HIT: Cassettes (fwd)

["S. Allyn Marie" <samarie@UMD5.UMD.EDU>]

Thank you for your input on cassette players.  Here is a sampling of the
ideas I received.

For foreign language teachers, especially, we
invest in Califone model 367OAV Cassette Recorder/Listening Center.  A box style 
with a
lid.  Sound quality is far superior to others. The recording mechanisms holds
up very well over time.  Lists for about $340.

We have had good luck w/our Sharp and EIKI cassette
player/recorders.

We use extremely inexpensive Panasonic tape players but only as players.
The sound quality is good and only cost $20-25. Boomboxes carry sound much
farther in big spaces but are overkill for individual classrooms. You could
buy 4 Panasonics for the cost of one good boombox.

We have some new Eiki's and some Bell & Howells with 3 or 4 inch speakers
and several headphone jacks built in that seem to be pretty good, but
they still would not have the stereo quality of a boombox.  I have one
boombox that we keep when portable stereo is needed.  It usually stays
in my office until needed...I don't keep it in the AV room that all the
teachers have access to.

One thing you might want to consider is the capability of "boomboxes" to
play CD's.  In my school, we are no longer buying either records or
cassette tapes.  The boomboxes give us the capability of playing both our
old tapes and our new CDs.  We haven't had any problems with theft, but
then we haven't had any problems with theft of other stuff, either, because
we have a burglar alarm system throughout the school.  I would suggest
getting as big and bulky a boombox as you can (which fortunately is usually
cheaper, since most people want small and lightweight); the big ones are
hard to conceal or just walk out with!

In my experience, Sony and Panasonic both make reliable boom boxes.  My
brother (an audiophile) told me not to get any other brand.  With the hard
use they'd get in a school, I'd ask a good sound equipment repair person
what are the most sturdy models (and which are the easiest to repair).

I recently purchased a "boombox" because we, too, were unhappy
with the sound reproduction and the lack of durability of the
usual classroom player/recorder units.  I hasten to add that
Eiki makes a comparatively good one. It's a Fisher AM/FM/dual cassette
with fast dubbing feature/CD player with dubbing to
audiocassette feature.  For security, I bought Security Sticks
which bolt through the bottom of a cart into the boombox
itself.  Even so, I insist that it come back to the library
after every class use and I lock it up; even on a cart, it
can/will disappear, given the right circumstances.  It is,
after all, a very attractive piece of equipment.  The boombox
cost about $360.00; the Security Sticks cost about $30.00,
maybe less.

I will not be much help to you, but wanted to let you know that we just
went through the bid process and in our specs we requested bids for Sharp
players.  Our vendors informed us that Sharp no longer makes cassette
players so all the bids came in for Califone.  My technician didn't want
to deal with Califone, but I had no choice so we will try them again.  I
think that next year we will put out the money for boombox type players.

Last year I purchased 3 boombox type cassette players (including 1 with a
CD). I made sure that they were the one piece type--that's so much easier
to keep track of. Teachers have been very happy with the improved sound &
students wouldn't bother to steal them because most of them have much
bigger & better equipment!

Have a great summer!

S. Allyn Marie Horton
John Carroll School
703 Churchville Rd
Bel Air, MD 21014
samarie@umd5.umd.edu