Description
The KX-700 is a two-head cassette deck built around a single-motor synchronous double-drive transport. The recording and playback duties are handled by a single super ferrite head (S.F.H.), with a separate erase head — this was a notable specification for the era, with the sintered ferrite construction offering considerably greater hardness than the permalloy heads common on contemporary rivals. The transport is driven by a synchronous motor chosen for its speed stability, and the deck offers fast-forward and rewind times of 75 seconds or less for a C-60 cassette.
Dolby B noise reduction is built in, operating on the recording and playback stages to improve signal-to-noise performance by compressing and expanding the low-level signal — a genuine advantage when recording from vinyl or broadcast sources. The deck supports regular, low-noise, and chrome tape formulations, selected via front-panel push-button switching, and handles C-30 through to C-120 cassettes. Frequency response extends to 16kHz with chrome tape and 13kHz with regular tape, with wow and flutter measured at 0.1% weighted RMS.
Input options are comprehensive for a deck of this period: two microphone inputs with a minimum sensitivity of 0.3mV, two line-level inputs, and a DIN connector. Output is provided via line-level RCA phono connections and a front-panel headphone socket suitable for 8–16 ohm headphones. It is worth noting that, as a two-head deck, off-tape monitoring during recording is not available — the single record/playback head handles both functions, and the user sets record levels via the input metering rather than monitoring the signal after it has been laid down on tape.
Technical Specifications (Source: Audio Database / HiFi Wiki)
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Type: Stereo Cassette Deck
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Track System: 4-track, 2-channel stereo
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Heads: 2-head (1 x record/playback S.F.H., 1 x erase)
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Tape Speed: 4.76 cm/s
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Wow and Flutter: 0.1% (wrms)
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Frequency Response: 25Hz – 16kHz (Chrome Tape); 25Hz – 13kHz (Regular Tape)
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Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 58dB (Chrome, Dolby On); 55dB (Regular, Dolby On); 48dB (Chrome, Dolby Off); 45dB (Regular, Dolby Off)
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Total Harmonic Distortion: 2% or less
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Channel Separation: 40dB or more
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Recording Bias: AC system, 85kHz
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Erasing Method: AC erase
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Inputs: Mic x2 (0.3mV / 600Ω), Line x2 (77.5mV / 680Ω), DIN
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Outputs: Line (0.775V / 100kΩ load), Headphones (8–16Ω)
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Fast Forward/Rewind Time: 75 seconds or less (C-60)
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Power Requirement: 100V AC, 50/60Hz
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Power Consumption: 20W
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Dimensions (W x H x D): 394 x 117 x 288 mm
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Weight: 6.1 kg
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Year of Production: 1973 – 1975
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Country of Origin: Japan
Why Buy From Us
With over 40 years of experience in the Hi-Fi industry, we are well placed to assess and test equipment of this type. This unit was serviced and fully tested by Andrew in our workshop prior to listing.
When you buy from us you can expect:
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Full inspection and testing prior to listing — not simply a visual check
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A 3-month guarantee on every item we sell
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Transparent descriptions with no omissions
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Professional packaging to ensure safe delivery
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After-sales support available by phone or email should you have any questions
Summary
The Trio KX-700 is a capable and historically interesting cassette deck from the early 1970s, offering Dolby B noise reduction, chrome tape compatibility, and a well-engineered transport in a compact chassis. This example has been serviced and is in excellent cosmetic condition, making it a sound choice for anyone building a period-appropriate system or exploring analogue tape recording. Please note that this is a 100V Japanese-market unit — a suitable step-down transformer will be required for use on UK mains supplies. This is a single-unit listing. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions prior to purchase.
