Just having fun reading- which is better Nak deck

[gonzo]

The CR-7, the 680zx or the zx-7 or 9? Alot of times I figure, get the heaviest deck, and you probably have the best deck. Obviously thats too simplistic ,but I am curious, how you guys would rank these. Thanks Norm

[Acoustic]

This has been debated to various results on Naktalk. I would just like to have the chance to have all those decks in a room at one time to come up with my own conclusion. I have two CR-5's, which I love... but never have heard any of those models you've listed.

[Marc Hugo]

Gonzo, you would be best advised visiting the Naks.co site for detailed information on this subject. The heaviest would the the original 1000 Tri-Tracer I would estimate. All Naks are very good - the more you paid, the more you got, although there was an upper limit for the desirable Nak technologies and then after that you paid additional amounts for more facilities.

If you have a choice, opt for one of the more straight-forward Nak 3-headers from the pure Nak transport era - i.e. a 680ZX (or 680 series in general), an LX-5 or ZX-7/9. But subsequent Naks were very good if they had the idler wheel swopped per the applicable CR service bulletin dealing with the matter.

Grading them is really much more than merely counting smarties(M+Ms) in a box. Even a well maintained BX-1 (the cheapest Nak ever) sounds amazing, which is why it cost more than very good 3-headers in its day. One of the best ways to contemplate what I am talking about is to have a look at the production year chart at Naks.com site. For every era, there was a top model in a sense, from a point of view of price charged.

Arguably the greats comprised, in no particular order, the 1000ZXL, CR-7, 700ZXL, Dragon, ZX-9, 682ZX, CR-5, RX505, 700ZXE, 681ZX, 582Z, ZX-7, CR-4, 680ZX, 482Z and LX-5. For the ancients, they would include both the 700 and 1000/II and TTs. More affordable (or more modern units) units might comprise RX-303, 480 series, LX-3, DR-1, Cassette Deck One, CR-3, DR-10, BX-150, CR-2, DR-2 and RX-202 - and so forth. Don't forget the wonderful 580 and 670 series - durable machines ( the former are ugly as all hell of course). This is by no means exhaustive - I may have left out some greats - for that I apologise. Any others that I have not mentioned doesn't mean they aren't going to give you great pride of ownership and musical pleasure.

I've left off the A/E suffixes as they are not relevant to the quality of the machine. Also, the Nak portables were battery gobbling marvels of fidelity.

Cheers - Marc

[MacGyver]

say, what's the general opinion on how the DRAGON and Stuwster's BX-300 rank in the Nak pecking order?




DRAGON (198?)



http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon1.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon2.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon3.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon4.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon5.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon6.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon7.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon8.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon9.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon10.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon11.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon12.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon13.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon14.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon15.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/Dragon16.jpg

[MacGyver]

BX-300 (198?)


http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/BX-3001.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/BX-3002.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/BX-3003.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/BX-3004.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll310/shaorin-chan/BX-3005.jpg

[macster]

I own a CR7A and a 681ZX. The 681ZX makes tapes that are to die for, they are very warm and natural sounding. The deck is very easy to use (when it was working). The CR7A makes tapes that are less warm than the 681ZX, but are also natural sounding and a pleasure to listen to. The ergonomics of the CR7A are a joy. The deck addicts you to taping, because it makes things so easy, (bias, Azimuth, record levels, etc). Eventually, I am going to send my 681ZX to ESL and have them overhaul it. If, my 681ZX was as reliable as my CR7A then it would be no contest for me. I'd pick the 681ZX. My CR7A has never "broken" down but has been in for normal service about 4 times since I purchased it new, the 681ZX has been in the shop about 20 times for various things, and is now in the shop.

M~

[Marc Hugo]

HI Lady Ayeka,

There's no real pecking order once you have had some "intimacy" with the Nak family. Some have merits that others lack, but have merits of their own. Dragon is a superb machine, infernally complicated, but a technological tour de force. The BX-300 is a very desirable deck - FG Servo direct drive double capstan machine. Known as the BX-5 in the far east. Only came out in the black in the west. I think of it as a CR-4 without the calibration, or perhaps the CR-3 with the DD. The metering was a matter of taste - I like both.

Macster - nice pics!! Sorry to hear about the sick 681ZX. I agree about the 680 sound - I remember a service centre in the US whose techie said the 680 series gave him goose bumps - words to that effect. I'll hunt that page down.

Cheers - Marc

[macster]

Yeah it has been "the deck from hell" *fit* but I'll get it fixed right eventually. If it didn't make such great tapes I wouldn't bother. But ESL is in the cards for next year or the year after that for sure.

M~

[Fast Forward]

Gonzo, you would be best advised visiting the Naks.co site for detailed information on this subject. The heaviest would the the original 1000 Tri-Tracer I would estimate. All Naks are very good - the more you paid, the more you got, although there was an upper limit for the desirable Nak technologies and then after that you paid additional amounts for more facilities.

If you have a choice, opt for one of the more straight-forward Nak 3-headers from the pure Nak transport era - i.e. a 680ZX (or 680 series in general), an LX-5 or ZX-7/9. But subsequent Naks were very good if they had the idler wheel swopped per the applicable CR service bulletin dealing with the matter.

Grading them is really much more than merely counting smarties(M+Ms) in a box. Even a well maintained BX-1 (the cheapest Nak ever) sounds amazing, which is why it cost more than very good 3-headers in its day. One of the best ways to contemplate what I am talking about is to have a look at the production year chart at Naks.com site. For every era, there was a top model in a sense, from a point of view of price charged.

Arguably the greats comprised, in no particular order, the 1000ZXL, CR-7, 700ZXL, Dragon, ZX-9, 682ZX, CR-5, RX505, 700ZXE, 681ZX, 582Z, ZX-7, CR-4, 680ZX, 482Z and LX-5. For the ancients, they would include both the 700 and 1000/II and TTs. More affordable (or more modern units) units might comprise RX-303, 480 series, LX-3, DR-1, Cassette Deck One, CR-3, DR-10, BX-150, CR-2, DR-2 and RX-202 - and so forth. Don't forget the wonderful 580 and 670 series - durable machines ( the former are ugly as all hell of course). This is by no means exhaustive - I may have left out some greats - for that I apologise. Any others that I have not mentioned doesn't mean they aren't going to give you great pride of ownership and musical pleasure.

I've left off the A/E suffixes as they are not relevant to the quality of the machine. Also, the Nak portables were battery gobbling marvels of fidelity.

Cheers - MarcI don,t know how you forgot the best looking deck Nak ever made the 600 series slant panel

[Marc Hugo]

Wow you're right FF!!

There are some hardcore Naksters out there and that ski-slope is their main deck. I've never heard one but I believe they are great and very durable too.

MH

[Fast Forward]

Wow you're right FF!!

There are some hardcore Naksters out there and that ski-slope is their main deck. I've never heard one but I believe they are great and very durable too.

MHI,m a proud owner bought it new in 76 and it.s still my main deck today,, great specs for a 2 head ,, just had its first service in 31 years

[musicman]

I'm kinda partial to my CR7A myself.

[stuwee]

I guess I'll jump in since my deck was brought up, I haven't heard a Dragon in years, I really liked what I heard at the time, and I should have through the Nelson Pass designed Stasis amp/pre into some Daulquist 10's, scary good, now my lowly BX-300 does a great job with whatever I throw at it. It does need to be looked at, the dreaded idler tire issue has reared it's ugly head, the design is excellent, at least it doesn't ruin tapes when it starts to act up. I'd call it the best deck I've had ever in my grubby hands, and well worth some $$'s to have it gone over, thanks to macster for the leads on repair places *Hi5*.

I'll agree with marc that they all have +'s and -'s depending on what you want feature wise, I think that the sound is about as true to the original as I've heard in my systems over the years, though I still hold a special place for the SAE C-101, the BX-300 just sounds better to me now, there are way to many variables over all the time I'm speaking of. I'll sum it up as, I'll have the Nak gone over soon, and be a very happy lad *devil*

[Acoustic]

It does need to be looked at, the dreaded idler tire issue has reared it's ugly head, the design is excellent, at least it doesn't ruin tapes when it starts to act up. I'd call it the best deck I've had ever in my grubby hands, and well worth some $$'s to have it gone over, thanks to macster for the leads on repair places *Hi5*.

I'll agree with marc that they all have +'s and -'s depending on what you want feature wise, I think that the sound is about as true to the original as I've heard in my systems over the years, though I still hold a special place for the SAE C-101, the BX-300 just sounds better to me now, there are way to many variables over all the time I'm speaking of. I'll sum it up as, I'll have the Nak gone over soon, and be a very happy lad *devil*

Craig, I've changed my two idler tires in my Naks and I believe the transport in your BX-300 is the same. You can do that job yourself in less than 30 minutes and get the tire for under $5 shipped. Have you looked into that alternative? :-?

[stuwee]

Craig, I've changed my two idler tires in my Naks and I believe the transport in your BX-300 is the same. You can do that job yourself in less than 30 minutes and get the tire for under $5 shipped. Have you looked into that alternative? :-?

I have thought about it, I've never done one, I don't think I'll be able to handle it, Scorp and others, including you Andy have said it's really not that hard, I'm in layin' low mode right now anyway, trying to play catch up on lot's of stuff, it's just happening at the wrong time in the grand sceme of things, amazingly the dumpster find Luxman soldiers on and on. I thank you Andy, and you may get a PM from me yet on this subject. I think I might be more of a noob, and break something like the fragile (from what I've heard/read) plastic arm it's attached to, remember we have very extreme temp/humidity changes out here, and I know this deck sat for about 9 years, before I got it! I'm surprised it works at all.

[Acoustic]

Have you seen the easy to follow instructions on changing the idler tire? If not here they are: idler tire replacement (http://www.eslabs.com/idler_2.htm)

[musicman]

Craig, I've changed my two idler tires in my Naks and I believe the transport in your BX-300 is the same. You can do that job yourself in less than 30 minutes and get the tire for under $5 shipped. Have you looked into that alternative? :-?

This is very true and even a novice can do it.

[MacGyver]

i had to do something somewhat similar to replace the loading belt on my PIONEER PD-91 CDP. turned out that wasn't the problem; the tray drive shaft simply needed lubing!! anyway, i noticed that that nak mecha smacks a LOT of a VHS VCR drive mechanism, the two drive spindles being driven by an exposed idler mounted in between...

[iamhifi]

Hello to all,
I have to give it to the Dragon, mine is as new and overhaul by ES Labs. The CR-7A is very good and also the ZX-9. I own this 3 Decks and all overhaul by ES-Labs. I paid a preaty penny but I am content with what I expended. The reason I give it to the Dragon because records and plays great with any tape and the sound falls in between the CR-7A and the ZX-9. Again the CR-7A is calibrated to a TDK MA-XG Green Shell and this deck can sound as good as the Dragon. The ZX-9 is calibrated to the SSMM and this is the warmest tapedeck I heard, and up there with the best. I was told by ES Labs that my Dragon has nothing to envid the 1000ZXL, in fact they encorage me to keep my Dragon and not to quest for the 1000ZXL because it is not better a better deck. I have reason to believe the claim is true because they are the kings in overhauling the best of the best.
Angel