Akai CS-M01A (1979–1981)
A two-head stereo cassette deck made in Japan. It plays and records metal, CrO2, and normal tapes.
Overview
The Akai CS-M01A is a stereo cassette deck built by Akai in Japan from 1979 to 1981. It takes normal, chromium dioxide (CrO2), and metal tape, and a 3-position tape selector sets the bias and equalization for each. The record/playback head is Sendust, optimized for metal tapes. The erase head is a double-gap type. An electronically controlled DC motor drives the transport. Dolby NR is onboard, with an MPX filter switch to cut tape hiss. A timer standby mechanism handles timed recording or alarm playback when the deck is connected to an external timer.
Specifications
| Power supply voltage | 100 VAC, 50Hz/60Hz |
| Power consumption | 11W |
| External dimensions | Width 440x Height 143x Depth 250 mm |
| Weight | 5.0kg |
| Track system | 4-track 2-channel stereo |
| Wow and flutter | 0.05%WRMS(JIS) |
| Frequency characteristic (Normal Tape) | 30 Hz ~ 15 kHz ± 3 dB |
| Frequency characteristic (CrO2 Tape) | 30 Hz to 16 kHz ± 3 dB |
| Frequency characteristic (Metal Tape) | 30 Hz ~ 18 kHz ± 3 dB |
| Distortion Factor | 0.7% (1 kHz, 0 VU) (Metal Tape) |
| Signal-to-noise ratio (metal tape) | 59 dB (3% THD level WTD) |
| Signal-to-noise ratio improvement with Dolby NR | When using DolbyNR : 5 dB improvement (1 kHz), 10 dB improvement (5 kHz or more) |
| Heads | Recording / Playback : Sendust head x1 |
| Heads | Erase : 1 double-gap erase head |
| Motor | One electronically controlled DC motor |
| Quick winding time | 90 seconds (with C-60 tape) |
| Input level | Line : 70mV/47k Ω |
| Input level | Microphone : 0.25mV/600 Ω |
| Output level | Line : 0 mv ~ 410 mv (0 vu at maximum) / 20k Ω or more |
| Output level | Headphone : 0 mv ~ 45mV/8 Ω |
Design
The Sendust head has high magnetic flux density and was developed specifically for metal tapes. The DC motor is electronically controlled and has strong torque, and the transport mechanism is a proven long-life design. The front panel has a symmetrical twin VU meter, so left/right level balance is easy to see at a glance. A direct function switch means you don't have to press stop when changing operations. Press the RWD and PLAY levers at the same time and the tape rewinds to the beginning, then switches to playback on its own. The deck also has a 3-position tape selector, a mono-microphone mechanism, and Dolby NR with the MPX filter switch. With an external timer connected, the timer standby mechanism handles unattended recording or alarm playback.
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