Pioneer CT-W650R Dual Cassette Deck – Level 1 Serviced, Japan

A twin-transport Pioneer from 1991, built in Japan, with both decks auto-reversing and Dolby HX Pro on the recording side.

What it is

The CT-W650R is Pioneer’s answer to a problem most dual decks of the era solved badly. Twin-transport machines were usually built to a price — dub a tape, play a tape, never mind how it sounds. This one was aimed at the buyer who wanted two transports without giving up the things that make a single deck worth owning, and the spec sheet shows where the money went.

Both transports auto-reverse, not just the playback side. Each has its own four-digit counter. Recording gets manual level and manual balance control, peak-hold meters, and a switchable multiplex filter tied to the Dolby switch. There are microphone inputs on the front and a headphone output beside them. Dubbing runs at normal speed or high speed, and there is CD synchro recording for starting a disc and the tape together.

Dolby and HX Pro

Dolby B and C are both here, and C is the one that matters — roughly twenty decibels of noise reduction above 1 kHz, double what B manages, which is the difference between tape hiss you stop noticing and tape hiss you never hear.

HX Pro is the more interesting inclusion. It is not noise reduction at all. It adjusts bias continuously during recording in response to the high-frequency content of the music itself, which lets the tape hold treble it would otherwise compress away. It works on playback anywhere, on any deck, because the improvement is recorded into the tape. On a twin deck at this price it was not a given.

The deck also carries Pioneer’s Auto BLE, which reads the tape in the transport and sets bias, level and equalisation to suit it. Type I, chrome and metal are all supported, and the tape type is detected automatically.

The work that has been done

Level 1 Service

This unit has undergone our Level 1 service and testing, which should ensure many more years of reliable performance ahead. That covers thorough testing of all inputs, outputs and controls, deep cleaning and deoxidation of all pots and switches, replacement of any blown indicator lamps, a check and clean of the power supply wiring, and post-service burn-in and sign-off testing.

Level 1 is the level a well-kept machine needs. It is not a lesser standard — every unit that leaves our bench meets the same performance standard whatever level of work got it there, carries the full Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty, and is eligible for the Perpetual Trade-Back Program. A deck that only needed Level 1 arrived in good order, and it is usually the better value for it.

Condition

Very good. The black facia and controls present well for a machine of this age.

A well-specified twin deck from the years when Pioneer was still building them properly, serviced and ready to work.

Available for pickup in Kanata, or shipped across Canada and internationally — we have sent equipment to fifteen countries in the past year, each piece packed in-house in 275 lb test double-wall boxes. Live shipping rates for your address are calculated at checkout. Backed by Radique Audio’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and our Perpetual Trade-Back Program. Available for audition by appointment in Kanata.

Pioneer CT-W650R Specifications

• Type: double cassette deck, auto-reverse on both transports
• Track system: 4-track, 2-channel stereo
• Heads: one record/playback, one playback, one erase
• Motors: two DC servo, two DC reel
• Tape types: Type I, CrO2 and Metal, selected automatically
• Noise reduction: Dolby B and C
• Headroom extension: Dolby HX Pro
• Auto BLE bias, level and equalisation calibration
• Frequency response: 20 Hz to 19 kHz (metal), 20 Hz to 18 kHz (chrome), 20 Hz to 17 kHz (normal)
• Signal to noise ratio: 76 dB (Dolby C)
• Wow and flutter: 0.055%
• Total harmonic distortion: under 0.8%
• Dubbing: normal and high speed
• CD synchro recording
• Switchable MPX filter, linked to the Dolby NR switch
• Manual recording level and balance
• Peak-hold level meters
• Four-digit counter on each deck
• Microphone inputs and headphone output
• Input: 63 mV (line) · Output: 0.3 V (line)
• Power consumption: 26 W
• Made in Japan, 1991
• Dimensions: (Width x Height x Depth) 16.5 x 5 x 10.6 inches (420 x 128 x 268 mm)
• Weight: 10.4 lbs (4.7 kg)

⚠️ Important Information for International Buyers

This unit is configured for North American 110/120V power. Buyers outside North America will require a step-down transformer and appropriate plug adapter.

✅ Buy With Confidence — The Radique Promise

Backed by Radique Audio’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and our Perpetual Trade-Back Program. When you’re ready to move on, we’ll take it back. That’s the Radique difference.

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