The Ultimate Expression of Cassette Deck Technology...Technics RS-M280. The RS-M280's innovative 3-motor transport system begins with the famous Technics planar-opposed direct drive motor. This brushless, coreless, slotless DC motor is renowned for accuracy, durability and compact size. Using a quartz oscillator as reference, the motor's integral FG mechanism is capable of extremely precise speed control. The result? The lowest wow and flutter ever achieved in (1981) a Technics cassette deck - a mere 0.024% (WRMS) This Direct Drive motor is the take-up capstan while the supply capstan is belt drive. For the RS-M280, Technics has constructed the take-up capstan to be slightly wider than the supply capstan - this difference is then compensated for by a corresponding difference in flywheel size. In conclusion with this system speed control is consistently accurate, and modulation noise is insignificant.
The 3-Motor System of the RS-M280 uses a different approach for motor tasks. There is one motor for high-speed winding (fast forward and rewind) and another motor solely for driving the take-up reel during playback (or recording) while the Direct Drive motor is used for the take-up capstan. For the 3-Head Configuration Technics uses SX type (Sendust Extra) heads. It is manufactured by a special method that minimizes eddy currents to optimize high frequency response. SX exhibits the very high saturation flux density needed for metal tape recording. But it also provides superb response with all other tape formulations. With the RS-M280, it's easy to make the appropiate bias adjustment. To test tape response, the RS-M280 is equipped with a test-tone oscillator providing 400 Hz and 8 kHz frequencies. The matching Studio Collection components you can see here.
