Play Back - NATIONAL RX-5700 STEREO BOOMBOX

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Gordon

Member (SA)
Jun 5, 2018
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Hey Y'all!

I'm a newbie here. I recently purchased a NATIONAL RX-5700 STEREO BOOMBOX from Russia. It's in good condition, however, when I play studio and recorded tapes, the playback is slow. The original owner told me I have to record off of a national, in order to get the correct true playback speed.
This was never the case in the past with my old boomboxes. Has anyone else experienced this issue, know if fixes, or think I should just return this particular model?
Any advice would be much appreciated!
 

Reli

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Dec 24, 2010
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The seller is just trying to avoid his responsibility to describe his items fully. It obviously runs slow and needs to be adjusted or repaired.
 

Gordon

Member (SA)
Jun 5, 2018
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San Francisco
Reli said:
The seller is just trying to avoid his responsibility to describe his items fully. It obviously runs slow and needs to be adjusted or repaired.
I agree. This is what I was thinking. This was his last two responses:

1.This machine 40 years.1979 release.Now all tapes written on other equipment.And speed may not be the same.It happens very often.You're not the first.I also have a lot of magazines that do not sing as it should. You never recorded on my tape recorder I'd bought.And checked how he writes and how he plays.Do it for a start.

2. We must first record a few songs on the tape recorder that they bought from me. So listen to how to play. Do it for the beginning. I'm sure everything will be great. And the tapes that you buy are usually written on other techniques. And they have a different speed. I have a lot of cassettes , which are poorly played. Although it is written that the recording studio.
 

Fatdog

Well-Known Member
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May 3, 2009
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Keep in mind that belts that are too loose or too tight can cause the tape to play slowly. Maybe try replacing the belts before tackling the motor.
 

Reli

Member (SA)
Dec 24, 2010
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LOL. All tape decks are calibrated for the same speed......4.75cm/sec...…...the same speed recording studios use. Why would any boombox manufacturer set their machines for a different speed, when it would result in not being able to play pre-recorded tapes properly?

He reminds me of the guy who tried to tell me the reason why the tuner he sold to me couldn't pick up more than 2 stations was because he bought it from Europe.....like as if that means anything. It doesn't. 98.7 MHz in Europe is the same as 98.7 MHz in the US.
 

jimmyjimmy19702010

Member (SA)
May 5, 2012
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Most boomboxes you buy will need some sort of repair. There are a number of reasons why your deck is playing slow.
Slipping belts, tight belts, lack of mechanism lubrication, dry motor bearings, insufficient power to motor are possible causes.

You’ve got a very nice model Panasonic there so it’s well worth the effort to get it playing right.

Welcome to Boomboxery BTW.

James..... :-)
 

mmcodomino

Member (SA)
Mar 5, 2010
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www.myradio.berlin
I believe the RX-5700 has an access hole in the back through which you can directly adjust the tape speed without removing a single screw.
You just need a small flat head screw driver.
But yeah, defnitely try to get a refund. Tape speed is something that has not changed since the introduction of compact cassette.
 

T-STER

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Jul 14, 2014
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Jeez $1100, for that i would want it playing perfectly and come with a free mail order bride...
 

BoomboxLover48

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Dec 3, 2010
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Chicago, IL
jimmyjimmy19702010 said:
Most boomboxes you buy will need some sort of repair. There are a number of reasons why your deck is playing slow.
Slipping belts, tight belts, lack of mechanism lubrication, dry motor bearings, insufficient power to motor are possible causes.

You’ve got a very nice model Panasonic there so it’s well worth the effort to get it playing right.

Welcome to Boomboxery BTW.

James..... :-)
I have the same model. They all need some work like James mentioned. The tape search mechanism fails in all units after this many years. I had to replace belts, clean the tape search switch watching Bill working on it, and deoxit all the contacts and switches including the long record bar.
 

Superduper

Member (SA)
My 2 cents is that it's entirely reasonable for a 40 year old unit to not perform like it did when it was new. Heck, 10 year old tape decks often run slow or not at all when belts are deteriorated so why not a 40 year old tape deck. Belts are a continual maintenance item. If they ever made a direct drive tape deck, it may be immune to this but would have higher wow/flutter specs. The problem is that the seller advertised this unit as all working which suggests that it was already serviced to correct any belt related issues. This is important because this affects pricing. Would a potential buyer pay $1100 for it if it was instead advertised as tape running slow? No, because that revelation is symptomatic of a tape deck that is needing service or potentially failing (motor). Shipping costs being what they are nowadays, the ideal solution would be to just have the deck refreshed here in the states, locally if the seller will agree to subsidize or refund the equivalent of the value of such service. That's my take.
 

Hisrudeness

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Jan 1, 2014
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T-STER said:
Jeez $1100, for that i would want it playing perfectly and come with a free mail order bride...
I agree. That box is over double the price it should be at least. The seller should of serviced the box fully after making a profit margin like that.
If it were me that thing would be on the way back to Russia.
 

Superduper

Member (SA)
I don't know about the UK market but the OP is in USA. Comeon guys, before suggesting that a buyer overpaid on his purchase by double, how about offering examples of where he can get one today, for 1/2 price? In the USA, this model is exceptionally rare, as one would expect from a model that was only ever released in Japan and where import costs, risks and efforts are quite high. So needless to say, it's impossible (except for lotto type chances) to find one locally. So you do what everyone else does, you look on the bay, a quick search right now of which yields........

rx-5700.png

Of course people will come out of the woodwork now and say I'll sell you MY RX-5700 for that price, happens all the time. But where were you when a buyer was looking in the marketplace? Beauty and value is in the eye of the beholder. And it's definitely a beautiful model. We do have members here will state (and have stated) emphatically that they refuse and won't ever pay more than $200 for a boombox, M90 included. Nevertheless, M90's command a minimum of 4 figures anymore and goes up from there, regardless that you wouldn't pay more than $200, the price is what it is. Now I'm not saying one can't buy cheaper if he is patient (could be months, or years) or if he starts knocking on doors of other members, lucks out and finds an uninformed seller, etc. All I'm saying is in the open market, I want one NOW, and there's 3 choice on eBay. Price? $800 - $2000. And guess what, your 1/2 price offering isn't there. I'm just saying.....

Is there any other way to buy one? Sure. Go to Japanese auctions, try to navigate and search the site in Japanese, look at the auctions which always have 4 tiny pics and description which can't be understood, sign up for an intermediary to help you bid since you don't have a Japanese bank account, bid, pay shipping from seller to intermediary, pay big $$ (can be up to $300 for repackaging and airmail service), hope the item doesn't get cracked/shattered in the process of being shipped from seller to intermediary and then from intermediary to you, hope the item works because you couldn't understand the Japanese description, hope the item isn't covered in green island corrosion because you can't see clearly in the 4 tiny image collage, and if all else fails, after you've paid for the item, paid for shipping to intermediary, paid the intermediary a commission, paid a fee to convert USD to Japanese funds, paid the intermediary to repackage your item and ship it to you either (2-3 months sea or a week airmail), YOU CAN TRY YOUR LUCK AGAIN. Some people have great luck. Some have horrible experience. Remember, nothing about the Japanese import experience is guaranteed. But don't be fooled. That boombox you just won for $100 isn't going to be nearly $100 by the time it gets to you, with all the associated risks borne by you. Or... you can go to eBay where you have eBay buyer protection, not only on the description of the item but also that it arrives damage free. I'm just saying.....
 

Hisrudeness

Member (SA)
Jan 1, 2014
2,669
467
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South East London UK
Superduper said:
I don't know about the UK market but the OP is in USA. Comeon guys, before suggesting that a buyer overpaid on his purchase by double, how about offering examples of where he can get one today, for 1/2 price? In the USA, this model is exceptionally rare, as one would expect from a model that was only ever released in Japan and where import costs, risks and efforts are quite high. So needless to say, it's impossible (except for lotto type chances) to find one locally. So you do what everyone else does, you look on the bay, a quick search right now of which yields........

rx-5700.png

Of course people will come out of the woodwork now and say I'll sell you MY RX-5700 for that price, happens all the time. But where were you when a buyer was looking in the marketplace? Beauty and value is in the eye of the beholder. And it's definitely a beautiful model. We do have members here will state (and have stated) emphatically that they refuse and won't ever pay more than $200 for a boombox, M90 included. Nevertheless, M90's command a minimum of 4 figures anymore and goes up from there, regardless that you wouldn't pay more than $200, the price is what it is. Now I'm not saying one can't buy cheaper if he is patient (could be months, or years) or if he starts knocking on doors of other members, lucks out and finds an uninformed seller, etc. All I'm saying is in the open market, I want one NOW, and there's 3 choice on eBay. Price? $800 - $2000. And guess what, your 1/2 price offering isn't there. I'm just saying.....

Is there any other way to buy one? Sure. Go to Japanese auctions, try to navigate and search the site in Japanese, look at the auctions which always have 4 tiny pics and description which can't be understood, sign up for an intermediary to help you bid since you don't have a Japanese bank account, bid, pay shipping from seller to intermediary, pay big $$ (can be up to $300 for repackaging and airmail service), hope the item doesn't get cracked/shattered in the process of being shipped from seller to intermediary and then from intermediary to you, hope the item works because you couldn't understand the Japanese description, hope the item isn't covered in green island corrosion because you can't see clearly in the 4 tiny image collage, and if all else fails, after you've paid for the item, paid for shipping to intermediary, paid the intermediary a commission, paid a fee to convert USD to Japanese funds, paid the intermediary to repackage your item and ship it to you either (2-3 months sea or a week airmail), YOU CAN TRY YOUR LUCK AGAIN. Some people have great luck. Some have horrible experience. Remember, nothing about the Japanese import experience is guaranteed. But don't be fooled. That boombox you just won for $100 isn't going to be nearly $100 by the time it gets to you, with all the associated risks borne by you. Or... you can go to eBay where you have eBay buyer protection, not only on the description of the item but also that it arrives damage free. I'm just saying.....
Norm,
I’m familiar with the prices of the model as one or two have sold in the Uk and keep half an eye on them on the Japanese websites. The Russian resellers are looking to at the very least double their money so I wouldn’t of said it if I didn’t believe it.
As well as that, I’ve imported at least 20 odd boxes from Japan over the years so I feel I have a decent feel on prices around the world.

What irks me is the threadstarter being new got took advantage of firstly with the price. Secondly the horse***t! About Panasonic’s /National recordings. So yes I stand by what I said about the box being worth half that. I also remember Docs selling one for less than half that price as well as one in South Korea fairly recently.

These prices from East Europe are muddying the waters and I’m sorry (Gordon) that your purchase is unsatisfactory.

Sorry,
Seller is from Ukraine but my point is the same.
 

docs

Member (SA)
Jun 26, 2010
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Those prices from Russia and Ukraine are simply insane and for them to arrive in less thsn perfect working order is an insult to the buyer.

Sorry in this case the seller is conjouring a nice rainbow where the bottom line sits at the pot of gold at the end of it for sub standard goods for which they are inflating prices.

I for one will continue to take risks from Japan auction sites over paying any of these clowns prices from Russia or Ukraine. Firstly, I am putting money in the hands of the seller who is selling something intended for an open auction and secondly the chances are equal that what I receive is no worse than anything from Russia or Ukraine or in some cases from members here, and will absolutely be less cost and a less bitter pill to swallow.

Good luck Gordon in resolving your case.
 

Gordon

Member (SA)
Jun 5, 2018
7
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0
San Francisco
Thank you to everyone with their thoughtful comments. I’m new to this site. This was the least expensive full functional national 5700 in good condition. With no parts missing and everything Allegedly working. I looked for 3 months and this was the best I could find. I paid a lot of money, and would be ok with that if it worked perfectly as advertised.
 

Reli

Member (SA)
Dec 24, 2010
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USA
Those high $1000+ prices started appearing only about 12-15 months ago, due to the actions of three or four Russians and Ukranians. Prior to that, this was a $400-$700 box tops.

And they don't even describe their boxes very well. That's what I don't understand. "Fully working" is not an adequate description.

Eh whatever...... I'd say 80% of the radios I've purchased had issues that weren't disclosed. Even ones I've gotten from people on this forum. The attitude seems to be "Well you're a collector, so you should have known that every box will have issues". My answer to that is, how about DESCRIBING those issues? You the seller are a collector too, so you should have known that fellow collectors would appreciate a full description.
 
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