Robert
Tapehead
ANRS - Automatic Noise Reduction System. Remember it?
Way back in the days when cassette decks represented a show case or the technology of the Japanese majors and were built to last, JVC got themselves involved in legal battles with Dolby labs over their version of the 'B' type noise reduction system. ANRS and Dolby B were essentially the same and there was much argument as to who got there first with Dolby emerging as the final victor.
So why is he prattling on about some old defunct NR system you may ask. Well, I recently landed a rather nice, no very nice high end JVC cassette deck - the DD9.
Buying a vintage cassette deck is a risky business as most simply dont work very well. This is mainly because the belts used in the mechs deteriorate with age and become slack leading to poor speed stability. What is facinating about the DD9 is the use of quartz locked direct drive for the transport which give it the speed stability of a decent turntable. This attracted me as the lack of belts meant that the deck should still perform well nearly 25 years after it's birth - and it does.
Not only does this machine have QL DD drive but it has something called 'BEST' which auto tunes the bias, equalization and two stages of record sensitivity (mid/high) for any tape inserted. The whole process takes around 30 secs and results in a ruler flat response with any decent tape, even a budget ferric like TDK D.
Add in three heads, superb meters and a power supply that would suite a small integrated amp and you have all the right ingredients. This particular sample looks (and smells) new, it even has the little 'techy' silver and blue stickers on the facia and case and there is no sign of any wear on the heads or rollers.
I won't spend pages describing the sound but will simply say that when auto tuned on Maxell XLII tape it gives a perfect tonal match to the source with only the mild dynamic compression of cassette tape and slight hiss telling you that you are listening to a copy.
Sadly the DD9 was the last great cassette deck made by JVC from the 'silver period' and history shows that a year later most of the big players started producing those boring black boxes with messy ergonomics and extensive use of plastics that were to last right into the late '90s.
And now for the eye candy.
Rob.
Way back in the days when cassette decks represented a show case or the technology of the Japanese majors and were built to last, JVC got themselves involved in legal battles with Dolby labs over their version of the 'B' type noise reduction system. ANRS and Dolby B were essentially the same and there was much argument as to who got there first with Dolby emerging as the final victor.
So why is he prattling on about some old defunct NR system you may ask. Well, I recently landed a rather nice, no very nice high end JVC cassette deck - the DD9.
Buying a vintage cassette deck is a risky business as most simply dont work very well. This is mainly because the belts used in the mechs deteriorate with age and become slack leading to poor speed stability. What is facinating about the DD9 is the use of quartz locked direct drive for the transport which give it the speed stability of a decent turntable. This attracted me as the lack of belts meant that the deck should still perform well nearly 25 years after it's birth - and it does.
Not only does this machine have QL DD drive but it has something called 'BEST' which auto tunes the bias, equalization and two stages of record sensitivity (mid/high) for any tape inserted. The whole process takes around 30 secs and results in a ruler flat response with any decent tape, even a budget ferric like TDK D.
Add in three heads, superb meters and a power supply that would suite a small integrated amp and you have all the right ingredients. This particular sample looks (and smells) new, it even has the little 'techy' silver and blue stickers on the facia and case and there is no sign of any wear on the heads or rollers.
I won't spend pages describing the sound but will simply say that when auto tuned on Maxell XLII tape it gives a perfect tonal match to the source with only the mild dynamic compression of cassette tape and slight hiss telling you that you are listening to a copy.
Sadly the DD9 was the last great cassette deck made by JVC from the 'silver period' and history shows that a year later most of the big players started producing those boring black boxes with messy ergonomics and extensive use of plastics that were to last right into the late '90s.
And now for the eye candy.
Rob.
