New TASCAM 202ᴍᴋVII cassette deck - Detailed review

A new dual cassette deck released in 2018 by TEAC's professional division, TASCAM -- the 202mkVII (also sold as the TEAC W-1200). It features soft-touch full-logic controls, the ability to record onto two cassettes simultaneously (Parallel Recording), support for playing all types of tapes and recording on Type I normal bias and Type II Chrome/high bias tapes, and a new noise reduction system for playback that claims to be equivalent to Dolby B NR.

CORRECTION: The mechanisms are made by CSG, not Tanashin. (Tanashin has not manufactured any new cassette mechanisms since around 2009.) See my video about the TEAC W-1200 for more information.

Time flow:
0:00 Introduction
2:44 Unboxing
4:06 Features
5:51 Front panel controls
7:44 Remote control
8:11 Mechanisms
9:30 Tape types
10:20 Rear panel
10:37 First test
14:29 Speed accuracy
15:50 Azimuth
16:44 Noise reduction
19:07 Playback test
21:27 A look inside
23:38 Recording test
25:46 Conclusion

Intro music by Julian Croot ("80s Inspired Retro Synth Track").

#tascam #cassette #deck

[ewoutbuhler]

So I recently dug up my old Aiwa ADF880 cassette deck, just to demonstrate to my 14 y/old son. He was interested as he saw Guardians of the Galaxy and wanted to make a mix-tape :). A trip down memory lane, allthough looked like a dead-end as the deck was in almost complete no-motion. It wiggled a little but didn't start playback. Sure enough, the belt set was toast, completely liquified. Yes, a project! Found the belts, ordered and got to work with son. Great exercise, trying to scrub liquid rubber off the flywheel. It worked out well, he made a mix-tape on a brand-new cassette I still had (yes, taking off the wrapper, hmm). If you have been playing around burning your own CDs in the late nineties, then moving to MP3 players and finally into the todays streaming age, it's kinda neat doing this again. Great history lesson! But practical? Not really

[sternwheeler]

I love the irony of an alignment cassette with a misaligned label.

[george]

I wish Technics will start producing cassette

[disappointednep-nep]

This is probably one of the best modern cassette decks that uses the Tanashin mechanism in terms of features.

[funkybuddha]

Unboxing videos are not stupid. They are very enjoyable to watch and are useful to potential buyers.

It's very therapeutic and relaxing to watch somebody unbox a product. It's useful to see what accessories come with the product as well as how the product is packaged, especially if someone is considering having the item shipped. Also to see what kind of setup is required if you are planning to buy it as a gift.

[joyxlibeau]

The spec may not be the best we have seen. But i believe the points are; as of 2018, we can actually buy a brand new double cassette deck that is reliable on this planet, and for us to know some company still care and have balls and passions to produce cassette deck. love your unboxing video by the way.

[CoolDudeClem]

Good ol' cassette tapes, I hope this format never dies for good.

[vwestlife]

*UPDATE:* The TEAC W-1200 cassette deck (the same thing as the TASCAM 202mkVII minus the Special Playback feature and rack mounting ears) is now available in the U.S. for $399 or less.

[hulkslayer]

One of my favorite things about listening to tapes when I was young was when I loaded the tape in, it felt like i was loading a gun lol

[scottpeterson]

I’ve been enjoying cassette tapes since I was a teenager in the late 70’s and still enjoy using them ❤️🌈☮️

[HDXFH]

I love the smell of a freshly opened new cassette

[KRAFTWERKK]

You know… i just recently made a mixtape for a girl. And even if she has no tapedeck it was still kindly & happily appreciated as a gift. 90 Minutes of well selected music arranged in a particular order with the goal to give one heck of a FANTASTIC listening experience. Making the playlist is great. But nothing beats the moment of actually recording it :)

[peacearchwa]

Two years later, I still found this review very useful. One aspect of the 202 MkVII which you overlooked was the tape-to-PC digital conversion. There seems to be an industry agreement designed to deter illegal duplication of digital audio CDs, limiting their digital output to 128kbps MP3 (i.e. the TASCAM CD-A580). Because this unit and the TEAC W-1200 only use analog cassette sources, the USB digital output can support higher-resolution file types such as WAV and FLAC. As for sound quality, I think this unit is comparable to most entry-level cassette decks of the 1980s including dual-well unit, which is to say it's a pretty good stereo deck if not TOTL. The well-used vintage TOTL decks from the "good old days" are going to be very hard and expensive to repair due to lack of parts and shrinking number of qualified repair techs, but this TASCAM and TEAC will probably be easily maintained and supported for many years to come. If I wanted a brand-new deck, I'd buy the W-1200.

[randynovick]

This was great. I'm the only person I know that still has a cassette deck in the rack. I was curious about this Tascam and was delighted to see your review. Many thanks for the guided tour!

[yuk]

Five hundred dollars or a hundred dollars is still too costly for such a cheesy basic cassette player I would definitely go with a vintage high end.

[tak]

Just wanted to say, I've been watching your videos for some time now. I have no idea about audio equipment, but I really appreciate the time you take in being very thorough in your reviews. It's more education than people get nowadays when it comes to even basic electronics.

[KRAFTWERKK]

WOW! You can tell this is actually made for the more serious Tape user. Having the ability to record on BOTH decks at the same time, having a recording and a 1st generation quality duplicate tape that either serves as a archival backup or copy for a friend, is absolutely fantastic! Dude, i think you just sold me to this deck :D

[MacXpert]

I was impressed with the sound quality of the recording you made on that Fuij tape. Even without noise reduction, there was hardly any noise in the sound at all. The highs also seem to sound pretty decent.

[americanhindi]

Very well made review. Cassette playback sound is surprisingly impressive.

[daleschneider]

OMG they’re still making cassette decks? I still have mine. It’s maybe10-15 years. Glad I never got rid of it.