• Welcome to ASR. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

How About Creating a Modern Cassette Player?

People keep pointing to this TEAC.... I have no frame of reference https://www.amazon.com/W-1200-Cassette-Recorder-Karaoke-Mic-Remote/dp/B07G9NBW1L/ref=sr_1_5
61D6OPbS7DL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

Dual One Way decks
 
Rudimentary noise reduction, and only for playback.
Since Dolby quit selling their (noise reduction) to cassette deck makers...that probably has something to do with the issue with cassette deck, what'cha think?
No decent noise reduction and the lack of decent blank tape formulations (Type II & Type IV). Which, if the were being mass produced these days wood likely be cheaper than they were then.
I'm actually surprised no one has done a newer, better (perhaps a computer program) one.
 
Last edited:
It’s based on the same cheap Tanashin clone mechanism that all portable cassette decks employ today.
Since Dolby quit selling theirs to cassette deck makers...that probably has something to do with the issue with cassette deck, what'cha think?
No decent noise reduction and the lack of decent blank tape formulations (Type II & Type IV). Which, if the were being mass produced these days wood likely be cheaper than they were then.
These pretty much kills the idea , you cant get good mechanics and no good tape and no standardised noise reduction ? You can only produce novelty items no real cassete decks
 
These pretty much kills the idea , you cant get good mechanics and no good tape and no standardized noise reduction ? You can only produce novelty items no real cassette decks
And the people that can restore the older decks (as well as the parts) are getting less & less. (I have a couple of AKAI Reel to Reels and a couple of dual bay cassette decks [a JVC & a Kenwood). So far I have been able to keep them in good repair.
I have many family things on cassette, all the communications between Houston & the spaceship & the Lunar Module of the first moon landing on an unopened reel to reel tape and other cool stuff that I plan on digitizing in the upcoming year.
 
Would love a modern version of this:
Pioneer-ctw606dr.jpg
 

I wish more people talked about how computer software changes the cassette recording and playback experience. Something like iZotope RX not only allows you to correct many issues and limitations of recordings and decks (e.g. channel balance, FR, azimuth issues) but you can also use it to create a custom EQ for your individual recording cassette to maximize quality. All you need to do is compare a the result to the original like this.

CD V REALISTIC.gif


Adding Dolby EQ through something like the program you mention only makes things better. I'm a big fan of his "Nak" T100 app.


Would love a modern version of this:
Pioneer-ctw606dr.jpg

I restored a Pioneer CT-W650R last year. Found original belts and pinch rollers too. If the one you link to is even a slight improvement it is a really nice player that makes everything super easy.

Even this Sony TC-WA8ESA that was a direct competitor in the late 90s is remarkable. Technically an ES though the plastic build betrays that (a little sound deadening material like dynamat under the top helps make if feel more premium), it has all the bells and whistles and the sophisticated tech works so well, all at the cost of about 0.02% WRMS wow and flutter when compared to the best single 3 head decks of the era. (At least on the non-reverse playback side.)
 
all the communications between Houston & the spaceship & the Lunar Module of the first moon landing on an unopened reel to reel tape and other cool stuff that I plan on digitizing in the upcoming year.
You might be interested in this. Original audio and video from entire Apollo 11 landing. More thrilling than any action movie.

 
  • Like
Reactions: EJ3
Since Dolby quit selling their (noise reduction) to cassette deck makers...that probably has something to do with the issue with cassette deck, what'cha think?
No decent noise reduction and the lack of decent blank tape formulations (Type II & Type IV). Which, if the were being mass produced these days wood likely be cheaper than they were then.
I'm actually surprised no one has done a newer, better (perhaps a computer program) one.
Yes, exactly so. Indeed, discussed here (at ASR) before.
 
Here’s another video assembled earlier by the same person. It’s from PDI (powered descent initiation) to touchdown. I like it a little better:

 
  • Like
Reactions: EJ3
Hello audiophiles!

We're contemplating venturing into cassette players and would love your input. With many vintage Walkmans becoming hard to repair, niche bands releasing music on tapes, and a steady demand for cassette players, we see an opportunity. However, current models often don't live up to expectations, so we're eager to offer you an alternative.

As you know, cassette player technology from 20 years ago has largely been lost, making production challenging due to scarce core components. We're in the initial stages of defining this product and would greatly value your insights to co-create something special.

After some research, we've developed three concepts and we're curious to know which resonates with you:

1. A focus on playback and sound quality, minimizing other features. We'd concentrate on the mechanical structure and high-quality magnetic heads. Our aim is affordability and a sleek design, creating a dedicated music player without an overload of features.

2. Besides playback and sound quality, we're considering additional features like AIWA-style EQ custom tuning, various sound enhancements (bass, treble), Bluetooth connectivity, and recording capabilities. It might be slightly bulkier and pricier, but the added functionality would enhance its longevity and playability.

3. Alternatively, we could move away from the traditional Walkman model and create a modern, compact cassette deck. This would incorporate Bluetooth transmission, analog-to-digital conversion, and recording functions. If you have more ideas, we're all ears!

Which direction appeals to you most? What price point would you consider reasonable?

Or, just let us know your ideal vision of a cassette player. We're excited to hear from you!
View attachment 345113
To be truly useful, some sort of noise reduction that is somehow compatible with the old Dolby series of noise reduction. Otherwise playback of millions (perhaps billions) of existing older tapes is problematic.
 
Often, when listening to Dolby encoded tapes, I prefer to defeat Dolby processing on playback in order to boost the treble, and find the increased hiss fairly innocuous.
 
I wouldn't if I were you.

One of my tasks was to regular measure and repair a wall of cassette recorders which were used for "high quality" content testing distribution and so were heavily used. This task has given me an incredibly negative opinion on cassette decks and cassette tape as a medium. I also did similar tasks with professional 1/4" tape machines and phono systems which were much better (yes I much prefer LP playback to cassette).

Cassette to cassette variability (even from the same batch) is awful. Machine to machine variability (even from the same vendor and model number) is awful. It's absolutely essential to have a very very rigid platform and a mechanism to minimise tape weave in the cassette along the length of the tape. Head geometry variability made bias settings and consistent recording of anything above 5kHz a joke. You might be lucky and a tape recorded on machine 17 measured OK on machine 17 when played back, but even that was a lottery.

In my opinion it's a simply terrible medium. Thankfully we have digital now, so can eschew cassettes
Maybe revisit the cassette shell for the tape it self
Some companies had much better cassette shells (So good, in fact, that putting 2 extra holes in them lined them up well enough for Digital Cassette Deck use both recording and playback on the original cassette tape with NO dropouts]).
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom