8 tracks vs cassettes

[Wesley Rose]

For those of you who lived through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, what was the better quality and more reliable form of music, 8 tracks or cassettes?

[Dr. Roth]

cassettes. no jump in the middle of songs either.

[cowboydan]

cassettes. no jump in the middle of songs either.

Bingo!

[KTC5150]

Cassettes, easily over 8 tracks. If your tape got eaten on cassette, you remove & re-spool. no such luck for 8-track. One it gets eaten, there was NO WAY it was being respooled.

[Incomudro]

Better quality and more reliable?
That goes to cassettes by a long shot.

The only thing eight tracks had going for them was a relative random access to tracks.
If I remember right, you could skip around to four locations on the tape.
The bad?
Sometimes two tracks would play at the same time!
And yes, re-spooling them was basically out of the question.

[KTC5150]

Plus, it brings us back to the "Original Bootleg Days"!

[Simon Ribeiro]

Cassettes - no doubt about it!

[Ice Cream Man]

8-track tape was much wider, so that should mean more audio information could be put on the tape for better fidelity. There was, however, the problem with a big pause and click happening at all the wrong times, as well as the tape getting eaten.

I really don't understand the fascination with old audio formats, anyway. I don't recall ever listening to a scratching and popping LP and anyone high-fiving each other, saying, "Wow, that sounds like shit! And the needle bounces when we walk across the floor! I hope they NEVER come up with anything better than this!" When CD's came out, I also don't remember anyone saying, "There are no skips and crackles and I can search to any song i want within a second. CD's blow! Gimme my cassettes and LPs!"

Whatever is more rare and hard to come by, that's what everybody wants, even if it's inferior.

[Nelah]

Cassettes all the way, I say!!

Actually you got me to thinking....which came first? I believe 8 tracks, but I am unsure. I would get so annoyed at the pause and click-click on 8 tracks...often right in the middle of a song! Crazy. I remember the devices you would insert into your car stereo that would hold a cassette so you could play cassettes in your car that had only 8 track capacity.

I don't miss either at all.... Loved LP's though. I still have a huge box full in my basement.... My fave was in 1984 at a school dance I begged and begged the DJ to give me the radio station's promo copy of 1984.... got my way!!

I too have original vinyl copies of the six pack.... albeit nothing to play them on. Sigh....

[Wesley Rose]

8-track tape was much wider, so that should mean more audio information could be put on the tape for better fidelity. There was, however, the problem with a big pause and click happening at all the wrong times, as well as the tape getting eaten.

I really don't understand the fascination with old audio formats, anyway. I don't recall ever listening to a scratching and popping LP and anyone high-fiving each other, saying, "Wow, that sounds like shit! And the needle bounces when we walk across the floor! I hope they NEVER come up with anything better than this!" When CD's came out, I also don't remember anyone saying, "There are no skips and crackles and I can search to any song i want within a second. CD's blow! Gimme my cassettes and LPs!"

Whatever is more rare and hard to come by, that's what everybody wants, even if it's inferior.

It's because it's analog (analogue?) and apparently it has a warmer quality... and because LPs, cassettes, and 8 tracks are the original formats that most good rock music was made for.