Digital Audio Tape (DAT)

Sony discreetly discontinued their Digital Audio Tape format in 2005, but it has been on the critical radar for some time. Indeed, the DTC-A6 was the last major high-end consumer DAT machine released by the Japanese electronics giant, debuting in October 1996. Sony effectively ceased development of their devices with this, even if DAT didn’t […]

Like fashion, hi-fi formats come and go. When they’re on top, they appear majestic and unstoppable, ready to conquer the world. On the way down, no one seems to mind. This happened in the instance of Sony’s Digital Audio Tape format over the course of eighteen years. Pundits predicted it would “wipe out” Compact Disc

Pioneer, as its name implies, has often been at the forefront of innovative formats and technologies. It produced various excellent turntables in the 1970s, ranging from the PL-12D budget deck in 1974 to the PL-L1000 high-end parallel tracker in 1978. It was a big shot in cassette, too, making decks that pushed the format to

1992 was a memorable year for avid amateur recordists all over the world. Sony announced the first ever DAT portable, the TCD-D3, which offered better-than-CD quality digital recording on the move for around £600. However, contrary to common opinion, it was not the first DATman. Denon won the award ahead of Sony, but those who