I searched for a good cassette deck (for making copies)and found the CT-s920s. In addition to the pioneer I own a Nakamichi CR-7E and an old AIWA AD-F 660, and all I have to say is: the pioneer is more detailed, warm and has an outrageous dynamic. The best deck I've ever heard. It's unbelievable, but siince them I use the Naka for the copies. Especially with metal tapes and Dolby S/HX Pro.

Similar Products Used:

AIWA AD-F 660, Nakamichi CR-7E

This model is the "little brother" of the CT-93 S also reviewed here. It was advertised as a "top of the line" cassette deck for the consumer audio market, and priced accordingly. It was the best thing available in my area at that time and I bought it hoping it would make a good substitute for a high end Nak, TEAC or Akai - money was not an issue. (Are any of these brands considering to improve their marketing? They should.) Its sound at the showroom was also quite convincing. However, the model is a good example about how a good idea can be spoiled. It lacks by far the refinement and reliability you would expect from a product in this price range. The good points: a very ergonomic design, plenty of features. Very warm sound, sometimes more natural than the original digital recording. Unfortunately, that's about it. I guess because of economical reasons, the materials and craftsmanship are poor. Loose buttons!?! Its "fancy-mechanism door" relies on a motor and some steel springs – one of the latter broke after about a year. The much-acclaimed-and-advertised dual capstan system ended up by "chewing" tapes a few months later. (Add $100 extra to the initial price). The FL display, although user-friendly and ergonomic, is way too small for such a device. Why focus on the three different display modes while "fine tuning" a recording, instead of focusing on the sound? It also has the same problem (see the other reviews) with the balance button. The best thing to do is to leave it alone. If you can, that is, because here comes the major flaw: the two heads are impossible to align, resulting in severe signal loss (randomly, on each channel) during a recording. The "qualified" servicemen at the dealer were unable to fix it. I have seen a Sony deck priced much lower than this one, and it was delivering almost the same sound quality – on a regular basis. I guess it is a matter of luck, after all. (Another review prefers Pioneer to Sony for reasons similar to mine). Nevertheless, this unit features lots of pretentious gadgets while neglecting refinement. Very little bang-for-the-buck or, from the manufacturer's perspective, more profit, less quality. (Speaking of profit, the remote controller does not work unless you are using a Pioneer amplifier). For what it could have been, I'm rating this deck with one star.

Sound, reliable, handling

Perfect with Maxell MX-S or TDK MA-XG, I'll never change to
digital recording until i can't get hi quality metal tapes.