Yamaha KX-630 Cassette Deck arrived from EBay

[3db]

The unit arrived today and I placed it into my bedroom system. The unit arrived well packed but the unit was dirty. There was dust all over the place. I cleaned up the unit as best ad I could without removing the cover. I took alcohol tipped Qtips and cleaned the heads, capstan, and pinch roller.

I put in a tape recorded with Dolby C on a Yamaha KX800 from my main system. It sounds realky good on the KX800 in the main system and on the other KX800 on my second system, both played with Dolby C engaged.I play it on the KX630 and the sound seems muted with recessed highs. I played with the trim adjust and even at its max setting, the sound is still muted. Thats with Dolby C engaged.

I did some more experimenting and recorded both sides of a TDK D60 without dolby on one of the KX800 and played it back on the KX630 and the highs were there and present but the levels were about a db lower. I then played a Dolby C encoded TDK SA90 recorded on one of the KX800 and the highs went missing. Maybe the KX630 deck needs its Dolby B and C calibrated as the TDK tape sounds good on either KX800

 

[sterling shoote]

You must be a compact cassette fan boy, you have two right? So, I suppose you can make playlists from prerecorded tape. I'm now using my Sony TC-K950ES cassette recorder more frequently now that I've had a cap, belt, and capstan replaced at $225. I have only been able to acquire type 1 Maxell UR blank cassettes but, they sound great. You might want to try them out.

 

[3db]

You must be a compact cassette fan boy, you have two right? So, I suppose you can make playlists from prerecorded tape. I'm now using my Sony TC-K950ES cassette recorder more frequently now that I've had a cap, belt, and capstan replaced at $225. I have only been able to acquire type 1 Maxell UR blank cassettes but, they sound great. You might want to try them out.

I do like cassettes but I rarely ever maded mixed tapes. I recorded albums and played them in my walkman in my youth. Jump ahead 40+ years and I use cassettes of albums I cannot find digitally or are prohibitely expensive to purchase on CD. This 3rd deck gives me access to my entire music library for the system I cobbled together in the bedroom.

Unfortunately I have to get it calibrated but fortunately for me, there is a highly reputable shop here in Ottawa that is able to effect repairs on all vintage model electronics including cassette decks.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

First vinyl records, reel tape and now cassette tapes are in fashion. How long till the "fashion" for CDs would come back as fancy for clearly inferior tech? (not implying CDs are bad in any way today, but they could be outdated by something drastically better in the future)

 

[3db]

First vinyl records, reel tape and now cassette tapes are in fashion. How long till the "fashion" for CDs would come back as fancy for clearly inferior tech? (not implying CDs are bad in any way today, but they could be outdated by something drastically better in the future)

I'm not doing this to be fashionable unlike some of the fashion Diva's that post here.

 

[sterling shoote]

First vinyl records, reel tape and now cassette tapes are in fashion. How long till the "fashion" for CDs would come back as fancy for clearly inferior tech? (not implying CDs are bad in any way today, but they could be outdated by something drastically better in the future)

Well, compact cassettes are still a viable means to music pleasure. Used pre-recorded cassettes are out there which sound great from a good cassette deck. Cassettes are also convenient for the recording of LPs and making playlists. I have a 2000 Camaro with factory installed cassette player and thus my home cassette recorder allows me to enjoy my music from the car. At any rate, I'm not just getting into it, as I never got out of it, enjoying cassettes where useful over other formats since 1966.

 

[3db]

Hey Stirling, is that your deck? Nice look machine if it is.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Well, compact cassettes are still a viable means to music pleasure. Used pre-recorded cassettes are out there which sound great from a good cassette deck. Cassettes are also convenient for the recording of LPs and making playlists. I have a 2000 Camaro with factory installed cassette player and thus my home cassette recorder allows me to enjoy my music from the car. At any rate, I'm not just getting into it, as I never got out of it, enjoying cassettes where useful over other formats since 1966. View attachment 24544

I may be a spring chicken vs many other guys here (I wasn't even born in 1966 yet),but I was well into my teens then tape cassettes were really popular as way to both buy music and as way to copy,record and mix it. I would never forget the hissing and noise of 99% of tape recording. Rewinding the tape, until you hit exact spot between songs is convenient now?? HELL NO. Tape cassettes were a thing in late 80s and 90s, but nowdays I could not possibly imagine worse media format out-there besides 8-Tracks and reel-2-reel tapes.

You know what's convenient? Bluetooth in the car is what convenient is. Even further is Android Auto supports running both local DIGITAL media on phone as well as several streaming options.

My strong opinion is that Tapes and vinyl records are a fashion statements, a nostalgia for some, but in any case it's a whim, certainly not a convenience nor best possible way to enjoy high quality music.

And with that, I'll leave you to drool over each other decks. I definitely don't belong here.

 

[sterling shoote]

I may be a spring chicken vs many other guys here (I wasn't even born in 1966 yet),but I was well into my teens then tape cassettes were really popular as way to both buy music and as way to copy,record and mix it. I would never forget the hissing and noise of 99% of tape recording. Rewinding the tape, until you hit exact spot between songs is convenient now?? HELL NO. Tape cassettes were a thing in late 80s and 90s, but nowdays I could not possibly imagine worse media format out-there besides 8-Tracks and reel-2-reel tapes.

You know what's convenient? Bluetooth in the car is what convenient is. Even further is Android Auto supports running both local DIGITAL media on phone as well as several streaming options.

My strong opinion is that Tapes and vinyl records are a fashion statements, a nostalgia for some, but in any case it's a whim, certainly not a convenience nor best possible way to enjoy high quality music.

And with that, I'll leave you to drool over each other decks. I definitely don't belong here.

The recorder I enjoy, I've owned since 1989. Back then, no streaming, no computer audio, just vinyl, CD, reel to reel, FM, Compact Cassette, and DAT. Quality cassette decks of that period had become capable of delivering a hi-fi performance, and were quite popular for a multitude of tasks beyond their initial convenience for dictation. Today, a cassette deck incorporated in a home theatre gives one an opportunity to enjoy used pre-recorded cassettes, in the same manner someone would have a record player today to enjoy an existing vinyl library. So, for me and certainly others, it has nothing to do with fashion, nostalgia, or whim, just a means to enjoy on the shelf media. Regarding convenience, no one is arguing that compact cassettes are more convenient than today's technology for recording.

 

[3db]

I may be a spring chicken vs many other guys here (I wasn't even born in 1966 yet),but I was well into my teens then tape cassettes were really popular as way to both buy music and as way to copy,record and mix it. I would never forget the hissing and noise of 99% of tape recording. Rewinding the tape, until you hit exact spot between songs is convenient now?? HELL NO. Tape cassettes were a thing in late 80s and 90s, but nowdays I could not possibly imagine worse media format out-there besides 8-Tracks and reel-2-reel tapes.

You know what's convenient? Bluetooth in the car is what convenient is. Even further is Android Auto supports running both local DIGITAL media on phone as well as several streaming options.

My strong opinion is that Tapes and vinyl records are a fashion statements, a nostalgia for some, but in any case it's a whim, certainly not a convenience nor best possible way to enjoy high quality music.

And with that, I'll leave you to drool over each other decks. I definitely don't belong here.

Nobody asked you to chime in and sh?t on someone else's fun. There is zero value in your posts in this thread.

 

[sterling shoote]

Hey Stirling, is that your deck? Nice look machine if it is.

That's a picture off the internet of the model of deck I own. Here's mine:

 

[TLS Guy]

I do like cassettes but I rarely ever maded mixed tapes. I recorded albums and played them in my walkman in my youth. Jump ahead 40+ years and I use cassettes of albums I cannot find digitally or are prohibitely expensive to purchase on CD. This 3rd deck gives me access to my entire music library for the system I cobbled together in the bedroom.

Unfortunately I have to get it calibrated but fortunately for me, there is a highly reputable shop here in Ottawa that is able to effect repairs on all vintage model electronics including cassette decks.

There are a number of reasons for this. The most likely is azimuth error between the decks. More likely than not neither are correct after this time. If the tape is recorded and played back on the same deck then the azimuth error is largely concealed unless it is gross. Noise reduction systems increase FR errors between record and playback making proper adjustment crucial. The more powerful the noise reduction system the more FR errors are increased.

The other issue is record bias. All tape brands need slightly different record bias. So it is important to set up a machine for one type of tape, brand and that same spec within the brand. Over bias causes HF loss.

The next is incorrectly set record and playback equalization.

Alignment tapes from a certified Lab are crucial. A signal generator and o-scope are also required.

Of all media cassette tape is my least favorite. Decent quality from 1/8" tape with four stereo tracks giving track widths of just 1/32" running at 1 1/8 ips is a stretch to get even low Fi.

Even the most expensive machines, and I have two pro decks, give a quality well below LP, reel to reel tape. and digital media. Reel to reel tape is an expensive medium as really good fidelity requires 1/4" tape. I/2 track stereo running at 15 ips. The it gives digital a run for its money, but at much greater cost.

 

[3db]

There are a number of reasons for this. The most likely is azimuth error between the decks. More likely than not neither are correct after this time. If the tape is recorded and played back on the same deck then the azimuth error is largely concealed unless it is gross. Noise reduction systems increase FR errors between record and playback making proper adjustment crucial. The more powerful the noise reduction system the more FR errors are increased. .

First, thank you for the meaningful response, I understand what you are telling me but I'm trying to figure which deck is out of adjustment. I may have not made myself clear. I own two KX800 and one KX630. If I record on either KX800, its sounds good on either KX800 but poor on the KX630..but only poor if DolbB or Dolby C has been used during the record and playback.

The other issue is record bias. All tape brands need slightly different record bias. So it is important to set up a machine for one type of tape, brand and that same spec within the brand. Over bias causes HF loss.

I understand that too. I purchased a couple of used BASF, on eof which was complete garbage (I only paid $2 per tape) and theother was good. However, the levels were completely offf on the KX800.

The next is incorrectly set record and playback equalization.

Alignment tapes from a certified Lab are crucial. A signal generator and o-scope are also required.

Of all media cassette tape is my least favorite. Decent quality from 1/8" tape with four stereo tracks giving track widths of just 1/32" running at 1 1/8 ips is a stretch to get even low Fi.

Even the most expensive machines, and I have two pro decks, give a quality well below LP, reel to reel tape. and digital media. Reel to reel tape is an expensive medium as really good fidelity requires 1/4" tape. I/2 track stereo running at 15 ips. The it gives digital a run for its money, but at much greater cost.

There is a very reputable shop here in Ottawa that specializes in vintage repairs including tape decks. Since I lack the tools and the knowledge, I will defer to them. Thanks again.

 

[sterling shoote]

So far, I do not perceive I have any of issues as mentioned by TLS. I do occasionally see that the right channel of my recorder does not remain engaged at the level originally set for recording. This is something I just noticed, after spending $225 on the recorder for a belt, cap, and roller to be installed by the only repair shop still around in my neighborhood. Of course, my minor issue may just be dirt, we'll see. At any rate, while I can easily distinguish CDs from tape, I pretty much get all there is that the pick-up is getting from vinyl.
All this stuff is moot today, just a novelty unless my mother-in-law wants me to transfer her prerecorded cassettes to CD, or I want to put a tape together to play in my 2000 Camaro's factory installed cassette player. And yes I know I can insert an adapter into the cassette well for iTunes.

 

[3db]

So far, I do not perceive I have any of issues as mentioned by TLS. I do occasionally see that the right channel of my recorder does not remain engaged at the level originally set for recording. This is something I just noticed, after spending $225 on the recorder for a belt, cap, and roller to be installed by the only repair shop still around in my neighborhood. Of course, my minor issue may just be dirt, we'll see. At any rate, while I can easily distinguish CDs from tape, I pretty much get all there is that the pick-up is getting from vinyl.
All this stuff is moot today, just a novelty unless my mother-in-law wants me to transfer her prerecorded cassettes to CD, or I want to put a tape together to play in my 2000 Camaro's factory installed cassette player. And yes I know I can insert an adapter into the cassette well for iTunes.

Hey Stirling,
If its a 3 head deck, you can always monitor the recording by selecting tape and setting record levels in that mode instead of source when recording. It gets you closer to balanced recording.

 

[3db]

I bought the KX630 to one of the more reputable shops here in Ottawa. As I walked in, I stepped backed in time with all the vintage equipment on display.

The technician took a quick look and said the heads are in excellent shape. He pressed against the playback heads while a tape was playing and my levels came up and the highs came up as well. There is a misalignment issue but he's keeping it to troubleshoot further.

 

[3db]

I got the deck back on Monday and it now plays on par with my two KX-800. It cost me $35 taxes in for the alignment and a good thorough cleaning which it sadly needed.

Here's a pic

 

[Alex2507]

So where's the 8 track? I know you got one.

 

[3db]

 

[mtrycrafts]

What??? We are not cleared for TS-SCI?