Cassette Tapes? WTF

Sigh - now you've gone and woken the old greybeards on Head-Fi who long for the days of the cassette tape and vintage Walkmans.

I still use my Sony TC-K950ES to make tapes of my favorite tunes on CD to play in the cassette player of my 2000 Camaro.. When I play these tapes from the TC-K950ES to my HT the tunes sound in a word, smooooth. It's a non-fatiguing sound and quite satisfying. The S/N is relatively high when compared to my digital source components, but Dolby B makes it more than palatable. Today, my only issue is finding tapes which will work with my deck. The tapes out there today are usually too thin, so I seek out NOS Maxell UD-XLII's where ever I can find them.

Tapes sounded very good as any other source (it was vynil btw) with proper equipment and quality tape material.

I owned a Naka Dragon and used BASF chrome (don't remember the exact model) tapes and they sounded just as great as the vynil spinner.

The problem with tapes was that CDs started to get "longer" than the tapes themselves and also humidity and long term usage degraded the sound quality. The deck itself needed maintenance to keep properly clean and aligned. Digital is more convenient and sound good too.

tape = analog = no digititis.

there's also a whole crowd who listen to "reels".

Tape = hiss, no thanks, I'm glad to be in the (high end) digital world. I was always worried about getting Dolby C NR to get the hiss down- I was a sound snob at age 15 rockin' my 1983 Rabbit GTI with high-end cassette player.

The digital cassette, DAT, is awesome, best of tape based audio  for my needs so far.

I remember walking through the streets of Seoul.. With these blasting some Xtra Bass.. Aha the memories. YOU hear me Panasonic.?!! Need to get back to making music players with Xtra Bass!

I heard there's people who still listen to vinyl for its unique sound, too.

I will never part with my Nak Dragon or the 500+ cassettes I still own. If the cassettes were properly manufactured and one keeps them out of harm by storing them properly, they sound fabulous. For example (among many): I have a tape of Peter Gabriel's Security (4) that rivals the CD version. The percussion on "Rhythm of the Heat" will knock you on your ass when heard on the Nak.

Anyway, grey-beards rejoice and pour me a brew.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RexAeterna 

tapes have amazing dynamic range 

I hope you are speaking about reels!

The NAC and top Sony ES decks from the late 80's and early 90's, are so in demand today they typically sell on ebay for more than what they cost new. I've had several offers for my Sony TC-K950ES for more than what I paid for it,; but, I can not part with it. It allows me to play what ever cassettes I may muster at yard sales, as well as make tapes for my 2000 Camaro's cassette player. Although my Sony TC-K950ES can't compete with my Sony PCM-7010F DAT recorder, for sound or features, like time-code, it sounds, nevertheless, when recording level and tapes are proper, as good as CD. Also, it permits recording off the Internet with fewer hoops to go through.than downloading.

So do you guys still prefer rotary dial phones or tube TV's  ? Digital doesn't have to sound digital, it surely doesn't in my system. The recording can sound digital though. Rush went through a phase where they recorded on tape and transferred it to digital. I remember when OMD was one of the first to do an all digital CD- "The Pacific Age".