Onkyo TA-2055 Vintage Cassette Deck - Direct Drive

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General:
The TA-2055 is a sweet two head deck from Onkyo. It offers some pretty unique features that most decks similar lack.

Firstly, this deck runs off a direct drive capstan, this is often reserved for top models such as our favorite Nakamichi CR-7A decks. Direct drive capstans are preferred over belt driven capstans due to their superior speed consistency, and wow/flutter measurements. In addition, you never have to worry about pesky belts that fail and become brittle over time.

Also worth mentioning is entire tape transport mechanism in this model is manufactured by Sankyo, the same company that worked with Nakamichi on making the mechanisms for the BX and CR series + others.

Another cool feature involves its digital counter. Unlike traditional tape counters, this is a real time counter that counts in seconds. This is great for playback and recording. Below the tape counter are buttons relating to tape length. When pressed, the counter will read time remaining on that particular cassette tape. Incredibly useful.

Other features include, Dolby B and C noise reduction, a variable output level, An MPX Filter, and a bias tune knob for precise adjustment during recording.

This particular example is in excellent condition and has the benefit of a brand new idler tire installed. The speed was also set for high playback accuracy. It sounded great in testing.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
Some scratches on the top surface, faceplate is clean. Overall very good condition.

Ownership:
Second Owner

Connections:
RCA input and Output

General Sound:
Smooth, uncolored, undistorted natural and clean

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab.

Included:
Just the unit and power cord.

Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.Specs:
Type: 2-head, single compact cassette deck
Track System: 4-track, 2-channel stereo
Tape Speed: 4.8 cm/s
Heads: 1 x record/playback, 1 x erase
Motor: 1 x DD, 2 x DC
Tape Type: type I, CrO2, Metal
Noise Reduction: B, C
Frequency Response: 20Hz to 19kHz  (Metal tape)
Signal to Noise Ratio: 80dB  (dolby C)
Wow and Flutter: 0.035%
Input: 50mV (line), 0.3mV (mic)
Output: 1.1V (line)

Dimensions:
16.46 x 3.94 x 14.57 inches

Weight:
15 lbs.

Approximate Age:
1982

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

Testing Process:
First steps are performed to determine if the unit is a candidate for our full restoration process, or if it's just in need of a light service.

We perform a basic functionality test to ensure proper playback, fast forward, and rewind. We look for smooth operation of the motors, transport engagement, and associated rolling parts.

We then do an internal physical inspection to ensure the belts and rubber consumable parts are up to spec.

Internal components are checked to make sure there are no signs of heat stress or damage, particularly in the power supply section. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect the PCBs for discoloration from resistors or transistors that may have been running hot. On vintage units we often spot check select capacitors for value and ESR.

A light service will involve replacement of belts and rollers, external cleaning of heads, mechanism and boards, and basic record and playback tests.

A full restoration will often include disassembly of the drive system and replacement of all consumable and wearable parts including pinch rollers, belts, brakes, and bearings. We then clean, lubricate, and re-assemble the drive and perform basic mechanical alignment to ensure proper tape path and head alignment.

Final calibration will involve adjustment of the playback, erase, and record heads, along with optimization of the bias for a specific tape type. We do this with the aid of a Sound Technology 1510A tape deck analyzer plus a Nakamichi T-100 Audio Analyzer with reference calibration tapes.

Final listening tests are performed while monitoring with our reference Grado HP-1 headphones and a variety of factory and custom reference recordings We find that there is no better system for critical listening on tapes than with headphones, especially when comparing a live feed to a recorded feed.