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My "New" Deck: Nakamichi CR-2

I accidentally broke my Yamaha KX-650 when attempting to lubricate and deoxit the deck.  Strictly speaking, lubrication should be done after a complete overhaul, but I didn't have the skill for that (or just being lazy), so I simply sprayed the lubrication oil without taking anything apart. From my past experience with lubricating walkmans, I assumed the worst thing that could happen was ruining the belt, but this time, the assist motor just went crazy, turning back and forward nonstop (it is a three-motor deck). Probably the logic control was messed up and I was not able to fix it. So that was it. Guess it is time to move on.

Feeling sad about the loss, I was not ready to invest in a major upgrade, but I still wished for a sense of upgrade. Also, a less pleasant aspect of my experience with the Yamaha was that I spent too much time on fine tweaks. I got too obsessed with the real-time adjustment of a three-head deck. On the other hand, maybe the need for fine tweaks partially suggests the flaw of the deck. 

So how about getting a two-head deck? That physically forbids me from doing unnecessary adjustments because for a two header, one can not monitor the tape during recording. That might sound like a downgrade, but it is not if I invest in a high-end brand, the legendary Nakamichi. I am buying THE best two-header ever made, the CR-2.

Nakamichi CR-2 (bottom); Parasound EQ f210 (top, no longer necessary)
Nakamichi CR-2
CR-2 features logic control and three motors, something that is more common in better three headers. So I am not missing the ability to accurately move to a certain point of the tape. It uses a manual tape-type selector while the Yamaha uses an automatic selector (automatic selection relies on the shape of the tape shell. It's better to have both but between the two, I prefer manual selection). It has an output level control which is surprisingly uncommon for decks at the time (even though they do have headphone jacks). And of course, this deck does have a bias knob for fine adjustment. Most importantly, the CR-2 (particularly its head) is specially engineered to rival or even surpass the common three headers. Here are some contexts: A two header uses the same head for both recording and playback. Since the head is not optimized for either, two headers are usually considered somewhat inferior. But CR-2 is not your average two headers. It is a Nakamichi and costs about as much as the Yamaha KX-650 (about $500 at release and a hundred something as used in Dec 2019)

I tried recording with the deck and indeed, the result was impressive. For the very least, I don't sense a drop of quality after moving down from a three header that was Yamaha KX-650. Very close to the source actually. Interestingly, it actually sounds natural on my DDII walkman whereas my Yamaha's recording always sounded off on DDII (so much that I had to account for it using a graphic equalizer, Parasound EQ f210)(actually, it might have some issues. They are like three-decades-old). 

Appearance-wise, the CR-2 was very well built. Metal body of course. The window is larger and made of glass instead of plastic (Yamaha). Everything feels quite solid. The minimalistic LED display is also interesting, especially after moving from the fluorescence display of Yamaha.

This deck will be with me for a long time. It is worth the keep even after I pull the trigger for a major upgrade. 

Yamaha KX-650 (top)
Yamaha KX-650






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