Akai GX-370D

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1000€ Euro
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Seller Information

baptiste miquet
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LYON 01, France

The GX-370D sits at a particularly interesting point in Akai's engineering history — a mid-to-high-fidelity deck built around the same GX head technology that defined the brand's reputation, yet priced and packaged accessibly enough to reach serious home users rather than studio-only clientele. The heads are the story. The GX (Glass & Crystal Ferrite) heads are made by melting ferrite at 1,800°C into a single crystal structure — a world-first at the time. The result is dramatically improved hardness, reduced dust adhesion, and superior high-frequency response compared to conventional permalloy heads. eBay On a well-maintained example, head wear after decades of use is typically negligible — one of the key reasons these machines remain viable daily drivers today. The symmetrical five-head layout — erase and record/combo heads on both sides, with a pivoting playback head mounted on a parallelogram cradle that physically traverses the tape for reverse play — is a genuinely clever mechanic

Technical Details

Akai
GX-370D
Mid High Fidelity
Consumer
Solid State
Japan
$1495
1/4 Rec/PB
3 3/4, 7 1/2
7"
2
Ferrite/Glass
Stereo
NAB
3
Yes
110-120v
6 / 10
7 / 10
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Additional Details

Description

This was a 4-track stereo tape-deck featuring auto-reverse on both record and playback.
Main drive was via a direct capstan drive Servo-Control motor which combined the winding control of an ordinary eddy-current motor and a speed-detecting toothed cog-wheel into a single structure mechanism, eliminating the need for drive-belts, pulleys, idlers and flywheels. Speed was electronically controlled. Two eddy-current outer rotor motors (for supply and take-up reels) eliminated tape stretch and allowed for smooth tape travel and ideal starting torque.
Maximum reel size was 7″ and speeds were 7½ and 3¾ ips.
Other features included “Compute-O-Matic” recording level control, Built-in mic/line mixing, Tape selector switch for low-noise tapes, Off-tape monitoring during recording, Automatic stop/shut-off, Optional remote
control and Direct function change system which enabled switching from one function to another without having to use stop.
GX (glass crystal) Ferrite heads were used in an unusual configuration.
A symmetrical head block with a short tape path was equipped with two fixed record/erase combo heads and one moveable playback head.

Additional Info

Equalisation: correct equalisation for playback of tapes recorded to the NAB curve / Crosstalk: better than 45 dB (stereo) / Distortion: less than 1.5% (1,000 Hz, zero VU) / Bias frequency: 102 kHz / Erase ratio: better than 70 dB / Rewind speed: 75 seconds for 1,200 ft / Inputs: Microphone (2): 0.3 mV / 4 to 7Kohms Line(2): 60 mV / 50 Kohms DIN jack 0.5V / 60 mV (high). 5mV (low) / Outputs: Line: 1.23 (0 VU) / 100 ohms (req’d load impedance > 20Kohm) / Dimensions: 14.5 x 14.6 x 8.9″ (368 x 371 x 227mm)