Pioneer decks Cassette Decks

Analog cassette tapes don't offer the clarity of digital recording media like MiniDiscs and CD-Rs, but they've still got a couple of advantages over their higher-tech rivals. They're dirt-cheap, for one, and they let you share copies of your Grease II soundtrack with a wider circle of friends -- everyone has a tape player. Enjoy the retro fun of dubbing cassettes with Pioneer's CT-W606DR, a dual-well recorder near the high end of the company's line. Audio quality is maximized during recording by the Dolby noise-reduction circuitry, including the sophisticated HX Pro. The deck also has an MPX filter for cleaner recordings from radio and Pioneer's proprietary system that converts analog input to digital and back again so that hiss can be reduced digitally. The record mute stands out among the CT-W606DR's hassle-reducing features. This feature automatically inserts a space between tracks to prevent annoyingly abrupt transitions while recording. There's also a CD-synchro function that automatically begins recording when the deck receives input from a CD source and auto-reverse in the recording well, which lets you start the recording process and forget about it while both sides copy.