THIS DIGITAL AUDIO TAPE DECK IS A BEAST WHEN IT COMES TO SOUND QUALITY

Vintage Sony equipment is known for being reliable, consistent, and durable - and their DAT recorder / player decks are no different.

DAT cassettes are an old audio recording format popular in the 1990s. Professionals loved them for their quality as DATs could create perfect clones of a digital source without any loss. They work by converting analog sound into a digital signal, then storing that data on a magnetic tape. When the tape is played, the data is converted back into analog signals. They were known for their superior quality, suitability for editing, data copying abilities, and data storage capabilities. They never really took off with consumers due to their price, but many audiophiles and audio enthusiasts even today like to keep a DAT recorder in their stereo setup.

Sony was the biggest kid on the playground when it came to home DAT decks. While other brands offered some hallmarks of professional DAT recorders (like Otari, Tascam, Studer, and Fostex), Sony held the rank of the most popular among consumers. One of their best machines was the DTC-670. This Digital Audio Tape Deck offered a quality and convenience that made it a crowd-pleaser among all lovers of the DAT format - professionals and consumers alike.

HEAPS OF FEATURES

The Sony DTC-670 is stuffed to the brim with features worth owning. The best feature, of course, is the incredible sound quality: with a 1-bit A/D converter (which is the section that changes analog input signals to digital signals), it theoretically generates no zero-cross distortion in order to record nothing but clear, elegant audio. It uses a Pulse D/A converter as well, so you also get first-rate playback performance when you’re listening to your recordings.

This system also offers three sampling frequencies for recording/playback (48kHZ, 44.1kHz, and 32kHz), which equal or surpass those of a CD. It’s also a Serial Copy Management System, so you can record digital sound (such as audio from a CD player) through a digital-to-digital connection (using a coaxial digital cable or an optical digital cable).

The DTC-670 model also boasts…

• Long play mode: When a DT-120 DAT cassette tape is used, analog input signals can be recorded / played back for up to four consecutive hours.
• Visible cassette loading: The tape operation can be viewed through the door of the cassette compartment; thanks to its transport mechanism, cassette loading time was significantly reduced compared to previous models.
• Rich variety of subcode information: This machine can record various subcode information (e.g./ Start IDs, program numbers, Skip IDs, and absolute time data), so you can quickly locate tunes and display the playback time in the same way as when playing CDs.
• Post edit recording of subcodes: Even after the recording has been completed, you can record or rewrite subcodes without affecting the audio signals.

THE FRONT PANEL

Sony’s 670 also looks as amazing as it sounds with a beautiful sleek black front panel complete with an LED display. Towards the left you have your Power switch, Remote Sensor, REC Mode selector (for choosing either standard or long play), and Timer switch. Next to these is the DAT cassette compartment (if you’re lucky enough to own this machine, be sure to insert the cassette with the window side up and the safety tab facing you).

Then as you move towards the other side, you get your display (with helpful info such as the subcodes and the timer), Counter buttons, Open/Close button, and Tape Operating buttons. On the far right hand side are the Start ID buttons (Auto, Write, Erase, and Renumber), Skip ID buttons (Write and Erase), Input Selector knob (Analog, Optical, and Coaxial), Balance Control knob to adjust the recording balance for analog input signals, and Rec Level control to adjust the recording level for analog input signals. Finally, at the bottom right corner is your headphones jack and the Phones Level control to adjust the headphones volume level.

THE BACK PANEL

The rear panel is your analog and digital connections. First on the left is the Line In jacks for connecting to the recording outputs of an amplifier. Signals from the amp can be recorded using a 48kHZ sampling frequency (in standard play mode) or 32kHz (in long play mode). Next to that is the Line Out jacks for connecting to the DAT / tape inputs of an amplifier; the playback signal of a tape deck is always the output.

Then you move on towards the digital connections with a Coaxial and Optical input. For digital-to-digital recording, connect to the digital outputs of an amp with a built-in D/A converter or a digital source like a CD player. Finally, you have the Optical Digital output jack. For this one, you would connect to the digital inputs of an amp or another DAT tape deck for playback for a DAT cassette or digital-to-digital recording.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Track System: 2-channel stereo
• Tape Speed: 4.075, 8.15 mm/s
• Recording Time: 240 minutes
• Heads: 1000, 2000rpm, rotary
• D/A Converter: 1-bit
• A/D Converter: 1-bit
• Sampling Frequency: 48, 44.1, 32kHz
• Frequency Response: 2Hz to 22kHz
• Signal to Noise Ratio: 90dB
• Dynamic Range: 90dB
• Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.005%
• High density linear A/D D/A converter
• Factory Remote: RM-D55A
• Manufactured: 1992 in Japan
• Dimensions: 17" x 13" x 4.53" (LxWxH)
• Weight: 15.4 lbs

IN SUMMARY

DAT cassettes aren’t used much anymore (all Sony DAT machines were discontinued in 2005), and there’s little chance of a DAT revival. However, there are still those out there who appreciate the high quality behind the small yet mighty Digital Audio Tape. And whether you want to playback those old tapes or you still enjoy recording audio onto them, you need a deck worthy of that commitment. And that’s where a reliable, durable, and convenient deck like the DTC-670 comes in.

Thanks for reading! If you’re interested in being the one to snatch up this incredible unit, you can find it listed on our website here. Have a great day!

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