Excellent info above! On a budget, Naks may not be the best choice. They are antiques. There are only a few shops that can work on them (ESS is probably the best), and you might be shocked what it can cost to repair a Nak, especially a Dragon (over $2000 for a full rebuild). Even if you find one in really good shape, you will still need to spend at least several hundred dollars to get it calibrated, and belts, idler wheel, and perhaps capacitors replaced. They all need work, after all this time.
Opinion on Nakamichi azimuth tape decks please
I am thinking of buying a Nakamichi tape deck with the azimuth head adjustment. It will be used mostly for playing of old tapes (that's why I need azimuth). Nak made few of those: 670ZX, 680, 680ZX, 681ZX, 682ZX, Cassette Deck 1, CR-7A, DR-1, ZX-7, ZX-9 and the Dragon. I would not like to spend a lot of money so the Dragon, CR-7A, and ZX-7/9 are excluded. Any opinion on the others? I assume all of them have excellent sound quality; is it true?
I have read that the 680 models have very reliable transport mechanism and other components, but they were made almost 30 years ago. Anyone have recent experience with them? The Cassette Deck 1 was made in 1990-92 (don’t know about DR-1); how reliable are they? Do all of the old Naks require frequent calibration and servicing, and how expensive is it?
Any opinions will be greatly appreciated.
I have read that the 680 models have very reliable transport mechanism and other components, but they were made almost 30 years ago. Anyone have recent experience with them? The Cassette Deck 1 was made in 1990-92 (don’t know about DR-1); how reliable are they? Do all of the old Naks require frequent calibration and servicing, and how expensive is it?
Any opinions will be greatly appreciated.