Best NEW Walkman for Cassette/AM/FM Radio?
Sep 17, 2001 at 10:03 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 3

Gluegun

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Hey, my dad's two old kickass Sony Walkmans are broken, and I need a temporary replacement.....

But, here's the thing.... when he uses this temporary NEW one, I get to use his old broken ones (on one, the radio still kicks ass, probably better than most any walkman these days, so I'll use it for that), until some point where he can get someone to fix these OLD ones.....at which point *I* get to have the new one I advised him to buy.

So, needless to say, I want the best new Cassette/AM/FM radio out there. Is there something with a Line Out? Oh, and it HAS to have a tape player on it....

Well, any ideas?

Thanks!
 
Sep 25, 2001 at 10:04 AM Post #3 of 3
Hey hey! Leon the pudgy comes to the rescue!

I'd advise against Panasonic. Although they once had a VERY good track record, amp output have dropped to unbearable levels on recent models. We're talking 1.7+1.7mW at the lowest, and no more than 2.5+2.5. The only exceptions are the base RQ-P35/V75 which I think have 20+20mW.

The in-between models (e.g. RQ-NX60) may winds terribly slowly, don't support type II cassettes, and are mechanically unrefined IMO it's better to skip these. I did buy an NX60 this year, and it became my first eBay item within an hour of receiving.
smily_headphones1.gif


There was a RQ-XV30 which I personally own. It sounds good (5+5mW), but is an old model (from the mid 90s), FF/REW is so slow it's not funny, and battery life is mm hmm. Just in case you're interested, here's a link:

http://www.soundcity.com/bin/page.ph...rtablecassette

I don't know as much about Sony models... spec-wise they're mostly 4+4 or 5+5mW. From past experience, Sony typically offer more stable tape travel than Panasonics. I once bought the WM-EX9, a 1999 model, and also sold it on eBay.

You can look at the cheaper, non-full-logic models for larger output, they might be surprisingly capable, but remember, output is no guarantee for quality. The more expensive ones today are often not worth the price, compared to earlier models. I can't help but think your solution - answering to the "best" word - is actually a Sony FX1/FX2/FX5 from the mid 90's.

So this is my take on the situation. This is probably isn't a very helpful reply... but good luck with finding something!
 

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