Sony Cassette Decks

This dual cassette deck has high-speed dubbing and high-density Permalloy heads. A member of the TC analog recorder line, the TC-WE305 is the most affordable unit of the series, priced at $99. It comes with Dolby B noise reduction but lacks the more thorough Dolby C and Dolby S noise-reduction systems as well as Dolby HX Pro.

With the Sony TCW-E675, you can take advantage of your old cassette tapes that are just sitting there collecting dust. The TCW-E675 features dual cassette decks that supports both playback and recording, making it a great addition to any home Stereo setup. Dual auto reverse, Dolby B & C noise reduction, Dolby HX Pro circuitry, Twin/Sequential recording, Auto record Level, RMS track programming, Wide-range Pitch control, Switchable MPX filter, Full-logic feather-touch transport controls, Twin electronic counters, Control A1 capability, High-speed dubbing, Fader switch, Headphone jack, Weight: 8lbs. 13oz., Includes: Remote Control.

This mid-'90s-vintage dual deck has all the most desirable features you'd want in a cassette recorder. In addition to auto reverse on both sides, it has Dolby B, C and the rarer S -- the latter is the most effective noise reduction system ever developed for cassette. Also present is Dolby HX Pro, which optimizes sound quality on the recording side (so your friend's older HX-deprived deck will do just fine for playback). The slightly above average price also buys dual motors on each side of this dual-well deck. And anything in Sony's higher-end ES will have greater attention paid to the quality of the analog output circuitry that helps define sound quality, such as the buffer that prevents noise from the power supply from getting into the signal. High-frequency response goes out to 17 kHz (S/N 57 dB) with Type II tape, and up to 19 kHz (S/N 58 dB) with metal tape. Features are present in abundance. Among the most attractive are multiple AMS (auto music search), which will automatically skip (forward or backward) up to nine tracks. AMS requires a blank space between songs to work its magic. You can even program tracks, just as if you were using a CD player. Among the other useful features are an MPX filter, to screen out inaudible FM radio noise that might throw off the noise-reduction circuits during recording, a fader control for slicker recordings, twin real-time counters, which measure running time in minutes and seconds, and a choice of automatic or manual recording level control, depending on whether you value convenience or a relatively uncompressed dynamic range more. Even considering its price, this deck is really armed for bear. Last but not least, the five-year warranty is a good thing to have when buying anything with as many moving parts as a dual-well, auto-reverse cassette deck.-- MF