Denon DR-M10HX (c. 1989)

A high-fidelity 3-motor cassette deck with Dolby HX Pro and computer-controlled transport, made in Japan.

Overview

The Denon DR-M10HX is a stereo cassette deck made in Japan. It belongs to Denon's late-1980s lineup of high-quality audio equipment. It has a 2-head, 3-motor design and a computer-controlled silent mechanism for precise tape handling. A 3-level auto tape selector handles Normal, CrO2, and Metal tapes. Dolby B and C noise reduction are onboard, along with Dolby HX Pro for improved high-frequency response during recording. It was priced at ¥46,200 around 1989.

Specifications

Track system	4-track 2-channel stereo
Tape selector	3-Level Auto Tape Selector (Normal, High (CrO2), Metal)
Heads	Recording: SF Hyperbolic / Hard Permalloy Combination Head; Erasing: double-gap ferrite heads
Motors	For Capstan: Electronically Controlled DC Motor; For Reel: DC Motor; For mechanical control: DC motor
Wow and flutter	0.05% WRMS (JIS)
Early winding time	Approximately 100 Seconds (C-60)
Overall frequency response (input -20VU)	Metal tape: 20 Hz to 20 kHz (25 Hz to 19 kHz ± 3 dB)
Overall signal-to-noise ratio	73 dB or more (3% THD, CCIR/ARM, Dolby C NR on)
Input terminal	Line: 80mV/50k Ω unbalanced
Output Terminal (Vol. max)	Line: at 620mV/47k Ω load; Headphone: 1.5mW/8 Ω load (suitable for 8 Ω ~ 1.2k Ω headphones)
Power	100 VAC, 50Hz/60Hz
Power consumption	16W
External dimensions	Width 434 x Height 115 x Depth 286 mm
Weight	4.6kg

Design

The deck uses a computer-controlled silent mechanism and Dolby HX Pro. The mechanism runs a rotary encoder method for high reliability and a non-slip reel drive system. The record and playback head is an SF (Super Frikency) hyperbolic type. Other features are a 4-digit digital counter with memory stop, an LED bar graph peak meter, and a music search function. It also has Dolby B and C NR, a bias fine adjuster, and a 2-head configuration in a single-well design.