Review: Nakamichi RX202 Tape deck

Category: Miscellaneous

I was searching for a long time a machine that would transfer my valuable vinyls onto the tape with minimal compromise and yet to be an affordable piece. There are some records I even buy so I sell them later-on due to its sky-rocketing price. Such records are usually very rare and out-of print since stone ages. Moreover it brings me a possibility to record a new upcoming music that I can borrow from my friends without searching or buying them through the internet.

This deck despite having only basic features is quite sophisticated having a maximum noise isolation from the motors with highly-complicated belt-driven system. Somehow I realized that belt-driven system for tape deck works almost the same as belt-driven system for turntable where you have more vibration isolation and less noise transfered in comparison to the direct drive.

My deck has two motors, three heads, 4 tape selectors, record-playback memory, record-dim, separate level adjustement for each channel, headphone jack and uniquely designed uni-directional mechanizm that lets the head stay on its place unchanged.

After several comparison tests with studio original cassettes I realized that whatever I did through my Nak was far more superior and natural. Some of the CD copies actually sounded more musical and better(maybe the jitter issue?). The noise level was lower compared to the original tape, dynamics were greater and faster. Some of the bad recorded vinyls sounded real bad on my system sound now better thorught the cassette.

My wife consider this tapedeck one of my best toys and it looks stunning! She might watch to the end of cassette shined by the light in the dark and weight until it flips over by itself by unidirectional auto reverse mechanizm!

After numerous comparisons of a recorded compact cassettes I realized that nothing can record like Nakamichi and RX202 can be as budget Dragon in that case

Strengths of the unit are the following:
1. quiet operation with very low noise during playback and recording as well.
2. excellent recording capabilities that bring to the compact cassette even unexpected quality that is very close to the reel-to-reel 7.5ips speed.
3. compact and can be placed on the component shelf.
4. dual-mono recording level adjustement
5. convenient buttons
6. sounds great
7. looks stunning

The weaknesses on that tape are the following:

1. rewinds and fasts forward slow
2. no automatic song tracing
3. output level is too low that requires high-gain preamp or low-gain phono preamp.

This is probably my last tape deck and will never be changed or upgraded. It will be repaired and serviced if it will break.

Associated gear
Click to view my Virtual System

Similar products
OTARI MX5050B2 1/2" 2trk analogue recorder,
Teac 1050,
onkyo 3060.