Nakamichi 610
The Nakamichi 610 was the company's top-of-the-range cassette deck when it was reviewed in the June 1976 issue of Audio magazine, which called it "without question one of its finest" and put the cost at around $1,100. It was a three-head machine with dual capstan drive and off-tape monitoring — the review noted it was the first cassette deck tested there "where no compromise was made with off-tape monitoring." A top-view photograph in that review shows two motors, dual capstans, and the deck's unique locking cassette tray.
What documentation survives is thin on conventional specs — no frequency response, wow/flutter, or S/N figures appear in the available record. What is known from the period review: record equalization and bias adjustments sit behind a small latched door forward of the cassette tray, and the review mentions the recorder sold in the U.S. was configured to IHF characteristics, with internal factory switching for European IEC characteristics. The 610 Control Preamplifier was part of Nakamichi's Recording Director Series, grouped with the 600 Cassette Console and 620 Power Amplifier — though confusingly, the 610 name also applied to that preamp in Nakamichi's all-electronic component line introduced around the same time. Modern Recording (April 1977, p.60) reviewed the preamp of that name, praising it as coming close to the "straight wire with gain" ideal, so collectors should take care when searching for parts or literature.
Owner commentary on forums warns that, like all older Nakamichis, the 610 will need servicing, and one poster claims no new belts are available for it. One forum statement describes the 610 as a "2-speed machine," though this is unconfirmed by any official documentation and may refer to bias/speed calibration rather than transport speed — treat it as ambiguous.
- Type: Three-head cassette deck, dual capstan drive
- Monitoring: Off-tape, via separate record and playback heads
- Motors: 2 (per period photograph caption)
- Tape adjustments: Record EQ and bias behind latched front door; IHF/EIC switching
- Price: Around $1,100 (1976)
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