-=> Quoting Herry Budiutama to Cameron Hall <=-
 HB> That's true, but $400 sounds like paranoia rather than purist.  :)
To me, there is a difference. :)  I've used some dual well autoreverse
types and so far, I've not been overly impressed.
 HB> And I probably can't tell the difference in playback quality since
 HB> I listen to them on my walkman -  not inside a quiet room with
 HB> superior speakers so that I can hear the better frequency response and
 HB> dynamic range.
 
A reasonable pair of headphones will highlight any loss in top end
respons.
 HB> I finally have time for careful listening.   The walkman sounds
 HB> flatter (with NR on) with ALL types of tapes (Type I, II, IV).
My guess is the head needs demagnatizing and the asymuth checked and
matched to your recording deck since you've indicated that all tapes
suffer the same problem.  I'd also suggest the Dolby hasn't been
properly level set either.  You didn't indicate what pre-recorded tapes
do. :)
 HB> I'd think if the head is misaligned the sound would be flat all the
That's true.
 HB> time. The problem here is that when I turn NR on, the sound is flatter
 HB> compared to when I play the cassette on my tape deck (or my old
 HB> walkman) with NR on. The sound is completely normal when NR is off.
 
NOW WE'VE HIT ON THE PROBLEM.  Since the cassette AND the OLDER walkman
sound OK, the problem is isolated to the newer walkman.  It simply needs
re-alignment.
 HB> I clean and de-magnetize the heads often.   I also got this spray from
 HB> Japan that removes oxide without touching the head.   Bzzzzt, like
 HB> spraying hair-spray, and the heads are cleaned - no need for swabs.  I
 HB> use dry-type cleaning cassette though.
 
Well... :-)  I wouldn't use a spray myself.  I don't know what
impurities could get lodged in the tape gap.  I've used the Tandy
Freon-TF stuff with a cotton swab with excellent results.
 HB> The one I got shuts itself off if it gets hot.  So I can't use it even
That's a good feature.
 HB> if I wanted to.  (I wear an analog watch, though I'm not sure whether
Does that watch use a battery?  Or is it wind up.  Battery types *could*
be disrupted by the hugh magnetic field from the eraser.
 HB> the magnetic field could still screw it up  - worse, everytime I use
 HB> it is close to my waist area so I hope there'd be no adverse effects
 HB> there either).  :)
I read some "Transactions" from the IEEE on S.A.R. (Specific Absorbtion
Rate) dealing with various radio wavelengths and it was facinating to
say the least.  The 60 hz wavelegnths you're dealing with shouldn't be
of any concern as it's on a very short term basis and the body isn't
absorbing them.  As to Radio energy, that's a different kettle of fish
and is severly off topic. 
See ya, Cameron Hall
cameron.hall@bluebeam.gryn.org | ad121@freenet.hamilton.on.ca
Blue Beam BBS | 905 662 5784 | Stoney Creek Ontario Canada | v34 vFC FAX
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