Nakamichi DR-1 (1985–1988)

The Nakamichi DR-1 is a three-head stereo cassette deck built from 1985 to 1988. It came out at a retail price of US$570. It was also offered as the MR-1, a pro version with balanced connections. The DR-1 uses a single DC motor to drive three heads - separate playback, record, and erase. It handles Type I, CrO₂, and Metal tapes with Dolby B, Dolby C, and dbx noise reduction.

HiFI-Stereo (April 1993, p.18) noted the azimuth fine-tuning control and the bidirectional auto search, which tracks the zero counter position during fast forward and rewind. The same publication reported the frequency response as 20 to 21,000 Hz ±3 dB with normal- and high-bias tape. A later HiFI-Stereo review (August 1994, p.34) covered the playback-head casing. It has projecting bosses that keep the pressure pad away from the head.

Documented specifications are otherwise limited, but they agree across sources:

Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (Metal tape)
Signal-to-noise ratio: 76 dB (Dolby C)
Wow and flutter: 0.045%
Inputs: 1× RCA line, 1× microphone
Outputs: 1× RCA line
Dimensions: 435 × 108 × 235 mm
Weight: 4.1 kg
Accessories: RC-71 remote cable

Some things were never recorded. No THD figure, input sensitivity or detailed circuit topology appears in the surviving documentation. No direct owner reviews or common failure points have surfaced either. The DR-1 shares its basic design with the professional MR-1.