Denon DRR-M7 Stereo Cassette Deck

This Denon DRR-M7 Stereo Cassette Deck was sold as an optional extra in the D-M7 Personal Component System. What makes it interesting is the horizontal tray-loading mechanism that operates like a DVD or CD drive. Otherwise, it has very basic features and only a few indicator lights. There&no counter or way to view and set record level. All components in this mini-system were designed with the same dimensions, and a gray area on each side for controls. This might have been the be the design motivation to load the cassette with a very slow motorized tray. While this looks cool and works just like the Denon MD and CD player, in my opinion sticking to this design hurts usability for the cassette deck. However, in 1998, most owners of this system were probably just using it for occasional playback. This particular model was purchased on eBay with a description indicating it would not power on. Inside, I found a severely damaged circuit board. After fixing some broken solder traces, I also found a loose reel pulley. It sounds OK, but seems like the recording was slightly distorted... (Of course there was no way to set the record level!) If you&interested in seeing videos of other old technology, cassette decks, and reel-to-reel machines, check out our "Old Technology" playlist here: 00:00 - Intro 00:33 - Inside mechanism 01:03 - Mini Systems History 02:02 - Repair Part 1, No Power! 03:00 - Repair Part 2, Damage 04:41 - Repair Part 3, Rattle 05:20 - Audio Sample