cassettes CAN sound better than vinyl.

@rfnoise

It was cool to read about your MCS deck. I had several of them in the late 70s and early 80s; forget which models. They got me started in this hobby (really an old table-top tube AM radio did) and I've just gone further and further down the rabbit hole. Back in the day, with a decent deck and table, the deck was pretty close. I had the Teac R999-X and it was very very good though as at least one other posted mentioned, those machines of the time had mechanical trouble fairly regularly. I lived near the Teac facility and could take it there, but it always cost me over a hundred bucks to get it back. For me, I always bought the record, recorded for the car, and put the vinyl away. Was fun thinking about this, thanks OP for starting this thread.

I can see a reel to reel master tape sounding better then vinyl .
Nakamichi Dragon was the best of the best , and if cassette 
Was of good quality it can sound very respectable .
not as good as a top  turntable which is $$.

Your dreaming!!

even on a nakamichi deck, i could tell that there was a mild haze over the music compared to the original LP, esp. if it was DD or digital master. but i have heard elcasets which my ears could not distinguish from the original. the elcaset sounded to my ears like top-grade consumer R to R. 

@pokey77 

That Teac deck looks insane! Spendy when new also! Looks like one recently sold for $1500.

I’ve had a couple MCS receivers pass through my hands, and they were very decent units, and held their own against contemporaneous gear from the likes of Pioneer or Kenwood.

I actually just gifted my brother an MCS 6601 turntable this year. Solid performer.