Audio Database

RS-AZ7
Commentary

A stereo cassette deck with an amorphous-Z head.

The newly developed amorphous-Z head is used for the reproducing head.
This is an analog thin-film head using an MR element (magneto-resistive conversion element) that is completely different from the conventional coil system. Using thin film technology on a wafer substrate, the MR element and 1 μ m-thick high-permeability amorphous layer are used as a magnetic yoke, and a head gap width of 0.5 μ m has been achieved. This has not only dramatically improved S/N ratio, frequency characteristics, phase characteristics, and channel separation, but also enables high-quality playback of recorded tapes.
The MR element used in the Amorphous-Z head converts the magnitude of the magnetic field itself into a resistance value, making it possible in principle to reproduce the magnetic field from the DC region. Moreover, it has high sensitivity and low impedance over the entire band, enabling high S/N. In addition, the coil type requires a large correction because the low-frequency output is small. However, the Amorphous-Z head requires a small amount of correction and realizes high S/N of the amplifier section.
Moreover, in the case of the Amorphous-Z head, there is no contour effect in principle because the MR element detects only the magnetism guided by the extremely small yoke of 1 μ m width, while the conventional head generates the fluctuation of frequency characteristics due to low-frequency interference (contour effect). Moreover, by realizing the head gap of 0.5 μ m, the high-frequency reproduction limit is greatly expanded. Moreover, the Barkhausen noise peculiar to the MR element is greatly reduced, and the distortion is also reduced by applying electric and magnetic feedback to the MR element for part of the reproduced signal.

The RS-AZ7 uses a compact recording / recombining head.
The thin-film head has an extremely small detection section with a thickness of several μ m and a depth of 50 μ m. The cross-talk between channels is minimized and the interference between the recording head and the reproducing head (field-through) that occurs during simultaneous recording monitoring is also greatly reduced.
In addition, by reducing the track width of the thin-film playback head compared to the conventional one, the level fluctuation due to compatibility is suppressed, and the degradation of high-frequency characteristics due to azimuth deviation is improved, making it possible to record and play back with higher sound quality.

Play Direct Position is equipped.
In this position, the characteristics of the Amorphous-Z head are fully brought out, and high-quality playback with higher S/N is possible (when NR is off).

A virtual battery operation circuit is used for the bias power supply to achieve significant noise reduction.

The recording amplifier section is equipped with a unique linear magnefield class AA circuit, and the high bias of bias frequency 210 kHz realizes sound recording faithful to the source signal.

Equipped with ATC (Auto Tape Calibration) to demonstrate the tape performance.
This function records a test signal generated inside the set and detects its characteristics at four points of 400 Hz, 3 kHz, 10 kHz and 15 kHz. It also performs high-precision automatic adjustment for bias adjustment, recording equalizer and recording level adjustment. This enables recording with flat frequency characteristics.

Equipped with ultra high-speed FF/REW, it achieves a maximum speed of about 70 times during play.
This allows the C-60 tape to be wound in approximately 35 seconds.

The power assist cassette loading realizes stable tape travel.

Equipped with the Dolby HX-PRO system, the effective bias during recording is automatically adjusted to greatly improve the high-frequency recording characteristics.

Equipped with an MPX filter ON/OFF switch.

Equipped with a memory stop function.

The front panel uses high-density hybrid material and the chassis structure uses THCB (TechnicHybrid Construction Base) to reduce vibration.

Wireless remote control is included.

Model Rating
Type Cassette deck
Heads Recording : permalloy
Playback : Amorphous-Z
Erasing : double-gap ferrite
Wow flutter ± 0.14% (W peak, EIAJ)
0.07%(W.R.M.S)
Frequency characteristic Normal : 20 Hz to 17 kHz ± 3 dB
High Positive : 20 Hz ~ 18 kHz ± 3 dB
Metal : 20 Hz ~ 23 kHz ± 3 dB
S/N ratio (high-position tape) NRoff : 62 dB (WTD, 315 Hz, 3% third order distortion factor)
58dB(EIAJ)
Dolby B NRon : 71 dB (WTD, 315 Hz, 3% third order distortion factor)
Dolby C NRon : 78 dB (WTD, 315 Hz, 3% third order distortion factor)
Input Sensitivity / Impedance 100mV/47k Ω
Output Voltage / Impedance 500mV/500 Ω
Pwer 100 VAC, 50Hz/60Hz
Power consumption 19W
External dimensions Width 430x Height 125x Depth 290 mm
Weight 4.2kg
Attachment Wireless Remote Control