Sony TC-WE805S Cassette Deck.

Manufacturer: Sony, Sony Drive, Park Ridge, NJ 07656; 201/930-1000

Price: $350 ($280 street price)

Source: Reviewer purchase

Reviewer: Roy Nakano

Cassette decks don't get much coverage in American audiophile publications these days, but they continue to get billing in the British audiophile press. In Japan, hard-core audiophiles still extol the virtues of analog cassette decks over their digital counterparts (particularly with Dolby and other forms of signal processing disengaged). Notwithstanding the lack of press coverage, cassettes continue to be the medium of choice for recording music in this country.

For many years, audiophiles have preferred single-well decks over dual-well decks -- and for good reason: dual-well decks didn't perform as well, their reliability was in question, and one could always get a second deck for dubbing purposes. Things have changed, however. Today's dual-well decks often perform on par with single-well decks, and surveys have indicated little difference in reliability. Moreover, the best dual-well decks offer functions that can't be duplicated with two single-well decks. Indeed, dual-well cassette decks have become just about as popular as sport utility vehicles with consumers.

The Sony TC-WE805S is the latest version of the dual-well deck that's been capturing top ratings in the consumer magazines. The 805S, however, is the first non-ES Sony deck to feature relay recording. With relay recording, you're able to record onto sides A and B of the first well, and then sides A and B of the second well -- all in sequence. This is a great benefit for those four-hour NPR Miles Davis radio specials you've always wanted to record. It's also great for when you have to leave the home, but want to record a radio program that won't be on for another three hours.

The 805S has a number of other useful features, such as a pitch control (a problem with decks as they get older) and high speed (as well as normal) dubbing capability. It also has a few features that you may or may not use: e.g., an automatic recording level control that purports to set the ideal recording level, a recording mute function, programming functions, an automatic music sensor, etc.

If there is a down side to the 805S, it's that you'll absolutely need the operating manual to figure out how some of its myriad of functions work. Thankfully, the manual is well-written. Once you get used to where the controls are located, things get much easier. Eventually, you can put away the operating manual altogether.

Recordings on the 805S -- particularly in Dolby S mode -- had greater fidelity than when played on a couple of NAD decks I had on hand for comparison. This was particularly noticeable on piano and other percussion recordings, where the Sony exhibited less flutter and less high frequency saturation. (A quick aside on Dolby S: At a Consumer Electronics Show a few years ago, Dolby conducted demonstrations to show how good tapes recorded in Dolby S sounded when played back on car audio systems equipped with only Dolby B. While tapes recorded in Dolby S sound better than Dolby C tapes when played back on Dolby B decks, there are still some peculiar side effects I hear. If I'm making a tape for car audio listening, I stick with Dolby B recording).

As good as the 805S sounded, my two-head Nakamichi deck exhibited even less flutter and high frequency saturation than the Sony, even though the Nakamichi lacks Dolby S. Curiously, the Nakamichi also sounded better with pre-recorded cassettes. Still, the Sony fared well in the listening evaluation, exhibiting a good, clean midrange and extended response in the bass and treble regions. Spectrum analysis revealed that the rated frequency response specifications matched the review unit closely (IEC 30-29,000 Hz [+ or -] 3 dB and 30-13,000 Hz [+ or -] 3 at -4 dB recording on Type IV tape). Even dubs sounded quite respectable, although normal-speed dubs exhibited greater clarity in sound than did high-speed dubs. The automatic recording level control worked well with talk shows. For music, however, the results are a touch over-saturated. For cleaner recordings of music, conservative (and manual) recording levels produced the best-sounding tapes.

If musical enjoyment be your goal, do not dismiss what a dual-well, relay-recording cassette deck can do for you. During the brief time I've had the Sony TC-WE805S, it's allowed me to record radio programs I normally don't have time to listen to. The bottom line: I've been able to enjoy more music. Acquiring a dual-well deck may not be the most acceptable purchase among certain high end circles that restrict listening to politically correct hardware and software choices (e.g., LPs, audiophile CDs, etc.).

To these folks, I say: Just enjoy the music. The versatility of the TC-WE805S has allowed me to do more of that than any conventional single-well cassette deck that I've ever owned or evaluated. Moreover, I have put the TC-WE805S through some very heavy use, and it has remained utterly unflappable and reliable. As a consequence, I regard this product to be a Sensible Choice and deserving of a recommendation. -- RN