Sony TC-KE500S Cassette Deck

This Three-Headed monster is the ultimate tape deck. With three heads you get separate, individually optimized heads for erase, record, and play functions giving you a wider frequency response and extended dynamic range. Plus, you can monitor your recording while you're making it, tweaking your record levels as necessary to maximize the quality. Your ears will notice the significant improvement in sound quality that comes extremely close to the quality of CD.

Dolby S-Type Noise Reduction is an advanced Dolby system, reducing noise, distortion, and high-frequency compression. Mid-frequency noise is reduced by 24 dB. Dolby S tapes perform well on car and portable cassette players equipped with Dolby B NR. Dolby B & C Noise Reduction greatly reduces irritating tape hiss while increasing dynamic range on Dolby B or Dolby C encoded cassettes. Dolby B reduces noise by approximately 10 dB, while Dolby C reduces hiss by a whopping 20 dB. Dolby HX Pro Headroom Extension varies the amount of recording bias according to the music's high-frequency content. As a result, the circuit extends high-frequency headroom, and the system is compatible with any playback deck, whether or not it has HX Pro circuitry. Super Bias Circuitry operates at 160 kHz during the recording process to give you clear, extended high frequency response. By increasing the bias frequency the circuit significantly lowers beat frequency noise and improves your recording quality. Sorbothane Cassette Stabilizer improves performance by absorbing vibrations, suppressing the spread of resonance through the cassette shell. Ceramic Cassette Holder damps resonance around the tape transport mechanism. High-Density Permalloy Heads offer high maximum flux density to reproduce music with wider dynamic range. Bias and Record Calibration use a built-in oscillator to optimize recording parameters, matching any specific tape. Full-Logic Tape Transport provides electronic, rather than mechanical, control of the drive system of the cassette deck. It delivers more reliability, smoother operation, and quicker one-touch control. To fast forward a cassette that is playing, simply touch the fast forward button then touch the play button when you desire. On mechanical transports, you would have to stop the tape, press fast-forward, press stop, then press play. Auto Play automatically shifts into Play Rewind or Fast Forward. Mid-Ship Drive reduces chassis flexing. This design also places the tape transport between the power supply and the audio circuits to reduce radiated noise. Switchable MPX Filter blocks the 19kHz multiplex tone of FM stereo broadcasts. Switching it on allows proper Dolby NR tracking when you record off the air. Switching it out enables maximum high-frequency response in all other recording situations.