Not Exactly Your Dad’s Walkman
August 1, 2011
With all of the emphasis on digital music recording these days, I’ve decided to make an about face and dramatically go old-school. Back in the 80s, the Nakamichi 550 was the ultimate portable analog recording deck. With peak reading meters and solid frequency response out to 18khz, it’s highly capable as a home or portable machine. Originally, it was meant to run on an AC adapter or 8 D-Cell batteries. (Buying that many batteries made me feel like Radio Raheem in Do the Right Thing. “I said D batteries, motherfucker!”) To stay green, a Black Lightning rechargeable battery supply is on the way from Red Wine Audio http://redwineaudio.com/components/black_lightning .
The unit pictured here is just about finished getting tuned up by the master, Willy Hermann from Willy Hermann Services. If you’ve got a Nakamichi deck that needs attention, give Willy a call. He rebuilt my Nakamichi Dragon to perfection and since its return, my reel-to-reel deck has been collecting dust. Who knows? Perhaps the 550 might make an appearance at one of next year’s hi-fi shows.