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From: wagner@uw-june (Dave Wagner)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: Wanted:  cassette deck advice!
Message-ID: <90@uw-june>
Date: Fri, 22-Feb-85 12:40:12 EST
Article-I.D.: uw-june.90
Posted: Fri Feb 22 12:40:12 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 03:37:01 EST
References: <4846@cbscc.UUCP>
Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
Lines: 38

> (From etl@cbscc.UUCP (Eugene T. Levine) Sat Feb  5 22:28:16 206)_
> I'm looking to buy a cassette deck ($300 - $400) range, possible local
> (Columbus, OH) or mail order (ie: Illinois Audio, or Direct Sight and Sound
> of Alanta).  Several choices I've had recommended are:
> 	1) JVC KD-V6          local ~$299        mail ~$229
> 	2) Nakamichi LX-3     local ~$599        mail ~$399
> 	3) Onkyo TA-2056      local ~$369
> 	4) Sony TC-K555       local ~$399        mail ~$329
> 
> A salesman trying to put down the Nak mentioned that Nak aligns
> the heads on their decks different from most other decks, is this
> true? Isn`t there some kind of standard?

Your salesman may be correct.  I used to own a Nak BX-2, which made superb
recordings.  It was stolen, and I now own the JVC KD-V6.  Unfortunately,
most of my old tapes, when played on the JVC, have no high frequencies!
I was sure that the JVC was at fault, so I took it to an authorized repair
center to have the heads aligned.  NO CHANGE.  (By the way, the JVC's
record/playback performance is fine; only the playback of old tapes is
bad.  Also, commercially pre-recorded tapes sound OK on the JVC.)

The NAKs are superb performers, well worth the money; but if you have a
large investment in non-NAK recorded tapes, you really ought to try to listen
to one before you buy it.  I sure wish I had listened to
the JVC before I bought it!

On the other hand, if you don't own any tapes already, you will be able
to make good tapes with any of the decks above.  (I've not heard the ONKYO,
however.)  By the way, the SONY strikes me as a deck in which you are 
paying a lot of extra money for convenience features instead of extra
performance.

			Dave Wagner
			University of Washington Comp Sci Department
			wagner@{uw-june.arpa|washington.arpa}
			{ihnp4|decvax}!uw-beaver!uw-june!wagner

"Oh no!  I've got . . . . .   HAPPY FEET!"