Nakamichi 600II Cassette Deck

Name: Nakamichi 600II
Brand: Nakamichi

The Nakamichi 600II is a two-head, single-cassette deck from the late 1970s. What documentation survives describes a straightforward, no-frills recorder built around one notable piece of engineering. Nakamichi's own advertising leaned into that. The copy in High Fidelity (June 1978, p.31) admitted the 600II had no flashing lights, no built-in computer, and wouldn't make coffee. It claimed the deck could make recordings indistinguishable from the original thanks to the company's new "SuperHead" technology. The same advertisement ran in Audio (June 1978, p.69) and HiFI-Stereo (June 1978, p.109), all stressing recording fidelity above all else.

The specs are modest but respectable for the era. Frequency response ran 30Hz to 15kHz on Type I tape, extending to 16kHz on Type II (CrO₂), Type III (FeCr), and metal formulations, so the deck handled all the tape types of its day. Wow and flutter was rated at 0.09%. The sources split on signal-to-noise. One lists 60dB with Dolby B and 70dB with Dolby C. Another gives 62dB and 72dB respectively. A third lists 60dB without any noise reduction. Given that disagreement, the safe reading is that the deck offered both Dolby B and Dolby C, with S/N in the low-to-mid 60s for B and low-to-mid 70s for C. It weighed 5.8kg and measured 420 x 145 x 258mm.

The motor count is unclear. One source says two motors, another says one. The page can't settle it, so the conflict stays as it is. Popping the lid and counting would do it.

Beyond that, the record goes quiet. No production years, no original price, no service manual excerpts, and no collector-market data have surfaced. What's left is a two-head deck from Nakamichi's late-1970s lineup, which the company positioned as a recording tool rather than a gadget showcase.

Known specs:

- Type: 2-head, single compact cassette deck, 4-track / 2-channel stereo

- Tape speed: 1-7/8 ips

- Heads: 1 x record/playback, 1 x erase

- Wow & flutter: 0.09%

- Frequency response: 30Hz - 15kHz (Fe); 30Hz - 16kHz (CrO₂, FeCr, Metal)

- Noise reduction: Dolby B and Dolby C

- Weight: 5.8kg

- Dimensions: 420 x 145 x 258mm