The Sony TC-KA1ESA : Killer Sound, Reasonable Price
Written: Nov 09 '03 (Updated Nov 10 '03)
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Pros: Ease of use, playback and recording quality, available record adjustments, good looks
Cons: Minor cosmetic issues, some perks were missing
The Bottom Line: A very good cassette deck.
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| AVaddict's Full Review: Sony TC-KA1ESA Single Cassette Deck |
A Little History
I am the current owner of a Sony TC-KA3ES purchased at roughly the same time as my STR-DA555ES, both of which I still own. The reason I mention this is because I will be comparing the cheaper 1ESA with its more expensive ES cousins as well as its low line brethren. The 1ESA is not at all like the original 1ES, nor is it a 500S or even an 820, though it is set up suspiciously similar to the last two with specifically similar performance as well. This most recent incarnation of this base ES offering for analog recording started production around early 㤈, since then it has remained virtually unchanged as evidenced by, among other things, its old school 17” width.
I bought this deck from Crutchfield last week on a whim. I have wanted a second deck for my bedroom for some time and I recently nailed down a permanent, reliable, and trustworthy connection for TDK MA-XG90 tapes through ebay. The time was ripe for a new toy and the Sony TC-KA1ESA was it. With free 3 day UPS delivery you can’t go wrong, except when the packing is terrible, but more on that later. This deck is running through a Sony STR-DB840 purchased a month ago for $100 from a friend (I felt bad for about ten minutes, then he told me he was getting another B&K, I didn’t feel so bad anymore). The sound comes through a pair of 12 year old, but still perfect Polks I’ve had since high school. Even after all this time the bass is still impressive at moderate levels. Speaker cables are generic Radio Shack 16g lines while the interconnects are older Monster I-400s. Not the best by any stretch, certainly in such a small room, but they’ll do for now. So we have a solid base, a solid playback device, and good conns. This at least makes objectivity a little easier.
As mentioned earlier my blank media is about the best there is, next to Sony Super Metal Masters, but those are virtually nonexistent in North America since about 㥩, so oh well. All music I listen to is ripped straight from commercial CD to my PC then to my deck directly. These aren’t long runs either, the PC is about four feet from the deck and the sound card is quite respectable; very low noise. I will say though, there is very little difference between the CD tracks that are “verifiable” and the better MP3s I get off from the net once they end up on tape, it’s a difference only my TC-KA3ES could truly bring out. Either way, just saying that leaves out the whole variable of the sound being analog from playback and it’s important to note. So what was it like to get my new toy? Read on…
The Unveiling
Short of buying this product in the store of from a friend, three day shipping would have to do. Naturally I ordered on a Thursday, leaving me the weekend to wonder what my new precious would be like…along with a lot of time on my hands. Anyway, it came this Tuesday much to my surprise (I wanted it Monday!!!!). The packing from Crutchfield is usually very good in my experience (about 30 deliveries). The outer box lacked enough peanuts and the Sony box looked to have been dropped, but once opened I saw no evidence of anything severe. There is quite a bit less packing in this unit’s box than had been in the box for my TC-KA3ES. The Styrofoam was of lighter weight and there was less of it for the 1ESA, but the point is that it seems to have been sufficient. Ahh, there is something unique to the smell of new electronics, the unwrapping of the sheet foam, unpacking the cables and instructions. Speaking of instructions, they are sparse at best at only 15 pages. They were easy to follow and they were clear as well, but more in depth descriptions as to the nature of the tweaks would be nice for the newbie to this. There is also the standard fare of offers, warranties, and updates.
Fit, Finish, and Features
The look of this unit is very similar to the TC-KA3ES, however closer inspection reveals it to be little more than a redressed 500S. The numbers are almost identical, and short of the slope to the top of the face plate on the 500S, which is actually unchanged since about 1998, the two are obviously brothers. It seems possibly Sony wanted to maintain a low end offering within their ES line simply to make said component more accessible to those who aren’t interested in spending $650 on a tape deck. It certainly doesn’t have the heft of the 3ES nor the solid feel to the overall package. The fact the face plate on the 1ESA is plastic and not aluminum may have to do with my feelings on this, but there is just something lacking. Of course the big tip off would be that the KE-500S is listed on the directions booklet cover, voila. Mind you the sound is outstanding, so it seems minor quibbles like the perceived “solidity” of the product are more nitpicking for its own sake. I tell you though, gold plated RCAs would have been an easy, classy, and cheap touch, but Sony seems to have a pattern of this in their ES line.
There is a hollow sound and feel to the deck door operation, but not necessarily to the deck itself when playing back. There are the standard clicks and pops when it rewinds or stops or FF, what have you, but it is almost silent during playback, almost no perceptible motor noise from the deck itself, or in the music. The function buttons themselves are plastic and don’t give the impression they can stand up to a lot of abuse, but I operate the deck primarily from my receiver’s remote (not my 3000, that’s the living room) as this deck does not come with a remote, unless you choose to buy one for $45 (Sony RM-J710) from Sony….eh, I think I’ll pass. The counter is real time and not very accurate. I have seen it measure the same tape differently more than once. The peak level meter is a big boon and makes good recording possible, obviously without it one could never set recording levels correctly. The display itself is very bright almost to the point of being annoying in a dark room, i.e., when watching a movie and it has been left on. The only power option is the button on the unit itself, so unlike your DVD player, you will actually have to get up and go turn it off, I know I know, so primitive. One important thing to note is that this is a single capstan system, so the WOW and flutter are significantly greater than with the 3ES, but still lower than almost every other deck out there, certainly in this price range.
Performance
After my little rant about the little things I would like to mention that performance thoroughly exceeded expectations. I have not tried playback or recording without some form of Dolby noise reduction at work. Everything I have recorded so far has been either on C or S, though mostly S. It’s hard to describe the magic of Dolby S noise reduction. The base of the argument really, is that when this newly developed Dolby technology hit the market in 1996, it was demonstrated at more than just a few trade shows with quite impressive results. When compared against the same source material played back on mid line consumer CD decks, almost across the board, 60% or more said they preferred it to CD. Once you hear a familiar track played back in Dolby S you will most likely understand those numbers a little more.
There is a certain airy nature to tracks recorded with Dolby-S, everything is clear and specific, but it's soft and warm, enveloping the listener. There is a quality to really good analogue that can't even be touched by digital playback devices. There is no in your face hiss in the background, it really is just this side of perfectly silent. All this is without the use of the Rec Mute feature, which I find myself using less and less simply because there doesn't seem to be a need to. The overall sound is subdued and real, like they're playing just for me (Massive Attack doing a Maynard Keenan song) but in a slightly muted fashion. As with my TC-KA3ES, people who listen but aren't actually looking at the stereo are hard pressed to believe that what they are hearing is a cassette. It really does sound that good.
There is nothing wrong with recording and playback in Dolby C. It transfers well to almost any other cassette playback device whether car, portable, or home unit, and chances are if you have a tape deck or walkman previous to 2000, it is likely that Dolby C is on it, dependant on cost obviously. Tapes recorded in Dolby S are supposed to still fine when played on a device with C active. I have not found this to be the case, it isn’t that it sounds really bad, it just doesn’t sound quite right. If I know the tape is destined for an old or cheap deck I will just use B, problem solved. Dolby B sounds fine on most decks that have no noise reduction at all. Dolby S is noticeably quieter than C and seems to further define all the little quiet things while keeping the bulk of the sound vivid yet subtle, warm but not at all fuzzy.
The Good
Although the warranty sheet that comes with this deck states a three year warranty, it is actually five, just be sure to hold on to that receipt, five years is a long time. The playback is excellent on this deck. There is almost no noise, hum, or jitter to the music played and its presence and warmth is undeniable. Vs. the 500S, the 1ESA boasts a few upgraded components, but I have yet to crack this puppy open to visually verify it. At roughly $300, this deck is worth the price paid, and as I didn’t want to spend $600+on another 3ES, this really seemed like it was the way to go. This tape is very easy to use, even for the beginner, though some research may be needed to utilize all the recording features effectively. It is easy to set up and an attractive match to ones other Sony components. It has no problem receiving signals from my remote, regardless where I may be. Overall, it’s a real performer.
The Bad
The build quality, though good, doesn’t seem up to the rest of the ES line. It seems well built and better so than say the standard lines, but it doesn’t really have the heft I was hoping for and an aluminum front panel would have been a nice touch. These are all cosmetic things though, and the price does reflect the quality, or vice versa. As I mentioned above, this unit really performs. There really isn’t a whole lot that I don’t like about it. I spose I could lament the lack of a gold plating on the connections, but again, it’s a minor point.
Final Thoughts
I what you are looking for is a quality replacement for a current deck or perhaps because you simply lacked it as a component in your own system, this is a thoroughly satisfying deck for the price paid. The playback is superb; the recording is easy as is the tweaking as well. It is widely available in most markets and if it is not there is always the internet, and as in my case, decent deals. A good part of the reason I am so happy with this deck is the media I have. Though, not nearly of the same quality as the older MA-XGs, there are still quite a few brands of metal type tapes out there. This would be the best way to go for recording, however, pre-recorded cassettes sound just as good as they possibly can.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 299.99
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