Cassette tape

Tbh, I really cannot tell any difference between the 680 and my 582zx in either playback or recording ... Both are awesome ... Lol.
Agreed repair and service work on these series of decks is a bit more labour intensive but parts for the most part are still available, it's a reliable tech that's the biggest pain.
The guy I know who services R2R will not touch a cassette deck... Claims his hands are too big ...lmao!.

If you ever step up to the 580/680 series I would advise to try and find one serviced and restored, it will be less painful in the long run.

Prices have dropped a little on eBay of late, I have seen some deals on both 580 and 680 series decks.

I had a Nak 1000 ll. I thought the sound was quite good...don't  know why I left it behind

Another highly regarded deck to consider are Pioneer CT-f series like the 950, 1000 and 1250.

Watching some on eBay right now and very tempted by a fully serviced 1250....

It never ends!

@uberwaltz- Take it for what it’s worth. I was looking at the Pioneers before the last deck I purchased. The exact 3 in fact. Prices are very attractive, there’s no doubt. I researched them on the Tapeheads forum, those guys didn’t have much good to say about the Pioneer decks. I was considering a Pioneer because I thought they were supposed to be good machines plus they’re just plain beautiful. Once I read some of the post, I changed my mind and went for the Nak. Research them a bit, then do what you fell. After all, those are opinions from others which we all know, opinions are like buttholes, we all have one lol! There are also many comparisons between the 680’s vs 300. They split hairs with the 300 getting a slight edge because it’s not as old and the Dolby C feature. I really love this crazy hobby!

All things considered, I’ll take my Sony Walkman cassette player and naked Grado SR-60s any day of the week. I suspect Michael Green is correct - that lightweight components sound better. And my system is ultra light. Sounds fabulous.