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!
