One of the first cassette decks: Nakamichi 500

Cassette deck history

Nakamichi has established her name anno 1973, as well as the HiFi viability for the medium Compact Cassette. This was the year Niro Nakamichi introduced the famous Tri Tracers, the 1000 and 700. Niro is the son of the founder of Nakamichi Corporation, Etsuro Nakamichi. Etsuro had the intention to promote sound quality in audio and communication equipment. Niro has taken and extended this vision in a High End audio and video corporation of his own.

Flagship

The Tri Tracer 1000 was designed for the professional sound arena, whilst the more conveniently shaped Tri Tracer 700 aimed at home audio usage. Electronics and the tape mechanism are largely identical, but the construction was rearranged and the TT700 lacks a few functions of the TT1000.

Even before Nakamichi set to the market with its own brand name, cassette decks were designed and built by the Nakamichi Corp. As OEM (original equipment manufacturer) Nakamichi made cassette equipment for Goodmans, Harman Kardon, Advent, Leak and Fisher, just to name the most known marks. During those events the technological skills and quality grading were acquired, and well deserved.

Home products

The Tri Tracers were high end products, not aimed at a large market segment in the home audio market share. This home audio market share was appealing nonetheless and a valid target group. As a step to the larger consumer market two models were introduced by the year 1974, the Dual Tracers of the 500 series. The 500 is a standard product and the 550 is a portable (partly professional and domestic) model. Once more the electronics and mechanisms were largely identical. The Nakamichi 500 was the first all Nakamichi machine meant to be placed in the consumers’ home stereo set.

Top loader

The Nakamichi 500 is a top loader as was usual at that point in time. The layout of the deck was also pretty much standard, although the three microphone inputs and the 400 Hz tone generator deviate from the norm. But aside from those the 500 looks like the decks from Fisher, for example. A few years later Nakamichi made their fame as a more specialized consumer brand on the home audio market. Their definite breakthrough product was the model 600, a resounding success waving the flag for the make and name Nakamichi.

Rare

A Nakamichi 500 dating from 1974 is rarely seen after over 30 years. But still the machines pop up every now and then as they are almost indestructible examples of ancient recorders. The domestic purpose has led to lesser hours of use then is to be expected in professional usage, so less wear and tear is expected opposed to a TT1000. My own sample of Nakamichi 500 was sent to me at 30 years of age, from Amsterdam. Amsterdam was it’s location, but it had spent most of it’s life in Saudi Arabia. After many tropical years the first owner had brought it back with him to the Netherlands. Still some time went by till the son had now decided to sell it and granted me ownership.

Old churches have dim windows

Understandably the sample was not fully new after all the years. It had not been used a couple of years before the sell so the mechanism was a bit sticky, furthermore some light bulbs were out and needed replacing. The power switch was worn to the point it would not lock to ON anymore. Incredibly so, I’ve not encountered worn power switches like that before. The original tiny bulbs of this machine look different from nowadays light bulbs. These original bulbs were fitted with little caps, which I’ve recovered and reused for fitting of the new naked bulbs. The special frame housing the power switch likewise, now housing a modern power switch.

Clean up

As usual, heads and internals of the deck had gathered dust, muck and hairs over the years it was stored in the basement of the previous owner. The externals were helped by a good cleaning as well, but restored to a reasonable good shape. The machine is complete and all components were intact. Technically the deck was completely functional, including recording and adjustment features. The large needle signal meters were functioning well and all refitted stored lights were doing fine. Dolby and recording lights add their respective colors.

Series 500

The Nakamichi series 500 sports the 550 already mentioned as a portable equivalent, and was later on expanded by the versions 250 and 350. Of these 4 machines the 550 appears the most frequent still. The cassette mechanism and electronics of all 4 share a lot in common, so I regards these to be part of the same series. Those who have had the opportunity to listen to these machines can possibly endorse my impression of the clean, open and easy sound these machines still deliver. The old fashioned, discrete electronics work well in combination with the ‘simple’ 2 head lay out. The cassette mechanism is the Achilles heel of these machines, sometimes showing audible wow and mistracking.

All in all, a gain for the Nakamichi collection.