Sony TC-5350SD (1975)

An upright cassette deck from Sony, released in 1975, with Dolby B, an F&F head and a see-through tape window.

Overview

The Sony TC-5350SD is a stereo cassette deck introduced in 1975 as part of Sony's component audio lineup. It was Sony's first upright, see-through cassette deck series, built for high-fidelity home recording and playback. It has a vertical tape transport, front-panel line inputs, and a memory counter with auto-stop at "999". With the optional PT-24 program timer, it can do timed recording.

Specifications

Tape speed	4.8 cm/s
Track system	4-track 2-channel stereo
Recording time	120 minutes (using C-120 cassette)
Signal-to-noise ratio (Dolby off)	61 dB (Fe-Cr), 57 dB (CrO2), 55 dB (Normal)
Dolby noise reduction improvement	5 dB (at 1 kHz), 10 dB (at 5 kHz or more)
Overall wow and flutter	0.07% (WRMS)
Frequency response (Fe-Cr tape)	20 Hz – 17 kHz / 30 Hz – 15 kHz (± 3 dB)
Frequency response (CrO2 tape)	20 Hz – 17 kHz / 30 Hz – 15 kHz (± 3 dB)
Frequency response (Normal tape)	20 Hz to 15 kHz
Inputs	Microphone (2 jacks, low impedance), minimum input level: 0.2 mV
Inputs	Line-in (2 pin jacks), minimum input level: 0.06 V, input impedance: 100 kΩ
Outputs	Line-out (2 pin jacks), output level: 0.775 V (into 100 kΩ load), load impedance: 10 kΩ or more
Outputs	Headphone jack (stereo), load impedance: 8 Ω
Rec/Play connectors	Input/Output impedance: 10 kΩ or less
Semiconductors	Transistors: 42, FETs: 2, ICs: 2, Diodes: 45
Power supply	100 V AC, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption	28 W
Dimensions (W x H x D)	430 x 168 x 310 mm
Weight	12 kg

Design

The TC-5350SD uses a vertical (upright) tape transport, and cassettes load from the top. A backlit see-through window shows how much tape is left. The F&F (Ferrite & Ferrite) record/play head has high wear resistance and extended frequency response. The first amplifier stage is a high-Gm, low-noise FET coupled directly to the head, so there are no capacitive elements in the path. A hysteresis synchronous motor keeps vibration and wow/flutter low. The pause mechanism pulls the pinch roller off the capstan to cut mechanical wear. The front panel has stereo line inputs, line and microphone mixing, and an adjustable line output level. Large VU meters have peak indicator LEDs. The deck also has Dolby B noise reduction, a recording limiter switch, a 3-position tape bias selector, a 2-position equalizer selector, an MPX filter switch for FM stereo recording, and an auto shut-off mechanism.

Context

The TC-5350SD was Sony's first component-style upright see-through cassette deck series. It works with the separately sold PT-24 program timer for unattended recording.

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