Sony TC-K555ESR (1988)

A high-end stereo cassette deck built for the Japanese market, the top of Sony's ES series in 1988.

Overview

The Sony TC-K555ESR is a stereo cassette deck released in 1988 as the flagship of Sony's ES (Elevated Standard) line. It was made only for the Japanese market. It builds on the TC-K555ESX and raises the "Super-Bias" frequency for better high-frequency resolution. The layout is midship drive, which keeps vibration down. The transport is dual-capstan, driven by a quartz-locked, 3-phase linear torque motor for precise tape control.

Specifications

Heads	3 (Erase: 1, Record: 1, Playback: 1) (Independent suspension system)
Motor	1 x Linear Torque BSL Direct Drive motor (3-phase, quartz-locked servo), 1 x DC motor
Signal-to-noise ratio (EIAJ)	56 dB (Dolby off, Metal tape), 73 dB (Dolby NR, peak level, Metal tape)
Frequency response	20 Hz ~ 20 kHz ± 3 dB (EIAJ, Metal tape)
Wow and flutter	0.04% Wpeak, 0.025% WRMS (EIAJ)
Total harmonic distortion	0.5% (EIAJ, Metal tape)
Power consumption	27W
External dimensions (with side wood)	470 mm (W) x 125 mm (H) x 350 mm (D)
External dimensions (side wood removed)	430 mm (W) x 125 mm (H) x 350 mm (D)
Weight	10.5 kg
Remote control	Wireless Remote Control RM-99 (included)

Design

The TC-K555ESR uses a midship drive layout. The mechanical deck and power supply sit in the center of the chassis to isolate vibration. A U-shaped inner chassis splits the audio and control circuits into left and right sections. The closed-loop dual capstan system is driven directly by a 3-phase linear torque BSL motor with quartz-locked servo. The heads are amorphous laser heads with LC-OFC winding. The recording and playback amplifiers sit on separate boards in a twin mono DC configuration. There is a built-in oscillator for calibration, switchable high-frequency equalization, and a wide-range peak program meter with dual display modes. The deck also has a linear electronic counter with subtraction, Dolby B and C noise reduction, auto tape type selection (I/II/IV), memory stop/play, record mute with auto space, and a slack prevention mechanism. The headphone jack is gold-plated and has volume control. The unit ships with side wood panels attached.

Context

The TC-K555ESR is the final and top model in Sony's 555ES series, and it succeeds the TC-K555ESX. It belongs to Sony's ES (Elevated Standard) series, which also includes the TC-K600ES, TC-K630ES, and TC-K650ES. It was sold only in Japan and was Sony's highest-performance cassette deck in 1988.

Market

The original price in Japan was ¥105,000. A recent auction shows a bid of ¥198,000, while used units in working condition list around ¥30,000. Units described as "junk" have sold for ¥29,800. Service discussions mention possible issues with bias calibration and modifications, so owners are clearly still maintaining and tuning these decks.

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