Technics RS-B68R (1984)
An auto-reverse cassette deck with dbx and Dolby B/C noise reduction, built for precision and ease of use.
Overview
The Technics RS-B68R is an auto-reverse stereo cassette deck introduced in 1984. It records and plays back analog tape. Technics gave it dbx and Dolby noise reduction, an infrared tape inversion sensor, and an auto tape selector that detects the type of cassette inserted and adjusts to it. It handles Normal, CrO₂, and Metal tapes, with extended frequency response across all types. A built-in music selector skips tracks and repeats a single song.
Specifications
| Type | Stereo cassette deck |
| Heads | Recording / Playback : AX Amorphous; Erase : 2 x Double Gap Ferrite |
| Motor | Electronically controlled DC motor for capstan; Reel motor |
| Wow flutter | 0.045%(W.R.M.S.) |
| Frequency characteristic | Normal (ED) : 20 Hz to 18 kHz, 40 Hz to 16 kHz ± 3 dB (EIAJ); CrO 2 (EX) : 20 Hz to 19 kHz, 40 Hz to 17 kHz ± 3 dB (EIAJ); Metal (EM) : 20 Hz to 20 kHz, 40 Hz to 18 kHz ± 3 dB (EIAJ) |
| Dynamic range | 110 dB (dbx in, 1 kHz, EX Tape) |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | NR off : 58 dB (EX Tape, WTD, 1 kHz, 3% third order distortion); Dolby B NR in : 66 dB (EX Tape, WTD, 1 kHz, 3% third order distortion); Dolby C NR in : 72 dB (EX Tape, WTD, 1 kHz, 3% third order distortion); Dbx in : 92 dB (EX tape, WTD, 1 kHz, 3% third order distortion) |
| Input Sensitivity / Impedance | Mic : 0.25mV/400 Ω ~ 10k Ω; Line : 60mV/47k Ω |
| Output Level / Impedance | Line : 400mV/1.5k Ω; Headphone : 0.8mW/8 Ω (compatible impedance 8 Ω ~ 600 Ω) |
| Power | 100 VAC, 50Hz/60Hz |
| Power consumption | Approx. 16W |
| Maximum external dimensions | Width 430x Height 98x Depth 273 mm (Including Knob and Rubber Foot) |
| Weight | Approx. 5 kg |
Design
The dbx system compresses the audio signal to 1/2 during recording and expands it by 2x during playback, for a dynamic range of 110 dB. The deck has 3 noise reduction options: Dolby B, C, and dbx. The reverse mechanism uses an infrared sensor to detect inversion. It has three modes: single-sided, double-sided, and double-sided loop. A direction selector switches tape movement by hand. The record and playback head is a newly developed thrust hold AX rotary head made of amorphous alloy, which keeps azimuth alignment consistent on both A and B sides. The music selector handles track navigation and repeat. Blank skip and auto REC mute are also included, along with a timer standby mechanism. The deck came in silver and black.
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