High Fidelity Men - part 1

Akio Morita & Masaru Ibuka - SONY

Anton Philips - PHILIPS

Dr Fritz Sennheiser - SENNHEISER

Kosaku Kikuchi - SANSUI

Saburo Akai - AKAI

Torakusu Yamaha - YAMAHA.jpg

Continue reading: Part 2.... Part3... 1001 Hifi

CLASSIC minis - The Eastern Block

ELEKTRONIKA T1 003 Stereo - 1983 former USSR

Components include the ELEKTRONIKA MP-111C soft touch stereo cassette deck, ELEKTRONICA T-003 Stereo digital tuner, ELEKTRONICA 001 Stereo graphic equalizer, ELEKTRONIKA UK-003 Stereo amplifier, ELEKTRONIKA 25AS-328 two way loudspeaker and the ELEKTRONIKA EP-050 tangential turntable.

ORBIT 002 Stereo mini system - 1985 former USSR

Components include the ORBIT MP-121 C soft touch stereo 2 motor cassette deck with quartz control , ORBIT 3-002 stereo equalizer, ORBIT UP-002 C preamplifier with electronic volume control and the 50W/ch ORBIT UM-002 C power amplifier.

ELECTRONICA 3220 mini system - Romania

Components include the ELECTRONICA 3220 35W/ch stereo amplifier, ELECTRONICA analog tuner with 5 presets, ELECTRONICA MT 3220 stereo cassette deck with piano key control.

ORION mini hifi - 1983 Hungary

Components include the ORION ST 1025 digital tuner, ORION SE 1025B (second version with TESLA transistor power output) 20W/ch stereo amplifier, ORION SM 1025 stereo cassette deck with SAN-DUST head. Recommended loudspeakers were the ORION HS9 and HS 280 however the model shown in the picture is a prototype only "designer speaker"

RFT S 3000 mini system - 1983 former East Germany

Components include the RFT SK3000 HIFI soft touch control cassette deck, RFT ST3000 HIFI analog tuner, RFT SV3000 HIFI 13W/ch amplifier, RFT SM3000 HIFI stereo equalizer and the RFT B3010 HIFI 2 way bass reflex loudspeaker. The system was available in silver and black.

UNITRA Mini Line - 1982 Poland

Components include the UNITRA ETIUDA 411 D 2 motor logic controlled stereo cassette deck, UNITRA FAUST 211 D analog tuner, UNITRA FS 015 stereo equalizer, UNITRA TRAWIATA 311D 20W/ch stereo amplifier. The system was also sold under the NICOLA TESLA brand name. The UNITRA WS-510 D was a limited edition 40W/ch amplifier.

TESLA MINISYSTEM 710 A - 1983 former Czechoslovakia

Components include the TESLA T710A analog stereo tuner with 3 presets, TESLA Z710A 10W/ch stereo amplifier, TESLA M710A piano key stereo cassette deck, TESLA AR9206 loudspeakers and TESLA G710 (based on TESLA HC43) turntable.  

Read more: CLASSIC mini

BIGGER = Better ?

These are some of the BIGGEST cassette decks ever made. Were they better than a regular sized deck? In some cases, yes, they were hiding complex mechanical construction and sophisticated electronics to achieve the best possible sound. Let's take a look at the models and the years they were made.

The AKAI GXC-570D was first manufactured in 1975 and it features 3 heads and 3 motors.

The eumig FL-1000 was made in Austria in 1979. This is a highly regarded cassette deck.

The OPTONICA by SHARP RT-6906 from 1981 was a 3 head machine with an extra head for a sophisticated track search system. 

The PIONEER CT-A1 from 1979 is a 3 head unit with a complex tape calibration system. Briefly sold as Linear Phase 7000 a company that was recently acquired by PIONEER.

A big and beautiful cassette deck from Norway. This is the TANDBERG TCD 3004 from 1980. 

A not so well remembered model is the TEAC A-860 from 1976.

A two-box solution from Technics. This is the RS-9900US from 1977.

Here is something interesting, something you would not expect. This is the 3 head UNITRA MDS-624 from 1983....apparently only a prototype...

Finally, the BIGGEST of them all but never manufactured. The LUXMAN X-3K, only shown as a prototype in 1982. With this system the aim was to completely extract the tape from the cassette and run it on a free and precise tape path. 

 Read the Full Description Here.