TEAC - A-450 Audio-cassette deck
Opens 11:00
Starting bid
€ 1
Add to your favourites to get an alert when the auction starts.
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 129956 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Description from the seller
TEAC A-450, nicknamed “The Challenger,” is a stereo cassette deck launched in 1973 and designed to integrate into high-end hi-fi systems. It was one of the earliest concrete attempts to bring cassette deck performance to a competitive level with reel-to-reel recorders, thanks to a remarkably robust construction and technical solutions borrowed directly from TEAC’s open-reel technology.
Built with the renowned build quality of the Japanese brand, the TEAC A-450 offers a warm, dynamic, and precise sound, supported by a high-stability external rotor motor, 90 mm flywheels, and a special flat belt that ensures smooth operation. The mechanics were designed with obsessive attention to detail: the transport system uses tape guides, pinch roller, and head supports finished to micrometric tolerances. The result is an astonishingly low wow & flutter value, 0.07%, practically imperceptible to the human ear.
The unit features a three-stage bias and equalization selector, optimizing performance for different tape types, including chrome tapes. In playback mode, the dedicated CrO2 tape equalization circuit improves the signal-to-noise ratio by about 4.5 dB at 10 kHz. It also includes a next-generation Dolby NR circuit, boosted with a ferrite-headed HD transducer with a hyperbolic profile and a mirror finish, which ensures excellent frequency response and minimizes phase distortions, especially at high frequencies.
The front panel hosts two large, highly responsive analog VU meters, accompanied by a peak indicator LED that lights at +6 dB above 0 VU. Recording can be adjusted with long-throw linear volume controls, ideal for smooth fades. The deck includes advanced features for its time, such as separate mic and line input mixing, a timer for programmed recordings, a standby function to reduce mechanical wear, and automatic stop for power saving.
Completing the package are the smoked acrylic cover, the integrated cassette compartment, a 150 W mains output with timer, headphone output, tape progress indicators, and a counter. The TEAC A-450 is highly sought after today by collectors and audiophiles thanks to its refined technical design and the sound quality that, at the time, rivaled professional reel-to-reel recorders.
Device inspected, functioning, and in good aesthetic condition despite its age; please check the photos carefully."
TEAC A-450, nicknamed “The Challenger,” is a stereo cassette deck launched in 1973 and designed to integrate into high-end hi-fi systems. It was one of the earliest concrete attempts to bring cassette deck performance to a competitive level with reel-to-reel recorders, thanks to a remarkably robust construction and technical solutions borrowed directly from TEAC’s open-reel technology.
Built with the renowned build quality of the Japanese brand, the TEAC A-450 offers a warm, dynamic, and precise sound, supported by a high-stability external rotor motor, 90 mm flywheels, and a special flat belt that ensures smooth operation. The mechanics were designed with obsessive attention to detail: the transport system uses tape guides, pinch roller, and head supports finished to micrometric tolerances. The result is an astonishingly low wow & flutter value, 0.07%, practically imperceptible to the human ear.
The unit features a three-stage bias and equalization selector, optimizing performance for different tape types, including chrome tapes. In playback mode, the dedicated CrO2 tape equalization circuit improves the signal-to-noise ratio by about 4.5 dB at 10 kHz. It also includes a next-generation Dolby NR circuit, boosted with a ferrite-headed HD transducer with a hyperbolic profile and a mirror finish, which ensures excellent frequency response and minimizes phase distortions, especially at high frequencies.
The front panel hosts two large, highly responsive analog VU meters, accompanied by a peak indicator LED that lights at +6 dB above 0 VU. Recording can be adjusted with long-throw linear volume controls, ideal for smooth fades. The deck includes advanced features for its time, such as separate mic and line input mixing, a timer for programmed recordings, a standby function to reduce mechanical wear, and automatic stop for power saving.
Completing the package are the smoked acrylic cover, the integrated cassette compartment, a 150 W mains output with timer, headphone output, tape progress indicators, and a counter. The TEAC A-450 is highly sought after today by collectors and audiophiles thanks to its refined technical design and the sound quality that, at the time, rivaled professional reel-to-reel recorders.
Device inspected, functioning, and in good aesthetic condition despite its age; please check the photos carefully."
Details
Era
1900-2000
Brand
TEAC
Model
A-450
Multiple models
No
Physical condition
Good
Number of objects
1
Includes
Power cord
Year of manufacture
1972
Weight
12 kg
Functional condition
Tested and working/playable
Sold by
