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mopar383
07-05-2009, 12:40 AM
Hi everyone I have a naim nait 3 and 3.5 cd on spendors and whanting info on nakamichi BX 100 Vs BX 300 as both have come up on trade me all i know is that they were top decks in their day

02audionoob
07-05-2009, 05:34 AM
As you might guess by the model numbers, the BX-300 is clearly the superior of the two. Its double capstan and three head design were state of the art. It listed for $750 in the mid 1980's and the BX-100 listed for only $350.

recoveryone
07-05-2009, 07:37 AM
I don't know much on the BX series, but the Dragon line was best for all time. Check ebay for one of those.

JoeE SP9
07-05-2009, 09:42 AM
As is evident from my sig I'm a Nak lover. The only caveat I have about Nak decks is they use a slightly non-standard Eq curve. The curve gives them response out to 20K. However, tapes made on anything but a Nak will not be Eq'c correctly when played back on a Nak.

Auricauricle
07-05-2009, 12:21 PM
I'm not really up on the BX series, but Nakamichi is a well-reputed cassette manufacturer, whose upper echelon decks were among the best available. The epitome of Nakamichi was reached in development of the 1000ZXL, which featured automatic azimuth alignment and many other bells and whistles in addition to being very well constructed. Later, development of the Dragon brought the 1000ZXL within reach of well-heeled consumers who weren't willing to dish out a small fortune or who couldn't find a 1000ZXL. For those not interested in the automatic gizmos and interested in turning knobs, the ZX-9 and ZX-7 were developed, the difference being direct and belt drives and slightly better frequency response. To many, the ZX-9 is the best deck ever made. For more economically minded folks who didn't want to turn knobs, the LX-5 and LX-3 were developed, the difference being the choice between a 3 head and 2 head design. Other models were released over the years, including the well-esteemed CR series, but for the most part they didn't reach the heights as the earlier models.

In sum, I have no doubt that the BX models are quite good, but am uncertain that they are of the same calibre, construction-wise and reliability-wise as the aforementioned models. With respect to your Naim gear, I would suggest holding out for a late-model Dragon (the earlier models were somewhat erratic performers and some quirks had to be worked out) or one of the ZX or higher priced CR models.

Also take note of JoeE's comments regarding EQ curves. If you have opportunity to play your tapes on the Nak of your choice, make sure there is some compatibility. They may play well, but a cassette recorded and played back on a well-made Nak is a beauty to behold.

Kevio
07-05-2009, 08:56 PM
Is the cassette going to make a nostalgic comeback?

02audionoob
07-05-2009, 09:02 PM
Is the cassette going to make a nostalgic comeback?

I've been told they sound better than CD.

recoveryone
07-05-2009, 09:11 PM
Is the cassette going to make a nostalgic comeback?

That would go under the argument of the warm sound of a Cassette vs. the clarity of a well master CD. IMHO CD is tops for me, I'll put a cassette up against most of this new media format stuff you can download.:9:

pixelthis
07-05-2009, 09:32 PM
Is the cassette going to make a nostalgic comeback?


DEAR GOD...lets hope not!

The only justification for cassette was to be played in a car, and recording your LP'S
so you didnt have to get them out so much.
Even the best never sounded normal, not surprizing considering it was intended
as a low res dictation format and only extreme overengineering made them any good
at all.:1:

Auricauricle
07-06-2009, 08:33 AM
While the cassette's debut was pedestrian, this did not anticipate the large strides in the format that companies like Nak made. Attribute it to overengineering or whatever you like, the folks at Nakamichi took the format to incredible fidelity. I'd keep on using it today if it had more storage capacity and was more compact.

02audionoob
07-06-2009, 03:16 PM
Sony also produced some great cassette decks. I had a TC-K909ES until very recently. I had not ever heard a better deck...although I never heard a Dragon. Then one day I was selling an old Nak on Craigslist and ran across someone who really wanted the Sony...so it was gone.

Kevio
07-07-2009, 05:37 AM
I agree with Pix.

Auricauricle
07-07-2009, 09:16 AM
I'm waiting for the wax cylinder revival!

JoeE SP9
07-07-2009, 09:39 AM
Auric:
A copy of a CD made on my ZX-7 with metal tape and Dolby C blows away any MP3 file I've ever heard. You are right about the ZX-9. Those who have them keep them.

Auricauricle
07-07-2009, 12:48 PM
I agree; I owned a nice LX-5 for a number of years. The tapes (TDK SA-X and HS-X) were virtually indistinguishable from the original CD's or those tapes from a friend's ZX-7. Of course they were given some muscle with a dbx 3bx, but still....

Kevio
07-07-2009, 05:34 PM
Can you still buy decent cassette tapes? I know your choices are extremely limited for professional reel-to-reel tape.

mopar383
07-08-2009, 02:44 AM
thanks guys for the info think i will wait untill i see the zx series for sale,am i correct in thinking that the zx9 is the one to go for

Auricauricle
07-08-2009, 06:54 AM
The ZX-9 is considered by many Nak fans as their best, although the ZX-7 is a similar unit and is, in many respects, every bit as good. Don't be shy of some other brands, like Tandberg, Teac and Revox, which also made very good tape decks in "the day"....

mopar383
08-01-2009, 01:23 AM
how dose the revox stack up against the nak the model i am looking at is B215