Cassette Player To Match Existing Speakers

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kidrow

kidrow

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Hi all,

I have a Sony MHC VX 901 (bottom of page) which has been acting up for quite a while. It has been repaired on numerous occasions & finally even the repair technician has given up.

I'd like to buy a basic cassette player with radio & the ability to record mic input while keeping the existing set of Sony speakers. But I'm clueless about how best to match the player to the speakers. Is it even possible to buy a standalone player without the speakers?

I don't need any CD playing capabilities. Neither do I need the surround speakers to work. I'm on a tight budget & would like to keep it to a minimum.

So what kind of options & budget am I looking at? How much of a hit is the sound quality going to take?

Many thanks. Much obliged.
 
You're joking, right?

Cassette players without speakers are impossible to get anymore. You can buy something with speakers and switch them out for yours, but why would you want to do that?

Have you considered buying used separates from your local market? Some sellers will provide their own warranties.

If you want to buy new you can get a cheap subcompact system. I would not recommend mating this kind of a system with your speakers. I don't think much of the speakers (or much else) of the mini hifi systems, specially from Sony. The micro series are a little more respectable because they have less ambitious goals, and some of my acquaintances have been brave enough to buy them. They survived (talking about my friends specifically), so I assume the machine works well.

In either case you might want to set aside between 7 and 8k. I suspect either option will be far, far better than what you owned earlier, unless the boom and tizz is something you actually like.
 
cranky said:
You're joking, right?

Cassette players without speakers are impossible to get anymore. You can buy something with speakers and switch them out for yours, but why would you want to do that?

Have you considered buying used separates from your local market? Some sellers will provide their own warranties.

If you want to buy new you can get a cheap subcompact system. I would not recommend mating this kind of a system with your speakers. I don't think much of the speakers (or much else) of the mini hifi systems, specially from Sony. The micro series are a little more respectable because they have less ambitious goals, and some of my acquaintances have been brave enough to buy them. They survived (talking about my friends specifically), so I assume the machine works well.

In either case you might want to set aside between 7 and 8k. I suspect either option will be far, far better than what you owned earlier, unless the boom and tizz is something you actually like.
Click to expand...

Well we were in the same dilemma a few years ago, so got a car cassette player and fitted it in a custom wooden box and attached the speakers to it.:D
 
What exactly is the problem with your stereo ? Amp section still working ? Cassette section still working ?
 
cranky said:
You're joking, right?

Cassette players without speakers are impossible to get anymore. You can buy something with speakers and switch them out for yours, but why would you want to do that?

Have you considered buying used separates from your local market? Some sellers will provide their own warranties.

If you want to buy new you can get a cheap subcompact system. I would not recommend mating this kind of a system with your speakers. I don't think much of the speakers (or much else) of the mini hifi systems, specially from Sony. The micro series are a little more respectable because they have less ambitious goals, and some of my acquaintances have been brave enough to buy them. They survived (talking about my friends specifically), so I assume the machine works well.

In either case you might want to set aside between 7 and 8k. I suspect either option will be far, far better than what you owned earlier, unless the boom and tizz is something you actually like.
Click to expand...

Nah, not kidding. I really thought it might be possible.

So say I'm willing to buy a used player, is there any spec I should be looking for specifically so as to match the speakers? Or anything goes? Won't a mismatch affect sound quality &/or loudness?

rdst_1 said:
Well we were in the same dilemma a few years ago, so got a car cassette player and fitted it in a custom wooden box and attached the speakers to it.:D
Click to expand...

How do you power 'em? & also won't it lack the mic in & record capability?

greenhorn said:
walkman-> line in
Click to expand...

Again, any particular specs to make a good match? & does any walkman that you know of offer mic in & record?

spr said:
What exactly is the problem with your stereo ? Amp section still working ? Cassette section still working ?
Click to expand...

Cassette playback misbehaves. Runs slow, rewind/forward leads to error message asking to shut down. That error pops up randomly even otherwise - "Push Power Protect"

Thank you all for your replies.

The music system is mainly for my Dad. His hobby is singing & hence the stress on mic input & recording ability. Otherwise, I would have tried a workaround had it just been a question of his older tapes.
 
mic in is going to be tough. otherwise any decent walkman should do. It might be tough, but why not migrate your dad to digital ?
 
you should be able to connect any of the mp3 player/casette player through line-in of the system if the amp is working fine. if the amp is gone then you should probably buy something like this
 
Cassette playback misbehaves. Runs slow, rewind/forward leads to error message asking to shut down.
Click to expand...
The 12v motor might have gone bad. it can also happen if the cassette has some fungus or moisture on it and is not cleaned properly or kept unused for a long time. The tape sticks to itself and stops unspooling.
 
kidrow said:
Nah, not kidding. I really thought it might be possible.

So say I'm willing to buy a used player, is there any spec I should be looking for specifically so as to match the speakers? Or anything goes? Won't a mismatch affect sound quality &/or loudness?
Click to expand...

Don't be too sussed. It is unlikely your Sony had anything more than 50 to 60 watts per channel, and the speakers will be fine. However just like getting clearer spectacles, a good amplifier will reveal how crappy those speakers are. Sorry about that, nothing personal.

I wouldn't be able to make recommendations unless you know what is available in the local market. Most separates had amps of about 40-60W per channel, and the players were very rugged usually. A combo in good condition should cost about 8-10k.

I didn't know cassette walkman is still made. I'm pretty sure those breathed their last a few years when Sony pulled the plug. They do have some dictaphone type products that may be suitable. If your dad does a lot of recording of radio broadcasts (quite common for a lot of people), the micros are the way to go, they don't sound like the business end of a toilet and provide all the capabilities you will need. The E-25 from Sony is about 6k, and is capable enough. The sound isn't the best in the world, but I've heard worse from Sony's own bigger systems.

One solution is to get a small two-in-one device and use the headphone output to connect it to the amplifier section of the Sony (Aux-in, if you have one). It's still two amplifiers, but it'll work OK.

Philips AZ5740 Boom Box - Philips: Flipkart.com

CMT-EH25 : Micro Hi-Fi System : Hi-Fi System : Sony India

These are not products I would buy as a long-term solution, but they will work OK. A good used deck from Nakamichi or Teac will set you back about 10k, and a good amp around the same. But then your speakers are probably not the best match for components of that quality.
 
greenhorn said:
mic in is going to be tough. otherwise any decent walkman should do. It might be tough, but why not migrate your dad to digital ?
Click to expand...

Recording to digital? Not sure what kind of equipment I'll have to buy for that. Plus I imagine it'll turn out to be very expensive. Something I can ill afford given my current financial state.

booo said:
you should be able to connect any of the mp3 player/casette player through line-in of the system if the amp is working fine. if the amp is gone then you should probably buy something like this
Click to expand...

I think* the amp is fine because the sound output is normal until of course, the cassette playback mechanism starts acting up &/or the "Push Power/ Protect" error pops up.

So if the amp is working, I can get away with buying a generic player like this & using the line out on it. (The speakers on that player won't work when the line out is being used, I assume). I don't have to worry about matching any specs then, right?

I also have an old Philips Powerhouse music system. Can I hook that up directly to the Sony speakers without regard to specs? The tape player on that is malfunctioning too, but I then know that I have at least one working amplifier.

Thanks for your time & patience.

* Isn't the amp OK if the sound output is normal? I have no idea about this & hence asking at the cost of being branded stupid.
Also not sure if it is the amp that's causing the error.

- - - Updated - - -

6pack said:
The 12v motor might have gone bad. it can also happen if the cassette has some fungus or moisture on it and is not cleaned properly or kept unused for a long time. The tape sticks to itself and stops unspooling.
Click to expand...

Well, the guy who's been repairing this all these years has given up on it. & even I'm fed up of having to get it repaired every 3-4 months. Also the error can pop up randomly. Even when there isn't any cassette playing. So I doubt that it's the mechanism alone.

cranky said:
Don't be too sussed. It is unlikely your Sony had anything more than 50 to 60 watts per channel, and the speakers will be fine. However just like getting clearer spectacles, a good amplifier will reveal how crappy those speakers are. Sorry about that, nothing personal.

I wouldn't be able to make recommendations unless you know what is available in the local market. Most separates had amps of about 40-60W per channel, and the players were very rugged usually. A combo in good condition should cost about 8-10k.

I didn't know cassette walkman is still made. I'm pretty sure those breathed their last a few years when Sony pulled the plug. They do have some dictaphone type products that may be suitable. If your dad does a lot of recording of radio broadcasts (quite common for a lot of people), the micros are the way to go, they don't sound like the business end of a toilet and provide all the capabilities you will need. The E-25 from Sony is about 6k, and is capable enough. The sound isn't the best in the world, but I've heard worse from Sony's own bigger systems.

One solution is to get a small two-in-one device and use the headphone output to connect it to the amplifier section of the Sony (Aux-in, if you have one). It's still two amplifiers, but it'll work OK.

Philips AZ5740 Boom Box - Philips: Flipkart.com

CMT-EH25 : Micro Hi-Fi System : Hi-Fi System : Sony India

These are not products I would buy as a long-term solution, but they will work OK. A good used deck from Nakamichi or Teac will set you back about 10k, and a good amp around the same. But then your speakers are probably not the best match for components of that quality.
Click to expand...

So if I understand correctly, practically any decent cassette player will do if I have to connect the speakers directly. There's no need to worry about specs matching up to the speakers cuz they're crap anyway.

If the amp is working on the Sony, then practically anything that runs a cassette (like even a walkman) will do. It doesn't even need a line out. All it should have is a headphone jack. That about right?

Thanks.
 
kidrow said:
Recording to digital? Not sure what kind of equipment I'll have to buy for that. Plus I imagine it'll turn out to be very expensive. Something I can ill afford given my current financial state.


I think* the amp is fine because the sound output is normal until of course, the cassette playback mechanism starts acting up &/or the "Push Power/ Protect" error pops up.

So if the amp is working, I can get away with buying a generic player like this & using the line out on it. (The speakers on that player won't work when the line out is being used, I assume). I don't have to worry about matching any specs then, right?

I also have an old Philips Powerhouse music system. Can I hook that up directly to the Sony speakers without regard to specs? The tape player on that is malfunctioning too, but I then know that I have at least one working amplifier.

Thanks for your time & patience.

* Isn't the amp OK if the sound output is normal? I have no idea about this & hence asking at the cost of being branded stupid.
Also not sure if it is the amp that's causing the error.

- - - Updated - - -



Well, the guy who's been repairing these all these years has given up on it. & even I'm fed up of having to get it repaired every 3-4 months. Also the error can pop up randomly. Even when there isn't any cassette playing. So I doubt that it's the mechanism alone.



So if I understand correctly, practically any decent cassette player will do if I have to connect the speakers directly. There's no need to worry about specs matching up to the speakers cuz they're crap anyway.

If the amp is working on the Sony, then practically anything that runs a cassette (like even a walkman) will do. It doesn't even need a line out. All it should have is a headphone jack. That about right?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
from what I understood, the casette mechanism is screwed up and your amp is fine. you can quicky check it by connecting your phone to the line in of the player and see if you can play the music. you will need 3.5 male to male. you connect the headphones jack of the phone to the line in of the music system.

and about switching to digital; you can even use your phone to record the voice and play back to the player. you can go pro recording by using a computer though. but the logic is the same, "connect to line in" :)
 
Hey, In Hyderabad, there are few shops where you can find the Delhi made sets with your requirement. I think you can try one of them at your place.

Also keep looking at OLX/quickr. You can find many used items from decent brands.
casette player
 
for recording to digital, I suppose you already have a mic, all you need is to connect it to your mic in on your motherboard (the pink jack)
Everything else there is software to be had for free
if you dont have a mic, the cheapest mics with headphones start at a few hundred ;)
 
@booo, @thenvk, @greenhorn & all of the others - Thanks for your time & feedback. Will see what options I have available locally & decide. At least now I know what I should be looking at, thanks to you all. Cheers!
 
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Just wanted to check - If I get a cassette player/recorder without a mic input. I then connect that to my existing system which acts as an amp via the 3.5mm headphone jack. I connect the mic to the existing system/amp. If I then play a Karaoke track on the new player & record on it, will the mic input from the amplifier get recorded as well? I'm assuming I'd be able to hear the mic output as well as the Karaoke track through the speakers (Correct me if I'm wrong of course). But what gets recorded?
 
you can sing karaoke, but you wont be able to record the voice, as only the tape signal is being sent to your system, and your system is not sending the mic signal back to the recorder. If you do get a recorder, then it might be able to record from its built in mic, but then how will you play something ?
 
greenhorn said:
you can sing karaoke, but you wont be able to record the voice, as only the tape signal is being sent to your system, and your system is not sending the mic signal back to the recorder. If you do get a recorder, then it might be able to record from its built in mic, but then how will you play something ?
Click to expand...

Yes, thanks for the confirmation.

I'll need to buy something with dual decks if the Karaoke functionality is a must. Hoping there's some cheapo China stuff locally available that'll fit the bill. Will make do with that until I've saved up enough to buy a half decent one.

On a side note, I think it'll be possible to fix my Philips Powerhouse. What tends to happen is as soon as I put the cassette in & start playback, the tape/reel gets stuck & gets unspooled immediately. This is happening on both the decks. I'm assuming this can be repaired. So that's another option to explore.

PS: The Sony speakers seem to be 200watts RMS each if the promo sticker on it is to be believed.
 
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