SONY TC-WR950
¥ 95,000 (released in 1986)
Commentary
Recording and re-reverse twin cassette deck equipped with super bias system and twin Dolby system.
Equipped with a super bias system that greatly improves sound quality at high speed.
When the tape speed is doubled, the frequency of the music signal is also doubled, and a 15 kHz signal becomes 30 kHz. Therefore, in conventional high-speed dubbing, the harmonic component of the high-frequency music signal approaches the frequency of the bias current (105 kHz) and causes beat generation, so that the high-range frequency characteristic is suppressed.
The TC-WR950 employs a super-bias system in which the bias frequency is set to 210 kHz, which is twice that of the conventional system. As a result, the generation of beat is greatly reduced even at double speed, and the frequency characteristics extended to high frequencies and a wide dynamic range are obtained.
Amorphous alloy with excellent magnetic properties is used as the core material for the recording and re-recording head of each A/B deck, and LC-OFC is used for the head winding to improve sound quality.
LC-OFC is a large-size oxygen-free copper crystal with a purity of more than 99.995% and reduces distortion due to capacitive reactances. It improves SN ratio and frequency characteristics.
Each of the A and B decks is equipped with a Dolby NR system. The 3 positions of B type / C type / OFF can be set independently on both decks. In addition, the Cross Dolby NR dubbing, which converts C-type recorded tapes into B-type tapes and dubs, is also possible.
Each Dolby NR circuit is equipped with two circuits, one for normal speed and the other for high speed, enabling free Dolby conversion even during double-speed dubbing.
The dubbing level can be adjusted to prevent distortion by reducing the level when dubbing from high-output metal tape to normal tape. You can also perform operations such as fade-in and fade-out.
Adjustment can be performed at both normal speed and high speed.
The A Deck is equipped with an RMS (Random Music Sensor) function that allows you to program up to 12 songs on one side of the cassette up to 16 times in the order of your choice. You can also select a song by simply selecting it in the program order with the 12 keys. Pressing the START key repeats the selection → playback one after another.
You can also double-speed dubbing of program songs, create a library of original edits, and add programs after starting RMS.
When you press the display switch key or the 12 key, the peak level meter section changes to the RMS display. The program music and the music being selected / played are displayed separately and the progress of RMS playback can be seen. In addition, you can check the order of program music with the check key.
Equipped with a linear electronic counter that digitally displays the amount of tape travel in minutes and seconds.
The tape travel amount of each A/B deck is counted independently, and the approximate travel amount of each deck is displayed by switching between A and B. The count continues even when not displayed, and the tape travel amount of each deck can be checked immediately during simultaneous recording or dubbing.
It is also equipped with a subtraction function that can directly read the remaining amount of the tape.
In addition to normal speed, high speed (double speed) synchronized dubbing is possible.
At normal speed, you can edit the tape using the auto pause function.
When dubbing at normal speed and the AUTO PAUSE key is turned ON, Deck A stops at the end of each song and Deck B is in the recording pause state.
It is equipped with a blank skip function that automatically fast-forwards when there is a non-signal portion of more than 10 seconds during playback and starts playback from the beginning of the next song. In addition, when dubbing at normal speed, the recording deck automatically rewinds the non-signal portion of more than 10 seconds on the playback side and shortens it to about 5 seconds, making it possible to make a tape with a uniform interval between songs.
The AMS (Automatic Music Sensor) function allows you to cue the current or next song.
In addition to simultaneous recording on the A/B deck, the 3-position direction mode switch allows one side recording / rerecording, two side recording, or one volume cycle playback. In addition, in RELAY mode, you can record both sides of the tape on the A deck and then record both sides of the tape on the B deck by the relay operation, enabling long-duration continuous recording using two volumes of tape. When playing back, you can repeatedly play both sides of the tape on the A deck and then play both sides of the tape on the B deck, enabling long-duration listening.
Equipped with a triple color direction indicator that displays the tape running status in three colors : orange (STOP/FF/REW), green (PLAY), and red (REC).
Equipped with quick reverse function by infrared sensor.
Equipped with a 12-segment x 2-ch double indication FL peak level meter that can display real-time peak value and peak hold simultaneously.
Equipped with TypeI/II/IV auto tape selector.
Auto play and counter linked memory stop / play are available.
Equipped with Rec Mute function with auto space.
An optional timer allows recording of absence and alarm clock playback. Simultaneous recording and relay recording are also available.
Equipped with a headphone port with variable output.
It comes with a wireless remote control that can be used on either the A or B deck by switching the switch.
In addition to tape movement commands such as recording and playback, fast forward and rewind, this remote control can reset linear electronic counters, memory, and A/B switching.
Model Rating
| Type | Stereo cassette deck |
| Heads | Erase : 2 Recording : 2 |
| Motor | DC servo motor : 2 DC Motor : 2 |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | 56dB(EIAJ) 59 dB (Dolby off, peak level, Metal-S cassette) 72dB(Dolby NR C) |
| Frequency characteristic | 30 Hz ~ 17 kHz ± 3 dB (EIAJ, Metal-S Cassette) |
| Frequency range | 20 Hz ~ 18 kHz (EIAJ, Metal-S Cassette) |
| Wow and flutter (EIAJ) |
± 0.07% Wpeak 0.05%WRMS |
| Distortion factor | 0.5% (EIAJ, Metal-S Cassette) |
| Power consumption | 27W |
| External dimensions | Width 430x Height 135x Depth 285 mm |
| Weight | 5.9kg |
| Attachment | Wireless Remote Control RM-950 |