Tag: Retro Reviews

Technics ST-600L FM/ AM Tuner

An excellent tuner that never seems to get a mention. Tuners in general are quite unpopular these days. This humble late ‘80s tuner is a capable performer though, and a neat, discrete package that modestly hides its true colours.

Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D’Arby – 30 Years On

It’s been 30 years since the man “Smash Hits” magazine christened Terence Tea-Towel released his debut album, “Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D’Arby”. In order to understand this album’s significance, one has to place it in context. 1987 was a pretty depressing year as far as mainstream pop music was concerned. The charts…… Continue reading Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D’Arby – 30 Years On

Cassette Tape Nostalgia (Rick Astley Nearly 30 Years On)

In the past, I’ve described the inherent sound of cassette tape as “the analogue goodness of vinyl, just less of it”. It wasn’t always so however.  Back in 1963, when Philips developed the cassette format, it was never intended to be a music medium, let alone a hi-fi one.  The cassette (and the machine to play and record on them) was compact and simple enough to make a good dictation system for the office.  There were a number of restrictions that hindered the cassette’s use for music playback.

The Original Technics 1200, a history and review

In October 1972, The Matsushita Electric Company, more commonly known today as Panasonic, launched a new mid-priced hi-fi turntable under its Technics brand. Its specifications could be matched only by the SP10, the world’s first direct drive turntable introduced just 2 years earlier by the same company, a turntable that had quickly become the standard for broadcast and recording applications. This turntable was, of course, the Technics 1200. Beginning with the MK2 iteration introduced in 1978, the Technics 1200 was the turntable that played a definitive roll in the birth of the modern DJ, extended disco mixes and the development of hip hop.

Retro Review: Realistic LAB-2100 Turntable

The LAB-2100 is a well engineered turntable with few gimmicks and a carefully considered compliment of features. Sound wise however it doesn’t match its closest competitors, falling short of the later offerings from the likes of Technics and paling in comparison to the models from their heyday. That said it’s still a fine piece of engineering, an interesting conversation piece, and it’s ideal for those who prefer convenience over sound quality.