Down Stream Dreams, Nakamichi DR-3

Nakamichi DR-3, looks exactly like the DR-2. The alpha model DR-1 has an extra knob for adjusting the recording tape head azimuth.

Sometime ago a Nakamichi collector & friend begged me to let him take my DR-2 home. After bugging me constantly for almost 2 months, I relented and he got him self a bloody good deal, as the following Nakamichi DR-2 models seen in local classifieds almost doubled in price. However, like all things in life, what goes around does usually come around. 3 months back, I got a WhatsApp message from a Penang friend whose not an audiophile, showing me what looks like a photo of a Nakamichi cassette deck, with a question "interested?" After a little digging, it seems this was a Nakamichi DR-3 that belonged to one of his family member whom had passed on, and they are now clearing his earthly possessions. So my friend thought I'd be the best person to ask as I am the only idiot he knows who is still in to cassettes. I made him an offer which I feel justifies the value of our friendship, and the following week, this Nakamichi DR-3 arrives at my door step.

As usual, I gave it a good clean up and service by Mr Oh before I put it in to my system and fire up. However let's talk a bit of the features of the DR-3 compared to my previous DR-2 model. The DR-3 is the from same vintage as DR-2, i.e. 1992 - 1996. In the model hierarchy the DR-3 being the starter and DR-1 being the alpha model, leaving the DR-2 as the middle child.  Nakamichi sold each model as 80% of the next model up in terms of performance & function. The DR-3 being the range starter is just a common 2 head, single capstan, 3 motor drive design. Next up, the DR-2 is a 3 head, dual capstan with pad lifter, 3 motor drive design. Ditto for the DR-1 at the top of the range same in every spec as the the DR-2, but with added variable azimuth adjustment. Both DR-2 & DR-1 have tape or record monitoring function to allow for real time recoding quality, which is a good thing. Common to all 3 models are beefy transformer with multi stage regulation power supply, All discreet output circuit with built in custom Nakamichi tape equalization and lastly manual tape selection!

For some reason, the Nakamichi DR-3 weights just as much as the DR-2, at just 5.4kg/unit. The DR-1 weights a good 7.3kg/unit, probably due to an even beefier PS tranny. Built quality is typical Nakamichi high standards. The aluminum satin black finish front fascia is understated in design with typical tape well on the left display middle and soft touch logic controls on the right.  Around the back is just standard 2 sets RCA output and record in.

The back panel is typical tape deck, one set of RCA output and another set for record in. Typically on the left is the factory fitted standard power cord(not seen here)

The internals looked very similar too, except there is way more filtering caps at the output section on the DR-2. Of course the mechanism is much simpler here too. The power supply(that section behind the mechanism) looks largely unchanged too.

Since I am no longer into the habit of recording, a high quality 2 head unit still appeals to me for playback only. And once I pop my first cassette in to the tape well, press the play button, and that familiar rich, full bodied yet robust at the same time refined Nakamichi sound greets me. The sound is almost exactly like that of the DR-2, very musical and totally lack of  noise and tape hash. In fact I must say in one area the DR-3 does better than the DR-2 is the ability to pull and play sticky old tapes without getting stuck. While the dual capstan with pad lifter design does look sexy on the spec sheet, in practice the reality is less than reliable. You gotta play really high quality tapes for that DR-2 mechanism to work as it should. For me, I am playing back a lot of old tapes, and mostly pre-recorded, the simpler DR-3 mechanism with still 3 motor drive really does the job way more consistently than the DR-2 sophisticated mechanism ever could. I could be happy with this Nakamichi DR-3 for a long....... time.

The simple standard 2 head, single capstan, 3 motor design of the Nakamichi DR-3

Don't get me wrong, the DR-2 is a recording dream machine, with it's real time monitoring feature, your can detect and reset the recording bias until you get it right, then only actually do the recording. With the 2 head DR-3, that is not possible, and you wouldn't know your recording quality until the side is done, and if you got your recording bias setting wrong, it will be a very frustrating double or triple work. So bottom line if you're still doing recording, the DR-2 is your go to cassette deck, however if like me, you're only going for playback, the DR-3 sounds just as good, but with better tape pulling reliability.  

However, a man's gotta have dreams, right? maybe this down streaming is just the current mood, and maybe, just maybe some day, I would still like to lay my hands on one of those elusive Aiwa AD-F 910, Onkyo R-1, Akai GX-95, Denon DRM-800 or maybe a Teac V-980 cassette decks? After all, we can talk it's about the music all the time, but let's not lie to ourselves, sometimes it's still about those dream gear. Agreed?

Nakamichi Dragon? thanks, but no thanks..........., may be a CR-7, hmm....................

IEC Socket Improvements?

IEC power socket

 

Typical standard factory installed power cord with molded 2 pin plug

 

As some of our avid readers will know that I have 2 cassette deck in my collection. I have a Teac V-670 & a Nakamichi DR-2. Both decks came with a standard factory power cable built in to the back panel, with molded 2 pin plug, as pictured above.

In my past DIY tom foolery, I also know that replacing that standard factory power cable with 2 pin plug with an IEC socket, which would then allow you play & experiment with power cords can bring about sonic differences or sound advantage. So I went about and did just that to both my cassette deck.

In any IEC socket replacement project, the major work is in drilling, cutting & filling out that rectangle hole, in which the IEC socket needs to sit in to. The Teac V-670, with it's plastic body & rear panel was a relatively simple task. All I need was to heat up my cutting knife and slice thru the plastic back panel to create the approximate opening, do so filling to even the finishing, solder the wires to the L &N pins of the socket, make sure to get the polarity right. Drill in 2 screw holes and use 2 pieces of self tapping screws to tightened and you're done! My work was completed in less than half a day.

With the Nakamichi DR-2 going thru the socket process is not so easy. Due to it's high build quality, the Nakamichi had proper steel 2U chassis, with a 2 layer steel back panel! I had to first drill, cut & file on the inner back panel as part of the 2U chassis. Then have to align the hole on the outer back panel, by drilling, cutting & filling over the same rectangle hole, but only this time, I need to be more precise as this is cosmetically exposed. It took me more then 2 days to complete the job!

Now that both the tape decks got an IEC socket, I can start to play with power cords. I had a piece of Gotham 85025 power cord measuring 1.5 meter & terminated it with US style NEMA-5 & IEC Copper Color plugs. These are realistically beer budget priced plugs with decent build & sound quality plugs. 

Copper Color power plugs, available in choice of copper, silver, gold or rhodium coating. IEC side is also available. Very good value for money to build & sound performance ratio. Serving most of my HT plug requirements now. Goes well with Gotham 85025 power cords too 

Now with my power cord completed, I can start listening for sonic bonuses. First up is my Teac V-670 cassette deck. Now with the capability to use the Gotham power cord, I find the Teac gave much better clarity and vocal focus. A layer of white or tape hash just wiped away. Highs are crispier, more well defined and bass is now less wobbly. The addition of the IEC socket & after market power cord brought a world of sound improvements to my Teac cassette deck!

Next to be played is the Nakamichi DR-2, now plugged in using the same Gotham power cord, nothing can prepared me the big counter surprise!  I was expecting some kind of sonic bliss, even if small, as from my knowledge, Nakamichi had a much bigger transformer & superior power supply design, with multi stage regulation. With an improved power supply in the Nakamichi, I was some how still expecting some improvement if not as dramatic in sound quality. I listened real...... hard, but I heard no difference what so ever in sound. I mean it still sounded as well as it could be, before or after the installation of the IEC socket & use of aftermarket power cord! However, as I listened on....... hoping to hear some sound difference, all I got was same old, same old, no better, no worse for sound!

So in the end I have to accept the conclusion that NOT all equipment may benefit from the fitting of an IEC socket or after market power cords. I think most do, but others like the Nakamichi do not. I think some equipment's power supply design is already well optimized, and will leave no scope of benefit from using after market power cord. Unexpected, but true!

And I just wasted 2 days of blood(really), sweat(elbow grease, lots) & tears(no sonic rewards)...........

                                                      

 

Chasing A Childhood Dream, Nakamichi DR-2 Cassette Deck

 

The Nakamichi DR-2. Love those amber display illumination!

If you have followed my hifi journey long enough, I had always talked about one particular childhood experience that started me on the road to audiophilia. That was when I was a young teenager, visiting my friend's house for the first time, he played Papa bear's hifi system, which was set up in the family lounge. It was a simple set up comprising a Nakamichi(an RX series I think) cassette deck, a Sansui amplifier and a pair of Bose 901 speakers. That system really sounded out of this world to me then. Since then, I always wanted 2 items from that system, a pair of Bose 901 speakers, checked! And that elusive Nakamichi cassette deck.

I could never bring myself to afford one and eventually settled on the Teac V-670 that I wrote about sometime ago. For more than 30 years, that Teac 3 head cassette deck had served me well. My recent refurbished Teac had gave me hours of fun, rekindling with the cassette format. I was a happy bunny until I saw this Nakamichi DR-2 on a local hifi classifieds, which I told my self, it's now or never. 

The simple line in and output RCAs typical of a cassette deck. The rear panel and chassis bottom is double layered!

And so here I am, a proud owner of a Nakamichi DR-2. It had all the right specs I wanted in a cassette deck, like 3 heads(a must), 3 motor, dual capstan transport design, illuminated cassette compartment and if possible a remote control! Dolby S never featured highly on my wish list, as B & C was more then enough for noise reduction. This Nakamichi is a 90's product, made from 1992 till 1996. The DR series comes after the well loved CR series from the 80's. In the Nakamichi scheme of things, the DR-2 wasn't considered particularly high end either. Well, it certainly was no Dragon, or the 1000ZXL or the ZX-9, BX-300(a.k.a. baby Dragon) or the CR-7 either. Those are just some of the best tape decks ever produced by Nakamichi, not forgetting to mention the RX-505 which was an auto reverse playback stunner, but as a recorder, not so great. 

The 3 head, 3 motor, dual capstan transport is originally developed by Nakamichi in the 70's and first appeared on the 1000ZXL model. 

The Nakamichi DR-2 had great build quality, not flagship level but luxurious enough to include a metal cassette door, the opening action of the said door is well dampened, satin black finished aluminum face plate, dual layer back plate & chassis. Weighting at 5.6kg, it's almost twice as heavy compared to my Teac V-670. Some of the flagship feature omissions include lack of peak hold VU meter, no auto tape type selector(only the flagship DR-1 had that), non-motorized cassette door and a remote control. I would say this DR-2 had all the basic requirements of a good tape recorder & playback, but gave up on luxurious features for market price point. In cassette time line, the 90's was already sun setting for the format, so if one wanted a top player, the 80's would be a good time line to start. Mid 80's flagship cassette decks from Japan like Teac V-980 & Aiwa AD-F990 had all the best features that looked like a dream list.   

The 3 motors that drive the transport can be clearly seen here!

As with any Nakamichi, the tape transport is an in house design, and not one of those standard of the shelf Sankyo solutions used by many other manufacturers. The 3 motor design, incorporating idler wheel for tape spool is very complicated and the transport design is multi layered. Also new in this generation of Nakamichi is the pressure pad lifter system. What's this you ask? If you look at the cassette on the side with the exposed tape holes, you'll find a sponge like pad in the middle as the tape head contact area. Nakamichi believes this pressure pad contribute to variable sound quality as each tape is using different material and density for the pad! Nakamichi was very confident that their dual capstan transport drive was powerful and accurate enough to give proper & constant pressure to the tape in contact with tape head, that the pressure pad was no longer needed during playback. This gives the DR-2 very low wow & flutter during playback as direct result. You can see from the naked photo below, the power supply transformer is over sized and has more than a few regulator circuits in a separate PCB from the audio section on the left. The internal build quality is typical 80's -90's Japanese thru hole PCB type for easy repair. And no, for some reason Nakamichi didn't see fit to give gold plated RCA sockets either!

The internals of the Nakamichi DR-2 cassette deck shows much attention to detail.

Lastly we come to the sound, I was not disappointed at all, once I plugged the DR-2 in to my system and start the first tape playback. The first thing I notice was a total lack of hiss or white noise, which is always good for sound quality. Next comes the rich, layered with full bodied tonality and that dynamic transient of the snare drum! Bass was ripe, full and tuneful. In comparison, the Teac V-670 sounded neutral in tonality, and offering more clarity yet conjured a more 2D version of the musical proceedings. The Nakamichi does lives up to it's sonic superiority promise. Every cassette I put in sounded good, even those pre-recorded original tapes. The better the tape type, the better it sounded.

The Nakamichi DR-2 is a very nice addition to my hifi collection indeed and it enhances my cassette playback experience too. Simply love it!