Description

Nakamichi Dragon 3-Heads Auto Reverse Cassette Deck Superlative Serviced Condition

A fully tested and working audiophile cassette deck from the highly regarded

Nakamichi Dragon.  A highly valued and in demand cassette deck in the world!

Serviced and maintained by Nak Central AudioLabs including :

New Belts 

Fully Aligned and Calibrated

Azimuth Checked and Corrected

Mechanism Reset

Fully cleaned internally and externally

All Heads and tape path cleaned and checked

Included a free deluxe comb bound owner’s manual

Nakamichi DRAGON

The Most Incredible Creature of the Decade!

Only once or twice a decade does truly remarkable “breakthrough” occur in cassette-recording technology – not a mere refinement of past technique but a dramatic advantage in engineering knowledge that solves a basic technological problem and opens the door to the future.

One such “breakthrough” was development of Dolby-B noise-reduction – the first viable consumer NR system – the one that suppressed tape hiss without introducing audible coloration. With Dolby-B NR, high-fidelity cassette reproduction became a possibility.
Another “breakthrough” occurred when Nakamichi created the Model 1000 – the world’s first three-head deck – the one that made high-fidelity cassette reproduction a reality.
Steady progress has been made “refining” these “breakthroughs”. Dolby-B NR led to the C-type system, and hiss was banished to the point of inaudibility. With new tapes, it become possible to extend response beyond 20 kHz, and Nakamichi developed the advance magnetic heads and electronics to do so. Nakamichi refined dual-capstan drive and ultimately created the Asymmetrical Diffused-Resonance transport that eliminated common-mode resonance and controlled tape tension so precisely that it required no pressure pad. Mechanical “logic” gave way to “IC logic” and then to full microprocessor control. Finally, they developed the SLT motor that eliminated “belt wow” without introducing “direct-drive flutter”.

It seemed as if cassette recording had advanced to its limit, but one problem remained – a basic one that limits cassette interchangeability and precludes “reverse playback” with full fidelity – play-head azimuth misalignment! True, they had developed a system to ensure proper recording azimuth, but it cannot correct a tape that has already been recorded improperly or one that tracks slightly askew in reverse. Such correction must occur on playback, and that was considered impossible. No longer. In DRAGON, Nakamichi introduced NAAC – Nakamichi Auto Azimuth Correction – the most revolutionary “breakthrough” of the decade – an automatic playback azimuth-correction system that brings forth the full spectrum recorded on cassette.

NAAC Reveals the Hidden Highs of Each Cassette
Azimuth misalignment between record and play-head gaps severely restricts high-frequency response. A disagreement between the angle at which a tape was recorded and the angle at which it is played has an effect very similar to that of widening the playback gap. When this happens, the play head is unable to “resolve” short wavelength and high-frequency response drops precipitously. The music sounds dull and lacks the crispness and clarity that give it life even though the tape may contain the full range of frequencies that originally were recorded.
 Azimuth disagreement can happen for several reasons, the most obvious being physically misaligned heads. But even heads that were properly aligned at the factory will not guarantee perfect reproduction. Tape-width and cassette-shell tolerances, together with differences in tape tension from deck to deck, cause the tape to track along a slightly different path in each cassette and in each machine. Thus, a tape recorded on one deck will not necessarily reveal its full response when played on another, and, when a tape is recorded in one direction and reproduced in the opposite direction – as, for example, on an auto-reverse deck – there is almost bound to be considerable azimuth disagreement.

Even the slight misalignment – one measured not in “degrees” but in “minutes” of arc (sixtieth part of a degree) – causes a very audible loss in treble response. To make matters worse, noise-reduction systems increase whatever loss exists in the basic record/play response. Without doubt, azimuth misalignment is the prime reason why, in the past, cassettes have usually sounded best when played on the deck that recorded them.

 
NAAC (Nakamichi Auto Azimuth Correction) is the first system capable of extracting every bit of information stored on cassette. Obviously, it cannot reproduce what had never been recorded, but, if there is treble energy on the tape, NAAC will bring it to you with full fidelity and clarity even if the tape has been recorded with improper azimuth. NAAC automatically determines the actual recorded azimuth on the tape, aligns the playback head to it, and continues to track it throughout the program. NAAC works on tape – commercially recorded tapes, tapes borrowed from a friend, or those you made yourself. It works in both directions, requires no test tapes, no set-up, no action on your part at all.

NAAC utilises the “phase-comparation” method of azimuth alignment, but unlike systems that record test tones and adjust the recording head for in-phase left and right signals, NAAC determines the actual azimuth of the recording and aligns the phase in the left and right channels for, in stereo, the two contain different information. It works within the same channel by utilising a unique playback head that splits the track in half and drives two signals from it. The signals are processed to extract the phase difference. The “error” drives a servo motor that realigns the playback head to the track. The improvement in sound quality is nothing less than amazing.
 
 
Double-Direct-Drive Auto-Reverse Transport

Dragon is the world’s first Dual-Capstan, Double-Direct-Drive, Auto-Reverse cassette deck. Now, you can have the convenience of auto-reverse playback without sacrificing treble response – thanks to NAAC – re speed stability – thanks to the Nakamichi Super-Linear-Torque motor. Actually, two SLT motors are used, one directly driving each capstan. Both are active in each direction, so flutter and modulation noise are eliminated in both forward and reverse.
With its unusual star-shaped rotor magnetisation, the SLT motor generates “cog-free” uniform torque. It eliminates “belt-drive wow” without introducing “direct-drive flutter”. In a Double-Direct configuration like DRAGON, it produces less than 0.019% wow and flutter and virtual freedom from modulation noise. These characteristics, ignored by standard specifications, are responsible for DRAGON’s remarkable tonal purity – the quality knows as “Nakamichi Sound”.

 
Dragon’s SLT motors are locked to quartz reference in such a way, that, in either direction, the supply capstan rotates 0.2% slower than the take-up capstan to provide precise control over tape tension and eliminate the need for a pressure pad. The capstans are “asymmetrical” to avoid resonance, and, since DRAGON is auto-reversing, an unusual mechanism ensures that “supply” guide is automatically engaged, and the “take-up” guide is retracted.
  
Discrete 3-Head Technology in an Auto-Reverse Deck
Dragon also is the world’s first Discrete 3-Head Auto-Reverse cassette deck. Now you can have the sound quality available only with this Nakamichi creation and the convenience of auto-reverse playback.
NAAC made high-fidelity reproduction in the auto-reverse format. But what made NAAC possible?
The PA-1L 4-track/2-channel-stereo Crystalloy playback head – a unique creation of Nakamichi technology. Each stereo track is a mere 0.6 mm (24 thousand of an inch) wide. Most engineers thought that it was impossible to divide the track into two parts and read separate signals from each, but this is exactly what Nakamichi creativity and expertise in magnetic technology has accomplished.

With its 2-track/2-channel Crystalloy recording head and dual-gap Ferrite/Sendust erase head, DRAGON records the full frequency spectrum, – from 20 Hz to 22 kHz – in the forward direction and reproduces it in either direction with remarkable uniformity. Nakamichi’s special pole tip geometry suppresses low frequency “head bumps” completely, and thanks to a special surface treatment, their heads have a useful life of more than 10,000 hours.
  
Precision and Convenience Through Microprocessor Control
Dragon is intelligent.
Three microprocessors monitor the control panel and key points in the operating system. The microprocessors instantly issues commands to a special moto-control mechanism that positions the heads, engages, and disengages reel brakes and pinch rollers, and performs the mechanical function normally assigned to solenoids.
 
The motor-control mechanism performs each change of function rapidly and much more precisely than is possible with solenoid actuation because the microprocessors monitor the control motor and thus place it inside a digital servo loop. Operation is remarkably smooth, quiet, and free of the jarring mechanical shock typical of solenoid operation.
 
The chassis is fabricated from aluminum alloy that is specially treated to absorb vibration before it can affect tape motion. This greatly flutter and modulation noise and contributes to the unique purity of “Nakamichi Sound”.

The microprocessors determinate drive motor speed and direction to provide flowless auto-reverse operation. With this “intelligence” in control of DRAGON’s mechanism and circuitry, several unusual features are possible: Auto Record Pause, Easy Cueing, Punch-In Recording, and Memory Stop/Play.
 
Auto Record Pause
When you are dubbing a record onto tape, it is bothersome to constantly watch over the recording process in order to catch the and of the program. If your attention wanders or you’re called away, it is easy to miss the end of the side, the tape continues to run, and you’re left with a long length of blank tape. You must rewind to find the end of the last program and “splice” in the next.

Now, Dragon’s “intelligent” electronics can do monitoring for you. Simply switch on Auto Rec Pause, and DRAGON checks the incoming program. If it finds a silence of more than 30 seconds, DRAGON automatically goes into Rec Pause. The tape stops, and you’re ready to resume recording at the touch of a button.
 
 
Easy Cueing

Thanks to the “continuous” action of DRAGON’s moto-driven control system and the “intelligence” of its microprocessors, cueing is exceptionally versatile. Pressing Cue during fast-forward or rewind reduces transport speed by one-third and brings the playback head close to the tape so you can hear the program. Pressing either fast-wind button again now drops tape speed to one-sixth normal for as long as the button is held. You can zero in on the start of a program very precisely.
 
Easy Cueing also is possible via the optional RM-20 Remote Control Unit. The RM-20’s Pause button duplicates the action of the on-board Cue button whenever the deck is in either fast-wind mode.

Punch-In Recording
You can enter Record directly from Forward-Play by pressing Play and Record simultaneously so you can “splice” a new program into an old one very accurate. Punch-In Recording is possible either from DRAGON control unit panel or via the RM-20 Remote Control Unit.

 
Memory Stop/Play
With Memory on, DRAGON automatically stops at a counter reading of “0000” in either fast mode. Depending upon whether “Stop” or “Play” had been selected, the tape either remains stationary or immediately begins playback.

Dual-Speed Auto Fader
Dragon’s dual-speed Auto Fader allows you to create professional-like level fades at the press of a button. Once you have adjusted recording balance and level with the independent left and right level controls, a quick tap on UP or DOWN produces a smooth 6-second fade up to or down from the pre-set level. If you hold either button down, the fade occurs just smoothly but more rapidly – in 2 seconds.
 
 
Record Mute
You can prevent recording of the source signal entirely via the Rec Mute button. For as long as this button is pressed, the record amplifiers muted, and a blank section of tape is recorded. This allows you to clearly delineate between recordings and to eliminate commercials.
 
The Record Mute function also is accessible by remote control. Once you are in the recording mode, pressing the RM-20’s record button a second time activates the mute.
 
Calibration Controls for Optimum Recording
With NAAC’s unique ability to reproduce every subtle nuance recorded on cassette, it is all more important that each tape be created as perfectly as possible to take full advantage of this extraordinary system. DRAGON accommodates the three major tape types – “standard” ferric, chrome/ferri cobalt and metal. What’s more, you can individually calibrate the system for best performance on the particular brand of tape you are using.

Separate sets of bias and record-level (sensitivity) controls are provided for each channel and tape type. Self-contained test oscillators generate a 400 Hz signal for setting record level and a 15 kHz tone for adjusting bias. In the calibration mode, DRAGON’s recording indicators automatically become 20 dB more sensitive to improve the precision of adjustment.
 
It takes only a moment to calibrate DRAGON for peak performance, and it is a moment well spent. Tapes di differ in bias requirement and sensitivity. These differences are most apparent from brand to brand, but slight differences exist even between batches of the same brand. These can audibly affect high-frequency response and throw off Dolby tracking. Especially when using the more sophisticated Dolby-C system, perfect basic response is the key to total system fidelity.
 
Advance Dolby Processing
Dragon contains a highly sophisticated single-chip Dolby B-C processor. By employing this device rather than conventional cascaded Dolby-B chips, tolerances are eliminated, and very wide dynamic range become possible.
  
High Performance Electronics
Dragon’s electronics circuitry is of a quality rarely found in cassette decks. Distortion is kept under 0.005% – no small feat when you consider the complexity of tape-recording electronics. DRAGON actually has six separate preamp/equalisers in its playback chain to accommodate the NAAC system and provide for bi-directional playback.

Side-A/Side-B switching is entirely electronic – nu clumsy unreliable head-rotation devices – and the switching is performed after preamplification to avoid noise. Each unit is hand calibrated at the factory to ensure perfect level matching and optimum performance.

MPX and Subsonic Filters
With Dragon’s broad efficiency response – 20 Hz to 22,000 Hz – it may sometimes be desirable to eliminate unwanted signals in the recording amplifier. When taping on FM-stereo broadcast, for example, 19 kHz pilot from a misadjusted tuner could upset Dolby tracking. DRAGON’s MPX filter prevent that from occurring.

At the other end of the spectrum, infrasonic signals generated when playing a warped record – especially with a tonearm/cartridge system whose resonance is poorly placed – can inter-modulate with the music and produce an effect similar to wow. DRAGON’s subsonic filter can then be called upon to eliminate the condition.

Dragon’s filters are independently switchable and so can be called into play only as needed.
  
Wide-Range Peak-Level Meters
Dragon’s peak-reading electronic meters span a full 50 dB range – from -40 dB to +10 dB – with 20 LED segments per channel. They are fast responding but hold the peak reading momentarily, so they are easier to read. Being completely electronic, they are free of “pointer lag” and “overshoot”. These precision instruments increase sensitivity by 20 dB in the calibration mode to improve the precision of the adjustments.

Dragon’s Features 
·         NAAC (Nakamichi Auto Azimuth Correction) System Automatically Adjusts Playback-Head Azimuth to agree with each cassette.
·         Auto-Reverse, Asymmetrical, Dual-Capstan, Double-Direct-Drive Transport on Non-Resonant Chassis.
·         Dual Super-Liner-Torque DD Capstan Motors Phase Locked to Quartz Crystal.
·         Motor-Driven Control System Under Supervision of Three Microprocessors.
·         Auto-Retracting Slot Guides and Tape-Pad Lifter.
·         Discrete Three-Head Technology Employing Unique Quadruple Split-Track Playback Head with 20 – 22,000 Hz ± 3dB Response.
·         Laminated Crystalloy Record and Playback Heads for Reduced Distortion.
·         Dual-Gap Ferrite/Sendust Erase Head for Low-Noise Erasure of Metal Tape.
·         Individual Bias and Record-Level Calibration Controls for each Channel and Tape Type with Two-Tone Test Oscillator.
·         Auto Rewind After Calibration via Calibration-Reset Button.
·         Separate Tape and Equalisation Switches for ZX, SX, and EX Tapes.
·         Double Dolby-B and Dolby-C Noise Reduction Employing One-Chip Processors.
·         Defeatable MPX Filters for FM-Stereo Recording.
·         Defeatable Subsonic Filters for Phono Recording.
·         Master Input Level Control with Individual Left and Right Controls to Establish Balance.
·         Full Off-Tape Monitoring.
·         Two-Speed Auto-Fader for Professional Fades plus Record Mute.
·         Auto Record Pause.
·         Punch-In Recording in Forward Direction.
·         50 dB Peak-Responding Electronic LED Metering.
·         Six Discrete Equaliser/Amplifier.
·         Direct-Coupled Record and Playback Amplifiers.
·         Two-Speed Easy Cue.
·         Output Level Control.
·         High-Output Headphone Jack plus DC Power for Black Box Series.
·         4-Digit LED Electronic Counter (-999 to 9999) with Memory Stop and Memory Repeat.
·         Unattended Operation in Record or Playback via Accessory Timer.
·         Remote Control Capability via RM-20 Option.

Specifications

Track Configuration:               4 tracks/2-channel stereo
                                                Playback Auto Reverse
Heads:                                     3 (erase head x 1, record head x 1, playback head x 1)
                                                4-track, 4-channel playback head x 1
Motors  :

TRANSPORT   – Quartz PLL DC, brushless, slotless, coreless   Super Linear Torque DD motor   (capstan drive) x 2, DC Motor

(reel drive) x 1

AUTO AZIMUTH CORRECTION – DC Motor x 1

MECHANISM –  DC motor x 1

Power Source:                        100, 120, 120/220-240, 220 or 204V
                                                50/60 Hz (according to country of sale)
Power Consumption:             45 W Max.
Tape Speed:                             1-7/8 ips. (4.8 cm/s) ±0.5%
Wow and Flutter:                    Less than ±0.0019% WTD RMS
                                                Less than 0.04% WTD Peak
Frequency Response:           20-22,000 Hz ±3 dB (at -20 dB, ZX Tape)
                                                20-21,000 Hz ±3 dB (at -20 dB, SX/EXII Tape)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio:             Dolby-C Type NR on <70 microsec., ZX tape> Better than 72 dB (400 Hz, 3% THD, IHF A-WTD RMS)
                                                Dolby-B Type NR on <70 microsec., ZX tape> Better than 66dB (400 Hz, 3% THD, IHF A-WTD RMS)
Total Harmonic Distortion:     Less than 0.8% (400 Hz, 0 dB ZX Tape)
                                                Less than 1.0% (400 Hz, 0 dB SX/EXII Tape)
Erasure:                                   Better than 60 dB (100 Hz, 0 dB)
Separation:                              Better than 37 dB (1 kHz, 0 dB)
Crosstalk:                                Better than 60 dB (1 kHz, 0 dB)
Bias Frequency:                       105 kHz
Input (Line):                            50 mV, 50 kilohms
Output:                                    Line:                1.0 V (400 Hz, 0 dB, output control max.), 2.2 kilohms
                                                Headphone:     45 mW (400 Hz, 0 dB, output control max.), 8 ohms

Black box Series DC Output:    ±10 V, 125 mA max.

Dimensions: 450 x 135 x 300mm
Weight: 9.5kg

Year: 1982

UK 230V 50hz 3 Pin 

Sn     04177

Please see our HD photos for condition and cosmetics.