Yamaha K-2000 Cassette Deck Review

Designed for audiophiles who want to combine excellent performance with operational ease, the Yamaha K-2000 is a four-head, single-capstan cassette deck that includes both Dolby-B and dbx noise reduction and an automatic, microprocessor-controlled system for adjusting recording bias and tape sensitivity.

All the K-2000’s tape heads are made of wear-resistant Sendust. The recording and playback heads are separate units held in a single case and permit instantaneous comparison between input and recorded signals. The regular erase head is an oversized unit that utilizes the large opening in the cassette shell to the left of the recording and playback heads, where a second pinch-roller would be located in a dual-capstan system. The fourth, “sub-erase” head, normal in size, is mounted to the right of the playback head—so it encounters the tape after it has been recorded or played.

The sub-erase head serves two purposes in the K-2000. First, it erases the test signals that are recorded during the-automatic biasing operation. Second, when used with a monitor erase pushbutton, it enables the user to erase, during playback, such accidentally recorded material as the first few words of an unwanted commercial. Provided that the pause created is not too long, this post-erase facility is very handy, making it possible to monitor the exact material to be deleted.

The single capstan of the Yamaha K-2000 is direct-driven by a servo-controlled d.c. motor, and a second d.c. motor is used for the reel hubs. The cassette-well door affords excellent label visibility (and is easily removed for head cleaning and demagnetizing), and interior illumination of the well shows the relative amount of tape on each hub. Transport modes are solenoid-operated by a touchplate that tilts left for rewind, up for play, right for fast-forward, and down for stop. All but the stop function have illuminated indicators. We found this tilting arrangement a little awkward, and several times when we intended to press only the rewind control we found ourselves also activating one of the adjacent buttons for RESET or MEMORY.

Yamaha has clearly spent considerable design effort to make the K-2000 as simple to operate as possible, however. Since tape type (normal, high-bias, or metal) is automatically determined by sensors that detect the cutouts in the rear edge of the cassette shells, the usual bias and equalization switch(es) have been eliminated. The type of tape in use, bias-tuning status, and the noise-reduction system that has been selected are all shown by appropriate legends on the front panel. The record and pause buttons, usually separate, have been combined into one rec/pause button. When pressed, this button automatically initiates the bias-sensitivity optimizing program, which Yamaha calls “a-ORBiT.” The program itself takes only two seconds, and since the test signals are automatically erased by the suberase head, the tape is not rewound. Thus, there is no difference between a general “factory-set” bias and an “optimized” bias, since every tape goes through the a-ORBiT process before being recorded. On the other hand, the system requires caution if you want to listen to a tape from which you have not removed the record-protect tabs on the cassette shell; if you press the rec/pause button you’ll erase 2 seconds of your recording, and if you then compound the error by hitting play you will erase more of the tape.

The four-digit electronic tape counter of the K-2000 reads tape running time directly in all modes, and, while the accuracy is not that of a good clock (we found it off by about a minute, short on C-60’s and long on C-90’s), it is a great convenience compared with the usual hub-revolution counters. Recording level is set by a single slide control with a comfortable 2-1/2-inch travel, and it is indicated on parallel fourteen-segment peak-reading displays that are calibrated from —40 to -1-18 dB. Although we found the numbers on the level display a bit difficult to read and the resolution somewhat vague in the critical area of 0 dB (the nearest segment divisions are at +3 and —3 dB), most users will probably find the green/red division adequate.

Other front-panel switches include buttons for muting, counter reset, memory marking, and tape vs. source monitoring. In addition, a fold-down door on the front panel gives access to less-frequently operated switches, which include memory rewind/ play options, external timer control, and either Dolby-B, dbx, or no noise reduction. Here also are the monitor erase pushbutton, an FM-multiplex filter switch, a pitch control, a recording-balance control, and a headphone jack with its own level control. There is no level control for the main playback outputs, however, nor are there provisions for recording with microphones.

The rear panel of the K-2000 contains the usual input and output connectors, together with a jack for a remote-control accessory. Overall the deck measures 17-1/4 inches wide, 4-3/4 inches high, and 13 -1/2 inches deep and weighs about 19-1/2 pounds. Price: $795.

Laboratory Measurements

Yamaha did not make any tape-brand recommendations, so we tested the deck with a variety of samples we keep on hand. Using Type I (normal-bias) tapes, we obtained essentially equivalent results with TDK AD, Sony SHF, and the IEC Type I reference tape and very slightly elevated ( + 2 to +2.5 dB at 17 kHz) treble response with Maxell XLI-S and BASF Professional I. For best overall response we selected TDK AD-X. With Type II tapes, the flattest response, by the smallest of margins, was obtained from TDK SA-X, though Maxell UDXL-II, TDK SA, and Fuji FR-II were almost identical. The official IEC Type II reference tape showed a treble rolloff above 15 kHz. Among Type IV tapes we selected Fuji FR Metal over the IEC reference and TDK MAR on the basis of a very slight increase in high-frequency headrooom, but again the frequency-response traces from our chart recorder were almost identical.

The playback-only frequency response of the K-2000, using our BASF IEC-standard 70- and 120-microsecond calibrated tapes, was exceptionally flat, varying within 1 dB between the 31.5-Hz and 18-kHz limits of the tapes. Overall record-playback frequency response at the conventional — 20-dB level was also extremely smooth and wide, varying less than ± 1 dB over almost all of the audible range. The — 3-dB points were reached only at the 20-Hz and 20-kHz extremes of our measurements with TDK AD-X and SA-X; Fuji FR Metal rose gently above 10 kHz to +2.5 at 20 kHz. At 0 dB (the 250-nWb/m IEC reference level, which is several decibels above the manufacturer’s 0-dB indicator marking), treble response dropped by 6 dB at approximately 10 kHz with our normal and high-bias tapes. Metal tape extended the rolloff point to 17 kHz.

At the IEC 0-dB reference recorded level the third-harmonic distortion of a 315-Hz test tone measured only 0.25 per cent with the normal-bias TDK AD-X; TDK SA-X (chrome-equivalent) and Fuji FR Metal both had 1 per cent distortion at this level. To reach the 3 per cent distortion point required raising the recorded level by 5.4, 3.4, and 4.2 dB for the three tapes, respectively, and without noise reduction yielded unweighted signal-to-noise ratios (S/N’s) of 53.1, 53, and 53.5 dB. With IEC A-weighting and Dolby-B noise reduction the S/N figures improved to 67.6, 66, and 67.4 dB. Because of its 2:1 compression/expansion characteristic the dbx system reduced distortion at 0 dB to 0.11, 0.36, and 0.38 per cent with the AD-X, SA-X, and FR tapes. Headroom before 3 per cent distortion also dramatically increased, to 17.8, 15.6, and 18 dB, respectively, and the CCIR/ARM-weighted S/N was 98.8, 96.4, and 100 dB.

With our Teac MTT-111 test tape the wow-and-flutter of the K-2000 measured 0.064 per cent (wrms) and 0.09 per cent (DIN peak-weighted). These figures do not quite match the published specifications and may be characteristic only of our sample, but it is a point to check out in a listening test (sustained piano chords are good for the purpose) before purchase of any cassette deck. Dolby tracking was very good (within 1 dB up to 16 kHz) at —20 dB; at — 30 and —40 dB the Dolby error consisted of a slightly elevated midrange and treble ( + 2.5 dB), but this was not immediately apparent in listening tests.

An input signal level of 47 mV was required to produce an indicated 0-dB reading, at which point the output was 0.5 volt. These are entirely typical levels. With a C-90 cassette fast-forward and rewind times were a rather rapid 110 and 114 seconds; 76 and 79 seconds were required for a C-60. The pitch control varied tape speed by ± 15 per cent, and at the control’s normal, detented position the tape speed was 0.5 per cent fast.

Comment

Both with prerecorded Dolby and dbx tapes and with those we recorded ourselves the K-2000 acquitted itself admirably. It is increasingly apparent that with the very best sonic materials available today the Dolby-B noise-reduction system is inadequate, and for this reason we wish that Yamaha had chosen also to incorporate the superior Dolby-C system. Yet, the still more powerful dbx system in the K-2000 behaved perfectly, with no signs of “breathing” or frequency-response problems. Having recently added a Compact Disc player to our test bench to provide the most demanding musical signals available, we can report that if there was any audible difference between the original CD and the copy we made on the Yamaha 2000 it was so minuscule that only the most strenuous A/B comparison could show it.

The K-2000’s monitor erase head is a useful new type of cassette-deck feature—not just another bell or whistle. For the rest, we feel that Yamaha has clearly accomplished its design intentions, and we are glad to be able to recommend the K-2000 for consideration by the serious audiophile.

Read all

Yamaha reviews

Read all