Denon DR-M4

Elite-ist

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#1
Hi all,

I drove out to pick up the Denon DR-M4 cassette deck this past Monday. The seller held the deck for me for over a week, while he was still getting plenty of responses to his ad in CAM (Canuck Audio Mart). I was one of the first respondents to his ad when it popped up on CAM and I realized, after recognizing his username, I had purchased a cassette deck from him, before. Early in our email exchange, when he found out who I was, he offered me a substantially better price than the advertised listing.

Emil, the seller, has lots of good, vintage gear. He is sort of like me, in that, he buys a component, uses it, then sells it to finance something else that's either rarer or a matching component in the same manufacturing line. He has a great Telefunken mini-component set and I listened to it while he played a tape through the deck. Quite astounding performance.

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Emil is very proud of this system and sent me follow-up information of this Telefunken stereo line, including a video of the internals of the RC-300 deck with Papst multidrive - the same design of drive used in the highly-acclaimed Revox B215/B710. He also has something else I may buy at a later date.

Emil demoed the Denon DR-M4 for me and told me about its history. He had bought two DR-M4s last year and sent both to his technician to have them serviced. They weren't working when he bought them and thought one properly-operating deck could be made from the two. The technician got both working and Emil gifted the second DR-M4 to the technician and I now have the other.

This is my first Denon deck, but I had used my X-brother-in-law's Denon deck back in the mid-80's to make mix tapes for our wedding ceremony. And I still have those tapes.

Since I got the original factory brochure, along with the Operating Manual, I spent time scanning the brochure so you can see what this deck features:

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Nando.
 

Elite-ist

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#6
I printed out the info on the Denon lineage. I might do the same for a few other deck manufacturers, too.

Glad you found it useful, Jim.

Nando.
 

mr_rye89

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#7
I noticed your Denon deck has a combo Sendust+Ferrite heads. How's the sound? I just picked up a Sony TC-K71 with a similar (if not the same) heads and it's very musical, compares nicely with my Nak BX-300 (If Dolby isn't used, I think the NR tracking needs adjustment)
 

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#9
Cobalt Amorphous and Laser-Amorphous heads are my favourites. Ribbon Sendust would be next in line, then Sendust/Ferrite.

Nando.
 

J!m

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#10
Cobalt Amorphous on both play and record for the 122 Mk. III (probably the Mk. II as well). Good frequency response (-3dB) with metal tapes too, although I don't really find it lacking with type II tapes honestly, when comparing source to tape.

Have you played around with your Mk. II yet Nando?
 

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8991XJ

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#11
Had the DR-M2 silver no sideburns. Nice enough but I moved it on. Now if it has been an M4 with wood...

Interesting the specs are the same so someone buying by the numbers would be happy with the M1.

For an M1, I want the BMW.
 

Elite-ist

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#12
Jim: I received new meter bulbs for the Tascam deck. So, I have to install those and it will give me a chance to check over the innards. I don't intend to sell it, so I would like to have anything suspect replaced.

Nando.
 

J!m

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#13
Send a note to Sam. I’m not sure if that has the same transport as the Mk. III, but if it does, there is a gear that fails and Sam has replacements made new for him.

Either way, he can probably give you the punch list of what to check on it.
 

Elite-ist

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#14
Thanks, Jim. I will do that when the time comes to service it.

Nando.
 

derek92994

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#15
Very Nice Deck Nando, I had one of these for a while but have since Passed it on. When it was working I remember the sound quality was excellent, and mine had quite worn heads. It needed a lot of work, electrical and mechanical, but I decided it was not worth going ahead due to the head wear and flutter that I just could not get rid of, I suspect it also had capstan bearing wear. Good cosmetics but had been beaten to an almost death with use from previous owner. Despite all that, I still have fond memories of it. Congratulations on finding one in good condition.
 

Elite-ist

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#16
Thanks, Darcy. Before buying it, I was doing an internet search of the deck and it was your article that came up about your own DR-M4.

Nando.
 
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