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recommend excellent cassette for playback only?

I need an excellent cassette deck for playback only, for archiving old recordings. No desire to record cassettes in this day and age. Much of the cost and complexity of a deck relates to recording, and I'm not asking "what's the best deck", i.e. Tandberg, Revox, Naks. As I recall, it was said that some dual-well cassettes were truly excellent in this regard as they had a dedicated playback head which was optimized for that purpose - consequently, as good or better than the best 3-head decks for playback. Any info and recommendations along these lines would be appreciated. I think some Pioneer were well regarded, and Onkyo and Kyocera may have been manufactured by Nakamichi. btw, this has come about because my Dragon needs repair - and the estimate for a rebuild could be over $2000 and a one-year wait!
lloydc
kennyt's avatar
kennyt
1,226 posts
 
I agree with Elevick, tapes made on Nak decks sound far better when played back on them, this was one reason I never had one (my brother did, sounded great there, but like POS elsewhere)

I would buy something cheap and get the Dragon rebuilt, it's a piece of audio history and one of the best looking decks to boot.
rockvirgo
587 posts
 
When my Nak CR3A needed repair I was also fed a large rebuild quote. When I made it more clear I wanted it in working condition it cost one third as much.
chashmal
605 posts
 
I have always thought that the old NAD 6300 was as good or better than the Dragon. It is essentially a Tandberg deck with an NAD cover. I had 2, in addition to a Dragon, back in the old days. I absolutely loved them.
episteme
55 posts
 
As mentioned, you should get another Nak, given the tapes have been recorded on a Nak. Lots of options there, as you know.
lloydc's avatar
lloydc OP
761 posts
 
Thanks all. I should have been more specific: the tapes I wish to archive are mostly live bootlegs made on portable decks, usually not a Nak. I got the Dragon because its auto azimuth adjustment can get azimuth correct regardless of the deck the tape was made on. I understand that the narrow head gap on the Nak decks can cause problems, but not so much, on playback. I will probably get a cheap deck temporarily and have the Dragon repaired (for use, not show). That is why I was inquiring about dubbing decks. Jopi88, I would be delighted to see a nice Pioneer CT-93 or 94 at a reasonable price, but they are rare. Chastmal, I think the same is true for the NAD 6300.
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