Welcome to Hell, here's your 8-Track

Being that I'm an old relic, I can vouch for the 8-track.  I splurged on a quality player for my 72 240Z.  It far outperformed the cassette deck I had SQ wise.  It had an adjustable head and more power than the pos cassette deck I had.  It never gobbled a tape....unlike the cassette player.  If I'm correct, a wider tape gives better SQ?  I don't miss it.....but I do miss the 240Z.

Since audio cassettes seem to be coming back into favor, will we see a resurgence of 8-tracks, and maybe VHS for videos? 🤣

Amusing discussion. Next VHS vs. Beta. Audio cassettes were not a tape loops.

i remember working in a radio shack store in the late 70s. we took delivery of some new "clarinette" model 8-track compacts, put on a carpenters tape and were surprised by the vivid sound quality [better trebles than any cassette i'd heard up to that point] coming from those speakers, with an absolute minimum of background noise. they had another 8-track player in the store, one that recorded also and had dolby NR, it sounded thin and dull in comparison. so i figured that this had to be a happy accident of matching tape azimuth between the carpenters tape and the clarinette player. 

8 track was a brief step up for my brother, who started out with a car LP player.

As long as the road was smooth (recently re-paved preferable), it almost worked.  You could almost see the vinyl being carved out of the grooves...

The 'reverb unit' that was previously attached to the Chevys' dash radio was absolutely hilarious, tho'...

Hit any bump, manhole cover, or debris rewarded you with a loud "BOIIIINNNGGggg" that would make me laugh like a hyena while he'd get pissed.

The follow-up 8 track was a great respite to all that....until the tape would stretch and I'd get relegated to digging it out of the player.

After losing a few carts, he'd moved on to the 396 Chevelle, whose engine and exhaust made more pleasant noises..... ;)