Looks great, sounds awful.
Written: Sep 05 '02 (Updated Sep 07 '02)
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Pros: Three-head deck provides off-tape monitoring during recording.
Cons: Unable to make decent recordings of many popular forms of music.
The Bottom Line: If all you are comparing this to is a boom box, you will be very happy, if it doesn't break.
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| ciocc's Full Review: Sony TC KA2ES Stereo Cassette Deck Dual Cassette D... |
Sometimes Sony produces really good stuff, and sometimes they sell junk that looks like good stuff. The KA2ES is the later. The specs sound great, but the recordings can sound so awful they are impossible to listen to.
You may think I am one of those golden ear types who is exaggerating, but just try recording some jazz, the type with drum sticks on cymbals. Listen to the source and switch the monitor to the tape playback head while recording. The sound is so totally different any fool should be able to hear it.
But if you record music without sharp transients the sound is not so distorted. Apparently the Dolby HX pro is over-reacting to the sudden change in high-frequency volume in making a short-term adjustment to the erase head bias. But because the erase head is offset from the record head, the two do not coincide, resulting in suppression of high frequency transients. Harpsichords end up sounding like sand paper.
I returned the deck to Sony for service because the input jacks failed, resulting in the inability to record. Also the record calibration circuit failed - all within the first year. After letting it gather dust for a year, I sent it back to the factory. Luckily the ES series has a three-year warranty, but the construction quality apparently is no better than Sony's regular line.
Sony fixed these two problems, but according to the repair report, the service technician did not even bother to check the record frequency specs or do anything else to investigate the distorted recordings.
Also, there is audible flutter, which should not be, given the specs.
This is not a great deck. I have had two Nakamichis, circa 1980s, that were far better than this late 1990s design, and listed for about the same price. I also had an earlier three-head Sony deck that sounded nearly as good as the Nakamichis, but broke. Heck, my Technics three-head deck from the 80s has far less flutter and much better recording sound than the Sony.
I'm afraid Sony is just trying to make a few last bucks off a dying technology. For the premium price, this deck should work right and sound good.
By the way, the remote control is included.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 260
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Epinions.com ID:
ciocc
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 1 member
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