TEAC 4010SL (circa 1971–1972)

Almost nothing is documented about the Teac 4010SL beyond its appearances in the early-1970s audio press. Here is what the record shows. It was a two-speed tape recorder from Teac's SL - "Superior Sound/Low Noise" - series, and it got a lab review in HiFi/Stereo Review (February 1972, p.34).

Teac's own advertising in High Fidelity (August 1971, p.64) introduced the SL line as a new concept in tape decks, built around the low-noise/high-output tapes of the period. The ad also boasted a lifetime guarantee on the heads of every SL deck. It added that all SL-series decks used matched VU meters set up for the higher recording levels such tapes allowed.

The lab review is brief, but it gives the most concrete picture of the deck itself. The reviewer reported that the amplifiers could drive 8-ohm headphones, with the headphone feed tied to the tape-monitor switch. The recording controls were bias and level switches, plus separate left- and right-channel record buttons that had to be engaged when starting the transport. Measured performance, on p.36 of the same issue, showed a signal-to-noise reference point of 57.5 dB at either speed. On standard 3M 111 tape, reference distortion was reached at a level 3 dB lower, and the S/N figure dropped roughly 3 to 4 dB as well.

Known from period sources: