cassettes CAN sound better than vinyl.

stager

The best cassette decks like the Nakamichi Dragon or any of several other high performance Naks (I have a 682ZX) or Tandberg or 3 head Tascams, using Dolby B, are capable of recording a signal with wider frequency bandwidth and less noise than mastering machines like the Scully and Ampex decks which were used for some of the most treasured recordings ever made.

That's simply not possible. The wider tape width and higher speed of reel-to-reel give it an inherent advantage over cassette. There's really no comparison. For example, that's why tape deck manufacturers used -20dB levels when they quoted frequency response for cassette decks. You really don't want to know what it looks like at 0 dB.

Aiwa made some incredible cassette decks at the same time those Naks were made, mainly the top of the line f990. I had one, but sold it...as I owned three Awia decks. I still have both the f770 and f660. You would be hard pressed to distinguish between the source material and the tape. Awesome machines. I generally use TDK and Maxell tape type 11. Some pre recorded tapes sound absolutely wonderful on these machines. 

When I had my shop, we used to put a record on and a tape we recorded on a Nak and switch back an forth on an Audio Research/Magneplaner system.

The ONLY difference we heard was a "hollow" sound (best word I can use to describe it--same word we used in 1976)--on the tape deck. Otherwise, the Nak and the vinyl sounded the same.

FYI, back then the vinyl was played on a Linn-Sondek, I think, with either a Supex or Satin cartridge, but it has been a while, so...might have been a Thorens and Decca, but Thornes were very inexpensive back then, so we might have tried both. We used SME arms, I believe...

Biggest issue back then was that every Nak deck broke pretty quickly and had to be sent back for service. They did it, but customers were not pleased!

Cheers!

Given how many of the excellent bootleg live recordings from the 1970s were made on cassette decks (Mike Millard, Dan Lampinski, JEMS, etc etc) clearly quality can be had (most of these gentlemen went to Nakamichi decks with good quality microphones) in that mode. 

So compared to the average Joe whose turntable might not be audiophile grade, records themselves worn and poppity etc, the OPs statement is correct, can being the operative word.

vanson122 posts
09-28-2021 12:07am
Does anyone remember when you could record music on your VHS recorders?

Yes, the originals of many cassette bootleg recordings were stored by being dubbed to VHS tape. Given the long term degradation of many cassettes over time, that was a good policy to have.