I own 4 tape decks:
- The Technics M12 (1980); not hi-fi but works surprisingly well. I currently use it for listening.
- The Yamaha KX-393 (1995); the best tape deck I own, I use it to dub small runs of tapes.
- The Onkyo TA-2130 (1988); my first deck, I found it at a thrift store for 15$. It sounds great! For most tapes, I can't hear the difference between this and CD. With an EQ, it sounds even better.
- The Sony TC-WE435 (1999); I had high hopes for this tape deck, but it has disappointing performances. It sounds good but the dubbing system on it tend to break very easily.
I also collect vintage portable tape recorders for sound design purpose. Amplified with vintage 70s amplifier you can get a very retro and warm sound.