PIONEER CT-770 (1980) | All Day Compo

19 March 2025

PIONEER CT-770 (1980) | All Day Compo

The CT-770 is a stereo cassette deck equipped with ribbon sendust head and an Auto BLE system. This head is made by laminating 11 sheets of ribbon sendust thinned to a thickness of 50 microns, which suppresses the occurrence of eddy current loss, which is a problem with metal heads, and improves high-frequency characteristics. In addition, it is a combination type that allows the optimum gap width to be set for each recording head and playback head, and also prevents azimuth deviation. It is equipped with an Auto BLE system that allows recording adjustment to match the tape characteristics. The Auto BLE system enables optimal recording by adjusting the recording bias, recording level (tape sensitivity), and recording equalizer to the tape characteristics used by the built-in microprocessor's 4-bit arithmetic processing. When the tape is set and the Auto BLE button is pressed, adjustment is completed in 10 seconds, and the tape is automatically rewound to the start position and enters recording standby mode. The mechanism uses a closed-loop dual capstan system, which improves head contact by always keeping the tape tension constant, and suppresses dropouts, level fluctuations, modulation noise, and flutter components. The mechanism uses an electronically controlled DC torque motor with a built-in generator and a DC high torque motor to ensure high stability. In addition, a dedicated electronic servo motor is used for the head base drive, and the head base moves up and down extremely quietly, reducing damage to the head. In addition, the ejection also uses a motor drive method that utilizes the rotational force of this motor. The display section uses a centralized display board, and the tape running status, level meter, tape type, and Dolby NR system ON/OFF are displayed by LEDs. It is equipped with a two-color LED level meter with excellent response speed. It is also worth to be noted that there was another, completely different CT-770 for the international market in 1986. Something that is not the first time in the history of Pioneer.

Technical data:

Heads:

Recording Ribbon Sendust

Playback Ribbon Sendust

Erase Special alloy head

Motors: 2 DC servo

Wow & Flutter: Less than 0.035% (WRMS)

Frequency Response:

Normal tape (-20dB recording): 20Hz to 20kHz

Chrome tape (-20dB recording): 20Hz to 21kHz

Metal tape (-20dB recording): 20Hz to 21kHz

Additional Features: Auto BLE system (automatic bias, level and equalizer adjustment)