Marantz AD-6 Cassette Deck
The Marantz AD-6 is a stereo cassette deck that survives in the record mostly through owner accounts and database listings rather than official documentation. No production years, original retail price, or dimensions have been traced. What the sources agree on: it is a 4-track, 2-channel stereo deck running at the standard 4.8 cm/s cassette speed, with Dolby B noise reduction, a frequency response of 30 Hz–14 kHz, and a signal-to-noise ratio better than 55 dB.
That doesn't mean it was disliked. One owner on the Stereophile forums called it a decent-sounding deck, and another said it sounds quite good for what it is. The enthusiasm comes with caveats, though. The tape counter mechanism is widely described as fragile - one critique, repeated nearly verbatim across two forums, calls it "a piece of crap." The belt-driven mechanism uses springs that one restorer describes as essentially clothes-hanger wire, and they do break. A noisy motor bearing is another commonly reported failure, often fixed with a motor swap. Replacement belts are reportedly a pain to find.
The deck has no published wow-and-flutter spec, which one forum commenter pointed out. There is also mention of a European version running on 220V. The Audio Database lists a price of $150, but without a year or condition that figure is hard to interpret. One owner picked up a unit at a yard sale for $50.
Known specs and features:
- 4-track, 2-channel stereo
- Tape speed: 4.8 cm/s
- Frequency response: 30 Hz–14 kHz
- S/N ratio: better than 55 dB
- Dolby B noise reduction
- Automatic shutoff
- Automatic tape counter with memory stop
- Variable bias adjustment
There is no documentation of the head configuration, motor type, or internal circuitry beyond the belt-driven mechanism. If you own one and have a manual or service sheet, the archive would like to hear from you.
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