Stereo
Cassette Deck with 3-Head/2-Motor DC Drive, Closed-Loop Dual Capstan and 2-Mode
Electronic Fluroscan Meter
Features:
3-head
Monitor-Capable with "Small-Window" erase Head
Pioneer
Sendust Metal-Capable Heads & Wide-Range Electronics
2-Motor DC
and Closed-Loop Dual Capstan Drive, Wow/Flutter 0,04%
19-Segment
Electronic 2-Mode Fluroscan meter
Continuously
-Adjustable Bias, logic Controls, Dolby NR and more.
The
Metal-Capable Deck
The search
for the ideal material to assure a clean, bright and undistorted
"reflection" on playback has
finally come to an end with the so-called "metal" casettes. But Pioneer would like to remind you that all
our new metal-capable cassette decks, including the CT-F850, have been wholly
redesigned to handle metal and all other types of tapes with greatly enhanced
performance. Therefore, we recommend that you consider such features as the
3-Head Monitor-Capable configuration and the 2-Motor DC Closed-Loop Dual
Capstan drive system in this deck as having at least as much (maybe more)
importanmce as its metal-tape-handling capabilities. These and other features
combine to make this, our "third best" deck, a wise investment in
non-obsolescence, one that will always reflect the finest in high fidelity
recording and playback.
All
Cassettes are "Metal" in a sense.
If you want
to split hairs, all cassette tapes could be called "metal" because
all use one form or another of tiny ferriferous metal particles to receive and
hold the magnetically-encoded sound information passed on from the recording
head. Unitl recently, those metal particles were oxided ("rusted")
for easier handling. This naturally reduced their ability to accept high
inputs, especially in the high frequencies. In other words, they had relatively
low Hc (coercivity) and Br (remanent flux) characteristics.
But the New
"Metal" Tapes are Extraordinary.
The Hc of
"Normal" tapes was between 280 and 330 Oersted. Br was in the range
of 1,200 Gauss. Improvements were made with the use of chromium dioxides (CrO₂)
and so on, boosting the Hc to as high as 550 oersted and the Br to 1,600 Gauss.
But with non-oxided metal emulsion, the new metal tapes offer Hc of 950 - 1,100
Oersted and Br as high as 3,500 Gauss. However, to take full advantage of these
astonishing improvements, metal-capable decks must have very special heads and
electronics. All Pioneer decks, the CT-F850 ranking in the middle of the line
in terms of price and features, have those much needed improvements.
Two-Motor DC
Drive
Perfect
Tape-to-Head Contact
Pioneer has
improved the once-popular Closed-Loop Dual Capstan system to avoid slack,
snaris and stretching in the tape while keeping it in perfct contact with the
heads. The key is our Automatic Tape-Slack Canceller which puts the proper
tension on the tape before the pinch rollers are engaged. Then,the
"drive" capstan on the right and the "tension" capstan on
the left are looped via the sub-belt (with appropriate compensation) so that
they rotate at exactly the same speed. Your recorded/played signals retain the
same pitch and level from one end of your tape to the other.
Both Motors
are DC
With the use
of DC motors in the CT-F850 we have avoided speed. Fluctuations caused by
voltage/frequency variations in the power supply. The DC motor for the
reels is a high-torque type exhibiting
excellent high-speed performance over very long periods of time, it is
physically "de-coupled" from the capstan drive system to further
reduce vibration. Then, the DC motor for capstan drive is a servo type coupled
with the large flywheel by a flat precision-finished belt. Tape speeds are
rock-steady at all times because the speed of the motor is electronically
controlled instant by instant. The proof is in the excellent wow/flutter of
0,04% (WRMS)
3-Head
Heat-Sink Mounting
Mutual
interference is kept to a minimum by housing the REC and Play heads in separate
housing. But this Pioneer developed 3-head deck system uses a single die-cast
aluminum mount, including the "small-window" erase.the thick and
rigid structure dissipates heat effectively to prevent head malfunction.
Another
3-head Advantage
Tape/Source
monitoring is surely a major advantage in 3-head decks. But did you know that
using gaps of different width on our seoarate Rec and Play heads also improves
performance. This is another strong reason to spend that little extra to make
your deck a 3-head model from Pioneer.
Specifications
Systems: Compact cassette, 2-hannel stereo
Motors: Capstan drive, DC servo Motor x 1
Reel
drive: DC high torque motor x 1
Heads: Sendust Recording/Playback combination type
head x 1
Erasing head
x 1
Fast Winding
Time: approx. 85 sec. (C-60 tape)
Wow and
Flutter: no more than 0,04% (WRMS)
No more than
±0,14% (DIN)
Frequency
Response (-20 dB Recording):
Standard, LH
tapes: 20 to 17,00 Hz ; (25 to 15,000 Hz
±3 dB)
Ferrichrome
tape: 20 to 18,000 Hz ; (25 to 17,000 Hz
±3 dB)
Chromium
dioxide tape : 20 to 18,000 Hz ; (25 to
17,000 Hz ±3 dB)
Metal tape
: 20 to 19,000 Hz ; (25 to 18,000 Hz ±3
dB)
Frequency
Response (0 dB Recording):
Chromium
dioxide tape : 20 to 11,000 Hz
Metal
tape: 20 to 14,000 Hz
Signal-to-Noise
Ratio:
Dolby NR Off
: more than 59 dB
Dolby NR On
: more than 69 dB (over 5 kHz)
Total
Harmonic Distortion: no more than 1,2%
(0 dB)
Inputs
Sensitivity/Max.Input/Impedance:
Mic : 0,3 mV/100 mV / 10 k Ω (6 mm Jack, ref. Mic
Impedance 250 Ω to 10 k Ω)
Line x 2
: 64 mV/ 25 V / 85 k Ω (Pin Jack)
Outputs Ref.
Level/ Max. Level / Load Impedance
Line x 2
: 450 mV/630 mV / 50 k Ω (Pin Jack)
Hedaphones
: 70 mV/ 98 mV / 8 Ω (6 mm Jack)
Semiconductors:
Amplifier
Section: 49 Transistors; 10 Ics; 41
Diodes; 3 Zener Diodes; 7 LEDs
Motor
Control Section: 3 Transistors; 1 Diode
Subfunctions:
Dolby NR
system (ON-OFF) with LED indicator lamp
Fluorescence
tube level meter (-20 to +8 dB)(peak/Average Selector)
Biasfine
adjusting control knob
4 position
tape selector (STD/METAL/CrO₂/Fe-Cr)
Automatic
Tape slack canceller
Cassette
compartment illumination
Standby
mechanism with unattended recording
Output level
controls with click stop for reference playback level
Power
Requirements: AC 120, 220, 240 V
(switchable)50/60 Hz
Power
Consumption: 45 watts or 50 watts
Dimensions
(W x H x D): 420 x 150 x 361 mm
(16-9/16" x 5-15/16" x 14-1/4")
[452 x 160 x
361 mm (17-13/16" x 5-5/16" x 14-1/4") D/G model]
Weight: 9,5 kg (20 lb 14 oz) [9,9 kg (21 lb 12 oz D/G
model]
