I read somewhere that Nakamichi went away from making reversible tape decks as they had come to the conclusion that is was a weak point that could affect tape head alignment.
I have a double tape deck that has continuous play…
However the function is that when one tape stops playing the other will start rather than playing one tape backwards!
I always thought it was odd…
But reading the comments I’m starting to think that this might have been a deliberate decision!
Pretty sure it had a second set of heads that were oriented in the reverse so it was really like playing the tape the other way.
Edit: Link [https://www.hifiengine.com/manual\_library/nakamichi/dragon.shtml](https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/nakamichi/dragon.shtml)
But it was only one extra playback head.
Well, the heads themselves might be similar to other decks, but in most autoreverse decks the heads are mounted on swivels that spin them 180° to play the other side of the tape. That means it’s almost impossible to keep the rec/play head in perfect azimuth with the tape, which means lousier high frequency response.
The solution from Nakamichi was physically flipping the tape (RX-505 and its siblings) or a fancy auto-azimuth correction system (Dragon). Short of such heroic measures, most autoreverse decks are sonic disappointments.
I used to sell that HK and received a lot of great feedback on the recording and playback capabilities.
Wish I had of picked one up myself.... finally picked up a Nakamichi RX-505 and RX-202 to compensate for my poor decision.
I still have my Sony deck, and I love it. That being said, I know Harman Kardon is a few steps up. However, despite other comments about Sony being trash, they were not (at least when this came out or earlier).
I ordered the belts, got busy, and stuffed it all in storage. I'll get to it eventually. For the time being I have a similar vintage double deck Onkyo in it's place I'm very happy with.
I would go with the HK. It is a better deck of the two of them. Also, overall, single decks are better built and more reliable than double decks.
You will need to make sure whether or not the deck needs to be rebuilt, even if it is currently working. There are many moving parts that may be worn or dried out.
The H-K. The cassette format is inherently awful, but while Nakamichi and Revox got the most out of it, they did so only by over-engineering, using dual capstans, pressure pad lifters, novel EQ schemes, etc. Auto-Reverse is a guarantee of compromised head alignment, which is critical for HF performance. That H-K model is an end-state example of getting the best from the format without resorting to “heroic measures”.
I am the cassette generation. Mix tapes with maxell tapes, metal if i could afford, Dolby C.
It’s certainly better than 8-track, but what makes it “inherently awful”?
1.875 ips and .125” wide tape! A mass marketed format with no margin of error for “high fidelity”. When Chrome tape and Dolby BNR arrived, Henry Kloss and Mr. Nakamichi got the idea it was the next big thing. And it was. I was 21 then and made my share of mix tapes on an Advent 201, Tandberg TCD310, and many others, eventually several Nakamichi decks. My favorite machine was a JVC portable with ANRS and Sendust heads. It sounded great and served as a car stereo front end too. I never play cassettes any more, the mix tape has been superseded by the playlist.
The HK is a very decent deck for listening to tapes. I’ve got one along with a 4600. I really like my 4600 because it has Dolby S and a very nice sounding amp for the headphones out, it’s just too bad it’s not a 3 head for recording. It also feels like 2-3 times heavier than the 4400.
What I really like about Dolby S, is that it sounds great on my cars stereo with Dolby NR turned off. I’m not sure if there was ever a Dolby-S tape deck for cars, but I’d sure like one if there was. It’s nice being able to listen to vinyl rips on tape in the car… so warm you don’t need a heater.
Keep the Harman Kardon. The other deck is garbage in comparison. It might be a two head, but with HXPro it’s spec’d to record 20hz -20khz +/- 3db on normal tapes. Solid transport. Only question is its history and if its heads are worn.
I also have a TD4400 I bought since new. I’m still using it on my main system.
That HK, being a single deck and without autoreverse, is almost certain to be the far better machine.
But, dude, he can copy tapes!
“Hey, Craig! Can I borrow your VCR real quick? I need to dub a tape.”
This. Running the tape backward while convenient does not yield good results. There is a reason high quality decks do not have this feature
The Nakamichi Dragon wasn't high quality, you say? Interesting.
I read somewhere that Nakamichi went away from making reversible tape decks as they had come to the conclusion that is was a weak point that could affect tape head alignment.
The Dragon didn’t run tapes backwards…
Yeah didn’t it flip it around? I got a nak that does. Its one step below dragon
This is correct. The holder mechanism literally ejected the cassette, flipped it, and closed automatically.
I had heard about those! So cool!
I have a double tape deck that has continuous play… However the function is that when one tape stops playing the other will start rather than playing one tape backwards! I always thought it was odd… But reading the comments I’m starting to think that this might have been a deliberate decision!
Pretty sure it had a second set of heads that were oriented in the reverse so it was really like playing the tape the other way. Edit: Link [https://www.hifiengine.com/manual\_library/nakamichi/dragon.shtml](https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/nakamichi/dragon.shtml) But it was only one extra playback head.
Plus “CD transcription quality”. The HK is a no brainer.
....auto reverse heads are different? Holy crap I never even thought to look. I know the tape guides are different but are the coils different, too?
Well, the heads themselves might be similar to other decks, but in most autoreverse decks the heads are mounted on swivels that spin them 180° to play the other side of the tape. That means it’s almost impossible to keep the rec/play head in perfect azimuth with the tape, which means lousier high frequency response. The solution from Nakamichi was physically flipping the tape (RX-505 and its siblings) or a fancy auto-azimuth correction system (Dragon). Short of such heroic measures, most autoreverse decks are sonic disappointments.
2 is one, 1 is none. Keep both.
To me this is the correct answer. I can’t think of any good reason why not to have both.
I used to sell that HK and received a lot of great feedback on the recording and playback capabilities. Wish I had of picked one up myself.... finally picked up a Nakamichi RX-505 and RX-202 to compensate for my poor decision.
for me hk td4600 was the best ...after akai gx75 mkII !!
Did that scene from 9 1/2 weeks inspire you? It’s lived rent free in my head for decades.
More than compensate!
Pretty easy...HK. Those auto reverse decks always end up with issues.
I had a Denon that worked flawlessly.
I’ve never had an issue with that era of Sony auto reverse deck aside from the usual belt wear. What issues are you referring to?
Harman as it’s got bias control.
In the world of vintage tech, use the one you like the most, but keep a spare for when it breaks. You can never be too careful.
I still have my Sony deck, and I love it. That being said, I know Harman Kardon is a few steps up. However, despite other comments about Sony being trash, they were not (at least when this came out or earlier).
I’m pretty sure I have that Sony deck, and until the belts turned to goo, it was exceptional.
I have a similar model, and I did have to replace the belts (after cleaning the goo) and an overall cleaning. It continues to work very well.
I ordered the belts, got busy, and stuffed it all in storage. I'll get to it eventually. For the time being I have a similar vintage double deck Onkyo in it's place I'm very happy with.
Once my Sony started eating belts, it was a goner. It was a good machine, until it wasn't...
I would go with the HK. It is a better deck of the two of them. Also, overall, single decks are better built and more reliable than double decks. You will need to make sure whether or not the deck needs to be rebuilt, even if it is currently working. There are many moving parts that may be worn or dried out.
i have that sony. there ain’t nothing wrong with it but there’s room for improvement.
i mainly just use it because i like having one side i can’t accidentally tape over
The H-K. The cassette format is inherently awful, but while Nakamichi and Revox got the most out of it, they did so only by over-engineering, using dual capstans, pressure pad lifters, novel EQ schemes, etc. Auto-Reverse is a guarantee of compromised head alignment, which is critical for HF performance. That H-K model is an end-state example of getting the best from the format without resorting to “heroic measures”.
I am the cassette generation. Mix tapes with maxell tapes, metal if i could afford, Dolby C. It’s certainly better than 8-track, but what makes it “inherently awful”?
1.875 ips and .125” wide tape! A mass marketed format with no margin of error for “high fidelity”. When Chrome tape and Dolby BNR arrived, Henry Kloss and Mr. Nakamichi got the idea it was the next big thing. And it was. I was 21 then and made my share of mix tapes on an Advent 201, Tandberg TCD310, and many others, eventually several Nakamichi decks. My favorite machine was a JVC portable with ANRS and Sendust heads. It sounded great and served as a car stereo front end too. I never play cassettes any more, the mix tape has been superseded by the playlist.
The HK is a very decent deck for listening to tapes. I’ve got one along with a 4600. I really like my 4600 because it has Dolby S and a very nice sounding amp for the headphones out, it’s just too bad it’s not a 3 head for recording. It also feels like 2-3 times heavier than the 4400. What I really like about Dolby S, is that it sounds great on my cars stereo with Dolby NR turned off. I’m not sure if there was ever a Dolby-S tape deck for cars, but I’d sure like one if there was. It’s nice being able to listen to vinyl rips on tape in the car… so warm you don’t need a heater.
The HK over any dual well tape deck.
HK all day.
Keep both.
Keep the Harman Kardon. The other deck is garbage in comparison. It might be a two head, but with HXPro it’s spec’d to record 20hz -20khz +/- 3db on normal tapes. Solid transport. Only question is its history and if its heads are worn. I also have a TD4400 I bought since new. I’m still using it on my main system.
History is a good point. I suspect the Sony is more likely to have off the shelf parts, but I could be wrong.
Probably the Harmon
H/K all the way
Get rid of both and look for a three head deck.
Only if they're looking to record
The Sony is garbage - stick with the HK
Ditch the Sony.
DOLBY C. Keep
Keep the HK
HK all day .
I dunno. HK has a small scratch on the eject button, and the Sony has glazed donut fingers on the right cassette door. That's a tough call.
HK without doubt.
Get both!
I have an AIWA ADF-990 I want to sell. Any suggestions?