Product
Test
Reports
ABOUT
THIS
MONTH'S
HI -FI
REPORTS
One
of the more
versatile
models
in the
new Marantz
line
of
cassette
decks
is the
front-
loading
5220,
which
can
also be used
to decode Dolby
FM
broad-
casts. It
is
equipped
with
bias
and
equalization
selectors
for
all
three
basic
tape form ulotions
(ferric
-oxide,
chromium-
dioxide,
and ferrichrome).
The
Onkyo
Model
TX -220
AM /stereo
FM
receiver,
though
relatively
low
-
priced,
compares.
favorably
in performance
with others
costing
more
-and
has
most
of
the same
.featu
res. It
is rated
for lower
power
than
some
more
deluxe
units,
but there
are many
compact
speakers that
it can
drive
to
room-filling
levels
without
strain.
-Julian
D. Hirsch
MARANTZ
MODEL
5220
STEREO
CASSETTE
DECK
Front
-load
tape
deck
combines
fine
performance with
luxury
features.
The
Marantz
HIRSCH-
Model
5220
is
HOUCK
a front -loading
cassette deck
whose
styling
matches
that of
other audio
compo-
nents in the
company's line. More than
half
of
the
satin
-gold front panel is
de-
voted
to
a blackout area
that
corre-
sponds to the dial portion
ordinarily
found
on
tuners and
receivers. When
the
power
is
on,
two level meters, (il-
luminated in
blue and
red), become
visible
behind
the
blackout
window.
The
cassette compartment oc-
cupies the left portion
of
the
panel and
is internally
lighted to permit visibility
of the
cassette
while
playing or
record-
ing.
The compartment is
covered by a
tinted plastic window that
swings
open
for
inserting
or
removing the
tape
and closes by
operating a
lever
near the
cassette well.
The
deck measures 163/8
"W
x
121/2
"D
x
53/4"H
(41.6 x
31.8
x
13.7
cm) and
weighs 191
pounds (8.9
kg). Price is
$349.95.
General
Description.
The
deck's
control
section includes
an
index
counter for
the tape,
accompanied
by
pushbuttons
to reset
the counter
and
engage
a MEMORY feature.
When the
latter
is
engaged, the tape
automati-
cally
stops when the
counter reaches
000 in the rewind
mode. This is
con-
venient
when you
want to return to
a
previously
selected point
on the tape.
Six levers
provide control
of the
tape transport. They
are labelled
EJECT, REC,
REW, FF,
STOP, and PAUSE.
Except for
REC, any control
can be op-
erated at any time
without first
stop-
ping
the tape.
At the end
of
the
tape,
or
if the
cassette jams
or breaks, the
mechanism
shuts off
and disengages
automatically in
any
operating mode.
Slide -type
controls
provide
a
means
for
separately
adjusting the
recording
levels
for
each
channel from
the mi-
crophone and line
sources.
(The two
can
be
mixed.)
A
single slide
poten-
tiometer
serves as the master level
control. The
playback level is normally
fixed,
but it can
be adjusted via
screwdriver
controls located in
the
rear
of the deck. The two
Mic jacks are
located
below their level
controls,
and
a stereo
jack for 8 -ohm headphones
is
below the
power switch.
The
deck's remaining
functions
are
controlled
by seven pushbutton
switches located
below
the
gain con-
trols. Two
switch in
and out the Dolby
FM
decoding
system for listening
to
broadcasts with the
benefits of noise
reduction
and correct frequency
bal-
ance.
Screwdriver
controls on the
deck's rear
are provided for
calibrat-
ing
the Dolby
circuits to
a standard
level
tone transmitted
by the FM
sta-
tion
by
setting
the meter
pointers
to
the Dolby
(
+2
-dB) marks
on
the
scales. A
slide switch
on the rear
of the
deck
can be
used to insert
a compen-
sating
network
to
convert the
normal
75
-Ms tuner
deemphasis
to the 25
-Ms
used
in Dolby
transmissions.
(If your
tuner has
its
own
25
-Ms deemphasis
network,
this
switch
should be left in
the 75
-Ms
position.)
Another
pushbutton
turns
on
and
off the Dolby
circuits themselves for
FM
decoding
or for recording
and
playing
tapes.
Separate pushbuttons
for
NORMAL
(low -noise ferric
-oxide
tapes),
CrO0,
and FeCr tape formula-
tions
simultaneously
select the cor-
rect
bias
and equalization required
for
each type
of tape. The final pushbut-
ton
engages a recording
LIMITER that
goes into
operation at levels
above 0
dB to
prevent tape saturation
and dis-
tortion from
unexpected high input
levels.
A
red
PEAK
light,
located
be-
tween
the meters, flashes
when in-
staneous recording levels
exceed
"safe" limits.
A
REC
light glows
red
when
the deck is in
the recording
mode.
The
tape
transport
employs
a
servo -controlled
dc motor
for
driving
the
capstans
and tape hubs. Plug
-in
circuit -board
assemblies
are used
in
the
deck for
easy
serviceability,
and
extra
shielding and
bias traps keep
the
100
-kHz
bias oscillator
signal out of
the line
outputs
when recording.
The
deck's
circuits, including
the Dolby
noise reduction
section,
are built with
discrete
components
to reduce
distor-
tion
at high
signal levels. Ferrite
tape
heads
provide long life
and wide fre-
quency response.
Laboratory
Measurements.
The
playback
frequency
response
was
measured
with
both
120-
and 70 -Ms
test
tapes for the
NORMAL and CrO_/
FeCr tape
selector
settings.
The
68
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