AKAI GXR82D vs. AKAI 81D...interesting...

After several missed auctions in the past, I finally scored an 81D off
ebay. End price after a partial refund $30. Akai trackers heaven- I
now own all (4) of the best Akai decks- 80-81-82-83

Just compared it to my flagship GXR82D. Both sitting on top of a
Pioneer SX-750 receiver (SA buy yesterday, $10, no ****), headphones,
clicking the monitor switch from tape 1 to tape 2, and moving a
Hendrix Monterey tape between decks. The sound is nearly identical.
Through speakers, the 81D is a tad better.

Now the differences. The 81D has noticeably less CROSSTALK. The ghost
tracking is barely audible with headphones. But it IS still there- and
doesn't go away no matter how adjusted. With the bottom cover removed,
and track 4 of the Monterey Hendrix tape (long blank section on that
track), I could hear another track. Turning the track adjustment screw
1/4 turn clockwise (the flat blade bigger one underneath), made the
crosstalk almost disappear completely. Turning another 1/4 turn made
another track start bleeding through. OK, there's the sweet spot.
Azimuth was dead on, adjusting either way got worse.

Switched tapes to Judas Priest Rocka Rolla. OOPS, lots of crosstalk
now. (I knew this tape was off track a bit since new) Went back to
original setting on tracking, crosstalk faded. Went 1/4 turn more
counterclockwise, found the sweet spot for that cart. OK, between the
Hendrix and Priest carts, there's a 1/2 turn adjustment needed to
track the tape "dead on". This is the compromise with the 8-track
format, no matter what player you have. Each cart has the tracks laid
down in a slightly different place. (we need a VHS type of
self-tracking mechanism)

I went back to the original setting on tracking, as that setting is
DEAD CENTER between the 2 carts I tested. The best compromise. This
way, no cart has an intolerable amount of ghost tracking.

Bottom line- 81D much less crosstalk than 82D (like we knew already),
but otherwise sounds IDENTICAL- and is basically the same deck.

What is sacrificed with the 81D ?? FEATURES. The 81D has no mic input
jacks, and no pause button. Being a motor head and tinkerer at heart,
I'm thinking...the tape head mounts on both 81D/82D are IDENTICAL. The
ulimate Akai deck: buy an 81D and 82D, and put the permalloy 81D tape
head, inside the 82D. It's a bolt in. The permalloy has the same
sound, but better masking on the tape head pickup edges. Well ??

OR, replace it with a new NOS permalloy head. Mounts are different
though, and lots of work. (someone here did that and emailed me,
excellent results)

Larry B ?? Dan J ?? Dan 3 ??

ps- deck ranking. 81D/82D are tied up for 1st place. The crosstalk of
one is countered with lack of features on the other. Your choice. Try
taping with no pause button, no fun. No mic inputs is a neg. But
crosstalk at high volume sucks too.

80D ranks a very close second, with a superior spring steel tensioning
spring and no cart side to side or up/down play.

83D, VERY NICE DECK, very good sound, but lousy wimp DC motor, of
which I lost one, and had to oil a second. This deck would be the
winner due to features, if it just had an AC motor ! Could the
ultimate HOT ROD 8-track deck be an 83D with a motor swap ??
Perhaps...note- still nothing from Radio Shack can beat an Akai. The
closest competition is a Pioneer, but they have tape hiss and wimpy DC
motors too. What does the WOLLENSAK camp think ??

later dudes, from Akai 8-track Garden of Eden...

I have 2 envious words for ya: YOU DOG!
I'm lucky to find in these parts a decent deck of any brand!
I'm sure they have found a warm and loving home right next to your amp!
*Fantastic Dude!*
Dan #3
(with only the Akai 80D-SS, still waiting for surgery)


(trippin2-8track) wrote in message . com...
After several missed auctions in the past, I finally scored an 81D off
ebay. End price after a partial refund $30. Akai trackers heaven- I
now own all (4) of the best Akai decks- 80-81-82-83

Ugh.... Dan #3, are you groveling at the trough of Nudo?

Dan #3 wrote:

I have 2 envious words for ya: YOU DOG!
I'm lucky to find in these parts a decent deck of any brand!
I'm sure they have found a warm and loving home right next to your amp!
*Fantastic Dude!*
Dan #3
(with only the Akai 80D-SS, still waiting for surgery)

(trippin2-8track) wrote in message . com...
After several missed auctions in the past, I finally scored an 81D off
ebay. End price after a partial refund $30. Akai trackers heaven- I
now own all (4) of the best Akai decks- 80-81-82-83

--

Daniel and Kathy Gibson
http://www.katestrackshack.com
"Kate's Track Shack -Your Internet Home For Inexpensive 8-tracks!!"
AND...
http://drnooseandjambone.com
"DrNoose And Jambone - Do It To The Optigan!"

Are you really looking for another ??

Akai machines are like heroin, impossible to break the habit...

uh...Dan Geek Gibson, do you REALLY have a killfile, or not ?? If you
DID, this thread SHOULD be invisible to you, right ?? So that means,
you LIED about that.

We wonder how many OTHER things you have lied about, i.e. TR-803's,
original foil, original splicing tape...

Things that make us go hmmmmmm.......

Danny Geek Gibson, the BULL****TER extraordinaire !

ps- he just doesn't like your ****TY GIBSON TR-803 decks and prefers
the king of the road, the AKAI legends !

hahahaha.....

Switched tapes to Judas Priest Rocka Rolla. OOPS, lots of crosstalk
now.

And thereupon, did you take a stroll back down Memory Lane, to that
fateful night outside the Priest/Maiden show, when you squirmed about
as your poor bedraggled knees became tired and sore at the touch of
the cold asphalt, and you extricated "Big Rob" Halford from your mouth
and blurted out in the shrillest Yankee alto nasal whine you could
muster, "LEGGO O' MY EEEEEEAAAAAAARRS! LEGGO '' 'EM, I KNOW
WHADDDAYMFUGGGIN DOIN' A'READY!!!!!!!!"

ooops, here comes the NEO NERD with his gay fantasies again...miss
evans, the little girl...

"I'm Paul Evans, the small and meek..."

Nope. Cannot understand how some folks get the good stuff and others
don't - if ya know what i mean.
Besides, My Sansui Run cool under heavy operating conditions. Not too
fond of the line of amp he's using - too much noise at an idle and run
too hot too soon. Buddy of mine had one of the same make and even tho
it was damn close to show room quality, it had it's flaws (noisy with
no signal/idle - distortion at high volume). He eventually went to a
reconditioned 4 Channel Marantz (with Quad scope). Gives my Sansui a
run.

Dan #3 - Running a Sansui 1000x @ 75 watts RMS w/0.02% total harmonic
distortion



Daniel & Kathy Gibson wrote in message ...
Ugh.... Dan #3, are you groveling at the trough of Nudo?

Dan #3 wrote:

I have 2 envious words for ya: YOU DOG!
I'm lucky to find in these parts a decent deck of any brand!
I'm sure they have found a warm and loving home right next to your amp!
*Fantastic Dude!*
Dan #3
(with only the Akai 80D-SS, still waiting for surgery)

umm, As a matter of fact, I DO Like those Win Gibs, & The TR 801 line of decks.
Just the 803 Design I don't care for. Good Sound Tho like my 801.
Dan #3


(trippin2-8track) wrote in message . com...
ps- he just doesn't like your ****TY GIBSON TR-803 decks and prefers
the king of the road, the AKAI legends !

hahahaha.....