Product Description With the Sony TCW-E475, you can take advantage of your old cassette tapes that are just sitting there collecting dust. The TCW-E475 features dual cassette decks that supports both playback and recording, making it a great addition to any home stereo setup. Relay Play Wide-range pitch control Switchable MPX filter Full-logic feather-touch transport controls Twin electronic counters Control A1 capability High-speed dubbing Super-density Permalloy heads Fader switch Headphone jack Weight - 8lbs. 13oz.
Amazon.com Product Description Sony's TC-WE475 dual-well cassette player/recorder offers high quality and plenty of great features, including dual auto-reverse playback. When coupled with the deck's relay play feature, dual auto-reverse means you can enjoy up to three hours of continuous music from two 90-minute cassettes. One tape well plays, the other records. You can set the recording input level using a dedicated control or rely on Sony's auto level-setting feature to choose the most appropriate level for your tape (this works best on dynamically limited material such as pop music). Choose from normal- and high-speed dubbing: normal speed for higher fidelity, high speed for greater convenience.
Sony has built the deck with high-density Permalloy tape heads for long life. For noise reduction, the TC-WE475 is outfitted with both Dolby B, the encoding standard used on most prerecorded cassettes, and Dolby C, which buys you another 10 to 20 dB or so of noise reduction beyond that offered by Dolby B (around 10 dB). Use Dolby when recording and, if a tape has been recorded using Dolby, when listening.
Two other technologies specifically heighten the quality of your recordings. During loud level peaks, Dolby HX Pro dynamically adjusts the bias signal (a supersonic and basically sacrificial tone your deck uses to push distortion out of the audible range), effectively letting you record "hotter"--that is, louder on tape--without compressing the high-frequencies of your program material. Secondly, an onboard MPX filter blocks the 19 kHz multiplex pilot tone of FM stereo broadcasts for proper Dolby noise-reduction tracking when you record off the air.
Other features include full-logic, feather-touch transport controls and twin electronic tape counters (one for each deck), which come in handy when you're making a compilation from a variety of source tapes. If you have a Sony audio/video receiver, you can operate the deck from your receiver's remote control.
What's in the Box Cassette player/recorder and user's manual.
Good, basic unit, bought for analog-to-digital transfers.September 21, 2008 I needed a player for the task of converting 200 audio cassette tapes to digital, using the Audacity application. We stick to Sony for our electronics--when we stray we're usually sorry. So I went with this deck. Not that there's much of a selection left for this archaic recording method. Since we won't use a tape deck for anything after the converting project is done, I didn't want to spend a lot. This unit was a good deal and so far is doing the job well. There aren't any bells or whistles but they aren't needed. The loud thud of the motor when fast-forwarding ends is a bit alarming. Hopefully it's normal for a "DC Servo Controlled Motor"--whatever that is! The manual is simple and well-written. I recommend this machine.
Great product!September 20, 2008 We're really happy with this Sony after buying & returning TEAC W-600R Dual Full-Logic Cassette. What a difference in sound! Better features, too. Definitely worth the difference in price.
Using XDR test tones & frequency analyzerAugust 24, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Like many of you I'm digitizing some cassettes; commercial ones that are out of print and demos from various musical projects I mixed down to cassette in the 80s and 90s. Finding a used Nak or Studer-Revox from days of yore and insuring it is up to spec is a bit much and, being a freelancer, my finances for such indulgences are strictly budgeted. The Sony is in my price range and it will see vary little use after I digitize about 30 commercial and 30 demo cassettes. "Sigh".., then it will be time to look for a reasonably priced (properly speced this time) turntable to start digitizing my discontinued vinyl.
Even as useless as the spec sheet is I still chose the Sony because of the price. Honestly, the spec sheet means nothing. The frequency response numbers don't specify which tape well is being referenced, there's no specified weighting. If "IEC" is meant to indicate that the results are weighted then there is no indication as to what type. Although an argument could be made that A is the most common it is after all a spec sheet I'm referring to. By definition a spec sheet should be specific. I'm spoiled.
What about that incredible frequency response that is +/-6db? Using the above assumption about what the inclusion of "IEC" may or may not indicate about weighting it could indicate "unweighted". At +/-6db unweighted who cares, its technical jabberwocky, its B.S. marketing. Still, I went into this knowing the specs were the product of "creative accounting".
So, my suggestion for choosing a cassette deck, this one included, is to first purchase it from someplace with a good return policy, then once it arrives and is set up find a XDR cassette in your collection, find a frequency analyzer plug-in for your chosen recording software, record the test tones played back from both heads (tape wells) and look at the results in the freq analyzer yourself. The results I got were acceptable for what I want to accomplish. Cassettes were never audiophile quality even when the source was recorded onto a hi-speed single well professional deck (good luck finding said deck), no matter how much anyone wants to convince you otherwise its not true. It is true, however, that if you want to go crazy and squeeze that last bit of fidelity out of your cassette collection then a restored hi-end Nakamichi or Studer-Revox is the way to go. Better yet, use the original deck the material was recorded on after you've cleaned and degaused it.
If your cassette collection is mostly commercial pop, rock, and mix tapes of the same then this deck should be fine from a fidelity standpoint (if you consider yourself a classical music or jazz aficionado and have any of such in your cassette collection that was purchased after your college years hang your head in shame). As for long term reliability, I'll probably never know. Once my cassettes are digitized look for this deck on ebay. It will have been professionally maintained and have low hours.
A little over priced, but sounds good and plays wellJuly 3, 2008 Therer are lots of others you can check out, but this one is good quality
nothing but troubleI bought one of the machine in november 2006, and very soon afterward, it began running the tape forward foMay 30, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought one of these decks in november 2006, and one week later I had to exchange it for another because the relays misfunctioned, so that instead of rewinding, it ran the tape forward for two sequences. I got another, same problem. When I got the third one and it started doing it, I decided to get it repaired in Loredo tx. they repaired one side, then the other one started doing it. I got that repaired in July 2007, and, now it is starting it again. The relays are unreliable, and your tapes can get snarled because it might wind forward instead of rewinding, and when you use the music search to go backward to a previous song, it could also go forward. The machine makes great recordings and my tapes sound great, but it has a crappy noisy design.
Radio-Audiophile.com review- For hardcore Radio Audio machine ,buy cheap IPOD , accessories , speakers , electronic gadgets , mobile , iphone , garmin GPS , sound cards,digital audio interface,computer sound machine ,software , radio exciter ,broadcast ,audio power amplifier,RF power amp,AV systems ,DVD player ,HDTV, home theatre , sound effects ,mixer , DJ and accessories.Discount and lowest price "special promotion" everyday.
sponsored links
Onkyo HT-SR800 Black Home Theater System $335.96 - $499.00 from 2 stores. User rating:4.0 out of 5.
Neatly Covering All A/V Formats, Precisely Tailored for Your Home
When it comes to all-in-one home theater, the HT-SR800 has made a clean break from the pack. You're looking at packaged home theater that neatly integrates your high-definition entertainment and your HDTV through an HDMI channel that transports video with a resolution all the way up to 1080p. Ably supported by component video switching, the HT-SR800 will handle most of the A/V components or formats currently available, as well as the spectacular quality of high-definition discs. Also, reinforcing the convenience of matched components, this package is the first to use an Audyssey room-correction technology specifically designed for integrated systems. The options - XM Radio (including 5.1 surround sound radio with Neural Surround decoding) and iPod integration-can really extend your reach, making the HT-SR800 one of the more complete home theater packages available.
Special Features-
HDMI Pass Through (2in/1out , 1080P compatible) - A separate audio connection is necessary
"Audyssey 2EQ" Auto room calibration w/Microphone
XM and Sirius satellite radio ready
Sony HT-7100DH Home Theater System $349.95 - $378.08 from 2 stores. User rating:3.0 out of 5. Grab your popcorn and revel in the intense movie-watching experience that is the HT-7100DH home theater system. Take your entertainment to new aural heights as 900 watts of surround sound fill your room while you watch high definition DVD media or listen to XM satellite radio. For fast and easy setup, the HT-7100DH automatically calibrates the included speakers for an optimal sound field and the most dramatic effects. The Digital Media Port (DMP) is also great for when you want to listen to external sources like Bluetooth devices or Walkman music players in powerful 5.1 channel digital surround sound.
Bose 3-2-1 Home Theater System $958.24 - $999.98 from 2 stores. User rating:3.1 out of 5. If you've been looking for a surround sound solution that doesn't require hours of setup and creative ways to hide the wires, the search is over. Introducing the Bose 3-2-1 system, a revolutionary advancement in home entertainment that's much easier to live with. Designed to provide performance and simplicity unmatched by conventional component or all-in-one solutions, this system delights the ears and the eyes.
Five speakers are replaced by two. A stack of electronics is replaced by a single media center that includes an integrated DVD/CD player, AM/FM tuner, amplification and signal processing. A patented Acoustimass module hides easily in a corner or behind your furniture. And everything is easily connected with just three wires and a power cord, making setup a snap. The 3-2-1 system combines an Articulated Array speaker design with proprietary signal processing to give you much of that same performance. Hear the roar of a train from left to right from just two visible speakers positioned in the front of your room. Enjoy a spacious soundstage and lifelike surround effects whether you're watching the game, listening to a favorite CD or enjoying the latest on DVD.
Sony DAV-IS10 Home Theater System $399.97 - $558.99 from 5 stores. User rating:0.0 out of 5.
The 5.1 channel home-theater-in-a-box system features five tiny speakers - each about the size of a golf ball. The system, matched with a compact, single disc DVD/CD player/receiver, includes a unique subwoofer that helps the tiny speakers create sounds typically reserved for full size speakers.
While the system features small speakers, it packs all the power of conventional home theater-in-a-box systems with 450 watts of total system power (satellite speakers 50W x 5, plus 2-way subwoofer 100W x 2). The system is specially tuned to deliver a natural sound field that takes the focus off the subwoofer while supplementing mid range and lower frequencies.
Philips HTS3555 Home Theater System $250.81 from 1 store. User rating:4.9 out of 5. This state-of-the-art digital home entertainment system delivers powerful surround sounds and a theater-like audio/video experience. The ultimate in both style and performance.PRODUCT FEATURES:Dock included for GoGear and iPod;USB Direct plays photos and music from USB flash drives;MP3 Line-in for music playback from Portable Media Players;1080i HDMI with high definition video upconversion;DTS, Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II surround sound;12-bit/108MHz video processing for sharp, natural images;DivX Ultra for enhanced playback of DivX media files;Plays CD, (S)VCD, DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R DL;Plays DivX, MP3, WMA and JPEG digital camera photos.
