FOUND!! Stereo Cassette Deck with RCA Outputs

[cpalmer2k]

I've stumbled upon a box of old audio cassettes from my college days when I did some sports reports for our local radio station and would love to convert them and some old audio books that aren't available on audible over to digital formats.

Does anyone happen to have an old stereo cassette deck with RCA or Line Level outputs that you'd like to get rid of in good working condition?

 

[navychop]

Try Just Audio Home Audio / HiFi Store for the cassette player. I’ll go look and see if I still have mine.

Shopjustaudio.com

 

["MysteryMan"]

He can also find what he's looking for on eBay.

 

[harshness]

It is always good to check your local Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to see if there's something you can pick up nearby. Shipping something like that can easily cost more than the device is worth.

 

[John2021]

i found some on amazon all depedns on how much your willing to spend

 

[freddylq]

Check your local Goodwill/thrift shops.

 

[arlo]

Budget? A one time shot or a deck to add to your stack?
Suggestions:
For copying to other formats, clean the heads and tape path often with IPA and Q-Tips. Gently!
Look for a deck with a little access hole below the play head. It's the azimuth adjustment. It will allow you to use a small jewelers-type screwdriver to adjust tape-tape and machine-machine head misalignment's.
When you listen to the old tapes you can tweak the adjustment very slightly to peak the channel to channel highs/balance the 'muddiness' of a misaligned deck the tapes were recorded with.
"Old tapes". Wow. Like not played for how long? Some tape formulations exhibit "sticky shed" where the ferro coating flakes off. Clogs the heads. Causes all sorts of havoc. At least wind the tape through to the other reel before playing.
And listen while you are dubbing them. You'll know when the playback head is fouled. It sounds like someone stuffed a "My Pilla' " in the speakers.

 

[harshness]

For copying to other formats, clean the heads and tape path often with IPA and Q-Tips.

Don't use India Pale Ale. Isopropyl alcohol (>90%) is okay.

On older units, make sure you check the condition of the rubber pinch roller. A crusty roller can physically damage the tape.

Naphtha is used to "enliven" the rubber of the pinch roller up to a point that the roller hasn't already started to crack.

 

[mr_rye89]

I've got a Nakamichi BX-125 sitting in my back room, but shipping gonna be spendy, and it's idler wheel might be dead