[dB Cooper]

(Kenneth's funny story)

That's a hilarious story, Kenneth. Reminds me of a conversation I was having with a young audiophile friend at work; we were closing the store and he was telling me about some boutique cables he was thinking about buying and what he had heard about them. At the same time, he had his phone plugged into the store PA, playing one of the Beatles remasters. Unfortunately there was a problem of some sort which resulted in only one channel playing... which, due to the 'hole in the middle' stereo of the times, means that there were no lead vocals at all, a situation that he overlooked completely until I pointed it out. (It sounded like one of those 'play-along' instructional recordings.) The irony of obsessing over interconnect SQ while not noticing that one channel was completely missing was lost on him.

[dflee]

I was looking up cassette tape since that is the op. Never considered
that other one even worth calling a music format. Remember goin down
the road in my cousins 69 Chevell SS 396 Listening to Cream, Santana
and CCR through the 8 track pos and hated it. I owned a Nak car cassette deck and
it was great sounding  when it worked. Had to send that thing in three times
for repair before I trashed it.

[Funnehaha]

I don't know if I dare mention this.....

Anybody remember the Elcaset?

[Guy 13]

I don't know if I dare mention this.....

Anybody remember the Elcaset?

Hi Funnehaha,
I did a little search and saw Sony and Wega had (Nice looking) machine to play that big casstette.
It did not live for long probably because the cassette was too big ????
By the way, I was not aware that such a tape ever existed, thanks for the link,
I've learned something (New) today.

Guy 13
 

[Wind Chaser]

I don't know if I dare mention this.....

Anybody remember the Elcaset?

I had one for a short while it the early eighties. Too much tape hiss for my liking so I traded it for a new mat to go the platter of my Oracle Delphi.

[Phil A]

I don't know if I dare mention this.....

Anybody remember the Elcaset?

Of course - almost bought one

[Funnehaha]

Hmmm....

I wonder how the Elcaset compares with Sony's Betamax video cassette from a few year's later?

[thunderbrick]

For many years I had a pair of Nak 1000 cassette decks, rack mounted and all.  Both bought used.  Talk about a macho set up!  They did an amazing job of making tapes and I reluctantly sold them off only after they developed problems that were too costly to consider.

For awhile I had the portable Nak recorder (500? 550?) and I still have the tape I made with it at a concert my father and I attended about 4 years before he died.  I'll treasure that tape always.   

[Phil A]

Hmmm....

I wonder how the Elcaset compares with Sony's Betamax video cassette from a few year's later?

Other than both being failed formats, the Elcaset was of course for audio.  A friend of mine who used to work at an audio shop (they sold more used stuff vs. new stuff) had one.  He also had a Pioneer reel to reel and I had a Pioneer cassette deck (I believe the CT-F 900) that matched it.  I wanted his Nakamichi 680.  There was a retailer who was closing out the Pioneer 19 inch rack (which I below pic) and it was missing parts for some of the rack kits.  They were using the rack as a display and I paid $50 for the missing parts (from Pioneer) and $90 for the rack.  The stuff I had was $700 at retail and I finally got my Nakamichi 680 (at that time) trading the Pioneer Cassette deck and the rack and parts.  I picked up the cassette deck on close-out and I think between the cassette deck and rack I had $530 invested and I believe the Nakamichi listed for $1,350 in 1979.  I was happy and so was he.

[RDavidson]

Saw cassette tapes and portable cassette players at Urban Outfitters (basically a chain hipster store) while in Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago. They also had Polaroid cameras. They've been selling records and record players (I won't call them turntables here) for quite awhile too. From my understanding of all this, people (especially younger people) want this stuff because they're looking for authenticity and authentic experiences. Our lives, and especially their lives, have become so chalked full of digital convenience that they are seeking out analog stuff and the often inconvenient nature of these objects / gadgets. At one time, I begrudged the whole hipster "movement," but I can understand how growing up with the internet would make one curious about the times pre-internet, even if one can't fully grasp how things were for many of us. At least they're grasping onto some of the things that were (and still are) pretty cool in all their low tech glory.

[SteveFord]

Ahh, the hipsters.
At first I thought they were kind of weird (Oh wow, a Captain Beefhart album!) but RDavidson is right, they're putting their spin on visiting "my" era which would be the late 1960s - late 1970s.
Then I had to pretend to grow up. 
Back on topic, yes, it is the hipsters who are behind the cassette resurgence.  They're cheap, it's not digital and they're small enough to hide in your wretched man bun (ha, ha).