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  #11  
Old 06-06-2016, 05:02 AM
AudioGremlin AudioGremlin is offline
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Years back I was going to purchase the Nak Dragon but my hifi store set up a demo between the Dragon and the Nak CR-7E.
The CR-7E definitely had the sonic edge but not all the bells & whistles of the dragon, As I was primarily interested in sound quality the CR-7E was definitely a keeper. Btw the CR-7E had considerably better specs than my very heavy Revox RTR recorder.
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  #12  
Old 06-06-2016, 06:47 AM
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Considering the slow tape speed and relatively narrow width of each track of a cassette tape, it's astonishing the quality of sound they reproduce.
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  #13  
Old 06-06-2016, 09:05 AM
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Thing had a lot of buttons and knobs for a cassette deck.
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  #14  
Old 06-06-2016, 09:55 AM
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musichal... Welcome to AA!
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  #15  
Old 06-06-2016, 10:21 AM
nicoff nicoff is offline
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I still have a ZX-7 that I bought new in 1983. It still plays beautifully.
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  #16  
Old 06-06-2016, 10:24 AM
Pampero Pampero is offline
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Cassettes suffer a fatal flaw, speed regulation is dependent on the cassette as well as the machine. Flutter specs will never match a decent R2R and are frequently audible. Couple that with deterioration of (the by now) antique pre-recorded tapes and the inevitable wear on pinch rollers and one can see that sourcing a well functioning 25 year old machine can be a real chore.

I seriously doubt that the cassette format will ever make a comeback adequate to support the manufacturing of new high end machines. A quick google for "new cassette decks" is not promising. Nakamichi is now a shadow of its former self and support for their old decks is non existent.

For the same or less money, you could buy a functioning 5050B2, a superior format and far superior machine that is also easier to work on. I guess if you have old cassettes that you must play such a purchase can be justified, but as a living format? I don't see much hope.
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  #17  
Old 06-06-2016, 10:49 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pampero View Post
Cassettes suffer a fatal flaw, speed regulation is dependent on the cassette as well as the machine. Flutter specs will never match a decent R2R and are frequently audible. Couple that with deterioration of (the by now) antique pre-recorded tapes and the inevitable wear on pinch rollers and one can see that sourcing a well functioning 25 year old machine can be a real chore. I seriously doubt that the cassette format will ever make a comeback adequate to support the manufacturing of new high end machines. A quick google for "new cassette decks" is not promising. Nakamichi is now a shadow of its former self and support for their old decks is non existent. For the same or less money, you could buy a functioning 5050B2, a superior format and far superior machine that is also easier to work on. I guess if you have old cassettes that you must play such a purchase can be justified, but as a living format? I don't see much hope.
Hard to use a R2R in a car though.
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  #18  
Old 06-06-2016, 10:55 AM
Pampero Pampero is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cohibaman View Post
Hard to use a R2R in a car though.
True dat. That's a pun! CDs for the car

Seriously, if you want to invest in a playback format that has TONS of available material in good shape that are now beyond cheap and for which the demise is now being predicted......well you know where this is going!

I bought 5 CDs yesterday at my local Goodwill. Two were HDCDs (not that I can tell a difference) and all of them were material I enjoy: 1 Van Morrison (Moondance), 2 Dixie Chicks, 1 Stones I didn't already have (Bridges to Babylon) and a Shaun Colvin (not really my fave). But for a buck each, haha!

You drive a car with a cassette deck? Answer to my own question: I guess if you smoke cigars in it, you don't want to devalue the Ferrari?

Last edited by Pampero; 06-06-2016 at 10:59 AM.
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  #19  
Old 06-06-2016, 11:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pampero View Post
True dat. That's a pun! CDs for the car Seriously, if you want to invest in a playback format that has TONS of available material in good shape that are now beyond cheap and for which the demise is now being predicted......well you know where this is going! I bought 5 CDs yesterday at my local Goodwill. Two were HDCDs (not that I can tell a difference) and all of them were material I enjoy: 1 Van Morrison (Moondance), 2 Dixie Chicks, 1 Stones I didn't already have (Bridges to Babylon) and a Shaun Colvin (not really my fave). But for a buck each, haha! You drive a car with a cassette deck? Answer to my own question: I guess if you smoke cigars in it, you don't want to devalue the Ferrari?
Nope, CD changer for me. I haven't used cassettes in years. No...decades.

In all seriousness, I believe the original poster was not asking about the format as much as the Dragon itself. Most will agree a R2R is better than cassette when it comes to SQ.
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  #20  
Old 06-06-2016, 12:56 PM
CRJCapt CRJCapt is offline
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Yeah, you would think they would be cheap but that's not the case. Maybe it's just E-Bay.

I was at my local record store and they had a small section of NEW tapes.

My generation was paying 18 dollars per CD for one song (Watch "All Things Must Pass" or "When the Music Dies") so when downloading came about I think parents said to their kids "Go for it son, I already paid for it" LOL

Has anyone seen this?

The New 2017 REVOX. | The Stereo Museum

If anyone wants to hook a brother up with an old Nakamichi sitting in storage PM me....
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