TEAC CR-R7 (1982)

 

The CR-R7 (CR-7) is a technically sophisticated, powerful and elegant "entertainment center" which, as the heart of a high-quality hi-fi stereo home system, provides more musical enjoyment than any other system of this type. It is a sophisticated combination consisting of a cassette player, a synthesizer tuner, a powerful stereo amplifier and a microcomputer-controlled multi-purpose timer, which offers not only excellent sound quality and exemplary ease of use, but also extensive programming options. The most important feature of the technically sophisticated cassette player is the unique bidirectional operation with the TEAC "REAL TIME REVERSE" circuit. It changes the direction of the cassette at the end of the tape so quickly that the interruption is almost imperceptible. The tape transport can either switch off automatically after a change in direction, i.e. after both sides of the cassette have been played through, or it can be repeated continuously (endless operation). The computer-controlled program search automatically finds any desired title and the block repeat circuit allows one or more titles to be repeated as often as required. The dbx noise reduction is part of the standard equipment, as is the tried and tested Dolby B system. All drive functions can be remotely controlled using the RC-95 remote control, which is available as an optional accessory. The CR-R7's quartz-control PLL synthesizer tuner guarantees perfect tuning in manual and automatic mode. It is equipped with preset buttons for 8 MW and 8 FM stations of your choice. The CR-R7's stereo amplifier delivers a sine wave output of 2x40 watts at 8 ohms (at 1 kHz) and operates with virtually no distortion. The features include a speaker protection circuit, touch-button volume control and microphone mixing control. A Micro-computer controlled timer with versatile programming options is also incorporated. It can be set so that any program source - cassette, tape reel, tuner, record or a device module connected to the AUX input - is switched off at any time. In addition, a radio program can be copied to cassette fully automatically at a preset time. The snooze function switches the CR-R7 off at the desired time. In the morning, the CR-R7 serves as a radio alarm clock with digital display. Size (WxHxD) 437x115x350mm | Weight 10,5kg | Original sale price 2100 DM in Germany.

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Panasonic VX5500 (2001)

 

Everything is for music lovers. This Limited Edition 2DIN CD/MD car audio receiver is made without compromise, with materials carefully selected from the ground up to achieve high quality sound. The power supply circuit has been newly designed to maximize the amplifier's potential. To produce great sound, the basic requirement for an amplifier is to transmit a clear and stable music signal. By transmitting the signal picked up from the sound source to the speaker without compromising quality, they aimed to naturally reproduce the sound that the artist intended, rather than a created sound. To ensure the highest quality sound, Panasonic pay particular attention to each and every material. This includes particular attention to the capacitors that supply power to the amplifier section, etc., and have independently equipped the L and R channels with the highest class of acoustic electrolytic capacitors, "bamboo capacitors," which significantly reduce the sense of distortion even with large inputs and dramatically improve the rise of bass sounds. The 45W x 4ch power amplifier was developed by carefully listening to all kinds of music genres and selecting an amplifier that produces a sound that is pleasant to the human ear. It simultaneously achieves smooth highs and a rich sense of volume in the bass. Luxurious design with aluminum face panel and dual analog meter. Available in champagne gold and "accurate black". External dimensions: W178 x H100 x D160 (mm) | Weight: 2.4kg

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Discover More Hi-Fi Classics

Technics System E10 (1991)

 

This Hi-Fi Component System comes with a user-friendly 2-way remote control; signals are received by the main unit which responds to the instruction and then transmits a signal back to the hand unit which displays operating status, track number, etc, on an LCD display. Its learning function enables other components such as television, video, satellite or digital tape recorders to be controlled (even many other manufacturers products, as well). The design is slim and neat with secondary controls concealed behind drop down panels. The heart of the system is a 65W per channel (RMS, 1kHz, 40) tuner/amplifier with 24 radio pre-sets, audio timer for wake up and unattended recording, headphone socket and Super Bass circuit use for bass boost when listening at low volume. The compact disc player has MASH digital-to-analogue converter which is particularly adept with subtle musical passages where some other digital circuits struggle. If discs get scratched or marked the Digital Servo system automatically adjusts the laser to dramatically improve disc playability. Again secondary cassette deck controls are hidden behind a drop down panel. Dolby B/C noise reduction and Dolby HX-Pro headroom extension feature alongside a quick auto-reverse cassette tape mechanism. An attractive pair of two-way wood grain effect speakers complete this system. A rear mounted bass reflex port extends the low end response whilst a 2.5cm pure mica hard dome tweeter handles the treble. This basic system could be extended with a DAT recorder and a surround processor. They were mostly sold branded as Technics but for certain markets they were branded Panasonic.

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Discover More Hi-Fi Systems

Technics RS-M258R (1982) | Fixed 4-Head Design

The RS-M258R was introduced by Technics in 1982. You might wonder what "Fixed 4-Head Design" could mean. This is actually a different and unique approach to build a auto-reverse cassette deck. In order to avoid tape-to-head angle errors that occur in ordinary auto-reverse decks, Technics decided to use two completely separate rec/pb heads. This resulted in two completely independent set of heads (for both direction) in what we usually call a 2-head configuration deck. Also critical for equally good performance in both directions is the decks' transport system. Here you can find a precision DC motor with two flywheels. The FG (frequency generator) with servo control keeps speed from fluctuating. The twin dynamically balanced flywheels assure that the torque from the precision FG servo motor will be evenly transmitted to the tape. As a result wow & flutter is kept very low under both forward and reverse tape transport conditions. Also the change of direction happens in just 0.35 second. This bit of engineering magic is performed with infrared rays and a phototransistor.

Technical Specifications

Track system: 4-track 2-channel auto-reverse stereo recording and playback

Wow & Flutter: 0.07% (WRMS)

Frequency response: 20-18.000Hz Metal

Motor: FG servo DC motor (x1)

Heads: SX (Sendust Extra) head for record/playback (x2),

       Double-gap ferrite head for erasure (x2)

Dimensions (WxHxD): 43x10.9x34cm

Weight: 5.8kg

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

AKAI GX-77 (1981) | Lambda Loading

 

The Akai GX-77 introduced in 1981 is the definition of Innovation, Compact Sophistication, and EE Performance. The Akai GX-77 doesn't look like an ordinary high-performance open reel tape deck for a very good reason. It isn't. Behind the unusually smart exterior styling lies a vast amount of technology and engineering know-how. It's one of Akai's very best machines. EE tape formulation was the latest breakthrough in open reel tape technology. It offers unsurpassed dynamic range, higher frequency response, and substantially higher output level. The Lambda Loading system is another Akai first and was developed to meet customer needs for ease of tape loading. A more compact deck was also made possible by this unique tape transfer mechanism. GX-77's Lambda Loading is the answer to the user's dream for an easier to load mechanism. Once secured onto the take-up reel, a push of a button is all that's needed to automatically guide the tape into and out of the transfer mechanism. Correct loading is assured every time as the Lambda Loading mechanism glides the tape into place precisely. And there's quite a bit more. Notably, the Auto Reverse mechanism with continuous playback capability, an elapsed-time digital counter, feather-touch logic controls and remote control capability. You'd think the startling performance of EE tape alone would make the GX-77 an exceptional machine. Akal's original quick reverse system is the first of its kind to be used on an open reel deck and although automatic reverse systems have been developed in the past, none have such great advantages in being quick, quiet and positive. This system will appeal to every open reel deck user because it eliminates the bothersome loss of time and missed recordings. The change is so quick and quiet mat recording or playback in essentially continuous. The there is the 6-HEAD SYSTEM including 4 GX HEADS. The both way 3-head system provides identical recording and playback characteristics in either forward or reverse. The 6-head system of the GX-77 consists of one each forward GX record, forward GX playback, reverse GX record, reverse GX playback and two erase heads. Perfect symmetry is assured for stable tape travel and no chance for error or misalignment. The heart of the GX-77 is this 6-head system and a brings you an incredibly durable system with overall wider response and greater sensitivity than previously possible. The GX-77 has actually been awarded Japan's coveted "G" mark for technical excellence. Also available in black. You can see the GX-77 from The 1001 Hi-Fi Collection here.

Specifications:

Track system: 4-track, 2-channel Stereo System

Reel capacity: up to 18cm

Motors: 1 FG Servo DC Capstan, 2 DC Reel Motors

Heads: 2 GX recording, 2 GX playback, 2 erase

Tape speed: 19cm/s 9,5cm/s

Wow & Flutter: 0,03% WRMS 19cm/s

Frequency response: 25-33.000Hz (-20 VU 19cm/s)

Dimensions (WxHxD): 440x244x227mm

Weight: 17 kg

Original sale price: 1.600 DM in Germany

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Sharp Live CD-U10 (1989)

 

The Sharp Live CD-U10 introduced in 1989 is a high-grade component system equipped with DSP (Digital Sound Processing) circuit, a 4-channel amplifier with a total output of 100W, and an AV selector together with a twin auto-reverse cassette recorder and CD player. The CD-U10 system consists of two main components, the amplifier and CD player, and the cassette deck and tuner-timer. The 4-channel surround amplifier has a total output of 100W (front 40W+40W, rear 10W+10W EIAJ) and reproduces the rich presence of a concert hall or live music venue. The surround mode has 14 pre-programmed types (7 types for 2CH and 4CH) and a total of 18 types of Dolby sound fields are available, including 3-mode user memory that can store your own sound field settings, and Dolby. The 14 pre-programmed types can be easily controlled with the new surround jog mechanism. This AV-compatible system also features two systems (including video switching) for the VTR and the VDP/BS tuner. In addition, the digital signal transmission circuit uses an advanced optical transmission (optical isolator) circuit. By electrically isolating the digital circuit from the analog circuit, distortion and digital noise are suppressed, reducing deterioration of sound quality. A pioneering method from Sharp uses a coaxial drive to rotate two paralell loaded tapes. The Twin Cam W mechanism realizes high quality sound editing with little rotation error. Equipped with a manual recording level system with nine independent steps for left and right channel and a peak level meter. It also features Dolby B-NR, which reduces tape hiss noise and enables high-quality playback and recording, and an FL digital counter that is convenient for editing. The tuner section features TV audio multiplex, FM, AM, with 30 preset stations. The matching loudspeaker is a compact, high-performance, two-way, three-speaker system that reproduces pure, dynamic CD sound. It uses a twin-drive system that places two identical 12cm woofers above and below a 5cm tweeter. Sound energy from low to high frequencies is reproduced around the tweeter, achieving a sound with excellent sound spread and positioning. It creates a natural, free-flowing, and immersive sound field. The 12cm woofer also has good response, and together with the effect of the bass reflex duct on the back, it produces crisp bass sounds. There is also a 74-key remote control that uses 10-key direct song/channel selection, allowing you to select CDs, programs, and even one-touch tuner recall. In addition to turning the power on/off, you can also control the volume up/down, one-touch muting, surround mode, front/rear, and left/right sound field balance, all at your fingertips, without having to move your listening position. Various types of audio furniture was also available such as the KA-U10 stands.

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Sansui AU-alpha777DG (1989)

 

Sansui was the first to adopt the MASH method (digital to analog conversion), which uses high-order oversampling and third-order noise shaping to instantly convert digital signals into highly accurate analog signals. To fully utilize the high accuracy of the MASH method, Sansui adopted a lithium tantalate element that has an accuracy close to that of a crystal oscillator and a wide lock range. This resulted in the establishment of a unique Linear & Direct D/A Conversion System (L.D.C.S.). The amplifier is also equipped with two dedicated transformers where the digital and analog sections are separated. This amplifier features 4 digital inputs and 8 analog inputs. To achieve both sound quality and convenience, a remote controller with a direct access rotary switch is used. The highly accurate 6-gang volume control allows you to turn the volume up and down and freely, switch between a total of 11 sources. 

Technical data:

Power rating: 90W+90W (8ohm, 20-20.000Hz)

Total harmonic distortion: 0,003%

Frequency response: DC-200kHz

Dimensions (WxHxD): 430x163x450mm

Weight: 18,2kg

Wireless remote control: RS 1130

Wood side panels: SW-AU1

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

AKAI GXC-760D (1976)

Technical Data:

Heads: GX recording/playback and erase head - 3 Head System

Motors: One AC servo belt drive dual capstan + 2 DC Direct reel drive

Wow & Flutter: 0.06% WRMS

Frequency Response: 30Hz-19.000Hz FeCr tape

Dimensions (WxHxD): 440x142x306mm

Weight: 11.1kg

Optional remote: RC 17

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

SONY TC-880-2/TC-8750-2 (1974)

 

SONY 880-2 THE WORLD'S BEST...said the advert of the time.

DIRECT DRIVE SERVOCONTROL SYSTEM. The name may be long-Close-Loop Dual Capstan Tape Drive but the concept is simple: one capstan is just an extension of the motor shaft itself (the other connects through a belt-drive inertia fly-wheel), Gone are the Intervening gears that can often impair optimum operating reliability as well as speed accuracy. The result-almost nonexistent wow and flutter-a mere 0.02% @ 15 ips.

PEAK READING VU METERS. They're versatile. Accurate. And incredibly informative. 1. You can set for standard VU operation to determine recording level. 2. Set to display transient peaks only (up to +15 dB), 3. A third display, Peak Hold, retains transient reading, letting you accurately measure audio input and adjusts accordingly with 2dB Stepped Record Level Attenuators.

SYMPHASE RECORDING. Thanks to the durability of Sony's Ferrite and Ferrite Heads and incredible precision fabrication and alignment of the head gap, you can record any matrix 4-channel signal (like SQ or FM), play it back through a 4 channel decoder/amplifier, and retain the exact positioning of signal throughout the 360° 4-channel field. What started out in right front channel stays there. What began in left rear doesn't wander over to right rear. There's no phase shift whatsoever.

SYNCRO-TRAK. This means you can lay down two individually recorded tracks in perfect synchronization with each other. Record head has playback-monitor function in record mode. This eliminates time lag that occurs when monitoring through playback head. Thus both tracks can be first generation, keeping noise levels at minimum. Flashing Standby Signal alerts you that the unrecorded channel is record-ready And Punch-In Record puts you into record mode instantly, without stopping tape.

Technical specification:

Bias frequency: 160kHz

Recording format: 2-track 2-channel Recording and Playback

                  4-track 2-channel Playback only

Tape speeds: 38 and 19 cm/s

Wow & Flutter: 0.02% WRMS 38cm/s

Frequency response: 25-35.000Hz SLH tape 38cm/s

                    20-40.000Hz FeCr tape 38cm/s

                    25-25.000Hz SLH tape 19cm/s

                    25-30.000Hz FeCr tape 19cm/s

Motors: 3 Motors, Direct Drive Dual Capstan

Heads: F&F-PB(2T), F&F-rec(2T), Erase head + F&F PB(4T) 

Dimensions (WxHxD) 465x515x265mm

Weight 36,5kg

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

ReVox B791 (1981) | Linatrack

 

Revox introduced it's original Linatrack (Linear tracking/Tangential tonearm) model, the B790 in 1977. The B791 presented here is the updated version that was introduced in 1981. The pivoting REVOX tonearm concept with the tangential short tonearm represents a successful synthesis of technical innovation and constructive perfection. Damage to the record and scanning system as well as strength and resonance problems of conventional tubular tonearms are a thing of the past with this design. An electronically controlled tracking system keeps the pickup exactly in the middle of the record groove so that no playback distortion occurs. The flat motor developed and built by REVOX is quartz-controlled and drives the turntable directly. This ensures the synchronous consistency absolutely necessary for distortion-free playback without the need for readjustment, even when using record cleaning devices. The digitally displayed rotation speed of the turntable on the B791 can be quartz-controlled by ± 9.9% in steps of 0.1%. The sound variations that can be achieved in this way enable record lovers to create an extraordinarily nuanced playback and adapt it to their individual musical sensibilities. In addition, there is also the possibility of tuning the pitch to a musical instrument or audio-visual device in the simplest way possible.

Technical data:

Motor: Quartz Direct Drive

Speed accuracy: +/-0,01%

Platter diameter 313mm, weight 2,1kg

Tonearm: Linatrack with servo-electronic tracking

Dimensions (WxHxD): 449x142x395mm

Weight: 9,1kg

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

PIONEER RT-701 (1976)

 

Pioneer's open reel deck, the RT-701 was introduced in 1976. In addition to improving sound quality, the design is made to be compatible with the amplifiers and tuners that are the core of the component system, and it can be mounted in an EIA standard rack. It features a unique design, and is equipped with a direct drive system in which the motor shaft itself acts as a capstan, a newly developed hard permalloy head, and other features that have been thoroughly improved in terms of performance and sound quality. The RT-701 uses hard permalloy material for the recording and playback heads. The surface is precisely polished to a mirror finish, so it changes little over time even with long-term use and maintains excellent recording and playback characteristics. The head amplifier also uses an equalizer amplifier that uses a newly developed IC with high input resistance and low noise. The RT-701 is a high quality 4-track 2-channel stereo recorder that can operate at two speeds: 19cm/s and 9,5cm/s. Original sale price was 1.480 DM in Germany. There was also a RT-701S without the rack mounting front panel ears. Later this model was upgraded as the RT-707, an auto-reverse model. Frequency response 20-28.000Hz (19cm/s) | Wow and Flutter: 0,05% (WRMS) | 3-motor Direct Drive system | Size (WxHxD) 480x230x356mm | Weight: 19,5kg

Powered by www.1001hifi.com

Powered by www.1001hifi.com