Best cassette deck for transferring to cdr?

I owned a Naka Dragon.
It was the best sounding cassette deck I ever used, it was very close to my Revox PR 99 Mk III.
Really good. Sad to see these things go replaced from inferior but modern designs.

Can't beat a Nakamichi. They are great at recording and you'll hear the difference.

I have two Nakamich 582 three head deck. The 582 was the workhorse of the radio's stations. Both in great condition.
Either one, your choice $200 plus shipping.
I can sent photo's

My TEAC 8030S sounds different from my Nak Deck 1.5. Not better, I think. Equally good, but different. With Dolby S, the TEAC makes quieter recordings with slightly superior dynamics. The Nak's bias and level were not as easy to set, the cueing was not as simple, and there was no remote, but it sounded great, very open and natural, and that's the one the robbers got.

Unless you made all of the tapes on the same deck, or at least with the same azimuth, it is going to be difficult to get the most from your tapes without spending quite a lot of money (say $1k or so).

I suggest you visit the Electronic Services Labs (in CT)website, and check-out their Nakamichi pages. This will put my comments into perspective. This would be your high-cost alternative.

If your tapes are from a variety of sources, including pre-recorded, I would e-pay a low mileage Nakamichi deck, have it serviced for playback only, and have at it. This is the low cost alternative.

Nakamichi hit its pinnacle in terms of best parts and high-tech by the LX series. Many compromises were made by the bean counters as Nakamichi began to compete in the mid-fi arena. I submit a properly aligned and serviced LX-3 would do the job, unless of course you want azimuth adjustment, in which case the price goes up even if the overall quality is _slighlty_ compromised (effecting longevity).

-Kurt