Cassette Decks in 2019

uberwaltz 
Do you have audible hiss?

Not in the slightest, never have on any of my Nak decks.

My 582 was a great deck, the 660zx that followed it was better still but my present zx7 is in another dimension.

I am likely the largest and most vociferous proponent of cassette on these forums ... Lol.

You have to pay to play in the big boys sandbox no doubt about it though.

I also have on old CEC belt drive CD transport that is a permanent fixture here too.

... why would one even consider cassette media would be worth listening too.

Mark, to add to Uberwaltz’ comments I would feel safe in saying that if, as I did, during the 1970s and 1980s you had purchased a considerable number of cassettes that were issued on the Connoisseur Society In Sync label you would not have asked this question.

That series of cassettes presented classical music performed by highly distinguished artists of the past such as pianists Ivan Moravec and Ruth Laredo and violinist Wanda Wilkomirska, among many others.

And regarding sound quality, as I mentioned earlier these cassettes were duplicated on chrome tape in real time. Meaning that every cassette sold was copied from a master tape at normal playback speed, rather than being duplicated at high speed as was usually done by other labels. The resulting sonics, as in the example I cited in my earlier post, were often spectacular.

Regards,
-- Al

Al.
Agreed on the CSIS label, I have a couple although not my normal taste in music but when you find them in charity shop at 50 cents you just have to buy them!
Now on the flipside there are some equally terrible later pre recorded tapes , some so bad I have tossed them and kept the case which had more value!

I also suspect the tapes the OP is referring to may well fall into this latter category in places and yes a $1000+ Nak deck would make ZERO sense.

After all old saying.....

Garbage in, garbage out.