TDK MA-R

MA-R

THE OVER-ENGINEERED BEAST BY TDK

In the late 70s, somebody at TDK must have got it into their heads

that the cassette needed a facelift. Enter the MA-R Type IV, a complete

re-think and design of a format that was heading for it's

twentieth birthday.

More than the sum of it's parts!

When you hold one of these cassettes in your hand, you can't help

notice it's weight. It's heavier than nearly all other cassettes. The metal frame is the center point that the shells are screwed to with no less than six screws. The record tabs can be moved in and out of record position so there is no need for cellatape like other tapes with cracked tabs. The MA-R was made to impress and you can bet, it did more than that.

Side A covers the guide rollers.

Side B reveals them.

Unlike later MA-XG cassettes the frame was completely joined up.

The reversible record tabs.

The two different colours of the tape clips.

The pressure pad on the oval steel suspender.

SONIC TEST

Deck - Pioneer CT-S 810S, No Dolby, Super Auto BLE

'Tired of Sleeping' by Suzanne Vega was delivered with a warmth and depth that

can only be described as superb. The detail and placement of the instruments excellent.

The acoustic guitars on 'Men In A War' were tight and vibrant. The kick drum punchy and

energetic. It was impossible to tell source from tape. 'Flying In A Blue Dream' by Joe Satriani

sounded incredible. The tightness and clarity was stunning. The bass monstrous but

never intrusive. The lead guitar cut through like a bolt of lightning! The MA-R delivered 

every single bit of the sonic spectrum without noise and dropouts. It's hard to believe

a cassette could sound this good from 1979, but what do you expect from TDK,

one of the greatest tape manufacturers of them all. Incredible performance

from a tape that is nearly 35 years old!