Among the many new audio products now on the shelves at your local hi-fi store is this 94 watt integrated stereo amplifier, the AU-6500, from Sansui. It’s loaded with all sorts of ‘audiophile’ features like: high and low cut filters, muting control, and loudness switch. The pre-amp and amplifier sections operate independently so that a four channel adaptor unit can be inserted. A tuner, two phonos, and a tape deck as well as an auxiliary input can be run .through the amp. List price is a very reasonable $259.95.

Now that high quality cassette tape and noise reduction systems have been introduced, cassette recorders are taking on a new look, many of them becoming as sophisticated as reel to reel tape decks. This new unit from AKAI, the GXC75D, is one of the new generation of cassette decks, providing all the features of reel to reel yet using the compact cassette format. Retail price is $429.95 and control: both Dolby and AKAI’s automatic distortion reduction system, three-way electrical reverse mode selector, automatic and manual reverse record and playback, tape selector circuit for either Cr02 or standard tape oxide, index counter with memory wind, automatic stop, and large, back-lighted vu meters.

I often get the feeling that somebody at Sony cares about all us amateur rock and roll engineers. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t come out with products like this one: Sony Model MX-20 mixer with eight inputs and four outputs (great for making your own quad tapes with a four-track reel to reel deck). The MX-20 is a professional unit, although the list price of $1,050 is well below what you’d usually pay for this kind of system. If the price is a little high, check out the other Sony mixers. . . prices start at under a hundred dollars.

Got $699.95? If you do Pioneer’s new RT-1050 tape deck is yours. A totally professional piece of equipment, this Pioneer deck is portable, yet offers a full ‘compliment of pro functions;:; it takes a 10.5 inch reel; has full logic solid-state electronic push button control system; line/mike input mixing facilities; accepts a pre-timing device for unattended recording; has sound-onsound and sound-with-sound capability; runs at 15 and 7.5 jps; and comes with half track heads, although a 4-track plug-in head assembly is also available. A remarkable number of functions for the price.

Another new audio product that, while aimed at the consumer market, is really another professional unit: Sony’s new Model TC-152SD portable stereo cassette deck. The only thing I can compare this unit to (in both size and function) is the Uher reel-to-reel tape recorders which for many years have been the standard portable recorders for radio production crews. This Sony cassette deck is portable (although it isn’t that small), runs on both throwaway and rechargeable batteries, and on house ac current. It has built-in Dolby noise reduction circuitry making it the only battery operated portable cassette unit on the market with Dolbys. There are two large vu meters, a full compliment of manual and automatic controls, plus line-in and line-out jacks so it can be used as a home deck with your stereo system when you’re not carrying it around. The price, $299.95, makes it comparable to other Dolby decks on the market, with the added advantage of it being portable.

If you’re interested in a four-channel tape recorder, Check out this new one from Dokorder, their 7140 Quadraphonic Tape Deck. It’s a full 2-channel/ 4-channel record and play machine. It has a multi-sync function which permits four separate tracks to be recorded individually and allows any individual track to be re-recorded at any time in perfect sync with the other three tracks — thus you can do professional overdubs on this machine. The Dokorder 7140 has full selonoid controlled tape transport and uses three separate heads for record, playback, and erase. The price is $629.95.

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If you’re building a stereo system on a budget, you should check out the Superscope line of products. Superscope (they also distribute Sony and Marantz in the U.S.) has a number of very reasonably priced, functional units, one of which is pictured above. This is their Model A-260 amplifier which retails for $169.95. It delivers 45 watts of power, has built in fake four channel circuitry to recover ambient noise from stereo records or broadcasts, and will accomodate an extra four channel decoder or demodulator should you decide to go to quad.

From H. H. Scott comes their new 'top of the linej R77S AM/FM Stereo receiver. A high quality unit delivering 70 watts of power, the receiver is a dramatic departure in cosmetic design (looks) from most audio productions of this type. Inside there’s also lots of new stuff, including circuits which guarantee that your FM stereo separation (leakage of one speaker’s signal into the other speaker) will be exceptional. The price is $599.90 which is reasonable considering the well-built, careful construction of this unit.