Topic: quick question about the Sony D8

[rhinowing]

anyone know what year this deck was released?

[Belexes]

'93

http://www.sonicstudios.com/d8review.htm

[rhinowing]

thanks! +t

[sunjan]

'93

http://www.sonicstudios.com/d8review.htm

Nope, Guysonic got this one wrong!
First mention on the DAT-heads list was March 16 1995:

From: John Lillibridge <johnl@bigbird.grdl.noaa.gov>
Subject: Sony D-8 Specifications
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 95 15:13:37 -0500

Hello all,

The rumors of a new edition of the Sony DAT-Walkman are true.  While
conferring with the nice folks at the Sony Service Ctr. in Boston, I got some
info. on the D-7's successor:  the TCD-D8.  The Sony folks faxed me a product
& spec. sheet on the D-8, and I wanted to pass this on to the list.

First, they believe the D-8 will appear in the U.S. sometime in April.  I
wasn't able to get any pricing info., but assume it'll be comparable to the
D-7, i.e. ~$500 street price.

The D-8 is VERY similar to the D-7: same case, same size, same weight, uses 4
"AA" cells for 3 or 4 hours of recording (with/without headphones plugged
in), etc.  The important KNOWN differences, based on the spec. sheet, are:

        1) Analog recording at 48/44.1/32(LP) kHz vs. the D-7's 48/32(LP) kHz.
        2) It appears that the D-8 has separate headphone & line out jacks,
                whereas the D-7 had a confusing combo. plug for headphones/line out.
                (The D-8 & D-7 both have separate mic in & line in jacks).
        3) The D-8 comes with a carrying case, cleaning cassette, & 6V-DC
                adaptor.  The D-7 only came with a carrying case. (This could drive
                up the price somewhat).

Remaining questions:

        1) Does the mic input still have a lo-cut filter that isn't defeatable?
        2) Have they beefed-up the wimpy mic pre-amp?

That's all I know thus far, and would be interested if others have any more
new info.  My D-7 is barely 3 months old, has been in for repair twice now,
and is going to be replaced by Sony at this point.  So, I'm trying to decide
if I should simply have them substitue a D-8 for my D-7...

Hope you all find this worthwhile,
John Lillibridge


From: http://www.solorb.com/dat-heads/digests/V2.200/D232

[Belexes]

Did a lot of people jump to the D7 from the D8?  I didn't and waited for the M1.

[sunjan]

Did a lot of people jump to the D7 from the D8?  I didn't and waited for the M1.

I don't know the US situation back then, some of the oldie DAT-heads can probably tell more.
Over in Europe, these machines retailed for $1000 back then, and very few tapers could afford a D7 or D8 in the first place.
I had a D7 as a loaner back in 1994-95, and I didn't see any major reason shelling out money on the D8 when it came, being so similar.
I recall the D7 being a badass battery hog, I don't know if the D8 improved in that aspect.
Maybe for US tapers who were still on analogue, the pricepoint of the D8 was low enough to make a move at the time?!

[Belexes]

I went to DAT in '95 with a D7, think I paid $600+ for it too...I still have the receipt.