Pioneer CT 4040E (c. 1975)
A stereo cassette deck from Pioneer with Dolby B noise reduction and solid permalloy heads, priced at ¥47,800 around 1975.
Overview
The Pioneer CT-4040E is a compact stereo cassette deck released around 1975. It has Dolby B-type noise reduction and independent level controls for recording and playback. A tape selector switch adjusts bias and equalization for normal or chrome tapes. It takes both line and microphone inputs, and it has an LED peak indicator and an overlevel limiter to keep recordings from distorting. It handles C-30 through C-120 tapes, including low-noise and chrome formulations.
Specifications
| Product type | Compact cassette deck / Stereo cassette deck |
| Recording system | AC bias, 85 kHz |
| Erasing method | AC push-pull system |
| Heads | Recording and Playback : Permalloy Solid, Erasing : ferrites |
| Motor | Electronically controlled DC motor / Electronic governor type DC motor |
| Quick winding speed | About 80 seconds (at C-60) |
| Wow & Flutter | 0.12% or less (WRMS) |
| Frequency Response | General LH Tape : 30 Hz ~ 12.5 kHz, 63 Hz ~ 10 kHz ± 3 dB, Chrome Tape : 30 Hz ~ 15 kHz, 63 Hz ~ 12 kHz ± 3 dB |
| S/N | Dolby off : 49 dB (general, LH tape), Dolby on : 59 dB (General, LH Tape, 5 kHz or higher) |
| S/N improvement with chrome tape | When using chrome tape : 4.5 dB improvement (over 5 kHz) |
| Input MIC | 0.3mV/50k Ω (6 φ Jack, Applicable Microphone 600 Ω ~ 30k Ω) |
| Input Line | 63mV/50k Ω |
| Input DIN | 14mV/1.8k Ω |
| Output Line | 450mV/50k Ω |
| Output DIN | 450mV/50k Ω |
| Output Headset | 50mV/8 Ω (6 φ Jack) |
| Power | 100 VAC, 50Hz/60Hz |
| Power consumption | 13W |
| External dimensions | Width 397x Height 110x Depth 245 mm |
| Weight | 4.6kg |
| Tape used | C-30, C-60, C-90, C-120 General tape, low-noise tape, chrome tape |
| Total Harmonic Distortion | 1.5% |
| Inputs | 1 × mic (6 φ Jack) |
| Outputs | 1 × headphone (6 φ Jack) |
| Attachments/Features | Tape Selector (Normal, Chrome) Dolby System B Type (ON/OFF) Autostop mechanism Peak Indicator (Recording) Overlevel Limiter (Recording) Skip button Tape running pilot Pose button Three digit tape counter Memory Rewind (ON/OFF) |
| Semiconductor used | Transistor : 36 Pieces (for Motor Control : 2 Pieces), FET : 2, Diode : 21 Pieces (For Motor Control : 1 Piece), Zener diode : 3 pcs |
Design
The CT-4040E uses an electronically controlled DC motor with a transistor-diode circuit to hold speed constant and keep wow and flutter down. The head is a permalloy solid head with approximately 10 times the wear resistance of standard permalloy heads. The deck has a non-contact full auto-stop mechanism, a play button that changes direct from fast-forward or rewind, and a memory rewind switch. A BIAS/EQ independent tape selector sets up the deck for normal or chrome tapes, and a LINE/MIC switch picks the input source. The peak indicator is an LED. The skip button lets you monitor faster than play, at about double speed.
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