Hitachi D 550

nakdoc said:
Dragon rebuilds do not cost $1400. Willy and I are both reasonable. The worst Dragon problems can be repaired for about $350. Most decks are less. Dragons are not overrated.
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NANA NA. LOL

Larry
 
nakdoc said:
Dragon rebuilds do not cost $1400. Willy and I are both reasonable. The worst Dragon problems can be repaired for about $350. Most decks are less. Dragons are not overrated.
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Oopsie :oops: I done upset the apple cart :rabbit:

Sorry Tom, I tend to exagerate a smidge :mrgreen: , and I didn't mean to leave you or the fine work you do out of my previous post, just a brain fart :fart: on my part, sorry.

And as I said before, you're just splitting hairs on the best deck soundwise at that level. I still would like to hear with my own ears all the decks I mentioned above against the Dragon, it is cool how even folks how don't care much about cassette's still think Dragon over all the others, and that helps drive up the price on them.

What do you think is an honest price for one in decent shape? Or is it better to fine a wreck with a nice faceplate to redo? Or one somewhere in between?
 
LMAO at ESL I'm sure they do. LOL I don't remember if I listened to Grahams.I told him it was sick though. Have never listened to a Tandberg. I have heard so many say certain decks are Dragon slayers;but are they really?

Larry
 
So, for under, or around $100.00 or even $200.00, what is THE deck to own? I hear a lot of great things about the Yammie 1200 and the 1020. What else is competition to the Nak, or other "benchmark" deck?
 
Everyone is different. These 3 Yamahas in my book K-1000, K-2000 and the KX-1200. There are other good decks out there.

What do you want? 3 heads all the bells and whistles. LX-5 is a good deck. I have a Luxman.It has an intermittent problem. One channel cuts out some times. So that would have to be fixed.I would say new belts.I can't remember if I did them.

Stuwee and Web and Fast will have their opinions.They will tell you what they think.

Larry
 
It's a buyers market right now, stretch your budget a wee bit and find a nice TOTL deck, I'll do some searching later this afternoon, I haven't looked for awhile.

Web, whatcho gots in your stack up there?
 
You know me and questions.Why do you believe it is a buyers market. Decks I were getting for 50.00 I can't touch for 150.00.

Larry
 
Well like I said I haven't looked in awhile, but everything else seems to be selling on the low side for the good stuff, I could be wrong, I'm heading out the door right now, but....like a bad cold or the crabs on one of FF's Chaska hookers, I'll be back :reindeer:
 
Reading a forum discussing the best cassette decks ever made and ran across this post...............................


I was lucky enough to work for a comapny that sold a nice range of equipment, including some great cassette decks. Anyone remebers Lasky's.
My top decks, bought with my staff discounts were:
Aiwa AD=6900MKII
Hitachi D-5500M
Pioneer CT-90R

The Pioneer was particularly impressive and I always rated it above the Nakamichi Dragon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
JVC? You are serious? I thought they made basically junk? Maybe not. Teac has become junk. Aiwa Junk...a lot of stuff now junk....but it didn't start out that way.Look at Altec Lansing...now making crap PC speakers...I will bid on it, if you think it is the shi*. I was going to buy the Yamahe K-1000 which is selling on eBay with a matching amp and tuner, then try to turn around and sell the tuner and amp to try to recoup some $$. The K-1000 has NO bests? Is it as good as the K-1200 or K-1020 otherwise?

How does the JVC compare?
 
Well Sutton, I haven't heard the two in a shootout, but I'd bet the JVC betters the Yamaha just from what I've read in the past, it was made before JVC made crappy stuff. I don't know what amp is included in that other sale, so that might be a great deal.

Tuners aren't that big of a market right now, so I wouldn't expect much from it.

I'm just tying to help you find a TOTL deck at a great price. The K-1000 is bettered by the K-2000 btw ;) and a Aiwa XK-9000S, Tandberg 3014-A, my Teac V-8000S and Nando's Esoteric decks will beat the Yamaha's and that JVC, but will cost you alot more $$'s.
 
ksrigg said:
JVC? You are serious?
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Here is a nice JVC 3 head deck. I happen to own a few of them. :cyclops:

TD-V711.jpg


Here are a few others.

http://www.jeff-young-design.com/JVC/tape-decks-IF.htm
 
I won't say what is best. All I can go by is what I have had. I go by a few things.Price is a big one.Up keep cost is another. I have had a KX-1200 sitting in my rack for 3 years now.I paid 40.00 for. The screws are missing in the flip down door. If I never get another days use out of it.It has paid for itself. I won't say the Yamaha is the best.I can't I just bought another Nak. I do read what the deck has and I do some searching before I buy. Every one yells about 3 heads.I have had some very nice sounding 2 head decks. When the belts get here I will give you my opinion of the Hitachi.It does look like a Pioneer though. I have had a few Pioneers of the older variety that were not metal capable.

Do what your heart tells you. I do like a DD deck though.

Larry

Dinner time
 
ksrigg said:
JVC? You are serious? I thought they made basically junk? Maybe not. Teac has become junk. Aiwa Junk...a lot of stuff now junk....but it didn't start out that way.Look at Altec Lansing...now making crap PC speakers...I will bid on it, if you think it is the shi*. I was going to buy the Yamahe K-1000 which is selling on eBay with a matching amp and tuner, then try to turn around and sell the tuner and amp to try to recoup some $$. The K-1000 has NO bests? Is it as good as the K-1200 or K-1020 otherwise?

How does the JVC compare?
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What you have to remember is a lot of the names became junk, but in the 70's 80's and even early 90's most of these manufacturers still made some quality gear. The high water mark for cassette decks was the late 80's into the early 90's.

Depending upon how fussy you are about the sound a good two head can rival a three head in playback or record, but probably not in both as there are compromises made when the record and play heads are sandwiched into one head, since it cannot be tailored to one or the other and the requirements for record and or playback are different.

You can find decent late model (relatively speaking probably 15 to 25 years old) Sony, Teac, Aiwa, Pioneer, and JVC, Yamaha, Nak, Denon etc decks relatively cheap on ebay. Anything newer than the late 90's is probably BPC. I think pretty much after the early 90's only Sony Made decent decks.
 
My gosh you guys are opinionated.LOL From what I have read. And Sony only made a good deck after the 90s. You have to have a reference. A Dragon is over rated by who? I'm not going to give the guy advice w/o hearing the decks. I listened to a messed up Dragon.Trust me they aren't over rated.Over priced yes. I have a 3 year old Yamaha here that makes a nice tape. Sutton.I do not recommend a 1020.I sent it out because I like others better. It has been to WA, CA then home. Just because I have a deck doesn't make it good.

You say you don't like auto-reverse. Then you pick a JVC with it. On the 2 head vs a 3 head. I'll put a LX-3 2 head. Up against a lot of 3 heads. Yes a 3 head is nice.

The assumption that a K-2000 is better than a K-1000.Is an assumption. Sound wise No. Bells and whistles yes.

Sutton it is nice to be honest;but when you call certain decks junk.People get upset. Trust me it is better to keep those opinions to yourself. LOL

Larry
 
speakerman1 said:
My gosh you guys are opinionated.LOL From what I have read. And Sony only made a good deck after the 90s. You have to have a reference.
Larry
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After the mid 90's the other Manufacturers only made one dual well deck each, Sony was the only one making single well and three head decks till about 2000 or so. Prior to that almost every manufacturer made a worthy deck.
 
:lol: Butthole rippin' today Larry? :lol:

No I don't like Auto reverse on a deck, but you don't have to use the feature. On some decks it can be switched off, it not treat it like a manual, and flip the tape yourself before it reverses.

And I think your right about the bells and whistles on the Yamaha's. If we're gonna enable him into a new deck, he needs a nice TOTL one is all I'm really sayin'. The JVC is gone now anyway, for $310 :o . Besides you haven't fixed the Hitachi yet anyway. I'll wait to see what you think of it :D
 
Web Police said:
speakerman1 said:
My gosh you guys are opinionated.LOL From what I have read. And Sony only made a good deck after the 90s. You have to have a reference.
Larry
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After the mid 90's the other Manufacturers only made one dual well deck each, Sony was the only one making single well and three head decks till about 2000 or so. Prior to that almost every manufacturer made a worthy deck.
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My Yamaha was made till 3 years ago. Single well. 3 head.

Larry
 
speakerman1 said:
My Yamaha was made till 3 years ago. Single well. 3 head.

Larry
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What Yamaha is that? I would guess they maybe sold them 3 years ago, but I can't believe they made them three years ago. I know Yammie made some low end single well 2-head decks till like 2006 or so. I am pretty sure Yamaha bowed out of three head decks in the US about 1993 or 94.

I think Teac/Tascam still makes some decks, but other than that probably only dual wells are available.
 
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