good one as usual. Love my cassette deck. I would not wish it on my worst enemy and have worked on it constantly. You have to be a little crazy and a little deaf to want to get a vintage deck and keep it running. You are right, they are never coming back. Total nostalgia trip and fun to tinker with but not practical. If you enjoy yours rock it!
My daughter is a freshman in high school. She's very into vintage audio & vinyl, so I've set her up with a an old early 70's Sansui system. Unfortunately, she loves the 80's hair bands, so that's where our common interests vastly diverge. I'd also dispute your take on cassettes, based on my experience with her and some of her friends with similar interests. As far as I can tell, the resurgence in interest around cassettes is almost entirely due to Stranger Things, but it's definitely real. They're in the thrift stores every single weekend looking for the next score. Staying power has yet to be seen, though.
My TEAC V-500X cassette deck that I bought new in 1983 has never been serviced professionally, still runs nearly flawlessly and recordings I made on it back then still sound as good as the day I made them. Especially the ones using the dbx noise reduction.
About 8 years ago, my son took my iPod (remember those?) to middle-school. It had all my music on it. Pink Floyd, ELO, Dire Straits, Tom Petty, etc. He came home telling me he was the hit at school. All the kids wanted to listen to it. One of his teachers hooked it up to a speakers in the classroom at lunchtime. He's 23 now, and in the Air Force, and a lot of his buddies listen to classic rock.
Thanks for a great episode Kevin! Spot on with the comments about capacitors, when electronic flash first came out people were told to use them regularly as the capacitors would degrade otherwise. It was called reforming the capacitor and for some reason I never hear that being talked about, always the battle cry of replace the capacitors! I think it's much better to use your stereo equipment regularly in order to keep those pesky capacitors happy.
I came across this feed recently (finally something to thank an algorithm for ... ) and just wish that I lived close enough to drop by for a visit. You are definitely helping to put Des Moines on the map 😊
My granddaughter has turned to vinyl. I got her a set of Jamo bookshelf speakers and an AM FM Sony stero receiver non vintage. Her other grandparents got her an Audio Technica direct drive turn table. She's a bass player in a rock band. When she graduates I am planing on getting her nice vintage receiver and speakers. Pioneer is dear to my heart, but I am leaning towards Harman Karden.
Hey Kevin , I'd like to say I really appreciate and enjoy your channel , it's open and refreshing , you definitely have earned your place in tha audio community , anyway keep up tha good work , your super, many thanks , Anthony
Great videos Kevin, keep up the great work of educating people on the equipment and actual history of music, when music was real & touched your soul. Even is manufacturers do start making better decks, the tapes themselves need to be improved as in being able to maintain their quality sound for more than a decade or more as over time they lose their ability to hold their magnetism. Albums & CD's don't really lose the quality of sound if taken care of.
Great video Kevin. Two things that have stayed with me since our last conversation when I thought I needed a new amp (I thought I was needing a new amp which actually ended up being the cable). 1. you mentioned that my amp was probably a Class B and 2. the difference in how wattage was measured from vintage amps in comparison to more modern day amps. If you haven't already done a video on these topics I would love to hear this explained in greater detail. I am sure I will need a new amp at some point (actually I am considering buying a vintage amp to see if I can tell the difference) so understanding more of what is the difference of the Class B vs Class A and the wattage comparison I would find very interesting. I have an 85 watt per channel Denon (purchased 2009). I do love to listen to music but am very much a novice when it comes to understanding the picking and matching of components.
I purchased my H/K CD-301 cassette deck new somewhere around 1980. Makes a little bit of motor noise and the counter stops at zero on rewind. With metal tape and Dolby C, the sound is so close to the cd you can barely tell the difference. It’s a beautiful piece of equipment.
I agree with you on your point of how much the younger generations are involved now in Vintage audio; especially the media of lps. The apparent perception of older men and women yielding the benefits of this renaissance are suggestively if not deliberately credited with this movement. They may have contributed to some of the momentum, but I do not believe they (we) launched this. I am older than 55. My daughter who is now in her early 30's began borrowing my dust collecting lps when she was in high school. At that time she and her friends were looking into buying record players. You would think it was the baby boomers that brought this all back. I am not so sure that this accurate though perceived. I am grateful for the return of the wax to those of my daughters generation because it has contributed to some fun in this phase of my life. And yes, I have even purchased a dual cassette deck (vintage) so that I can play my mixes!
This guy knows what he is talking about. Please pay attention!!!! Of course, I know people have their opinions, some of which are formed from first-hand experience, but then there are those that listen to other people who have an ax to grind. (My background: I went to school to learn about audio engineering, consumer electronics, music biz, etc. I have a degree and real world experience, because I was an actual studio engineer at 2 studios. In Nashvegas. We had the first SSL board with computer mixdown capabilities in town.) When it comes to consumer electronics, Kevin knows his shit. When he talks about WATTS, then he is right. You don't need more than 30 watts for your average room. I had a 15 watt system that would have gotten me kicked out of my apartment if I really turned it up. And it is all about high-efficiency speakers, as Kevin says. That is another thing I learned in school. That is one of the most important things when it comes to evaluating speakers, besides how they sound to you. High efficiency speakers use LESS watts to make their sound. So it seems like the people who want HIGH wattage amps are just like those who buy expensive sports cars......to make up for what they are lacking in certain areas. DON'T GET MAD! YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE! lol. Anyway, cassettes are a thing of the past. I had some friends who were releasing their albums on cassette, and I was thinking..........why? It's a trend in house/techno/chill music. Let's just leave cassettes in the past, where they belong, alongside 8-tracks. Unless you have a Nakamichi Dragon, then let's forget about cassettes once and for all! GARBAGE! *we had a Nakamichi cassette deck in one of the studios I worked at. You could align the heads, and it would make almost perfect copies of master tapes. But when was the last time you had access to master recordings? I don't care what you think of me, because it doesn't matter. But you should listen to KEVIN..........he is usually right. 'Nuff said
I’m still using my Nakamichi BX100 from 1986 head been back lapped I record on new old stock mainly TDK SA and TDK AD I record live sessions on BBC radio 6 from my I pad the results are really very good 😊
thanks Kevin, that was a great presentation. Couple of things I'd like to touch on. Wattage, back in early 70's I ran a Kenwood receiver (forget the model... about 30 watts a channel) into a pair of Bose 301. I had picked up a watt meter to put in line and it indicated listening wattage. At 1 watt it was a comfortable level and the receiver was only turned up maybe 20%. Now I have a Sansui system with a much greater wattage and when I turn the system up to 1 watts listening the sound is fuller .... I'm going to contribute that to the speaker sq inches of speaker diameter giving me more presence without being any louder, it's moving more air volume! Cassettes, problem with cassettes is that they are a magnetic recording device that looses it's potential volume over time due to the diminishing magnetic signature. That's where i use my Equalizer to either recreate another tape boosting where needed or to adjust to compensate. Albums, especially album art! I have a huge digital music library and one of the things I do is go out and find the best possible album cover art to use with that music format. I play my music through my laptop and present the visual on my 60 inch TV and run the audio through my stereo. But that still is not the best, you can't beat the in hand album cover especially all the other features that come with the album. I've got a small album library running about 650-700 albums where as I have just over 3600 digital albums.
You support another mitology. Cassettes and reel tape do not loose anything. I use tapes recorded in seventies and they all sound never worse then actual made recordings i do on my state of art R2R and casettes deck. . I have recordings on magnetic tape form radio in 1975 and compare to actual made by me usinfg the same LP and on Bang Olufsen Beogram and guess? The recorded in 1975 tapes sound more realistic - probably due better radio studio equipment . That has also support in science about magnetization. What people observe is usualy result of dirt which stick to tape surface or much wear of heads. By the way - scientist some 30 years ago proven that magnetic tape signal should last in normal condition at least 500 years. Do you always precisely align head azimuth to posessed old tapes?
The SounDesign with Tt on top and wicked El cheapo spkrs could ruin a new album fairly quickly. Once I Saw a stereo Tt and heard how great it sounded with an SX850 and 3-ways, I hooked that sounDesign to the stove circuit an fryed it, a ruger rifle took out the spkrs an I headed for Tech HiFi
One of my cassette decks developed a clicking noise from static build up, in storage for 40 years. I was amazed how easy it was to fix. The belts also survived and work nicely. But half the pilot lights on my vintage Pioneer Tuner died. How can something like that wear out when not in use?
I have recapped three receivers for myself. One of them fixed a hum I was having in the tone board. I have found some leaking caps doing this that I didn't notice until the cap was removed. I would never pay someone to do a total recap. If you know what you are doing then go ahead and do it yourself. Otherwise, buy something that is new or already restored.
A good (well-adjusted) Nakamichi or H-K deck and TDK SA or SA-X cassettes from the 1980s will still make tapes from LPs that are indistinguishable from the source.
My first component system was built around a Lafayette LR-810 receiver in 1972. 25wpc. Amazing little unit! Stayed with my partner when I moved east. It was finally done in by a burst pipe in the 1989 earthquake. When I arrived in NYC, wasn't sure if I'd be staying long so bought a used Pio SX-424 rig. Only 15wpc but outstanding sound. Upgraded to 1010 as a present to myself for my first Father's Day. It was mighty impressive but I never played it very loud. I doubt I ever drove it past 20 watts. My rig for the last 10 years is an SX-737 (35wpc). I think it's the best sounding unit I've had. It brings out details that I had never heard from albums I know well going back to the 60s; even can make many CDs (which didn't exist for another decade) sound so much more appealing. The experience listening to a lot of program on this setup is "they are here" versus "you are there" especially for jazz, classical, and rock before digital recording.
Hello Kevin, BIG thanks goin ur way for these great videos! Having bought 7 or 8 rcvrs in the last year I can say that if ya get pops n crackles it's a great chance it's noisy transistors, A hum in the rcvr in any mode is likely to be an electrolytic cap the small beer cans near the power transformer, or maybe a bad rectifier diode. No sound out and clicking sound is the ' protection circuit' which means either a short from speaker wires touching each other OR 8 ohm spkrs on A spkrs and 6 ohm spkrs on B w switch on A+B. Amp is designed to take minimum of 4 ohms 8's and 6 will give a little over 3 ohms. NOT GOOD!
Wattcha talking about? Get a rcvr with 20 to 40 watts with at least 1 tape loop 2 is better, phono is great and aux for say a a cd drive. Then u can go from FM phono or cd to make ur own tapes. Anything more than that is a waste of money. Newbies, a 35 watts per channel rcvr with a good pair of spkrs will give you plenty of volume even at half volume! I ought an sx650 rcvr 35 a channel, hooked them to a pair of floor spkrs w 12 inch woofers, even at half volume I had plenty of sound. Whatever ur budget try to put half towards the speakers, and when buying spkrs bring music u r very familiar with, music u really know how it sounds the instruments played. If a tambourine is played, u should hear it ,lots of bass?it should be heard as well, if not, those spkrs are not cutting the mustard.
Of all the vintage amps and receivers I have had repaired over the years, only once was the problem caused by a bad cap. It was a Pioneer SX-1010 receiver. A cap on the power supply board was bad that supplied power to the protection circuit.
Cassettes ??!! Man, 8-Tracks are where it's at !! I actually do still have my JVC Cassette Deck in my entertainment center. Also, my JVC AV-Receiver too. Believe it or not, I even still have an old TEAC (?) 8-Track Recorder/Player up in the attic somewhere. Those were the good old days. Pioneer cassette/AM/FM deck in my Oldsmobile Cutlass. Damn.... Getting back to what you were saying, I am currently enjoying the fact that my niece and her husband are enjoying having hooked up my Technics SA-500 to her departed Dad's old Bose 501s. Yes, another fun one. Take care...Rip
Right on! My first amp was 2 home built tube 8 watt mono blocks in the mid 60s. Then to a LA 750, then a bit later a Kenwood 9340 40 W x4 and 4 Bose 501s. Sounded great and blew the house down. Every one of those had good sound in my humble opinion. Now I listen with various amps my favorites being Marantz 1200 and HK Citation receiver. Cassette decks need TLC still have a few left the best is a Technics RS M75. I sold the RS M95 which was a great machine.
I really think you’re right when you say that younger people are getting into it. I follow Geraldine Hifi both on youtube and Instagram where she has a huge following and I love to see how passionate she is about all types of hifi. Lately she being showing a lot of cassettes videos and some of those have millions of views!
Love seeing more get into the hobby, I sometimes have friends come over for records n beers and some have started collecting vinyl and 2-3 now have vintage setups ive put together for them... As far as the recapping, Yeah people use that term way too much.. Always repair first or you may have a much harder time after youve messed with tons of other solder joints. Caps are usually the last part to catastrophically fail.
While it wasn't broken, recapping my Yamaha M-65 made a huge improvement. It sounded like it had a blanket draped over it before the recap. I'm gonna recap my Technics SL-Q2 next as preventative maintenance here soon. When a cap goes in one of these it takes out an almost irreplaceable chip. I do understand why technicians don't want to do this, it is labor intensive and the most often result is no immediately appreciable benefits.
My first receiver was a realistic 16 watt per channel. It sounded great. I bought a realistic speaker kit and had my own cabinets made. It was pretty awesome
Good information like always, FYI I asked you about loose bearings on a Sansui SR 929 turntable, my technician was able to fix the loose arm, there are adjustments for the arm. thanks again for the information.
I started DJing in '84 and got my 1st Stereo System in '83. I actually gave away some great 2 channel stuff about 15 years ago TEAC A-1250 and A-4010, Sansui 3 ways w/12” woofers, Panasonic "Thrusters" w/10" woofers with updated polypropylene drivers in both ports per enclosure, Pioneer Reverb and that cool, Auto Reverse Pioneer Deck that came with that integrated amp and tinder. I bought the huge "Battleship" Receiver that pulled so much current the lights in the house would blink at full volume. I gave all that stuff to my friend, Jose (may he rest in peace). You're giving sound advice. I got my mobile DJing with a 25w/channel, Sony STRX-250 something or another receiver my Mother bought me in the 10th grade for quite a while. Like Julian Hirsch said in High Fidelity Magazine, "spend your money on good sounding, efficient speakers". I've had a set of BookshelfvKEF's for 35 years now. Solid as a Rock
I like what you said about wattage. Our first house stereo Rotel 7.5 watts sounded great. Pioneer relievers in the seventies 45 watts very loud very good
Good spkrs with 15 watts will give u a lot of good sound. I picked up a sweep pioneer sx650 35w a channel. Hooked to my big-ass magnavox 3-ways I was surprised about how much sound I could get at half volume 17.5 watts
The great thing about the internet is that the younger gen can actually get informed and listen to the music easily. Easier than it was for us in the 70’s and 80’s I think. It opens them up to real music and a lot of totally different music that they normally wouldn’t get exposure too. I was a Network Tech for a school system for 20yrs. And I saw kids from grades 5 to 12 wearing Floyd, Beatles, Talking Heads etc Tshirts, and they actually knew stuff about the bands. It was freakin awesome to sit down with a 15yr old student at lunchtime and chat about the PF Division Bell or The Wall album or Beatles songs. I miss that a lot now I m retired. Cheers
I fully agree with everything you said. Like 15 watt Marantz 2215b sounds very good to my ear. In regards to cassette deck, one of the easiest to maintain running is I think the Teac 450. It has just one belt and very easy to change took me like few minutes.
i am 71 i have lots of old vintage radios lots of cbs that are 40- 50 years old an still have the same caps an my kids buy vintage stereo stuff so this baby boomer has past down whats good to them me just rebuilt 39p cv speakers an got my akia 635d reel to reel back on line to a sta 2000 why i like your vids you are right on keep it up...
I have an advent 8300 receiver and a pioneer SX 590 both totally rebuilt that were great with their 15 and 20 watts respectively into some very efficient Klipsch speakers
Kevin, on cassettes, there is more than meets the eye; despite all the trouble fixing tape decks, the low quality of the media, and troubles with magnetized tapes...you name it!!! they continue to rise in price that says something. Four years ago, I bought cassettes from thrift stores out of nostalgia for just 25 cents and, in some cases, got them for free, but today you will be lucky to pay 55 cents to 1 dollar for one good quality tape. It was reminiscent of when I started collecting vinyl in 2005, when I paid less than 25 cents for a vinyl record and that price held up for 6 to 7 years. Today, I hear the same thing about 8 tracks, for which I pay 25 cents or less, and some think I am nuts. Yes, 8 tracks are so annoying; the sponges degenerate, the tapes flake or break, they are harder to fix, and the sound quality is worse than cassette tapes, but I am paying less than 25 cents or less for music I like. Oh, by the way, I have a decent 8-track player that makes the tracks sound great to my ears. UA-cam has raised a lot of interest in many vintage aspects, some of which you or I may not relate to. I have been around too long, lol. Today, I regret never having collected reel-to-reel tapes, those things go for a premium...
The younger generations have noticed the trouble with streaming. It makes it hard to connect with the music and you don't own anything. Even with digital download, you own it, but can't hold it. Vinyl is great, but it is expensive format. They are putting out a lot of cassettes in UK and Europe in general. There is French and British tape stock manufacturing going on, and the stock is pretty good. It's definitely not just nostalgia. Vinyl is getting priced out of many people's budget, especially youth's. Both the records and turntables. I think older people miss how significant it can be to the youth to see the physical action connected to the reproduction of music. The portable players are like the suitcase turntables, first thing someone can afford to buy. The decks are a thing few companies are looking into, but it needs enough people on that first step ready to upgrade to be viable.
They also don't offer Dolby noise reduction, because Dolby is apparently no longer licensing the technology for cassette deck manufacturers anymore. I would recommend getting a well built, fully featured late 1970s to late 1980s cassette deck in decent cosmetic condition, without being severely damaged or missing parts, and spending the money to have the "soft" parts replaced, and the machine fully cleaned and aligned. Far better than anything built today.
I picked up an SX-650 @a thrift shop, hooked to my 60 Lb 3-way magnavox spkrs at midnight position on volume I was pushing 17.5 watts and I didn't need anymore. SO, w 2 tape loops phono and aux it is a GREAT rcvr. Watts are good say 50 per channel at most, BUT hvg 4 inputs is great as it gives versatility tapes songs from. phono or tape or cd to tape. U can use an Eq or equalizer between rcvr and tape as well.
Completely spot on! I had no idea the young'uns enjoyed vintage stereos. I thought it was just the last gasp of us coffin-dodging boomers! Mahalo for setting me straight on that! Aloha!
I’ve been binging for a few months. I bought a serviced Sansui 6060 in December that miraculously made it through a FedEx trip. Regarding the “watts” argument, I paired this receiver with some Klipsch R610-F speakers that have a 94db sensitivity. I have a great room with 25ft high peak, and have NEVER gone over 50% volume. This setup really delivers with loudness kicked on at low volumes. So I can attest to the lesser wattage need in most residential settings. Though I think I’d like to upgrade to a 7070 or 8080 just because of a few extra cosmetics and what not, sonically I’m really happy with what I have right now.
My son thought my 55WPC amp was not enough. I explained to him that even at 10WPC it starts to get really loud, especially since I have a sub in the mix. I showed him the wattage meter and when it was hitting "just" 10WPC it was loud enough (my system is in a small room) to be painful.
I always recorded my own cassettes, because the pre-made ones don't use high-quality tape material to start with. So I tended to buy a record, record a cassette, and then play the cassette routinely. So I wanted a high-quality cassette deck. Which meant Sendust Alloy heads; nothing else even comes close. I still have a large collection, including a new-in-box JVC KD-95.
It’s true about the wattage, especially now that I’m in my 60’s. I have a Sansui G-6700 that I rarely turn the volume up above 2 unless I’m listening to side 2 of J.D. Blackfoot’s The Ultimate Prophecy. Of course I have speakers that you seem to dislike, well you and everyone else as well, Sansui SP-X7700’s along with a set of mid 80’s Bose 301’s, but when I’m cranking that particular album up I thoroughly enjoy it along with my neighbors. LOL
I agree cassettes are probably done. In the late seventies early eighties cassettes served dual purposes, 1 to preserve albums by cleaning brand new album, record album to high end blank cassettes, store the album in upgraded sleeves and never play them again unless a cassette failed. 2 cassettes at the time where the best thing going in car audio. Today you can always digitally record an album to protect them. Also at least back in the day store bought prerecorded cassettes sucked compared to making your own on high end cassettes.
Kevin, thanks for going into such great detail about cassettes. I started getting back into cassettes a couple of years ago thinking it would be a cool nostalgia hobby. Unfortunately it turned out to be more frustrating than rewarding. Finding a cassette tape that plays without issue from start to finish can be very difficult much of the time. It’s not uncommon to have to buy as many as 3 or 4 copies of the same cassette just to get one good one. It got to be not worth the hassle. As for hardware, I have two cassette decks that are both in need of service. One I may just end up tossing to the curb, and the other is a Nakamichi RX-303 which is in pristine condition, however it’s not playing back cassettes properly. There are no service techs anywhere near my vicinity who work on Nakamichi, and my only option is to mail it to a tech several states away. I’ve come to the conclusion that with all the moving mechanical components in a cassette deck, there’s just too much that can go wrong, wear out, break, etc.. I’ve accepted that my Nakamichi cassette deck will most likely only be a nice looking decoration and conversation piece in my stereo system. Great video Kevin. Keep up the great work.
I was lucky enough to buy a near mint and fully overhauled early 1990s 3-head cassette deck with Dolby S a couple of years ago. With Metal and Cobalt doped tapes it effectively makes recordings that are indistinguishable from the original CD/LP. I'm also using a fifty year old Rotel amp with 50 watts RMS per channel. In my living room here in the UK it is completely impossible to use it turned up more than around a third on the volume control because it is just too damn loud for comfort.
Went to a local O'Reilly Auto Parts store last week. The workers were all in their 20s. And what were they listening to? Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon. The music from my youth, mid 1970s, has had incredible lasting power.
I've noticed several college-age kids in west Tennessee seem familiar with Pink Floyd!
Used to be O’Reilly’s. Mandela Effect. Also, the Pink Floyd album has ‘now always been’ THE Dark Side of the Moon. Another Mandela Effect.
I'm over 70yo, have lived thru 45s, LPs, cassettes, and CDs, and I agree with everything you said.
Me too !!!
I bought a Technics 333 cassetted deck for 60 bucks off Facebook marketplace, and bought a couple of 3D printed gears from a guy in Slavakia for pretty cheap. I still need to grab a cup of coffee and install them, though. It sounds better than my Pioneer CT-F1250. The only reason I'm bothering to fix these two decks is because I picked up hundreds of tapes at estate sales about 15 years ago for free. It's just kinda fun to play a tape every now and then.
3D printed gears,,,Mmmmmm!
1) You're lucky you found that guy! If that's what the Technics actually needs...
2) $60 for something barely worth $60 working? I'm not familiar with the 333, so correct me if I'm wrong for thinking that this is a mid-to-low end machine? Coles Notes Frank Zappa version: Is this trip really necessary?
3) It's not surprising that the Technics, even a relatively cheap one, sounds better than a Fry-An-Ear CTF-1250. I used to sell those drecks at a chain Hi-Fi store in a big shopping mall; not only did they sound lousy, but the 1250 was ESPECIALLY unreliable. Things actually improved as you went DOWN the range with Pioneer; the 950 & 850 were progressively more reliable, although they didn't sound much if any better.
The very bottom machines like the CTF-600 & CT-20 were reliable, AND sounded alot better too! But that's not saying too much, as they sounded pretty much like an average to slightly better than average el-cheapo cassette deck from any other manufacturer...🤦
@joerosen5464 You're exactly right. I actually used to sell the CTF 1250 as well. I was never impressed with it sound quality, at least for its price. But I also look at it as the 1959 pink Cadillac convertible of cassette decks. And the techniques actually sound significantly better and has more modern features in it.
Have the pioneer mainly for show. Think of it as kind of like having a Porsche Spyder. It's not the best handling thing around, nor is it comfortable, but it's pretty darn cool.
And I actually wanted the technics because I wasn't trying to get a special deal, I was just trying to get something that I could use. As a daily driver, if you will.
@joerosen5464 by the way, since I was in the business between 76 and 83, I actually had quite a few cassette decks. By far the best sounding when I had was a Denon DR350. The problem with that one was after about a year it had a problem with the clutch on the take-up rail squeaking. And there was no resolving it. That was really a pain because I replaced it with a Sony deck that was more expensive etc and it did not sound nearly as good. Frankly about that time I started moving on to beta Hi-Fi as an open real replacement. At the time I literally thought that would replace open reel, or at least there was a good chance it would. It didn't have the chatter problem that VHS sci-fi had. I actually did some DJ work at the time and I actually used that beta Hi-Fi machine for a lot of the music when I could pre-record the playlist. I even added some video along with it that you definitely can't do with with cassette tapes or open reel.
What I miss about cassettes is making "mix tapes" on my dual cassette deck. Buying "the best" cassettes (CrO2, or whatever the flavor of the day was on sale) and then writing the songs down on that tiny insert. The good ole days!
i record youtube music on to cassette
@@silversubaru590 i do it with spotify playlists made by me
I’m still making actual cassette mix tapes to this day. Started as a kid in the 80s and I just never stopped.
0😊😅😊😊
A fairly loud hum is likely to be a bad or open electrolytic cap in.power supply after the rectifiers to smoooooth out a.c. ripple. Fudge ripple is good though!
I really love that a lot of folks are into the vintage craze here lately. I also been wanting to go out scouting for a separates system but as far LP Records, or players, No Thanks! I'm not going back and have all the hassles like I had before, Put ALL my tunes on a solid state drive, or 2 and sit back and enjoy!
YES Kevin! WATTS: I have 2 x 15W in a 1974 Pioneer SX-434. It was given to me in 1979 when I was 14. Only recently did I learn that it's actually an entry level receiver and low power. I never knew that and never cared, I've always loved it. It has a great FM tuner, good sound, and PLENTY LOUD for me. I rarely turn the volume up to 1/3 of its travel, and in our 1800 sq. ft. 1.5 storey house I can clearly hear it around most of the house. And it's never been recapped. LOL!
Also, by staying at the lower end like this I can buy other brands to try - Sansui, Harman/Kardon, etc. - without spending the really big bucks. I can buy several lower powered receivers for the price of a single monster receiver or any Marantz.
Those are 15 clean watts!
Get an ADC 5 band Equalizer for it, put it in tape loop and hook Eq to a,CD player .
Much better than a sounDesign w bass n treble on 1 knob and a shit-ass cartridge an vinyl grinding stylus!.if u can, try to get an SX750 or Kdnwood's KR6600.good power 50 to 56 watts w lots of hook- ups.
Kenwood KR6600
In the mid-70s I was one of the 1st in my town to have to have a cassette deck to record on. I used it to save my records. The second play of an album was to record it for my car. Most of my record collection have lass than a dozen plays. Now my collection ROCKS! I still have my cassettes & 3 decks that are dying or dead.
I have the same record collection, although purchased in the 80’s. But my cassette collection still survives today, re-recording over tapes also bought in the 80’s, 90’s and making really sweet sounding tapes (new P3 turntable helps)!
Have you tried to open the decks and see how the belts are looking? sometimes it's just the belts that needs replacing.
In some cases, it can be done simply and easily, and plenty of tutorials on YT. Worth a shot
I've got an unopened Maxell UR 90 minute tape left.
@@redunzel77 nice, I have only one 100 minute Maxell with the Maxell/JBL guy on it, plan to tape over it with my new Favs!
The best vintage cassette decks I've had luck with restoring are from the following. Technics M270X, AKAI GX-F31 and Pioneer CT-W850R. The worst vintage tape decks for me have been anything Onkyo. Dude is also right. Almost any 70's vintage cassette deck's belts have turned to sticky black tar like goo in 2024. Cleaning all the parts is a time consuming challenge. Buy the older heavier tape decks because their parts are mostly metal, heavy duty plastic, big transformers, heavy motors and analog or primitive digital VU meters. Get a cassette deck that plays both metal tape types and has Dolby. The more features add you the more things there are to break. Keep your cassette deck Simple!
It's great to see the youngsters getting into good sound and good music. Tangible things. Enjoying music. Enjoying history. With friends and family face to face.
Another excellent and perceptive video, Kevin!
I view recapping vintage electronics as prophylactic, akin to putting new tires and changing the oil and filter on a 40-year-old barn-find car. Back in the days of tube gear, you almost had to change out caps and resistors every few years - heat and cruddy parts (by today's standards) guaranteed using such a strategy. Caps are engineered to last only a certain period of time, after which they can fail, and sometimes they can take out other components when they call it a life.
On the other hand, if a component is functioning properly, I regard recapping as a low-priority project. Occasionally, you note a slight improvement in the sound, but by no means always.
On the other hand, recapping the crossovers in speakers more than 30 years old very often results in significantly improved sound, in my experience. Speaker manufacturers have forever regarded the crossover as the first place on which to cheap out.
Just my experience . . . YMMV.
Well yeah,they want to make a profit and using the best caps n coils for a few thousand pairs of spkrs...they see as lost revenue.
Woh! I am still using some old Tannoy speakers from the early 90s, so maybe thirty years old. I forgot about the crossover caps. I will have to check them. Not that my ears are as good as they used to be, but who wants to blow your tweeters with full bass?
Geez Kevin, you did it again, you nailed it, on all points with the honest truth.. totally agree with everything you said, except I personally would love to see cassettes come back. I've been on a quest lately buying cassettes in mint like new condition for my vintage Teac cassette player. Which cassette tapes on a good system can sound amazing . And totally agree about the wattage thing,. I have a Pioneer 780, puts out 45 Watts but if I crank it up to 10 watts, it's far too loud for regular listening
Lol, I guess now I know why I can no longer buy cassette tapes for cheap. You are part of the competition hehehe.... Yeah, tapes are steadily rising in price and good ones are becoming harder to find.
I would love to see cassettes come back as well. I just don't think it's in the cards. A cassette in great condition played on a nice deck is a lot of fun - I agree 💯
@@edwardbagu1252are you buying cassette tapes to horde, or to play and enjoy.?
I'm buying them to play and enjoy,..
after I die you can have them them for cheap..lol
I enjoy this channel. I work at a non profit that receives vintage stereo speakers and amps and other gear so nice to know what the trends are (and what may carry more value). Thanks Kevin.
look forward to these video's every Sunday
I love my cassette decks. All 12 of them. I just recently purchased a few cassette lots on ebay. About 100 prerecorded in total. Only 3 of them have issues. Some sound better than my vinyl. Some not so much. There is just something about physical media that I love. I like the technical side of making recordings. It really tunes your ears into getting the best sound on them. Vintage is the BEST hobby. FYI- love your videos and your store!
Wow just wow, been in this hobby for a decade now, best compilation of truths ever!
Thank you. I feel better now. About ten years ago I started noticing an online obsession with "re-capping" on audio tech sites and ebay ("Newly re-capped!"). To my knowledge, I have never had a piece of vintage equipment stop functioning properly because of a capacitor failure, but I'm not a repair technician. Deoxit (and similar cleaning/lubricating products) can be great for dirty electrical connections, scratchy pots or freeing up sticky knobs, but it's kind of like washing and vacuuming your car. If the engine isn't working, that's probably not going to help much.
P.S. About the watts: Speakers today can be extremely efficient and pack a lot of punch into a relatively small box. Although I have some vintage Wharfedale, Infinity, Advent, Spica speakers, I mostly listen to my vintage amps and receivers through newer speakers from Monitor Audio, KEF, Klipsch, Focal and Triangle -- all of which have their own distinctive "company sounds," which can really bring the older equipment to life.
Three years selling vintage audio at the Trading Post here in Pueblo Colorado. I watch your programs ad inspiration and technical advice.
Kevin, you're right on the money with your comments about wattage and speaker efficiency. Thanks again for another Sunday morning fun one.
My personal experience supports this so much!
Kevin is so incredibly, consistently spot on with his comments in these videos. If you have interest in vintage, strongly consider his advice.. Thanks
Thanks for that!
I worked at a radio shack at 16. This was 1976, receivers went from 3 watts per channel to 150 then. I wired them all to a switcher and speakers to another. I used to put the 3 watt receiver on the mach 1s and it sounded fine. The best was maybe 40 to 75 watts, you got decent features, decent sound and a decent tuner. Tape decks, made a huge difference what you spent for making good recordings but not so much for playback. We had a nice dolby 8 track machine that did a fine job of making tapes better than pre recorded.
good video. While many lust after the big Pioneer or Sansui mega receiver, it is not needed by most. Most folks listen to 3-6 watts on average. Maybe 20 watts if speakers are not too efficient.
I remember a few years ago I re-capped a Sansui AU-317 for a friend, cleaned all the posts, reset the bias. Afterwards I measured all those OEM caps and they all still tested good with low ESR.
But along the same lines have seen many Sansuis with the famous semi-conductive glue that will eat component leads over time. also agree the young kids are really getting into vinyl and record platers/turntables which is really great to see.
Great video as always. I “fixed’ a Nakamichi 2Bx a few years ago to play my 1980’s tape collection. Reveled in the glory of those TDK SA tapes for about a week. Now it’s in the rack mostly to keep the CD player at a more convenient height.
I gave a lot of my 1960's and '70's vinyl to my son who also got my Dynaco A25 speakers and Dual 109 turntable. He had a digital setup to process the records and create digital files that he then could easily transport and replay anywhere with Blutooth. I kept the Pioneer SX424 that was the heart of the system in the 1970's because it had lost the left channel. I recently had it repaired for a couple hundred bucks (power circuit issue) and bought a cheap pair of small speakers that sound fine for my office room. I saw all the "recapping" stuff online, but found a technician who works on all the classic stuff locally and had him tell me what the issue was. It's back in service pumping its 13 watts per channel through those speakers that are a better match than the monsters I built back in the '70's when components were readily available and fairly inexpensive. Then I heard a set of Bose 901's at the local HiFi store hooked to a hefty Marantz amp and ......oh well.
Good video as always! A couple of comments: 1) Sony, more than anyone, recognized the portability benefits of cassettes with the development of their Walkman lineup. It's amazing how their market dominance in the category made them blind to their vulnerabilities-- in a matter of a few years the entire franchise evaporated with the onslaught of the iPod. 2) Your comments about unnecessary wattage are spot-on. Unfortunately it's a reality that higher-powered amps and receivers also have more functionality-- more tone controls, more inputs, more outputs, more metering etc. It was rare to find a model that had all the bells & whistles with only modest power output.
Just finished rebelting and replacing one of the capstans in my HK TD302 and it sounds glorious again. Another great video Kevin, thanks.
So as someone who is an engineer, I think you’re 50% right about the recapping (I also fix old electronics).
Capacitors are used to keep voltages stable, along with a slew of other things. For the most part, in a steady state circuit they are about the only things (or the quickest) things to degrade. Thus your transistors / resistors aren’t going to be receiving the correct voltages (albeit too much or too little) which causing strain on those components. It’s always good to recap old equipment, as it may just keep some really rare or irreplaceable transistors from needing to be repaired that much longer (looking at you, Dual 701 rare transistors).
Bad lectrolytic for power supply will either open giving hum or if shorted, blow fuse or burn out x- frmr
The thrift stores in my area are now selling cassettes, 8 tracks and VHS tapes. As a tech I have seen an uptick in cassette deck service in the last 4 years. It seems to be mainly 20 somethings driving this resurgence.
Lol @ the crapola player 😂
It spouts manure. Will F up a good album very nicely!
Gonna get brown muddy sound,no bright treble.
I stopped by with my pre-teen last Friday. I got a pair of Mirage Omni 250 tower speakers for my more modern stereo. I don't think they would have been a good match for a vintage receiver but they are right in line with what I was looking for. They are a big upgrade over my tiny surround speakers I was using. I also let my kid pick out a cassette. He choose a Deep Purple live album. We only have a player in my old SUV. I told him the player might eat the tape but that it would just be part of the cassette experience. 🤣 The tape is working great and he loves listening to it.
Glad to hear! Thanks for the business!
I just finished my system I’ve got a sansui au 700 as the amp .onyko cd player .a sansui equalizer .and a Sony turntable.for speakers I’ve got a set of wharfdale e 90s and a set of wharfdale e70s then a set of bmx halfstacks finished by a set of peavey half stack speakers this is more than I ever expected .it is amazingly clear and the bass will rumble your soul .every person that’s heard it says it’s the best sound stereo they have ever heard the receiver made the difference it’s a amazing system all old school and perfectly matched.can’t believe it’s in my living room
Happy to see another Sansui person! I love the look of the AU-700 !
I got two systems running on Sensui Amps, the one I'm listening to this video on is the AU-317 II and the kitchen one is the AU-D33. I just love the looks and sounds coming out from Sansui amps. Have fun!
So I’ve been chasing a sansui 33000 for a minute and I believe I’ve landed it I’ll know for sure in couple days it’s pricy but worth it I believe
I have played around with many solid state amps and receivers from the 70s. I am 44 and was born after most of the equipment I own was made. Glad to hear younger people are getting involved too.
So true, high efficiency speakers with medium wattage amps are the answer
Great video. Thanks so much Kevin.
I purchase blank cassettes so that I can record and play an entire album without getting up and flipping the vinyl. For instance, when playing music while cleaning the house, or perhaps taking a shower.
The problem is the restoration of cassette decks, where, unless you're an expert with knowledge and equipment, it's best left to someone who is.
Lastly, a vintage cassette deck worth spending hundreds of dollars to restore is best being a three head deck, which by itself will cost a minimum of between $400 and $4,000 depending on make, model and condition.
Great videos.
Congratulations for your comments! Always very sensible and respectible!
You're totally right about the Recapping.
My old Trio amp was noisey and the fault was early stage transistor in the power amp. section.
It's almost as if Trio/Kenwood guessed wrong on their choice of transistors in the early to mid 1970's.
Recapping electrolytic caps in power supply is good if u have ' hum' good caps will get rid of the a.c. ripple.
Always love your videos, considering moving close to your shop so I can be a regular 🤣
I am putting an era-correct cassette deck in my 82 Toyota, so I have to have some sweet tapes!
Kevin, l’m still rock’in to my mix and best of cassettes that I made in the 70’s and 80’s on my TEAC V-530X
Yay a new vid from Kevin. Love the channel. Definitely gonna be a fun one!
I had a Pioneer 9191 cassette deck in high school in the mid 90s. It was a hand me down from my brother. All my friends loved the look of it with the front loading function and the pull down curved cover. I wish I had kept all of the gear that he gave me. I’m just now getting reacquainted with vintage equipment. Trying to figure out what I want. I know for sure a 9191 will be part of my setup. Great channel and content. Thank you.
Almost all of them will need very expensive repairs, if you can even find one. I know first hand😢
Good one as usual. Love my cassette deck. I would not wish it on my worst enemy and have worked on it constantly. You have to be a little crazy and a little deaf to want to get a vintage deck and keep it running. You are right, they are never coming back. Total nostalgia trip and fun to tinker with but not practical. If you enjoy yours rock it!
My daughter is a freshman in high school. She's very into vintage audio & vinyl, so I've set her up with a an old early 70's Sansui system. Unfortunately, she loves the 80's hair bands, so that's where our common interests vastly diverge. I'd also dispute your take on cassettes, based on my experience with her and some of her friends with similar interests. As far as I can tell, the resurgence in interest around cassettes is almost entirely due to Stranger Things, but it's definitely real. They're in the thrift stores every single weekend looking for the next score. Staying power has yet to be seen, though.
You know their are lots of people that don’t even know that these treasures are even around anymore. So thanks for this channel
My TEAC V-500X cassette deck that I bought new in 1983 has never been serviced professionally, still runs nearly flawlessly and recordings I made on it back then still sound as good as the day I made them. Especially the ones using the dbx noise reduction.
About 8 years ago, my son took my iPod (remember those?) to middle-school. It had all my music on it. Pink Floyd, ELO, Dire Straits, Tom Petty, etc. He came home telling me he was the hit at school. All the kids wanted to listen to it. One of his teachers hooked it up to a speakers in the classroom at lunchtime. He's 23 now, and in the Air Force, and a lot of his buddies listen to classic rock.
Thanks for a great episode Kevin! Spot on with the comments about capacitors, when electronic flash first came out people were told to use them regularly as the capacitors would degrade otherwise. It was called reforming the capacitor and for some reason I never hear that being talked about, always the battle cry of replace the capacitors! I think it's much better to use your stereo equipment regularly in order to keep those pesky capacitors happy.
They have a lifespan regardless of their ‘happiness’. And it ain’t longer than 50 years.
I came across this feed recently (finally something to thank an algorithm for ... ) and just wish that I lived close enough to drop by for a visit.
You are definitely helping to put Des Moines on the map 😊
My granddaughter has turned to vinyl. I got her a set of Jamo bookshelf speakers and an AM FM Sony stero receiver non vintage. Her other grandparents got her an Audio Technica direct drive turn table. She's a bass player in a rock band. When she graduates I am planing on getting her nice vintage receiver and speakers. Pioneer is dear to my heart, but I am leaning towards Harman Karden.
Kardon
More great info Kevin! Love the Technician in a can 😂
A great thing about a lot of this equipment is it is being recycled and restored for another 40 or 50 or even 60 years of use.
Hey Kevin , I'd like to say I really appreciate and enjoy your channel , it's open and refreshing , you definitely have earned your place in tha audio community , anyway keep up tha good work , your super, many thanks , Anthony
Great videos Kevin, keep up the great work of educating people on the equipment and actual history of music, when music was real & touched your soul. Even is manufacturers do start making better decks, the tapes themselves need to be improved as in being able to maintain their quality sound for more than a decade or more as over time they lose their ability to hold their magnetism. Albums & CD's don't really lose the quality of sound if taken care of.
Great video Kevin. Two things that have stayed with me since our last conversation when I thought I needed a new amp (I thought I was needing a new amp which actually ended up being the cable). 1. you mentioned that my amp was probably a Class B and 2. the difference in how wattage was measured from vintage amps in comparison to more modern day amps. If you haven't already done a video on these topics I would love to hear this explained in greater detail. I am sure I will need a new amp at some point (actually I am considering buying a vintage amp to see if I can tell the difference) so understanding more of what is the difference of the Class B vs Class A and the wattage comparison I would find very interesting. I have an 85 watt per channel Denon (purchased 2009). I do love to listen to music but am very much a novice when it comes to understanding the picking and matching of components.
Great video Kevin...I run the Sansui AU505 with some baby Advent 2's and a Pioneer PL41 turntable...Sounds great and plenty of power.
This guy knows his stuff man!
Thanks for sharing. Have a great week!!
Thank you! You too!
I purchased my H/K CD-301 cassette deck new somewhere around 1980. Makes a little bit of motor noise and the counter stops at zero on rewind. With metal tape and Dolby C, the sound is so close to the cd you can barely tell the difference. It’s a beautiful piece of equipment.
I agree with you on your point of how much the younger generations are involved now in Vintage audio; especially the media of lps. The apparent perception of older men and women yielding the benefits of this renaissance are suggestively if not deliberately credited with this movement. They may have contributed to some of the momentum, but I do not believe they (we) launched this. I am older than 55. My daughter who is now in her early 30's began borrowing my dust collecting lps when she was in high school. At that time she and her friends were looking into buying record players. You would think it was the baby boomers that brought this all back. I am not so sure that this accurate though perceived. I am grateful for the return of the wax to those of my daughters generation because it has contributed to some fun in this phase of my life. And yes, I have even purchased a dual cassette deck (vintage) so that I can play my mixes!
These videos are great and you are spot on!
Glad you like them!
This guy knows what he is talking about. Please pay attention!!!! Of course, I know people have their opinions, some of which are formed from first-hand experience, but then there are those that listen to other people who have an ax to grind. (My background: I went to school to learn about audio engineering, consumer electronics, music biz, etc. I have a degree and real world experience, because I was an actual studio engineer at 2 studios. In Nashvegas. We had the first SSL board with computer mixdown capabilities in town.) When it comes to consumer electronics, Kevin knows his shit. When he talks about WATTS, then he is right. You don't need more than 30 watts for your average room. I had a 15 watt system that would have gotten me kicked out of my apartment if I really turned it up. And it is all about high-efficiency speakers, as Kevin says. That is another thing I learned in school. That is one of the most important things when it comes to evaluating speakers, besides how they sound to you. High efficiency speakers use LESS watts to make their sound. So it seems like the people who want HIGH wattage amps are just like those who buy expensive sports cars......to make up for what they are lacking in certain areas. DON'T GET MAD! YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE! lol. Anyway, cassettes are a thing of the past. I had some friends who were releasing their albums on cassette, and I was thinking..........why? It's a trend in house/techno/chill music. Let's just leave cassettes in the past, where they belong, alongside 8-tracks. Unless you have a Nakamichi Dragon, then let's forget about cassettes once and for all! GARBAGE! *we had a Nakamichi cassette deck in one of the studios I worked at. You could align the heads, and it would make almost perfect copies of master tapes. But when was the last time you had access to master recordings? I don't care what you think of me, because it doesn't matter. But you should listen to KEVIN..........he is usually right. 'Nuff said
I’m still using my Nakamichi BX100 from 1986 head been back lapped I record on new old stock mainly TDK SA and TDK AD I record live sessions on BBC radio 6 from my I pad the results are really very good 😊
I’m big into tattoos and appreciate yours haha nice
thanks Kevin, that was a great presentation. Couple of things I'd like to touch on. Wattage, back in early 70's I ran a Kenwood receiver (forget the model... about 30 watts a channel) into a pair of Bose 301. I had picked up a watt meter to put in line and it indicated listening wattage. At 1 watt it was a comfortable level and the receiver was only turned up maybe 20%. Now I have a Sansui system with a much greater wattage and when I turn the system up to 1 watts listening the sound is fuller .... I'm going to contribute that to the speaker sq inches of speaker diameter giving me more presence without being any louder, it's moving more air volume! Cassettes, problem with cassettes is that they are a magnetic recording device that looses it's potential volume over time due to the diminishing magnetic signature. That's where i use my Equalizer to either recreate another tape boosting where needed or to adjust to compensate. Albums, especially album art! I have a huge digital music library and one of the things I do is go out and find the best possible album cover art to use with that music format. I play my music through my laptop and present the visual on my 60 inch TV and run the audio through my stereo. But that still is not the best, you can't beat the in hand album cover especially all the other features that come with the album. I've got a small album library running about 650-700 albums where as I have just over 3600 digital albums.
You support another mitology. Cassettes and reel tape do not loose anything. I use tapes recorded in seventies and they all sound never worse then actual made recordings i do on my state of art R2R and casettes deck. . I have recordings on magnetic tape form radio in 1975 and compare to actual made by me usinfg the same LP and on Bang Olufsen Beogram and guess? The recorded in 1975 tapes sound more realistic - probably due better radio studio equipment . That has also support in science about magnetization. What people observe is usualy result of dirt which stick to tape surface or much wear of heads. By the way - scientist some 30 years ago proven that magnetic tape signal should last in normal condition at least 500 years. Do you always precisely align head azimuth to posessed old tapes?
Great video, Kevin. Love the Donny and Marie player. I think all of us of a certain age had something very similar. :)
Glad you enjoyed it
The SounDesign with Tt on top and wicked El cheapo spkrs could ruin a new album fairly quickly. Once I Saw a stereo Tt and heard how great it sounded with an SX850 and 3-ways, I hooked that sounDesign to the stove circuit an fryed it, a ruger rifle took out the spkrs an I headed for Tech HiFi
One of my cassette decks developed a clicking noise from static build up, in storage for 40 years. I was amazed how easy it was to fix. The belts also survived and work nicely. But half the pilot lights on my vintage Pioneer Tuner died. How can something like that wear out when not in use?
Good info.
I have recapped three receivers for myself. One of them fixed a hum I was having in the tone board. I have found some leaking caps doing this that I didn't notice until the cap was removed. I would never pay someone to do a total recap. If you know what you are doing then go ahead and do it yourself. Otherwise, buy something that is new or already restored.
Great video!
A good (well-adjusted) Nakamichi or H-K deck and TDK SA or SA-X cassettes from the 1980s will still make tapes from LPs that are indistinguishable from the source.
My first component system was built around a Lafayette LR-810 receiver in 1972. 25wpc. Amazing little unit! Stayed with my partner when I moved east. It was finally done in by a burst pipe in the 1989 earthquake. When I arrived in NYC, wasn't sure if I'd be staying long so bought a used Pio SX-424 rig. Only 15wpc but outstanding sound. Upgraded to 1010 as a present to myself for my first Father's Day. It was mighty impressive but I never played it very loud. I doubt I ever drove it past 20 watts. My rig for the last 10 years is an SX-737 (35wpc). I think it's the best sounding unit I've had. It brings out details that I had never heard from albums I know well going back to the 60s; even can make many CDs (which didn't exist for another decade) sound so much more appealing. The experience listening to a lot of program on this setup is "they are here" versus "you are there" especially for jazz, classical, and rock before digital recording.
Hello Kevin, BIG thanks goin ur way for these great videos!
Having bought 7 or 8 rcvrs in the last year I can say that if ya get pops n crackles it's a great chance it's noisy transistors,
A hum in the rcvr in any mode is likely to be an electrolytic cap the small beer cans near the power transformer, or maybe a bad rectifier diode.
No sound out and clicking sound is the ' protection circuit' which means either a short from speaker wires touching each other OR 8 ohm spkrs on A spkrs and 6 ohm spkrs on B w switch on A+B. Amp is designed to take minimum of 4 ohms 8's and 6 will give a little over 3 ohms. NOT GOOD!
Wattcha talking about? Get a rcvr with 20 to 40 watts with at least 1 tape loop 2 is better, phono is great and aux for say a a cd drive. Then u can go from FM phono or cd to make ur own tapes. Anything more than that is a waste of money.
Newbies, a 35 watts per channel rcvr with a good pair of spkrs will give you plenty of volume even at half volume!
I ought an sx650 rcvr 35 a channel, hooked them to a pair of floor spkrs w 12 inch woofers, even at half volume I had plenty of sound.
Whatever ur budget try to put half towards the speakers, and when buying spkrs bring music u r very familiar with, music u really know how it sounds the instruments played. If a tambourine is played, u should hear it ,lots of bass?it should be heard as well, if not, those spkrs are not cutting the mustard.
Of all the vintage amps and receivers I have had repaired over the years, only once was the problem caused by a bad cap. It was a Pioneer SX-1010 receiver. A cap on the power supply board was bad that supplied power to the protection circuit.
Cassettes ??!! Man, 8-Tracks are where it's at !! I actually do still have my JVC Cassette Deck in my entertainment center. Also, my JVC AV-Receiver too. Believe it or not, I even still have an old TEAC (?) 8-Track Recorder/Player up in the attic somewhere. Those were the good old days. Pioneer cassette/AM/FM deck in my Oldsmobile Cutlass. Damn.... Getting back to what you were saying, I am currently enjoying the fact that my niece and her husband are enjoying having hooked up my Technics SA-500 to her departed Dad's old Bose 501s. Yes, another fun one. Take care...Rip
Right on! My first amp was 2 home built tube 8 watt mono blocks in the mid 60s. Then to a LA 750, then a bit later a Kenwood 9340 40 W x4 and 4 Bose 501s. Sounded great and blew the house down. Every one of those had good sound in my humble opinion. Now I listen with various amps my favorites being Marantz 1200 and HK Citation receiver. Cassette decks need TLC still have a few left the best is a Technics RS M75. I sold the RS M95 which was a great machine.
7:36 - "Pile' was misspelled! :)
I really think you’re right when you say that younger people are getting into it. I follow Geraldine Hifi both on youtube and Instagram where she has a huge following and I love to see how passionate she is about all types of hifi. Lately she being showing a lot of cassettes videos and some of those have millions of views!
Love seeing more get into the hobby, I sometimes have friends come over for records n beers and some have started collecting vinyl and 2-3 now have vintage setups ive put together for them...
As far as the recapping, Yeah people use that term way too much.. Always repair first or you may have a much harder time after youve messed with tons of other solder joints.
Caps are usually the last part to catastrophically fail.
While it wasn't broken, recapping my Yamaha M-65 made a huge improvement. It sounded like it had a blanket draped over it before the recap. I'm gonna recap my Technics SL-Q2 next as preventative maintenance here soon. When a cap goes in one of these it takes out an almost irreplaceable chip. I do understand why technicians don't want to do this, it is labor intensive and the most often result is no immediately appreciable benefits.
Recapped my SX-1050 and Realistic STA-2200 and had the same experience. Both came back sounding noticeably better.
Crackles n pops are a noisy transistor, and Ted Bundy.
My first receiver was a realistic 16 watt per channel. It sounded great. I bought a realistic speaker kit and had my own cabinets made. It was pretty awesome
Another fun one 👍
Let's see some low power classics or sleepers paired up to some speakers in your shop !!!
I was worried for a second that it was not going to be a fun one. Ha ha
I second this. Show us some low power units with reasonably high efficiency speakers. Although it’s probably hard to get the feel through UA-cam.
Good information like always, FYI I asked you about loose bearings on a Sansui SR 929 turntable, my technician was able to fix the loose arm, there are adjustments for the arm. thanks again for the information.
I started DJing in '84 and got my 1st Stereo System in '83. I actually gave away some great 2 channel stuff about 15 years ago TEAC A-1250 and A-4010, Sansui 3 ways w/12” woofers, Panasonic "Thrusters" w/10" woofers with updated polypropylene drivers in both ports per enclosure, Pioneer Reverb and that cool, Auto Reverse Pioneer Deck that came with that integrated amp and tinder. I bought the huge "Battleship" Receiver that pulled so much current the lights in the house would blink at full volume. I gave all that stuff to my friend, Jose (may he rest in peace).
You're giving sound advice. I got my mobile DJing with a 25w/channel, Sony STRX-250 something or another receiver my Mother bought me in the 10th grade for quite a while.
Like Julian Hirsch said in High Fidelity Magazine, "spend your money on good sounding, efficient speakers". I've had a set of BookshelfvKEF's for 35 years now. Solid as a Rock
I like what you said about wattage. Our first house stereo Rotel 7.5 watts sounded great. Pioneer relievers in the seventies 45 watts very loud very good
Good spkrs with 15 watts will give u a lot of good sound. I picked up a sweep pioneer sx650 35w a channel. Hooked to my big-ass magnavox 3-ways I was surprised about how much sound I could get at half volume 17.5 watts
Sweet sx650
The great thing about the internet is that the younger gen can actually get informed and listen to the music easily. Easier than it was for us in the 70’s and 80’s I think.
It opens them up to real music and a lot of totally different music that they normally wouldn’t get exposure too.
I was a Network Tech for a school system for 20yrs.
And I saw kids from grades 5 to 12 wearing Floyd, Beatles, Talking Heads etc Tshirts, and they actually knew stuff about the bands.
It was freakin awesome to sit down with a 15yr old student at lunchtime and chat about the PF Division Bell or The Wall album or Beatles songs.
I miss that a lot now I m retired.
Cheers
I fully agree with everything you said. Like 15 watt Marantz 2215b sounds very good to my ear. In regards to cassette deck, one of the easiest to maintain running is I think the Teac 450. It has just one belt and very easy to change took me like few minutes.
i am 71 i have lots of old vintage radios lots of cbs that are 40- 50 years old an still have the same caps an my kids buy vintage stereo stuff so this baby boomer has past down whats good to them me just rebuilt 39p cv speakers an got my akia 635d reel to reel back on line to a sta 2000 why i like your vids you are right on keep it up...
My daughter had to have my Yamaha 2020 receiver. She uses it all the time and loves the classic stuff
I have an advent 8300 receiver and a pioneer SX 590 both totally rebuilt that were great with their 15 and 20 watts respectively into some very efficient Klipsch speakers
Kevin, on cassettes, there is more than meets the eye; despite all the trouble fixing tape decks, the low quality of the media, and troubles with magnetized tapes...you name it!!! they continue to rise in price that says something. Four years ago, I bought cassettes from thrift stores out of nostalgia for just 25 cents and, in some cases, got them for free, but today you will be lucky to pay 55 cents to 1 dollar for one good quality tape. It was reminiscent of when I started collecting vinyl in 2005, when I paid less than 25 cents for a vinyl record and that price held up for 6 to 7 years. Today, I hear the same thing about 8 tracks, for which I pay 25 cents or less, and some think I am nuts. Yes, 8 tracks are so annoying; the sponges degenerate, the tapes flake or break, they are harder to fix, and the sound quality is worse than cassette tapes, but I am paying less than 25 cents or less for music I like. Oh, by the way, I have a decent 8-track player that makes the tracks sound great to my ears. UA-cam has raised a lot of interest in many vintage aspects, some of which you or I may not relate to. I have been around too long, lol. Today, I regret never having collected reel-to-reel tapes, those things go for a premium...
The younger generations have noticed the trouble with streaming. It makes it hard to connect with the music and you don't own anything. Even with digital download, you own it, but can't hold it.
Vinyl is great, but it is expensive format. They are putting out a lot of cassettes in UK and Europe in general. There is French and British tape stock manufacturing going on, and the stock is pretty good. It's definitely not just nostalgia. Vinyl is getting priced out of many people's budget, especially youth's. Both the records and turntables. I think older people miss how significant it can be to the youth to see the physical action connected to the reproduction of music. The portable players are like the suitcase turntables, first thing someone can afford to buy. The decks are a thing few companies are looking into, but it needs enough people on that first step ready to upgrade to be viable.
Definitely gonna be a fun one
Every single cassette deck made these days uses the same cheap mechanism made in China, even that expensive Tascam.
They also don't offer Dolby noise reduction, because Dolby is apparently no longer licensing the technology for cassette deck manufacturers anymore.
I would recommend getting a well built, fully featured late 1970s to late 1980s cassette deck in decent cosmetic condition, without being severely damaged or missing parts, and spending the money to have the "soft" parts replaced, and the machine fully cleaned and aligned. Far better than anything built today.
Literally every one of them? I’d likes a decent cassette deck but even the vintage ones I have I think are junk.
Find a good vintage deck (Nakamichi, Yamaha, Technics), and put in the work to restore it. It's not hard. I've restored 5 with no prior experience.
Mostly cause cassettes in general are terrible
@@CatsEatNomNom they sound good on good systems
I have to say I do enjoy your channel..
My first good stereo was built around a 15 watt Kenwood receiver and it sounded great. I wish I had never "upgraded".
I picked up an SX-650 @a thrift shop, hooked to my 60 Lb 3-way magnavox spkrs at midnight position on volume I was pushing 17.5 watts and I didn't need anymore.
SO, w 2 tape loops phono and aux it is a GREAT rcvr.
Watts are good say 50 per channel at most, BUT hvg 4 inputs is great as it gives versatility tapes songs from. phono or tape or cd to tape.
U can use an Eq or equalizer between rcvr and tape as well.
I’m assuming the pots in the balance and volume control of my DBX CX-3 mkII are heavily oxidized. They both work in some positions but not well.
Completely spot on!
I had no idea the young'uns enjoyed vintage stereos. I thought it was just the last gasp of us coffin-dodging boomers! Mahalo for setting me straight on that! Aloha!
I’ve been binging for a few months. I bought a serviced Sansui 6060 in December that miraculously made it through a FedEx trip. Regarding the “watts” argument, I paired this receiver with some Klipsch R610-F speakers that have a 94db sensitivity. I have a great room with 25ft high peak, and have NEVER gone over 50% volume. This setup really delivers with loudness kicked on at low volumes. So I can attest to the lesser wattage need in most residential settings. Though I think I’d like to upgrade to a 7070 or 8080 just because of a few extra cosmetics and what not, sonically I’m really happy with what I have right now.
My son thought my 55WPC amp was not enough. I explained to him that even at 10WPC it starts to get really loud, especially since I have a sub in the mix. I showed him the wattage meter and when it was hitting "just" 10WPC it was loud enough (my system is in a small room) to be painful.
I always recorded my own cassettes, because the pre-made ones don't use high-quality tape material to start with. So I tended to buy a record, record a cassette, and then play the cassette routinely. So I wanted a high-quality cassette deck. Which meant Sendust Alloy heads; nothing else even comes close. I still have a large collection, including a new-in-box JVC KD-95.
It’s true about the wattage, especially now that I’m in my 60’s. I have a Sansui G-6700 that I rarely turn the volume up above 2 unless I’m listening to side 2 of J.D. Blackfoot’s The Ultimate Prophecy. Of course I have speakers that you seem to dislike, well you and everyone else as well, Sansui SP-X7700’s along with a set of mid 80’s Bose 301’s, but when I’m cranking that particular album up I thoroughly enjoy it along with my neighbors. LOL
I agree cassettes are probably done. In the late seventies early eighties cassettes served dual purposes, 1 to preserve albums by cleaning brand new album, record album to high end blank cassettes, store the album in upgraded sleeves and never play them again unless a cassette failed. 2 cassettes at the time where the best thing going in car audio. Today you can always digitally record an album to protect them. Also at least back in the day store bought prerecorded cassettes sucked compared to making your own on high end cassettes.
Kevin, thanks for going into such great detail about cassettes. I started getting back into cassettes a couple of years ago thinking it would be a cool nostalgia hobby. Unfortunately it turned out to be more frustrating than rewarding. Finding a cassette tape that plays without issue from start to finish can be very difficult much of the time. It’s not uncommon to have to buy as many as 3 or 4 copies of the same cassette just to get one good one. It got to be not worth the hassle. As for hardware, I have two cassette decks that are both in need of service. One I may just end up tossing to the curb, and the other is a Nakamichi RX-303 which is in pristine condition, however it’s not playing back cassettes properly. There are no service techs anywhere near my vicinity who work on Nakamichi, and my only option is to mail it to a tech several states away. I’ve come to the conclusion that with all the moving mechanical components in a cassette deck, there’s just too much that can go wrong, wear out, break, etc.. I’ve accepted that my Nakamichi cassette deck will most likely only be a nice looking decoration and conversation piece in my stereo system. Great video Kevin. Keep up the great work.
Yeah, your story is all too common. I wish it wasn't that way, but it is. Thanks for watching and the comment.
I was lucky enough to buy a near mint and fully overhauled early 1990s 3-head cassette deck with Dolby S a couple of years ago. With Metal and Cobalt doped tapes it effectively makes recordings that are indistinguishable from the original CD/LP. I'm also using a fifty year old Rotel amp with 50 watts RMS per channel. In my living room here in the UK it is completely impossible to use it turned up more than around a third on the volume control because it is just too damn loud for comfort.