Sanyo RD-5350 (documented 1979–1981)
The RD-5350 is a front-loading stereo cassette deck with Dolby noise reduction and a phase-locked-loop DC servomotor. Sanyo pitched it a cut above the average budget deck. Its own advertising in HI-Fi-Stereo-Buyers (January 1979, p.25) said the motor "checks itself" 1,247 times a second. That comes from a built-in 68-pole tacho generator, whose pulses were compared in a PLL integrated circuit to keep the speed locked.
Published specifications in Audio (February 1979, p.87) listed frequency response of 30 Hz–14 kHz on ferric tape, extending to 17 kHz with FeCr and CrO₂ tapes; signal-to-noise of 56 dB, or 64 dB with Dolby; wow and flutter of 0.05% W rms; and 90-second wind time for a C-60. Input sensitivity was 0.3 mV for microphone and 50 mV for line; output was 550 mV at line level and 40 mV into 8 ohms for headphones. It measured 16⅝ × 6⅛ × 11 7/16 inches and weighed 13.2 lbs.
The lab test was respectable. HI-Fi-Stereo-Buyers (January 1979, p.62) measured record/play response with Maxell UD/XL at +1.8/−0.5 dB from 30 to 10,000 Hz, rising to +3 dB at 15,000 Hz. THD was 1.2% at the 0-VU indication, with 7.5 dB of headroom to 3% THD. A later directory entry in HiFI-Stereo (1981, p.66) shows a black matte finish, a three-digit tape counter with reset, and provision for an optional external play/record timer. It also lists better specs - 0.038% W rms flutter, ±3 dB 20-20,000 Hz on metal tape, and 69 dB S/N with Dolby - which suggests Sanyo kept refining the model during its run.
Known specs:
- Type: front-loading stereo cassette deck, Dolby NR
- Drive: PLL DC servomotor with tacho generator
- Frequency response: 30 Hz–14 kHz (ferric); 30 Hz–17 kHz (FeCr/CrO₂) per Audio
- Flutter: 0.05% W rms per Audio; 0.038% W rms per 1981 listing
- S/N: 56 dB (64 dB with Dolby) per Audio; 69 dB with Dolby per 1981 listing
- Inputs: mic 0.3 mV; line 50 mV
- Outputs: line 550 mV; headphone 40 mV/8 Ω
- Dimensions/weight: 16⅝ × 6⅛ × 11 7/16 in; 13.2 lbs
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