TEAC C-3X

Pre owned. In good condition. Shows signs of wear. Without original packaging.

The TEAC C-3X is a stereo cassette deck designed to deliver high-level audio performance, featuring advanced functions such as dual-speed recording and the Dolby HX system. The 9.5 cm/sec recording function doubles the tape speed, increasing the recording area for each sound, using more magnetic powder and reducing high-frequency compensation during playback, resulting in cleaner and less noisy audio. The increased flywheel energy reduces wow and flutter, ensuring stable and precise playback.

At the standard speed of 4.8 cm/sec, the TEAC C-3X’s Dolby HX system automatically engages with normal and chrome tapes, improving high-frequency response by automatically adjusting the bias according to the frequency content of the source. The mechanism includes a tension servo that maintains constant speed and uniform head contact from the beginning to the end of the tape, while the dual-motor system separates reel rotation from capstan drive, ensuring smooth and stable tape transport.

The head assembly uses a three-head configuration with independent erase, record, and playback heads, allowing real-time monitoring during recording. The recording head features a wide 4-micron gap to capture the tape’s full dynamic range, while the playback head has a narrow 1-micron gap for efficient reproduction of frequencies up to 20 kHz. Both heads are integrated into a single shielded housing to prevent azimuth errors, providing accurate and faithful playback.

The TEAC C-3X also offers bias adjustment for metal tapes via a dedicated selector and the BIAS/REC CALIBRATION mechanism, which allows optimization of bias and recording sensitivity using an external oscillator, adapting recordings to the specific characteristics of each tape. The internal amplifier employs carefully selected capacitors to minimize leakage and low-noise transistors in the microphone preamp, reducing noise by approximately 6 dB in full-scale recordings.

Additional features include a TEST mode for tape calibration, which increases meter sensitivity by 20 dB in REC/PAUSE or REC/PLAY mode, as well as a timer, memory counter, REC MUTE function, peak level meter, and independent left/right input volume control. Dynamic range can be further enhanced by connecting the optional dbx Type II unit.

Compact, precise, and engineered for high-fidelity recordings with real-time monitoring, the TEAC C-3X is a complete solution for analog audio enthusiasts seeking quality, versatility, and full control over tape recording.

Technical specifications:

• Type: stereo cassette deck
• Track format: 4-track, 2-channel stereo
• Heads: recording: HD Ferrite combination; erasing: ferrite
• Cmpatible tapes: C-60 and C-90 cassettes
• Tape speed: 4.8 cm/s; 9.5 cm/s
• Motor configuration: capstan: 1 electronically controlled DC motor; reels: 1 DC motor
• Wow and flutter: 0.04% WRMS (4.8 cm/s); 0.03% WRMS (9.5 cm/s)
• Initial winding time: 80 seconds or less with C-60 tape
• Overall frequency response: 4.8 cm/s: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (metal tape); 20 Hz – 19 kHz (chrome tape); 20 Hz – 16 kHz (normal tape); 9.5 cm/s: 20 Hz – 25 kHz (metal tape); 20 Hz – 24 kHz (chrome tape); 20 Hz – 21 kHz (normal tape)
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 60 dB (4.8 cm/s); 62 dB (9.5 cm/s); with Dolby NR: +5 dB at 1 kHz, +10 dB at 5 kHz or higher
• Inputs: microphone: 0.25 mV/200 Ω or more (-72 dB); line: 60 mV/50 kΩ
• Outputs: line: 0.3 V/50 kΩ or more; headphones: 8 Ω
• Power supply: 100 VAC, 50/60 Hz
• Power consumption: 25 W
• External dimensions: W 482 x H 147 x D 345 mm
• Weight: 9 kg