Sony WM-EX606

[Pentium100]

So, I bought this player. I paid ~12EUR (including shipping) for it. After I replaced the belt, it works great, the volume output is enough for me (my "portable" headphones are very sensitive), autoreverse is convenient, the bass boost feature sometimes is useful, "hold" feature is also useful (I stopped my WM-D6C while reaching for the volume control many times) and it is smaller and lighter than the WM-D6C. The battery that was included with it is only enough for an hour or so, but that's to be expected from an old battery.

However, the fast forward/reverse is a bit slow, though I usually listen to the entire tape. Still, 12EUR.

There is one strange thing though. For one tape, the walkman insisted that the tape's A side is actually the B side. I mean this: I put in the tape, press play. The walkman starts to play the "B" side and the "A" LED light up. OK. I stop it, take out the tape and flip it. The walkman still plays the "B" side with the "A" LED on, even though a different pinch roller is engaged and the spools spin in a different direction.

Though now that I write this, I noticed the walkman doing the same for other tapes, but it usually identifies the "A" side correctly.

Is there a way of identifying which side of the tape is playing?

Also, there are two small switches - one for detecting if the tape is normal or chrome/metal, the other one is "tape detector". What does it do? The walkman starts spinning even without a tape, maybe the switch is bad? Or maybe it is used to somehow detect which side is "A"?

[Scorpion8]

Have you cleaned out the inside of dust and blown it out with compressed air? Those leaf switches are finicky and can easily get bent or dirty.

[Pentium100]

Have you cleaned out the inside of dust and blown it out with compressed air? Those leaf switches are finicky and can easily get bent or dirty.

No, because the player looked like it was never used before - no dust or anything. I guess I should try it, or rather see if the switch works with a continuity tester before going to the store to buy a compressed air can.

But the thing with the tape sides is weird. I guess the player is detecting which side of a tape is "A" somehow.

EDIT: After carefully reading the service manual I found out how it detects the tape side - there is a small switch on the base of the player near the head, it detects if there is a hole in the tape shell (where the middle screw goes). One mystery solved.

[Scorpion8]

EDIT: After carefully reading the service manual I found out how it detects the tape side - there is a small switch on the base of the player near the head, it detects if there is a hole in the tape shell (where the middle screw goes). One mystery solved.

That's unique. Good to know. So all sonically welded cassettes won't work?

[Pentium100]

That's unique. Good to know. So all sonically welded cassettes won't work?

I tried Sony HF (a tape that I knew was welded) and it works, because it still has a little hole where the screw should be.The switch probably needs a tiny hole to not connect.

[R.Daneel]

Hi Pentium100!



Yes, some of the Sonys and Panasonic players have a needle type detector for tape side. The tapes usually hav a small hole on one side in the middle, right above the pressure pad. So the players can detect which side is facing the front. This means that not only it will tell you which side is playing correctly but also it will always start the playback from side A whenever the tape is inserted and regardless of the way you inserted the tape. My Panasonics SX75 and SX60 have this feature and so does the Sony FX55.

As for the welded tapes, it is a bit of an unknown. Sony players of the earlier design have variable tension circuit. Once you start playback the motor creates a tension necessary to pull the tape but the tension then drops so that it reduces the friction between the capstan and the pich roller and thus reducing the drag and extending the battery life. This system has proved to be effective in terms of efficiency but it always seemed to me like some tapes played back slower than they should be. In particular, the Sony HF tape. TDK SA tapes were fine on the other hand.

Did you change the belts on the EX606? It was made around 1994 I think and it should definitely need new belts by now, used or not.

[Pentium100]

Did you change the belts on the EX606? It was made around 1994 I think and it should definitely need new belts by now, used or not.

Yes, the original belt was so loose that the player could not change modes reliably. I had to keep the cassette door a tiny bit open so it could go into play. After that it played the side normally.

I did not find the exact belt at the electronics store, but a loose counter belt from my Marantz PMD-430 was quite OK for the EX606, but a bit thicker than the original belt. I got a replacement belt for my Marantz PMD-430, but it's even thicker. It fits the Marantz, but would be too thick for the Sony.

As for the cassette side, yes, it's useful, except that I have (at least) one pre-recorded tape that has the screw on its B side :)

[R.Daneel]

As for the cassette side, yes, it's useful, except that I have (at least) one pre-recorded tape that has the screw on its B side :)



LOL! Well, that should complicate things a little! I'm glad you got it working!