Cassette decks come from the USSR. Top 10 tape recorder models

Do you remember compact cassettes? But just recently, an entire era that lasted at least 40 years passed away. From the mid-60s until the mid-2000s, cassettes remained the most relevant source of music throughout the world.

Compact cassettes left a particularly “deep” mark in the Soviet Union. An unprecedented abundance of Western music descended on Soviet citizens. While teenagers walked the streets with portable radios, serious people purchased full-fledged cassette decks as part of their Hi-Fi systems.

It must be said that the passion for high-quality music in the Soviet Union was a very expensive endeavor. Purchasing a good cassette deck was hard on the wallet, since the cost of the models was about 350-500 rubles.

Yauza-220-stereo

Yauza-220-stereo
This cassette recorder was produced by the Moscow enterprise EMZ No. 1 since 1984.

The deck has behind-the-board light indication of the main modes, recording control via headphones, separate indication of the recording level and auto-stop.

conclusions

Actually, a cassette recorder doesn't sound bad. But the very fact of being passionate about cassettes is more like nostalgia for past times. As a result, our purchased NAD tape recorder will take its rightful place on our rack and we will also sometimes listen to cassettes, remembering the distant past.

But you shouldn’t consider a cassette recorder as a high-quality source of analog sound. In addition, it should be remembered that the mechanism of tape recorders can become very worn out over a long period of use. Therefore, no one can know how long it will work. Spare parts for old tape recorders are not produced, so repairs will be difficult and expensive.

Nakamichi DRAGON is one of the best devices, average price $2000

It’s clear that owners of cassette recorders, especially expensive Nakamichi models, will argue about the difference in sound quality, arguing that for the test we chose not a top-end tape recorder, but a middle-class one.

In fact, all the characteristics depend on the cassette. Even using the best II (CrO2) or IV (Metal) cassettes on top models of Nakamichi tape recorders, the maximum you can count on is:

frequency range 20 - 20,000 Hz;
signal-to-noise ratio 60 dB, without Dolby;
channel separation 40 dB;
detonation coefficient 0.08%.

Of course, these are very good characteristics for a cassette player. However, in the 21st century this cannot be called quality sound.

If you decide to buy yourself a tape recorder, try to choose one without auto-reverse and in apparently perfect condition. And during the inspection, if you are not a pro in cassette decks, take with you a specialist who can assess the condition of the deck.

Wilma-104-stereo

Vilma-104-stereo
One of the most popular cassette decks in the Soviet Union. It has been produced in the city of Vilnius since 1986.

The deck equipment includes: a dual-motor tape transport mechanism, full auto-stop, channel indicators and support for three types of tapes.

Like Yauza, Wilma was equipped with a sendust head and a noise reduction system. Declared frequency response: from 31.5 to 18,000 Hz. The weight of the device is 10.8 kg.

Marantz Professional PMD-300CP

“Marans” is my professional weakness. When I worked in radio, there were voice recorders of this brand. These were huge recorders the size of a rather weighty book!

Of course, Marantz produced not only recorders, but also amplifiers and players from various physical media. The PMD-300CP cassette deck is one of them. And here the functionality of the device is expanded by an ADC and a USB port. Nothing special for the 2022 century.

Features are similar to PylePro PT649D and ION Audio TAPE 2 PC. Design too:

Of course, it's a matter of my experience, but this is the deck I would buy. Fortunately, it’s not that expensive—$190. But in general, users strongly criticize this deck, noting slow rewind, stiff buttons and an absolutely careless attitude towards the cassette tape.

Radio engineering M-201S

Radiotekhnika M-201S
Original model from the Riga production association “Radiotekhnika”, produced in 1983. A distinctive feature of this deck is the horizontal cassette loader.

The deck supports two types of tape - chrome and ferrite. In addition, the deck has a built-in headphone amplifier, a luminescent signal level indicator, and a tape counter (which was a big help in finding an audio fragment).

Vega MP-120-stereo

Vega MP-120-stereo
Creation of the Berdsk production association "Vega". Year of manufacture: 1987.

This device featured (fashionable at that time) pseudo-touch control of operating modes, an electronic tape consumption meter, a noise suppressor and auto-stop. The device also had another rather interesting function: playback of pre-selected audio fragments.

The deck was equipped with a sendust magnetic head and weighed about 7.5 kg.

Electronics-204-stereo

Electronics-204-stereo
“Electronics”, which was not produced in Minsk. This device has been produced by the Poltava Special Process Equipment Plant since 1987.

The deck operated with three different types of tapes, had a programmable playback function, quasi-touch logic control and auto-stop. The body of the deck was made of plastic, but despite this the tape recorder weighed as much as 8.5 kg! The retail price was 320 rubles.

PylePro PT649D

The cheapest option. It looks serious, you can’t buy it in Russia. There is a varic on eBay for 7 thousand rubles. And in the original text, which I came across some time ago, the amount is called $72.

For some reason it was called the cheapest, but the manufacturer’s website offers to buy it in the USA for $214. And this is far from a budget solution.

For this money, the buyer will receive a two-cassette stereo deck capable of reproducing sounds at frequencies from 40 Hz to 14 kHz. Hmm, not much!

By the way, for $272 you will get an improved version of this deck, called the PT659DU. The characteristics are not indicated here, but there is the ability to connect the deck to a computer via USB to digitize recordings into mp3 and a simply stunning promotional photograph, where the designer demonstrated masterful work with perspective, proportions and light:

Rapri-102S

Rapri-102S
Produced by Moskovsky Rapri since 1989. The equipment included a sendust magnetic head, a search function for fragments of phonograms and a noise reduction system.

The front panel had a luminescent indicator of the recording and playback level, as well as a bias current regulator. This deck was available in several colors.

Why cassette players are coming back into fashion

Don't be surprised to see someone with a newly purchased cassette player. He can be perceived as a collector or connoisseur of the past who, instead of 21st century service, enjoys retro sounds.

Cassettephiles love the modern and futuristic design of the decks. Their sleek panels, metallic details and abundance of buttons fit well into a stylish interior. Such equipment is sometimes bought not for the sake of music, but because of the originality of the thing.

But there is also an objective side to this fashion that can convince skeptics.

First of all, many people still keep unique audio recordings at home that they want to listen to somewhere. They can be digitized, but then they will lose their charm and change their sound. To preserve the atmosphere of the last century, it is worth buying a special player.

It's hard to believe, but a cassette tape can sound better than a CD or digital one. To do this, you need to acquire high-quality cassettes, serious equipment and get ready to have fun.

Romantika-220-stereo

Romantika-220-stereo
A very beautiful soundboard, produced by the Kharkov plant named after. Shevchenko since 1985. On the front panel of the tape recorder there are large dial indicators, recording level/headphone amplifier controls and a switch for three types of magnetic tape.

The device was equipped with a noise reduction system, auto-stop and the ability to control using a remote control!

This silver device weighed 8.5 kg and cost about 380 Soviet rubles.

Testing music recording and playback

We decided to start by recording test music from a high-quality source, a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 sound card, and listening to the sound. We used NAD304 as an amplifier.

We made a small collection of different songs, 1 minute each, and recorded it on cassette. Below you can listen to what the original tape recording sounds like.

To listen you need a good internet connection! Video size 618 MB

After listening to the music on a cassette, we decided to measure the characteristics of our cassette recorder using the RMAA program. This program will show the real characteristics of our tape recorder.

Mayak-010-stereo

Mayak-010-stereo
This device has been produced by Kiev since 1983.

It was a very high-quality deck that weighed about 10 kilograms! She could work with both 90 and 60-minute cassettes of the first and second types. It also had a noise reduction system, quartz rotation speed stabilization, time auto-stop and tape end, and the ability to mix recording signals from the line input and microphone.

What’s remarkable is that the package even included a remote control!

Top cassette recorders for home listening

Everything new is well forgotten old. Fashion is cyclical, which means that if an old cassette player is gathering dust on your mezzanine, get it out as soon as possible. If there is none, we offer a selection of eight top models that will delight music lovers with high-quality sound and will be useful for both home and professional listening.

What is the secret of popularity?

Tape recorders are experiencing a new round of popularity, since cassettes are truly capable of competing with modern digital formats. Sound recorded on analog media has a unique sound depth. This is probably why the once-forgotten vinyls and cassettes are now back in favor. The analog recording format is especially popular in electronic and experimental music. There are also rich collections of cassettes among avid music lovers who do not want to part with their impressive media library. And many artists release their new or re-release old albums on cassettes, which we wrote about here, here and here.

What to listen to cassettes on?

We have to admit that today it is quite difficult to find a decent tape recorder for playing music from cassettes. You can buy old models at flea markets, as well as on sites like eBay, Gumtree and Preloved. There are sometimes quite decent and reasonably priced options there.

When purchasing vintage equipment, you should understand that the older the model, the more problems you may encounter with it during operation. This is a complex mechanical device and time does not always play into its favor. Pay attention to tape recorders released in the late 80s. Among them there are almost new copies, and with proper care they will serve you for many years.

Below we offer several good models that you can purchase second-hand, if you are lucky, of course.

Akai DX-57

Price: $140 – $220

Now producing primarily electronic instruments, the Akai brand was once a very popular "tape" specialist. The DX-57 is a model from the early 90s with three heads, a headphone jack and the ability to adjust the bias for different types of cassettes.

Denon DR-M24HX

Price: $160

Denon is still a strong player in the audio business, offering high quality stereo amplifiers. The DR-M24HX was made between 1988 and 87. and is highly regarded among cassette players. It has three heads, full manual calibration function and stable drive mechanism. Offers Dolby B/C systems for higher quality recordings.

Denon DRS-810

Price: $32 – $195

One of the later Denon DRS-810 models imitated the appearance of CD players to attract the attention of digital lovers. The cassette loading mechanism is designed in such a way that the cassette is sent horizontally into the slot, and not hidden behind the door, as we are used to. The tape recorder also has a remote control.

JVC TD-V662

Price: $75 – $90

The well-proven 1993 model JVC TD-V662 has excellent sound. Clever design accommodates cassette compartment, CD input, Dolby B, C and HX Pro systems. JVC was once a major player in the audiovisual world and today continues to produce headphones, camcorders and boomboxes. This cassette recorder has the potential to sound much better than most of its contemporaries.

Pioneer CT-S740S

Price: $255 – $385

Japanese Pioneer has a legendary reputation as an electronics assembler. Sometimes the company produces its own products, which are also of excellent quality. One of them is the CT-S740S model, released in the mid-90s. Among the features of the tape recorder is the Dolby S system, which allows you to most successfully get rid of extraneous noise when recording sound. As a result of its iconic status, this Pioneer is a rare sight on flea market shelves, but it is certainly worth seeking out.

Sony TC-K611S

Price: $225

Not all Sony full-size cassette players have a great reputation, but the 1994 TC-K611S was an exception. The Dolby S system allows you to play pre-recorded cassettes with maximum clarity - what more do you need for a home tape recorder?

Yamaha KX-300

Price: $90

A model from the eighties from a brand that continues to produce decent products. Made in Japan, the KX-300 features an amorphous tape head that delivers excellent sound quality. True, the drive belt may need replacing, but it's not hard to find one at a reasonable price.

Nakamichi BX-125E

Price: $180

Nakamichi has a serious reputation when it comes to cassette recorders. At one time, they produced perhaps the best sounding models, and many were indignant when CDs replaced such high-quality cassette players. The BX-125E is one of the more modest examples, but has a good reputation for sound quality. The external style is no less cool, just look at those sliders on the right! And one more thing you won't be able to see: while most tape recorders sound noisy, Nakamichis sounds inspiring.

What tape recorder did you use to listen to the cassettes? Share in the comments

Wilma-102-stereo

Vilma-102-stereo
Another crowning achievement from the Vilnius Instrument-Making Plant.

They started producing it in 1981. What is noteworthy is that “Wilma” was equipped with a dual-motor tape drive mechanism with a closed path and quasi-sensory control. The deck was equipped with a Dolby-B type noise suppressor, auto-stop, signal level indicator and tape consumption counter. The entire electronic part of the tape recorder was made on integrated circuits. The signal was read by a combined magnetic recording and playback head.

It was also possible to calibrate the recording current for a specific type of tape and adjust the bias current. This device weighed an unbearable 13 kg!

Radio engineering MP-7301-stereo

Radio engineering MP-7301-stereo
Let's finish the list with the development of the Riga Radio Plant named after A.S. Popov for 1989.

“Radio Engineering” supported chrome and ferrite cassettes, had a tape consumption memory, a recording level control for each channel, a noise reduction system and a luminescent indicator of the output signal.

This model was intended to work as part of a complete Radiotekhnika stereo system, but was still used separately. The device weighed 6.9 kg.