General Asylum: REVIEW: Nakamichi ZX-9 Tapedeck by shuvam

Model:	ZX-9
Category:	Tapedeck
Suggested Retail Price:	$600 used, $1200 reconditioned
Description:	One of the world's best professional cassette decks ever made
Manufacturer URL:	Nakamichi
Model Picture:	View

Review by shuvam on September 24, 2001 at 09:26:09
IP Address: 210.214.32.176

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for the ZX-9

How do you review a legend? How do you review the violin of Yehudi
Menuhin, the strings played by Baba Allauddin Khan Saheb, or the
Rag Marwah of Amir Khan Saheb? I don't know.
Therefore, I will not repeat information that is available elsewhere
on the Net. Check
http://www.naks.com/home.html
http://www.sonicsense.com/nakfaq42.html
or just Google for "Nakamichi ZX-9" for starters. Nakamichi's high-end
cassette decks almost defied the laws of physics and stretched the
performance of the cassette medium to greater extents than it has ever
been stretched, before or since. (Today's Nakamichi decks are believed
to be inferior to their 15-20-year old models.) And among the Nakamichi
decks, the ZX-9 was probably the pinnacle of their art.
This model was in production from 1982 to 1985. Very few Nakamichi
models were built to these standards. One or two others, like the Dragon,
were undeniably more sophisticated, not necessarily sonically, but
in their mechanical engineering. The ZX-9 (and the ZX-7) are believed
to have been the least expensive of the professional top-end from
their stable, because it kept automation to a minimum, allowing hand
tuning with electronic tone generators for assistance. Nakamichi decks
have a cult following; go elsewhere for more details. :)
Now to come to my deck. I got what is probably a 15-year-old piece, in
perfect working condition, and almost perfect mechanical condition.
The sound is warm, and unbelievably clean and delicate, with incredible
dynamic range and a lovely "analogue" warmth. In fact, those who have
heard good music systems but never heard a 3-head dual-capstan Nak will
not believe that the cassette medium can generate sounds this good.
El cheapo pre-recorded cassettes published by Indian music publishers
sound so clean, warm and enjoyable that you begin to wonder why you
never liked those cassettes before. And if you actually record a
blank chrome or metal cassette on the ZX-9, and play it back on the
same deck, after careful calibration, the sound is almost indistinguishable
from a CD.
I have a (relatively) inexpensive low-end Yamaha CD player. I have
repeatedly tried this experiment: take a good chrome tape, and record
a piece from, say, Dire Straits' "Love over Gold" on it. Then play
back the CD and the tape at the same time. Get a listener to sit
in front of the system, and keep switching between the CD output and
the tape monitor. Ask him to detect which is which. He will typically
fail half the time.
I find myself instinctively reaching for a cassette more often than a
CD. The Nak sound is somehow more enjoyable to listen to. My CD player
sounds a bit "colder."
And this is a 15-year-old deck.

Product Weakness: You need to get your ZX-9 reconditioned by an experienced,
authorized Nak expert, to get 15 more years of life. No
remote control. For those of you who look for such things,
there's no Dolby S or HX-Pro, no auto inter-track gap detect.
Product Strengths: Redefines the performance envelope of the cassette medium.
And mechanical construction truly "built like a tank."

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Cambridge Audio P500 power amp, 60Wpc
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Cambridge Audio C500 control amplifier
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Yamaha CDX396, Nakamichi ZX-9 cassette deck
Speakers:	Wharfedale Pacific Pi-40 floorstanders
Cables/Interconnects:	homegrown, Gotham cable, Monster interconnects
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	all types, a lot of Indian classical vocal, also hard rock, jazz
Time Period/Length of Audition:	six months
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	You need to get your ZX-9 reconditioned by an experienced, authorized Nak expert, to get 15 more years of life. No remote control. For those of you who look for such things, there's no Dolby S or HX-Pro, no auto inter-track gap detect.
Product Strengths:	Redefines the performance envelope of the cassette medium. And mechanical construction truly "built like a tank."