The Sony TC-K44
incorporates many of the outstanding features of the TC-K-22, including metal
tape capability, Dolby noise reduction, and the Tri-Duty DC servo motor. To
these, the K44 adds a frequency generator (FG) servo system, for even better
tape speed stability, and two other significant features; the Sendust and
Ferrite head and LED Peak Program Meters. All told, the TC-K44 is a machine of
superior performance capabilities. Yet its price makes it readily accessible to
the music lover.
Sendust and Ferrite
Head
Sony created the new
Sendust and Ferrite head to meet a primary requirement of metal tape; increased
flux density. The outstanding characteristic of sendust is its maximum flux
density, the highest of any head material. Sendust also exhibits extreme hardness
for long head life. yet sendust has drawbacks that disqualify it from use
throughout the head. Two characteristics important for high-frequency response,
specific resistance and permeability, are quite low. And permeability is lower
still when metal alloys are added to offset sendust's tendency to rust.
Sony has produced a corrosion-resistant sendust formulation without
sacrificing permeability. And Sony has applied sendust only where its draw
backs are less important, and its maximum flux density is most impotrant; at
the tip of the head, surrounding the gap. The majority of the magnetic core is
composed of ferrite, a material with high specific resistance and high
permeability, for extended high-frequency response. Thus, the Sendust and Ferrite
head combines all the performance advantages of both ferrite and sendust
without the disadvantages of either.
It is often
overlooked that the head's mechanical construction is just as important
as its chemical composition. For example, the physical stress on the head
core during fabrication can degrade audio performance. Many organic bonding
agents used in conventional heads allow slippage over the years, causing the
head gaps to spread or "scatter". Left and right channels can be
subject to signal phase shift. Also the core of the head can twist and the gap
filler can buckle, deforming the critical point of tape-to-head contact. Sony
overcomes these problems through careful head design and fabrication,.
Inorganic bonding materials are used throughout, for their superior strenght.
Qurtz gap filler - applied by vapor deposition - provides an ideal match for
Sendust's excellent hardness. And special low-stress manufacturing techniques
are used to form and polish the magnetic materials. The result is a head that
delivers the full performance of sendust and ferrite, and continues to deliver this
performance over many years of use.
LED Peak Program
Meters
Recording levels on
the K44 can be monitored on bright, sixteen-segment light-emitting diode (LED)
Peak Program Meters. Because LEDs have no mechanical inertia to overcome, they
can follow the transient peaks of music with outstanding accuracy. Calibrated
across a broad range from -30 to +30 dB, the meters feature an expanded scale
in the critical range around 0 dB. Above 0 dB, the LED segments are red, to
indicate the onest of potential tape overload. Because the meters are arranged
in two parallel lines, you can evaluate left/right channel balance at a glance.
Also, with automatic peak-hold, the highest peak indication remains lit for 2,5
seconds, or until a higher peak is established. Automatic peak hold is
particulary useful when you first set recording levels.
Additional Features
The K44 has the same
complement of convenient controls and operating features as the K22, plus three
additions. First is "punch-in" recording, the ability to go from the
Play mode directly into the Record mode, without first pressing Stop. Punch-in
recording permits more professional results when taping material onto a
previously recorded track. Second, the Record Mute allows you to blank
out broadcast commercials and other interruptions, while remaining in the
Record mode. Third, and finally, the K44 incorporates a volume control
for manual adjustment of the headphone output levels.
Specifications
TC-K44
Fast-Forward/Rewind
Time (C-60): 90 sec.
Wow and Flutter:
0,06% (WRMS); 0,17% (DIN 45507)
Frequency Response
(-3 to +3 dB, Re: -20 dB):
Metalic Tape : 30 -
15,000 Hz
FeCr Tape : 30 -
15,000 Hz
EHF Tape : 30 -
14,000 Hz
SHF Tape : 30 -
13,000 Hz
Frequency Response
at Re 0 dB:
Metallic Tape : 30 -
13,000 Hz
Signal-to-Noise
Ratio (Dolby NR Off, Re: 3% THD, Peak, IHF-A weighted):
Metallic Tape : 58
dB
FeCr Tape : 58 dB
EHF Tape : 56 dB
SHF Tape : 52 dB
Improvement with
Dolby NR On : Up to 5 dB at 1 kHz, 10 dB at 5 kHz or Above
Total Harmonic
Distortion (1 kHz, Re: 0 dB Record Level):
Metallic Tape : 1,0%
FeCr Tape : 1,0%
Crosstalk (1 kHz,
tracks): 60 dB
Separation (1 kHz,
channels): 35 dB
Erasure (400 Hz,
incl. Mettallic Tape): 60 dB
Bias Frequency:
105 kHz
Meter Range:
-30 , +8 dB
Line Input
Sensitivity/Impedance: 77,5 mV/50 k Ohms
Mic Input
Sensitivity/Impedance: 0,25 mV/Low
Line Output: Level,
Fixed: 435 mV
Line Output: Load
Impedance, Nominal: 50 k Ohms
Load Impedance,
Minimum: 10 k Ohms
Headphone Output
Level: 0 - 77,5 mV
Nominal Headphone
Impedance : 8 Ohms
Power Requirements:
AC 120 V, 60 Hz
Power Consumption:
14 W max
Dimensions (W x H x
D): 430 x 105 x 290 mm (17" x 4-1/8" x 11-3/8")
Weight: 5,0 kg
(11 lbs)