If you can find a new cassette deck, it probably uses one of these $2 mechanisms :

Better to find a good used one if you really want to play and record cassettes.

 

LOL 8051. You are in a roll.

In Ethiopia Duty Free shop, they still sell Betamax tapes and player. They do not even dust them off anymore.

 

Your thread crapping is getting old fast.

 

I like Bing better. First result was Amazons best seller list. Turns out you can buy a bag of assorted square drive belts for cheap. They wouldn't fix how cassettes get all tight though, or their low sound quality.

 

They wouldn't fix cassettes low sound quality.

(Purposeful misquote)
Hey now! That is the media of my childhood. What you are calling low sounds quality is patina.

 

I still have an old portable one. Emerson or Koss or something like that lol. Think I still have an old Eminem Cassette in there. Those things went through AA batteries fast.

 

Ah the old days!
I was buying Maxell and TDK cassettes by the box of tens! Normal, Chrome and Metal where the three tiers. I was going for Chrome or even Metal sometimes. Best clearest and loud recording.
Then, I started to use VHS 4 head HIFI to record music from CDs from friends and rentals from the library, its was better tape quality and better heads on the VHS recorder than regular cassettes.

Metal was the shytz!

XLIIs were Chrome (CrO2)

 

Tape decks and cassettes are two different things.

(shows how old I am). Tape decks refer to 8 track decks. Cassette players are typically referred to as cassette decks.

 

I still have whole bunch of My First Sony stuff from the 80's etc including cassette tapes. In fact, still have most of my toys from the 80's including box full of sanrio stuff. Most of the stuff still works including the Electric Pencil Shapener.

 

TEAC W-1200 Dual Cassette Deck with Recorder / USB / Pitch / Karaoke-Mic-in and Remote : Amazon.ca: Electronics

TEAC W-1200 Dual Cassette Deck with Recorder / USB / Pitch / Karaoke-Mic-in and Remote : Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

Its out there, but its very niche, so pricey...sunrise records sells music cassettes still

Search results | Sunrise Records (2428391 Ontario Inc)

www.sunriserecords.com

Tascam CD-A580 Cassette/CD/USB MP3 Player Recorder Combo, Black : Amazon.ca: Electronics

Tascam CD-A580 Cassette/CD/USB MP3 Player Recorder Combo, Black : Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

 

TEAC still makes them, however, the technology peaked sometime in the 80's. While there is a case to be made for vinyl on a good analog system, cassette's are a pretty terrible medium, and your run of the mill mp3 will sound superior in many cases. For the snobs, I enjoy my audio in DSD and hires flac's, a good and balanced system will recreate the sound of gods

 

While there is a case to be made for vinyl on a good analog system

Vinyl is pretty terrible too, at least compared to modern digital formats or reel to reel. People like vinyl because it's a big spinny thing that they can hold and look at.

 

I did find two cassette decks for sale at B&H. It looks like dolby NR isn't a thing anymore though.
I figured DAT would live on over analog cassette tapes.

 

DAT suffered from long seek time compared to CD, also multiple seeks or skipping tracks caused the spools to become uneven and you had loosen them up again. Sequential tape isn't good for anything except backups.

 

i traded a laundry basket full of cassettes for a car once years ago,,disks were just coming out then...he was happy with the tunes

 

I would see if any churches have some tape decks around that they no longer use. You might be able to lay your hand on a Professional deck.
I got a Marantz PMD510 this way. Just offer to donate something..

 

I havent seen them manufactured in years. I ditched my cassette deck long ago but couldnt let go of my old as dirt TEAC reel to reel. Still have a few dozen tape reels that are in excellent condition and break them out now and then. Have them going into the turntable input of my Denon as I sold off my turntable and entire LP collection some time ago. My go to is SACD through an Oppo.