Sonab C-500 (1975) | iF Design Award

 

The Swedish Sonab C-500 stereo cassette deck was introduced in 1975 but it was actually manufactured in Japan to Sonab specifications. The Sonab C-500s unique styling was created by Swedish designer Clas-Göran Wanning and in 1976 was awarded the prestigious "iF Design Award". The Sonab C-500 is constructed in such a way as to make it as simple as possible to handle, to play and above all to record. Recording as you may know is the function that requires knowledge as well as facilities. To help you as much as possible Sonab has equipped the C-500 with Dolby B-system noise reduction. There is tape selector for standard and chrome tapes, which changes both bias and equalisation, quasipeak value recording level meters, mixing facilities between left and right channels plus centre microphone, memory rewind and built in amplifier for headphones, which enables you to monitor the recording at a level acceptable to you. The deck was factory optimized for BASF LH or Maxell UD normal tape (depending on the market it was sold) and TDK Krom-O2 for chrome tape position. The deck is equipped with both DIN-standard and RCA in/out sockets, Dolby record level adjustment for STD and Chrome (independent L+R adjustment) and playback level. The VU meters have a very unique design but they are in fact normal needle type level meters with the "0" level highlighted. On the other hand the three microphone input at the front will give us a hint as to who was the manufacturer. The Sonab C 500 is actually based on the Nakamichi 500 in a simplified version with a price less than half the the RRP of the Nakamichi.

Technical data:

Transport: one motor servo control

Speed: 4,76 cm/s

Wow & Flutter: 0,15%

Frequency response:

40-12.500 Hz Normal

40-15.000 Hz Chrome

Size: 38x25x10,5 cm

Weight: 4,5kg

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