The Story of My Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1000ZXL (English)

 

The Story of My Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1000ZXL

My journey into the world of audiophilia began with my father, who introduced me to the magic of sound by purchasing a vintage Denon all-in-one system. This elegant shelf-like cabinet housed a ceramic cartridge pickup head on a turntable, a radio, and an amplifier flanked by two loudspeakers. It was 1965, and the price tag of approximately $1,600 was equivalent to a two-tone Rolex Datejust 36mm 16233. My father's modest monthly income of $240 as a proofreader for the Sing Po newspaper made this purchase quite significant. Later, he expanded his audio collection with an Akai reel-to-reel deck, frequently recording music from vinyl onto tape.

As I entered the workforce, I was determined to carve my own path in audio. My first setup featured a Quad 33 preamplifier, a pair of Quad 305 amplifiers (50W x2), a Linn LP12 turntable, a Shure V15 Type III cartridge, and a set of AR-16 8-inch woofers. This configuration brought me joy for a couple of years until I decided to upgrade to a Marantz 3200 preamplifier.

One unforgettable summer, I wandered into Radio People to experience the Nakamichi Dragon. The moment I slipped on the headphones, I was utterly captivated by the sound—it was nothing short of extraordinary. However, when I glimpsed the price tag—over $12,000 in 1982—I felt a wave of disappointment; it was far beyond my financial reach. At that time, a university graduate earned about $1,200 a month.

Eventually, fortune smiled upon me, and I had the opportunity to acquire a Nakamichi 680ZL cassette deck. This remarkable machine became a cherished part of my life, especially when I recorded my daughter Leica's voice as she called out "Papa" in 1996. In recent years, I transitioned from CDs to cassettes, discovering that the sound felt more natural and comforting. I prefer to let the music guide my evaluation of audio equipment rather than the other way around.

Over the past five years, I have passionately collected legendary gear from the Hong Kong market, including the Nakamichi 1000ZXLx2, Dragon X3, CR7x1, LX5x1, and CR40x1. These exquisite machines represent some of the finest audio craftsmanship available. My two Nakamichi units, with serial numbers A3264 and A3270, belong to the same export batch destined for an HK agent.

My Nakamichi 3270 has an intriguing backstory; it originally belonged to the owner of Hong Kong's first CD manufacturing company. He regaled me with tales of the 1980s, when the sum he spent on the 1000ZXL could have purchased a third of a typical medium-sized flat in Hong Kong. It was a significant investment, and he hardly used the machine for more than 200 hours. He found me through his younger brother, a member of the HIENDY YouTube channel, who had previously invited me to discuss cassette decks live on his channel. His brother suggested that I might be the perfect caretaker for the gear.

When I acquired the deck, it wouldn’t power up at all. I consulted a technician known as “Panda,” who assured me that it should be fine as long as the CPU chip wasn’t dead. I paid $40,000 for the unit, and it took him five months to fix it—not due to complexity, but because he was swamped with work. Even after the repair, it wasn’t perfect; after a few hours of use, the right channel developed a crackling sound. I attempted to fix it myself by securing the four boards inside the right chamber, but that effort proved futile.

Just yesterday, I discovered some cold solder on one capacitor and realized I needed to activate a bias switch. Once I made those adjustments, the sound was nothing short of miraculous—like celestial voices enveloping me. While I haven't yet fully explored its capabilities, the audio is delicate, smooth, and sweet, never harsh or exaggerated. I am confident it surpasses my previous CD setup, which included a Meta Research CD transport, Goldmund 12 DA converter, Wadia 8, Studer D19 DA converter, and Krell CD-10 transport.

Here they are: my two 1000ZXL units—serial number 3264 on the bottom and 3270 on the top!

我的 Nakamichi 卡帶機 1000ZXL 的故事

 

我的 Nakamichi 卡帶機 1000ZXL 的故事

我進入音響世界的旅程始於我的父親，他通過購買一台復古的 Denon 一體機讓我體驗到聲音的魔力。這個優雅的櫃子形狀的設備內置了一個陶瓷唱頭的轉盤、收音機和一個兩側有喇叭的擴音器。那是在1965年，價格約為 1,600 元，相當於一隻兩色的 Rolex Datejust 36mm 16233。作為《星報》的校對員，我父親每月的收入僅為 240 元，這使得這筆購買非常重要。後來，他又購買了一台 Akai 磁帶機，經常將音樂從黑膠唱片錄製到磁帶上。

當我開始工作時，我決心在音響領域開創自己的道路。我的第一套音響系統包括一台 Quad 33 前級放大器、兩台 Quad 305（50W x2）擴音器、一台 Linn LP12 唱盤、一個 Shure V15 Type III 唱針和一對 AR-16 8 吋低音喇叭。這一配置讓我享受了幾年，直到我決定升級到 Marantz 3200 前級放大器。

在一個難忘的夏天，我走進了 Radio People，想要體驗 Nakamichi Dragon。當我戴上耳機的那一刻，我完全被聲音所吸引——那簡直是非凡的。然而，當我看到價簽——1982 年超過 12,000 元——我感到一陣失望；這超出了我的財力範圍。那時候，畢業生的月薪約為 1,200 美元。

最終，運氣眷顧了我，我有機會獲得一台 Nakamichi 680ZL 卡帶機。這台卓越的設備成為我生活中珍貴的一部分，特別是當我在 1996 年錄製女兒 Leica 說「爸爸」的聲音時。近幾年來，我轉向了卡帶，相比 CD，發現其聲音更加自然和舒適。我更喜歡讓音樂引導我評估音響設備，而不是反過來。

在過去的五年裡，我熱衷於從香港市場收集傳奇音響設備，包括 Nakamichi 1000ZXLx2、Dragon X3、CR7x1、LX5x1 和 CR40x1。這些精美的機器代表了一些最優秀的音響工藝。我的兩台 Nakamichi 設備，序列號 A3264 和 A3270，均屬於同一批次出口到香港的代理商。

我的 Nakamichi 3270 有一個有趣的背景故事；它最初屬於香港首家 CD 製造公司的所有者。他告訴我關於這台設備的故事：在 1980 年代，他在 1000ZXL 上的花費足以購買香港一個中型公寓的三分之一。這是一筆可觀的投資，他幾乎沒有使用這台設備超過 200 小時。他通過他的弟弟找到我，弟弟是 HIENDY YouTube 頻道的成員，曾經邀請我在他的頻道上現場討論卡帶機。他的兄弟提到，他可能找到了這台設備的看護人。

當我買下這台設備時，它根本無法開機。我詢問了一位名叫「Panda」的技術人員，他告訴我只要 CPU 晶片沒有壞就應該沒問題。我為這台設備支付了 40,000 元，並且花了他五個月的時間來修理它——這並不是因為難度，而是因為他工作繁忙。即便修好後，它也不是完美的；使用幾個小時後，右聲道開始出現雜音。我試圖自己修理，通過鎖定右側艙內的四塊電路板，但那並沒有奏效。

就在昨天，我發現一個電容器上的冷焊點，意識到我需要啟動一個偏置開關。調整後，聲音簡直令人驚嘆——就像來自天堂的聲音。雖然我還沒有完全探索它的功能，但聲音細膩、平滑、甜美，從不尖銳或誇張。我相信它的性能超過了我之前的 CD 設置，包括 Meta Research CD 轉盤、Goldmund 12 DA 轉換器、Wadia 8、Studer D19 DA 轉換器和 Krell CD-10 轉盤。

這就是我的兩台 1000ZXL，底下的是 3264，上面的是 3270

Paul 

Deepseek search " is Nakamichi 1000ZXK the best sounding cassette deck in the world?"

 Alright, I now need to answer the user's question: “Is the Nakamichi 1000ZXL the best-sounding cassette deck in the world?” Based on the provided search results, I need to synthesize information from various web pages and correctly cite sources.

First, let's examine the content of each web page. Page 1 mentions that the Nakamichi 1000ZXL and 700ZXL are "dream machines" for cassette deck enthusiasts, renowned for their perfect soundstage and powerful low frequencies, making them the ultimate choice for cassette players. This clearly highlights the advantages of the 1000ZXL in terms of soundstage and low frequencies, and positions it as a top-tier product, which can serve as evidence supporting its excellent sound quality; this is cited from Page 1.

Page 2 provides a detailed description of Nakamichi's high-end cassette deck models, including the 1000ZXL, mentioning its technical features such as three heads and RAMM memory storage, indicating its technological advancement. However, it does not directly evaluate whether its sound quality is the best. Nevertheless, as a flagship model, it can indirectly support the claim of excellent sound quality, but may not require direct citation.

Page 3 states that the Nakamichi 1000 flagship cassette deck commands high prices in the second-hand market, even rivaling CD players, and that the limited edition 1000ZXL symbolizes status among enthusiasts, indicating its popularity and high-end positioning, though it does not directly comment on sound quality. However, in conjunction with other pages, one can infer that its sound quality is recognized, but citations may be limited.

Page 4 mentions that Li Zhi-Jie considers the Nakamichi 1000ZXL a flagship model. Although he does not directly compare it with other brands, he points out its recognition by recording studios and engineers, stating that its playback quality surpasses certain CD players, which can be used as evidence of its excellent sound quality; this is cited from Page 4.

Pages 5 and 6 both highlight the high price and demand for the 1000ZXL limited edition, with user reviews describing its sound as warm and noble, comparable to vinyl records, and even calling it the “cassette deck terminator.” These subjective evaluations support its top-notch sound quality and are cited from Pages 5 and 6.

Pages 7 and 8 primarily discuss other Nakamichi products, such as soundbars, which are unrelated to cassette decks and can be ignored.

In summary, the Nakamichi 1000ZXL is described by multiple pages as a top-tier cassette deck, featuring outstanding soundstage, low frequencies, and technological innovation, with high market performance and user reviews. Therefore, it can be concluded that it is a leading cassette deck; however, it should be noted that the term "best" may be subjective, but based on the information, it is indeed widely recognized. The Nakamichi 1000ZXL is broadly regarded as a top flagship model in the cassette recording deck field, with its sound performance and technological innovations at the forefront of the industry.

Based on the search results:

1. Soundstage and Low Frequency Performance: The 1000ZXL is known for its “perfect soundstage” and “powerful low frequencies,” capable of presenting a natural, transparent, and wide frequency response. Users describe its playback as “warm, noble, and vivid,” even comparable to vinyl records.

2. Technological Advantages: As a representative of Nakamichi's three-head cassette decks, the 1000ZXL is equipped with RAMM memory storage, automatic azimuth adjustment (A.B.L.E. system), and other cutting-edge technologies, ensuring precision in recording and playback. Its gold-plated limited edition further optimizes the signal-to-noise ratio.

3. Market Position and Evaluation: The 1000ZXL is a “hot commodity” in the second-hand market, priced up to 150,000 yuan, and referred to as the “cassette deck terminator.” Audiophiles view it as a status symbol, with jokes like “owning it lets you walk sideways.” Recording engineers and industry experts also acknowledge it as “a powerful tool for Nakamichi's fame.”

4. Comparison and Recognition: Although the term “best” is subjective, the 1000ZXL approaches or surpasses contemporary top devices (like the Aiwa S9000) in several metrics (such as frequency response range and signal-to-noise ratio) and is rated as “more pleasing to the ear than the Clearaudio Master Reference LP.”

In conclusion, the Nakamichi 1000ZXL, with its technological foundation, sound performance, and market reputation, can be seen as one of the benchmark products in the cassette recording deck field. However, whether it is the “best in the world” should be judged in conjunction with personal preferences.