[azthu]

Hello I am interested in finding out if anybody else out there has ever owned the older mid 90s era Nakamichi integrated‘s (RE1) and CD players (MB 1 6 disk music bank)? I’m curious how you felt about the good and the bad on these units.
This was my first official entry into higher quality stuff and for mid 90s , for entry level, I was told NAKAMECHI was a great value. Also , Has anyone ever upgraded or modified these units?  Or is anyone even just holding onto them for specific reasons? Sentimental …quality of sound?  Ect
I can say both have lasted me 30 years and provided hours of great sound. But the music bank shuffle system did break early on and for me to hear compact discs it’s now a single disc operation. The DAC has always seemed to be stellar for sound for its time. 
I will utilize this to the end for playing old cds. The RE 1 NAK integrated has the rare variable loudness knob which reminds me of just how much I wish other manufactures had this as a feature for those of us that like low level listening and full range sound! The pinch clip / bare speaker wire is the biggest downside!

[Phil A]

Welcome!  There have been lots of advances in digital (like DACs) over the past 20 years.

[FullRangeMan]

Hello I am interested in finding out if anybody else out there has ever owned the older mid 90s era Nakamichi integrated‘s (RE1) and CD players (MB 1 6 disk music bank)? I’m curious how you felt about the good and the bad on these units.
This was my first official entry into higher quality stuff and for mid 90s , for entry level, I was told NAKAMECHI was a great value. Also , Has anyone ever upgraded or modified these units?  Or is anyone even just holding onto them for specific reasons? Sentimental …quality of sound?  Ect
I can say both have lasted me 30 years and provided hours of great sound. But the music bank shuffle system did break early on and for me to hear compact discs it’s now a single disc operation. The DAC has always seemed to be stellar for sound for its time. 
I will utilize this to the end for playing old cds. The RE 1 NAK integrated has the rare variable loudness knob which reminds me of just how much I wish other manufactures had this as a feature for those of us that like low level listening and full range sound! The pinch clip / bare speaker wire is the biggest downside!

Welcome again, you already started 3 threads in the Starting Block Circle, please read the GUIDELINES
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=182417.msg1915892#msg1915892

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=182416.msg1915890#msg1915890

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=180341.msg1895387#msg1895387

[Letitroll98]

I have the Nakamichi AV500, a unit built for Best Buy only around that time frame.  It was supposedly the amp from the higher end units without the fancy processing bells and whistles.  I pulled it out of the closet after a decade to sub for a Pioneer unit having issues and man this thing is fabulous.  Clear and detailed with an excellent sound stage and a strong, dynamic presentation.  I'm just running it in 2 channel mode presently and it's delightful.  I'm feeding it from an old dac I had lying around and it doesn't seem to care in the least.  Great unit.

[JLM]

Had a Nakamichi 700 cassette player/recorder in the 70's, next to the hand built Nakamichi 1000 the best cassette deck you could buy (paid $850).  Got it to copy vinyl from the college radio station I volunteered at, but after the station manager played them once and they got into the broadcast studio with their record grinders the records were worthless.  Found out that even adjusting the Dolby B, head alignments, etc. even the best tapes sounded like crap on any other 700/1000. 

[nickd]

Nakamichi gear was way ahead of its time.
Like anything, you have to compare before making judgments.
Might surprise you how some pieces hold their own or even better some newer gear.

I had both Krell and an EAD high end AV processors back in the day that I swear would best most modern DAC’s. Just don’t have them around to compare anymore.

Love that variable loudness too. The purest movement robbed HIFi gear of some features that made those older pieces treasure.