Thank you Martin and Geoff for your thoughts. [quote user="Dillen"] I suppose you've tried it all. Martin [/quote] Indeed Martin! [quote user="geearr"] chartz Just a thought, but is the wow frequency the same at the beginning of the tape and the end of the tape? There are two "idlers" in the tape drive. I refer to them

[quote user="Dillen"] Sorry for asking... Martin [/quote] Don't be Martin! Yes I tried different tapes, TDK SAX 90 and BASF CE II 90 NOS and a Sony HF-S 60, as well as a TDK AD 90. All tapes produce an excellent sound with extended treble (more so on the BASF and SAX of course) on these decks, in spite of the wobbly piano on this one.

Thanks Geoff. Well I eliminated the belts which are new from Dillen. I eliminated the flywheel by swapping them over with one from a known good Beocord. The only thing left is the idler wheel, the frequency being indeed closer to 5 Hz than 6 Hz. But where could I get a good one? Is it part 12152, not identified clearly as idler? It is also very difficult

Same result when I press FFWD with no cassette, I let it turn for a few seconds, then insert a cassette and the wow has disappeared. It comes back gradually after a while (say, one song).

Okay, okay, then I was right at first. It is wow I suffer from, because the sound itself is excellent. So the definition indicated above is wrong, and I was always right. Piano is definitely vibrating (let's say at about 5 or 6 pulses per second). I checked the pinch roller and it seems to rotate normally. Its surface is matt and rubbery. Can one

Thanks Martin. In play mode, the left reel is totally free. Could the motor generate the flutter by itself?

Sorry, I've checked my dictionary, it's not wow, but flutter, " it can be heard as some sort of strange fast vibration (trembling) of the sound, much faster than a normal vibrato" (Erwin Timmerman), so it's supposed to be the capstan , but a swap with a known good one doesn't change the problem. Any thoughts then?

[quote user="Peter "] ...big thanks to Chris who seems to have an inexhaustible supply of parts and generosity! I do like the CDX. I know it uses the TDA1540 DAC which should be antiquated, but it really does sound very good! [/quote] Yes Chris is a nice fellow! Yes the CDX is a nice player. I've had many, including TDA 1541-based ones

Hi, I still have the wow problem, audible only on piano sustained notes. Everything seems okay, clean and free to turn, the pinch roller looks like new, heads are clean (like new also), the capstan plate is in place and lubricated. I don't have a clue, really. Maybe you do? Thanks, Jacques.

The picture!