The Goodmans SCD100 Vintage Cassette

Tim Jarman remembers a time when the cassette deck was the way to listen to and record music, and few came better than the Goodmans SCD100

Depending on when you first took an interest in audio, Goodmans was either a well-respected manufacturer of loudspeakers that served the middle of the hi-fi market, or a catalogue shop brand attached to an indifferent range of lo-fimidi systems, portables and TVs. In its first life, Goodmans concentrated on loudspeakers but every now and then made a foray into other parts of the hi-fi chain, most notably during the early seventies hi-fi boom when a tie-in with the British Radio Corporation (latterly Thorn Consumer Electronics) lead to the Module 80, Module 90 and Module One-Ten receivers, available either with or without a built-in Garrard or Lenco turntable. TCE marketed the same units under its Ultra and HMV brand names and made a virtue of the presence of Goodmans drive units in the matching loudspeakers. To complete the system, Goodmans added a cassette deck, but since the production of such items was outside the abilities of the British hi-fi industry it was forced to go abroad, not the cassette’s natural home of Holland, but to where it had been embraced most enthusiastically in terms of mass production – Japan. The company it selected was a recent entrant to the field, but would soon become very well known, Nakamichi.

The Goodmans SCD100

Three for all

Nakamichi had in 1973 introduced a pair of three-headed cassette decks, the 700 and the 1000. Three-head cassette decks were then a novel item, the only other mainstream model available being the Sony TC-177SD, so the two Nakamichis generated a lot of interest. They were praised for their performance, although a review in the first issue of Hi-Fi Choice found the 700 to be rather inconsistent. As well as the three-head exotics, Nakamichi also developed a much simpler single capstan, two-headed model, which in 1975 was offered as an OEM item to manufacturers like Goodmans, although it would later join the Nakamichi range as the 500 Dual Tracer. The Nakamichi 550 Dual Tracer portable was also a close relative of this design.

In most respects it was a fairly conventional piece of work. An electronically regulated servo motor, electronic automatic stop in all modes and a hand-aligned Dolby circuit constructed from discrete components (as opposed to purpose-made ICs) were three highlights, along with the ability to record from a pair of stereo microphones and an additional mono ‘blend’ mic at the same time. The machine was well constructed, but its input circuit was optimized for DIN standard equipment, with line-level RCA inputs working through a fixed attenuator seemingly fitted as an afterthought. It was the head that made these machines really special, being described as a “Focused Field Crystal Perm alloy” design. Made from specialist materials and machined in a complex manner to intensify the magnetic energy tightly around the head gap, this head made it possible to specify an upper -3dB point of 17 kHz, unheard of for a popular cassette deck at the time (around 12 kHz was more the norm) and still credible today. The Goodmans SCD100 and the Nakamichi 500 Dual Tracer are essentially identical, the differences being that the Goodmans has teak cheeks at its sides where the Nakamichi’s were white, the Goodmans has a silver inlay behind its slider controls where the Nakamichi has black and lastly the Nakamichi has a built-in 400Hz tone oscillator for record calibration (activated by an extra position on the Dolby switch) and the Goodmans does not. This last point is the only one of any consequence, since Goodmans users were expected not to be able to set up their own recording currents as the pre-set controls at the back of the machine were hidden behind a screwed-on nameplate. SCD-100 owners need not worry about this omission these days since a test-tone CD can be used instead, the drill being to record a tone of between 400Hz to 1kHz at -3dB on the meters and then to adjust the relevant pre-set (they are all labelled, even though they are hidden) until the same reading is obtained on playback. This is a tedious process on a two-head machine involving lots of trial recordings, but the results are worth it, especially if using Dolby NR.

A good recording will easily eclipse the results given by a basic turntable

These machines work well with basic ferric tapes (TDK D, AD, BASF LH-E1 etc.) with the selector switches set to ‘norm’ and with true-chrome tapes like BASF CR-II in the ‘CrO2’ position. The position marked ‘high’ was intended for an obsolete formulation marketed by Nakamichi called EX II, although since it uses 120uS EQ it can be re-set for performance ferric such as TDK AR and AR-X. TDK SA (a pseudo-chrome) is not directly suitable unless the machine is re-biased – relatively straightforward for the experienced user, since separate controls for all three tape types are fitted inside the cabinet.

As would be expected for a machine where extended HF response has been a design priority, the Goodmans SCD100 gives a bright, clean sound that is quite at odds with the typical muddy results that normally come from seventies cassette decks of similar appearance. Pre-recorded cassettes with Dolby are rendered with plenty of detail and background hiss is well suppressed, a good result for any cassette deck, but outstanding for one of this generation. Like many Nakamichi machines the tape speed may have been set a little fast (possibly to enhance showroom appeal), which adds to the initial good impression that this deck gives. This is easily corrected with an insulated screwdriver inserted through a hole in the back – use a test tape and a frequency meter for the most accurate results. Some Nakamichi decks have a sonic character best described as ‘hard’ or ‘glassy’, a consequence no doubt of expanding the top end beyond what is normally considered possible. The Goodmans SCD100 only suffers from this effect in trace quantities.

The Goodmans SCD100 worked well with basic ferric cassettes

Yes, the mid-band is a little cold and the extreme treble has a resonant quality to it, but the overall balance is still impressive – a good recording will easily eclipse the results given by a basic turntable (and some of the more ambitious ones, too). Plenty of level is available through the output RCA connectors, the 0 to 10 scale on the output slider being representative of the output voltage at the Dolby reference of 200nWb/m with ‘10’ sending approximately 1V to the amp.

When set up correctly, recordings are pleasingly transparent and play back well not just on the SCD100, but also on other decks built to the later IEC-reference tape standard, suggesting fine cross-generational compatibility. This makes the model a useful asset for making recordings for playback-only portables, car players etc., as well as for general listening in a domestic system. Pushing the level meters almost up to the start of the red zone (0dB is Dolby reference level in this case, so around 3dB higher than is normal) gives clean results with ferric although recordings made on chrome tape work better with more conservative settings.

Hunting them down

The Goodmans SCD100 gives a bright, clean sound that is quite at odds with the typical muddy results that normally come from seventies cassette decks of similar appearance.

Up until recently these decks were either very cheap or simply given away, but now the Nakamichi origins are becoming better known, this is no longer the case. A slight premium (snob value?) still attaches to the 500 Dual Tracer, but the best advice would be to buy on condition rather than by badge. The Sonab C500 is also much the same machine (albeit in a better disguise) so similar comments apply here too, although compared with the Goodmans and the Nakamichi variants this one’s rare in the UK.

Buying advice

Since the key feature of the SCD100 is its record/replay head, it is vital to ensure that this important component is in good condition. The same type of head is shared with other Nakamichi machines of the period, but since none of these are any cheaper or easier to find in good condition than the Goodmans this won’t help you much. Nakamichi heads were high performance components, but they aren’t especially hard wearing; check for a groove through the center where the tape runs as the depth of this will show how much metal is missing. Originally the face was machined flat, a small nick that can be sensed by gently dragging a fingernail across the surface is acceptable, but anything larger indicates that a replacement is needed. Heads aside, these models are simple and durable. The original Nakamichi belts are made from translucent rubber and look like elastic bands; they are long lived and should only be replaced if actually worn or broken. Check the capstan bearing too by attempting to rock the capstan shaft from inside the cassette tray – any sideways movement will make the deck impossible to set up accurately. Various electronic problems often resolve when the record/playback switch and various multi-way connectors inside are carefully cleaned; do this first before delving into a big fault-finding session. When re-fitting the deck, take care that the record/playback switch engages correctly otherwise the machine will erase every tape you subsequently attempt to play.