New Respect for the Cassette!

Posted by MannyE (A) on January 3, 2017 at 10:28:22

Ever since I was a kid, always thought cassettes were simply a way to have music on the go and just a little better than 8-track.

Mostly I guess that's because growing up in Queens, NY in the 80's I used them in Walkmans and boom boxes. But we put up with the hiss because the alternative was the crappy radio that either played only disco or 60's rock and WLIR 92.7 that played the SAME songs over and over and over. And over.

Fast forward to now and I see a pair of pristine cassette players at the local thrift. A Sony TC-K5 and a Nakamichi BX-2. Both look like they were just taken out of the box with the exception of a dent on the top of the Sony. So for 20 bucks (for both!!) or was it 40? I dunno...it was cheap, I decided to get them just on looks and I've been seeing cassettes for as low as 10 cents.

I take everything back I ever said about cassettes! I hooked them up to a pair of Klipsh KG-5 and an Orb audio T-amp and they sound absolutely fantastic! The Nakamichi is better than the Sony by a mile, but they both sound a heck of a lot better than I expected.

I guess I had never heard a "real" tape player before! I will eventually put it them the main system to hear the players go through some better electronics and speakers, but for now color me impressed.

I love it when I find another route to super cheap music!

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Topic - New Respect for the Cassette! - MannyE 10:28:22 01/03/17 (23)

cassettes make you realize how thin and threadbare CDs sound nt - geoffkait 09:33:05 01/07/17 (0)

A real surprise - M3 lover 10:13:42 01/06/17 (0)

Re: "they sound absolutely fantastic!" - Inmate51 12:10:12 01/05/17 (0)

I had a Nak BX-series tape machine - Mike K 08:13:55 01/04/17 (0)

RE: New Respect for the Cassette! - fantja 22:24:47 01/03/17 (0)

That's what I'm talking about! Nt - geoffkait 15:45:10 01/03/17 (6)

1-7/8ths IPS........Eeewww, 1/4 inch width meh ..... - Awe-d-o-file 07:30:15 01/04/17 (5)

1-7/8ths IPS....., 1/8" width ...remarkarkable - hifitommy 18:40:30 01/04/17 (1)

RE: 1-7/8ths IPS....., 1/8" width ...remarkarkable - geoffkait 11:38:07 01/05/17 (0)

Tape is a natural medium. It breathes. Nt - geoffkait 09:25:05 01/04/17 (2)

Yes, I remember my youth sitting in the shade of the Eastern Mag Tape Tree - Edp 13:42:19 01/06/17 (0)

Isn't breathing a symptom of mistracking NR? (nt) - Steve O 17:02:54 01/04/17 (0)

RE: New Respect for the Cassette! - fstein 10:49:57 01/03/17 (10)

RE: New Respect for the Cassette! - AbeCollins 11:23:53 01/03/17 (9)

RE: New Respect for the Cassette! - Awe-d-o-file 07:58:18 01/04/17 (1)

A couple of vehicles ago I had a CD and cassette. - srdavis2000 16:03:45 01/04/17 (0)

RE: I like that... - BigguyinATL 11:46:10 01/03/17 (6)

RE: I like that... - fantja 22:21:48 01/03/17 (0)

Speaking of which... - kootenay 12:55:56 01/03/17 (4)

RE: Speaking of which... - fantja 22:22:07 01/03/17 (3)

Thanks... - kootenay 23:11:14 01/03/17 (2)

RE: Thanks... - JURB 03:34:24 01/04/17 (1)

I know what you mean... - kootenay 11:39:21 01/04/17 (0)

New Respect for the Cassette!

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