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Cassette Tapes that won't play

Stuart W Hogg

Jan 24, 2018
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Jan 24, 2018
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I have recently being sorting out all my old tapes which I am playing on a high quality 3 Head Cassette Player, Technics RS-BX646.
Some tapes play as if new. Others will not play well at all, muffled sound, but will play on the cheap music centre my uses in the kitchen. I bought a tape head cleaner online, again a quality item, TDK. This has made virtually no difference whatsoever. It would appear the fault my be with my device. Does anybody know if it is possible these days to have this type of player renovated ?
 

Alec_t

Jul 7, 2015
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Jul 7, 2015
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Welcome to EP!
Muffled sound could be loss of treble due to misaligned heads. Recordings made on one machine will not play well on another unless the head gaps are accurately parallel.
'Print through' from one tape layer to the next is another possible cause when tapes have been stored unused for a long time.
 

shrtrnd

Jan 15, 2010
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Jan 15, 2010
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3,876
What Alec_t said.
Also, if some of those tapes were stored or went through a magnetic field of any type, they'd be messed-up.
And (maybe not lastly), what is the quality of the tapes themselves?
Some tapes are 'high quality' (I'm talking about the components used to physically make the tape), and some aren't.
Just some more ideas to consider.
 
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