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Old 23rd Oct 2021, 1:09 am   #14
jamesperrett
Octode
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Liss, Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 1,876
Default Re: Are Ceramic Tools Essential?

Quote:
Originally Posted by knobtwiddler View Post
Although most of my decks are in states of disrepair, I have a couple of decent Sony + Technics decks. I find that a tape that sounds good in one of them, will not have the top-end clarity on the other, and vice-versa. I put it down to shell azimuth, not tape formulation. The way around this would be to buy a machine with PB azimuth adjust, i.e. Nak CR7. However, we are at the top of the market, and it's very easy to spend a fortune on a worn out machine. I also worry that the HF clarity could be due to other issues, such as tape age (some haven't aged as well as others). I should start another thread, asking 'how much of a life-saver is adjustable PB azimuth?'.
The standard practice for me is to adjust the azimuth for just about every cassette I play. You don't need a special machine - every cassette recorder I have ever encountered has had a removable cover that allows easy access to the azimuth adjustment screw. We are often only talking about a small adjustment but it makes a big difference.
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