Aiwa AD-3800U Cassette Deck Review

The Aiwa AD-3800U is a three-head, dual-capstan deck that incorporates both Dolby-B and Dolby-C noise-reduction systems. Through the use of a microprocessor chip it is also able to make automatic adjustments of record bias, equalization, and sensitivity, thus minimizing performance differences between tape brands. Separate record and playback heads, using laminated sendust and hard permalloy construction, are enclosed in a single housing. The recording head has a 4-micrometer gap to provide full magnetic penetration of the tape, while a 1-micrometer gap is used for the playback section to increase high-frequency resolution. A d.c. servomotor drives the capstans, and a second d.c. motor is used for the cassette hubs.

The transport of the AD-3800U is solenoid operated. Cassettes are inserted, tape openings downward, into slides on the rear of the cassette-well door. A tinted window on the door provides label visibility, rear illumination allows the user to see how much tape is left on a side, and the heads are accessible for routine cleaning when the door is open. Head demagnetization is accomplished by an automatic circuit that operates when the deck is turned on or when the adms button is pressed. The process takes less than 2 seconds, and a LED signals its operation. Record levels are set with a pair of long-throw horizontal slider controls, and a similar (though smaller) slider is used to determine output level. The level indicators are three-color, sixteen-segment peak-reading displays calibrated from —30 to +10 dB. The electronic four-digit counter can be switched to read out minutes and seconds when recording or playing back, but not during fast-winding operations.

Pressing the data system button initiates the tape-optimization procedure, during which bias, cal, and eq indicators flash. On completion, after about 16 seconds, a ready indicator comes on and the tape is automatically rewound to its starting point. Pushbuttons with LED indicators are provided for Dolby-B or Dolby-C noise-reduction systems and for tape-type selection. Additional buttons and switches permit muting the recording during commercials, activation by an external timer, and memory rewind and/or play. The rear panel of the AD-3800U contains the usual input/output jacks, a DIN-type connector for a remote-control accessory, and the microphone-input phone jacks. An optional wireless remote control costs $95.

Laboratory Measurements

The material provided with my sample of the Aiwa AD-3800U indicated that it had been set up for use with TDK MA (metal), TDK SA (CrO2-equivalent), Sony Duad (ferri-chrome), and TDK D (ferric). Because of the ease with which the machine could be adapted to any tape, I tried a variety of additional formulations, including BASF Pro I, 3M Master I, Loran ferric, Sony HFX (Type I), Memorex High Bias, Fuji FX II, Maxell UD-XLII (CrO2-types), and Sony Metallic, from all of which I obtained essentially equivalent frequency-response curves. My only departure from Aiwa’s recommendation was to substitute Maxell XLI-S for the less expensive TDK D in the ferric position, as it gave a better signal-to-noise ratio.

Playback response was measured with the new IEC-standard BASF test tapes, which cover the range from 31.5 Hz to 18 kHz. The slight bass rise below 100 Hz shown in the graph on page 50 is not a characteristic of the AD-3800U but results from using a full-track test tape on a quarter-track stereo deck. The 3.7- and 4.7-dB 18-kHz rolloff is principally the consequence of a small modification in the new IEC standards. Overall record-playback response was extremely uniform among the tape types at the normal — 20-dB measurement level. The “knee” in the curves was between 16 and 18 kHz. Predictably, the ferrichrome formulation dropped off in its high-end response with a 0-dB input, but TDK’s SA was very close to matching the company’s metal-particle tape.

Using a 315-Hz input at the indicated 0-dB record level, I measured only 0.4 per cent third-harmonic distortion with Maxell XLI-S, 0.5 per cent with TDK MA, 1.2 per cent with TDK SA, and 1.8 per cent with Sony FeCr. To reach the 3 per cent distortion reference point required increasing the input signal level by 8.6, 7.4, 3.3, and 3.5 dB, respectively. On an unweighted basis, without noise reduction, the better-than-average signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) of the four tapes measured 56 dB (XLI-S and MA) and 53 dB (SA and FeCr). With CCIR weighting and Dolby-B noise reduction these figures improved to 66.3 dB for the Maxell XLI-S and the metal TDK MA, to 63.7 dB for TDK SA, and to 65 dB for Sony FeCr. Dolby-C reduced the noise still further, producing excellent S/N figures: 74.5 dB (Maxell XLI-S and TDK MA), 74 dB (Sony FeCr), and 72 dB (TDK SA).

Wow-and-flutter, using a TDK MTT-111 test tape, measured only 0.018 per cent wrms and 0.03 per cent on the DIN peak-weighted basis. The Dolby-level marking was admirably exact, and frequency-response tracking was within +1 dB with Dolby-B and ± 2 dB with Dolby-C up to 15 kHz at a — 20-dB input level. At a — 30-dB level the high-frequency error increased only slightly to ±1.5 dB (Dolby-B) and +3 dB (Dolby-C) at 15 kHz.

At 1,000 Hz a signal level of 44 mV (0.044 V) at the line-level inputs and 0.3 mV at the microphone inputs was sufficient to produce a 0-dB indication and 350-mV output level. The microphone inputs accepted up to 640 mV before overloading. Fast-forward and rewind times were just under 80 seconds for a C-60 cassette.

Comment

Using the Dolby-C system (or even Dolby-B, for that matter) the Aiwa AD-3800U was able to make impeccable copies of all FM and almost all recorded material. Some slight high-frequency losses could be heard, but only in a direct source/tape recorded comparison of digitally mastered material or interstation FM hiss recorded above a — 10-dB input level. This is, of course, excellent performance, and the Aiwa AD-3800U can certainly be recommended to anyone searching for a top-performing cassette deck.

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