Compact living room stereo with cassette?

Interesting SonicBlue was S3, yes the graphics chip company. Sonicblue is bankrupt. D&M bought them out. D&M brands are Denon, Marantz and McIntosh Laboratory. You can try there, or get one of those neat Cassette-CD-USB mp3 converter decks and convert it all to mp3 or cd.

Cheers

Yeah, I know, we got a good deal on it probably because SonicBlue went belly-up. It's otherwise a really good stereo.

Sometimes we get cassettes from others to listen to, or have to check a recording. That would make it a pain.

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Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Have you considered just tranferring the cassettes to digital?

MP3s are more than good enough for cassettes, and there are lots of compact stereos that play MP3s, from whatever source (optical disk, USB key, over your LAN).

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

--
"it's the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward" 
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com 
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com

Sure, we could copy a lot onto CDs. But sometimes we have to check worship tapes and things like that. Other times we'd like to listen to one of those in its entirety, and having to first port to CD every time is quite a hassle.

I am quite surprised that the cassette function has disappeared this fast. When we bought the stereo some years ago there were still plenty of similar ones with cassette player.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

How many do you have? If you just do one a day, I bet it won't take long to get the lot transferred, then you can discard the media and get instant access. There are also services such as this one:

50 cassettes for $300, not too bad, but they won't transfer commercial tapes. They may have a deal for churches.

The very last factory car cassette deck disappeared with the 2010 model year- most were gone >10 years ago. CDs are going to be next to go. Most compact stereos are more concerned with iPod docks, USB connectors and such like. My musically inclined friends are still having "CD release" parties, but most of the distribution is pure digital via iTunes and Amazon.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

--
"it's the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward" 
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com 
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com

It'll have the same issues ours does, it's old and the motor in the top is worn. Only a matter of time until it'll screech as well.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

I guess you're up for a good old cassette deck :-) I have a brand new one on the shelve. When my old Akai finally died I bought a new one. I never really used it because someone invented MP3 so all of the sudden it was possible to download all the music I had on tape & vinyl from internet.

--
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply 
indicates you are not using the right tools... 
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.) 
--------------------------------------------------------------

Sort of a no name brand

Jensen

Sony

Looks like the last of the cassette tape.

Cheers

I don't have one, (so this is especulation,) but I would expect those "Cassette to MP3" converters already mentioned to consist of the cassette mechanics and basic electonics, plus an analog to digital-USB-audio converter with the actual digital-audio to MP3 conversion done by software in a PC. In other words, it may possible to use them as a plain cassette player together with a low-end (read: physically small) computer hidden between the rest of the audio setup. Failing that, the conversion software may have a "preview" ("prelisten"?) function. Failing that, I expect cassette boomboxes to be available for a while from family, friends and eBay.

[My 20 years old Aiwa not-so-compact system still plays cassettess with no problems]

--
Roberto Waltman 

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Another big box is what SWMBO absolutely positively does not want.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

I was thinking about a tad higher quality :-)

Yeah, one can get some karaoke type box overseas, a friend pointed one out in Ireland. I guess I'll hit the thrift stores then ...

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

I guess that's the avenue I'll take. Didn't want to but have to.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

I still use a stack for my home entertainment.

No cassette deck or turntable for a long time though.

My cassette deck wasn't a Nachamichi Dragon (considered to have been the best), but it was up there on the list.

I have a BIC dual speed, in mint condition. The push for about $350 on Ebay, but they only get about half that. Some do not get much at all.

The Dragons, however, are still medium to high demand devices.

Oh, I also like the classical stack of tuner, CD, cassette deck, amplifier and so on. But I am married, so ... :-)

[...]

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Women... You didn't properly train your wife :-)

Look what I found:

--
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply 
indicates you are not using the right tools... 
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.) 
--------------------------------------------------------------

That might work, at least as a kludge. Cumbersome to check tapes that way though. Sometimes all we need to do is see if the eulogies and the sermon on a tape is of sufficient quality to give it to members of the grieving families that were unable to attend. But if the device can also just play the tape then it's ok.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Might be easier to replace the motor. If you don't want to do it yourself, some of the pro s.e.repair regulars are in California.

Mark Zenier snipped-for-privacy@eskimo.com Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

That's an idea, but where would one get a motor for a system where the mfg has croaked almost a decade ago? Probably would need new belts then as well.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/