New 2022 Marantz PMD-300CP cassette deck review & test

The all-plastic flywheels are just pure tragedy. Tragedy and a massive drawback. I am pretty sure the price of the mechanism wouldn´t suffer much with a decent stamped out metal ring just like the older types or even two rings on top of each other. 5 dollar difference at max!

I have 2 , Pyle PT-659-DU decks . The problem with the doors not closing without turning the take up hub on the cassette was also a problem I've had . But I realized that the brand new decks where , lets say , stiff . After 3 or 4 months of use ,the decks have loosened up and the door problem has gone away , along with a few other problems .....DGR

I love how detailed this review is. Well done.

@vwestlife ive looked far and wide for les gillis but no results. where did you get the tape and if possible is it on sale on ebay

VWestlife, I don't think the PYLE PT- 649D model has USB to computer capability for encoding cassettes to digital MP3 files. However, I did find on Amazon the PYLE PT- 659DU model that does appear to have cassette to MP3 conversion capabilities. If my research is in error or incorrect please let me know. I'm about ready to purchase the PT- 659DU model. If you haven't done a review video yet on the PYLE PT- 659DU model please consider it if you feel it wouldn't be considered redundant. Thanks, and thanks for the videos they are very informative.

I just want a decent quality unit I can encode my old cassette tape library to mp3 files and be able to control the recording levels during the encoding process. I've bought a couple of units that have that ability but turned out to be of poor quality. Please help.

Are these decks still available to buy new because I just want one to convert my cassette library to mp3. I'm not happy with my current set up using a Tech Play unit and another deck plugged into aux in. I've searched a little online but haven't really been able to find them. Please help.

Out of curiosity, why would anybody want to connect their cassette deck to a PC to convert old cassettes to MP3's? Just about every song or album is available through Tidal or Spotify and can be converted to digital format via third party apps. Surely this would be much better quality than a transfer from an old pre-recorded cassette? Don't see the point, does anybody else?

Just bought a new pyle pt649d off amazon and it does indeed have the csg and trw parts. The wiring from the power switch is now along the edges of the case from factory

I have 2 brand new Pyle PT-649D . March 2023 to be exact . I checked the stamps on the transports and they are CSG .But one mechanism had serious problems in jamming . The capstan would stop . As it was in the REC/PB well I wasn't happy . After much analasis , I found that a little WD-40 on the bearing both in the well and on the flywheel side seems to have solved the problem .But it shouldn't have happened at all . As for it's ability to record and play back ,I am impressed . I've done comparrisons with the TEAC products and have seen the stats are the same . But the Pyle is a basic machanical latch method . I've found that those with lite touch ,solinoid function are sexy ,but all fail due to the function switches wearing out . This makes the Pyle mechanical latch my prefference now . I've had the others , 5 in fact and the buttons all eventually busted . Thanks for your info .......DGR

Nada que ver con los tape decks de la epoca de oro

can they still make the heads like back then ???? i like the deck its not bad !!!

Your voice reminds me of the toymaker in Bladerunner

Convert tapes to M**3 files? PLEASE! Limit knock off the obscenity...

Im looking for cassette deck like the marantz pmd-300pc to turn my cassettes into digital. This item is no longer available on Amazon. Have you any suggestions on whats available out there I that I can buy? I checked the review on the Pyle player but someone there said it still had the cheap parts.

Currently unavailable :(

ITS THE SAME AS THE ION TAPE 2 PC??????

I can't figure out why cassette deck makers don't try to license Pioneer's Digital Noise Reduction, which works fantastic

I love Vwestlife, I love cassettes, I love my cassette deck collection, and play cassettes daily but this Marantz is very, very disappointing. If you're wanting to buy a new cassette deck, save some money and buy the newest Teac or even the new Tascam if you can afford. Those 2 are the best options for new cassette decks. Vwestlife has done great reviews on both.

will this shitty tape is sucks better era was 1990s to 2000 sony Jvc Pionner and other companies will nowdays everythings are s hit no quality

You know what? Given what it costs and what you're getting, I'd say its not a bad deck despite the huge oversights with the tape recording. Regardless, this is one offering for newbies getting started and wants a brand new starter hi-fi that they can just have in their livingroom or bedroom to play the occasional cassette they find at a record store or thrift shop.

If you're reading this and you think its good for nothing and absolute junk that shouldn't exist, don't even bother replying or watching the rest of this video. Cause it's obvious you don't get it. And if you do reply, you're an idiot who took the bait.

Great video Kevin. I love your reviews of new tape decks like this. Can you do a full review of the Retekess boom box or the Sony CFD-S70? I'm curious as to your opinion!

Cassettes proven there out doing y'all's internet now days everything proven people like myself will never do what you want me to do

Cassettes proven there everywhere online now days and specially there more greater then CDs and a phone now days everything proven cassette tapes don't stop playing at all everything proven people like myself are fixing a break cassette tape with Scotch tape it starts playing again with out no problem's

Can you record from your phone to this deck? And if not how what type of equipment do I need to record from my phone to the deck. Please I’m in need of this knowledge

In 1998 I bought a brand new Yamaha KX580 Special Edition. This was already at the end of the cassette era and some cutbacks were already visible on the KX580se. For example, there are no more microphone inputs, the display no longer has transport indicators and there is no cassette backlight anymore. Everything else is present in abundance and Yamaha seems to have done everything possible to make the tape noise inaudible given the presence of a 160 kHz erase oscillator, an automatic adjustment + bias and play trim and the presence of Dolby S.
The sound quality is not what you would expect from a cassette deck, but it is more like a Hi-Fi stereo VHS video recorder in terms of sound quality.
In my opinion the right decision to buy this deck in 1998 because the supply of serious decks quickly ended after that. It wasn't long before there were only double cassette decks where the metal position has already been omitted. Then a while later, Dolby C first disappeared and a little later decks no longer had Dolby at all.
Facilities like HX-Pro also disappeared.
Everything that is now being produced is just basic without extra (more luxurious) facilities that give the sound quality a big boost.
One of the few positive things I have to say about this Marantz double deck is that this deck still has a real erase head and is not bothered by
"Storm at sea noise" and can record on type II tapes. It's not a fair comparison to the recording quality of my KX580se. Because despite the KX580se being one of the last serious decks from the cassette era, no cuts have been made on the recording and playback quality.

Ahhahahahaa shoutout @shango066

I originally found Slugbug from your channel, and Paul is now in my top 5 musicians of all time, thank you so much <3

silverimage song?

what is the gain knob on the back for? What a great and thorough review! thanks for that!

What a drama , why not re entry a decent cassettedeck from earlier days with the same simple options for digitalising your recordings to mp3 . I'm sure that the people who made this deck don't know the first thing about quality or analogue sound , cheap cheaper cheapest .. It's a disgrace

Stupid they put 'professional' on it, just call it forvwhat it is and it would be ok, but this is cringe

Not sure why people hate on this. Sure, it's not as good as old decks, but it's far better than most modern crap decks being made.

Tengo un deck pyle que es idéntico,la única diferencia es la marca,incluso tiene los mismos problemas .

I never figured the cassette community to be so hostile toward each other lmao

it will always be crap, dolby stopped everything for this obsolete product so why bother. and the funny part. cassette was from first day inferior. as it was designed like that

Why do you even buy these pieces of crap

You haven't shown the recording process from cassette to cassette or high speed recording quality of this deck . That's a missing part

advertising of dead, useless technologies

Moje kondolęcje dla nabywców tego plastikowo blaszanego złomu nie wartego 5 $. Ciekawe jest z punktu widzenia psychologii chęć posiadania czegoś takiego w domu. To zjawisko powinni skomentować lekarze psychiatrzy.

I prefer a good old tape deck with Dolby B, C and touch controls.

Facepalm .... Cheap trash....

To call this cassette deck "professional" by any means is ridiculous. If you want to see some "professional" cassette decks, check out those made in the 90s by Revox or Nakamichi.

PYLE has currently a PT649D.5 deck (with .5 in the model number) beside the regular PT649D.
Is this indicating this 'upgrade' in the spec, or it's an even more 'upgraded' version?

how can they call thios a pro deck? I have two Tanberg 3014 decks in the rack that are PRO decks, as well a tscam douyblke deck with xlr inputs and outputs, This is a horrible sounding deck, as of a test myself. its thin sounding and is noisy, and while I could get 18K to pass through it on the scope it was seriously nasty and the noise reduction? where is DBX and Metal and chrome etc bias settings. This thing is worth about 60 bucks at most, and is far from a pro deck.

Verlorene Mühe. Sieht aus wie vom Schrottplatz. 👎👎🇩🇪

I have superscope, Pioneer, Denon and Marantz decks. The Marantz Pro (older) is good but not perfect. Pioneer is pretty solid and good. Denon let me down, same as my Denon receiver and some CD-Player