1970s Sony Stereo Elcaset Deck EL-7

Very Good condition, 7/10, Made in Japan, no accessories included, more info: Sony's flagship for the big new format. Introduced by Sony in 1976, the Elcaset (taken from L-cassette, or ‘large cassette’) was intended to marry the performance of reel to reel with Compact Cassette convenience. The concept was similar to RCA’s Sound Tape Cartridge from nearly 20 years previously.

The Elcaset used ¼-inch tape (double the width of Compact Cassette tape), and 3.75 inches per second (twice the speed) for better reproduction. The case was also larger (about three times the size of a Compact Cassette) and more rugged. The playback mechanism pulled the tape out of the case for more precise tracking across the head.

The system was technically excellent, but a total failure in the marketplace, with a very low take up by a few audiophiles only. The performance of Compact Cassettes improved dramatically with the use of new materials such as chromium dioxide and better manufacturing quality, and for most people were adequate.

No pre-recorded Elcaset tapes were produced and the machines were withdrawn from the market after only a few years.

When Sony pulled the Elcaset from the market in 1980, the remaining equipment was sold off in Finland for bargain prices.

We all know what became to ELCASET as a standard (and to its UNISETTE professional cousin) but the EL-7 is a very impressive beast : just like the EL tapes themselves, it is HUGE.

The RM-30 wired remote-control itself looks and feels like a bar of solid gold. It ain't gold for sure but it could have been - if the EL format had been launched only a couple of years earlier.

Available (sort of) in Germany as a Wega E4950 (black face of the shiny kind) and in Japan under the Lo-D (aka Hitachi) D-9000 moniker with looks being a sort of mix'n'match.

Sony did produce a Japan-only version as well : EL-7B.
The B stands for black but only EL-7 is written on the front plate like a regular silver EL-7.
It is quite unfortunate Sony didn't export this B version for it is quite better looking - and looks also do matter if a product is to succeed, market-wise.
The EL-5 only saw the original silver fashion.

If specs do reach easily those of a good upper end reel-to-reel, they don't catch those of either a TC-880-2 - but EL recordings do sound largely superior to any Compact Cassette recorder

Manufacturer: Sony
Model:EL-7
Release Dates:1976 - 1979
Number Of Heads: 3
Dimension: 6.7" X 18.1" X 12.6" 460 X 170 X 320mm
Head Configuration: Stereo
Head Composition: Ferrite
Application: Consumer
# Motors: 3
Voltage(S): 110-120v
Frequency Response:15Hz To 27kHz
Wow And Flutter:0.04%
Signal-To-Noise Ratio:67 DB
Sound Quality Rating:9 / 10
Long-Term Reliability Rating: 8 / 10
Belt Size: FRM 13.3
Speeds( I.p.s ): 3 3/4
Tape Width: 1/4”