• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. 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!

My my my my Generation.

Wombat

Master Contributor
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
6,722
Likes
6,459
Location
Australia
Compact Cassettes and leaving the Hipsters behind: https://qz.com/570954/audio-cassettes-are-back-and-here-to-stay/

The revival started in 2015, I believe, and is now 'in'.

I used to buy an LP and record it to cassette for car and general use. Premium tape formulas and Dolby magic made this 'HiFi' except for poor bass performance. My Nakamichi 582 fixed this bass shortcoming and playing cassettes was my normal practise. My LPs are thus pristine and seldom played at the time.

CDs however were generally better and individual tracks were instantly accessible. A no-brainer.

The 582 may become desirable, if so I will happily sell it on a fad market.
 
Last edited:

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,524
Likes
37,057
Yeah, I had a Nak deck in house. Eventually supplemented it with a Nak head unit and Nak amp in the car. Purchased my first new car without radio for this reason. Speakers and wiring, I added the Nak gear.

LPs got ripped to metal tape with Dolby C. An FM radio station once played complete albums on the weekend. Saturday night Six pack. Six albums. I recorded quite a few of those onto cassette. I keep telling myself I am going to digitize all my tapes. I noticed an uptick in cassette interest a couple years ago. I still have a few dozen TDK and Maxell unopened metal tapes. Some were asking $10 each for such. Maybe I need to check the current market. I ditched my Revox RTR, but hung onto my Nakamichi deck. Never did get the Dragon I wanted. Still have the Nak head unit. Has a very nice FM tuner built in, and manual azimuth control on the tape deck.

I am torn about hipsters. They sort of grok the coolness of old gear, and yet I hate hipsterism. Seems their grokking is an excuse for being special and somehow always is a surface fashion while they didn't really grok the real values.
 
OP
Wombat

Wombat

Master Contributor
Joined
Nov 5, 2017
Messages
6,722
Likes
6,459
Location
Australia
I wonder about tape coating deterioration on old Compact Cassettes. Consumer vs pro formulations??
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,524
Likes
37,057
I wonder about tape coating deterioration on old Compact Cassettes. Consumer vs pro formulations??
No way man. My unused cassettes are still wrapped in plastic.

My recorded upon cassettes that I kept were stored in dry, temperature stable cabinets out of the effects of the sun. :D
 
Top Bottom