Teac P-1

Teac's first drive + dac combo which inaugurated the VRDS adventure still actual today - albeit with quite a few upgrades, mods, higher and lower-end versions.

Construction-wise, this shoebox made of thick 18mm and 5mm aluminium slabs in the same manner the contemporary R-1 DAT recorder was.
Anti-resonant feet for the enclosure, thick steel chassis and beefy 100VA transformers. The wiring inside is made with monocrystal silver cables sourced from van den Hul.

Luxe suprême : the P-1 can see its drawer opening / closing speed adjusted manually with a pot located on the right side.

The VRDS drive was later-on relegated to lower-end VRDS drives like the P-10 but also, with minor changes, the subsequent P-2.
Also in, yes, alas, a Sony KSS laser-block. It seems however that Teac (only in Japan ?) has kept spare stocks of those precious Sony lasers...

The 12cm clamp is made of diecast aluminium (zinc in the subsequent P-2), as is the rest of the VRDS chassis and loading tray ; the latter adds Nextel finish and tacky gold-plating for its front part.

The beefy IR remote (shared with the R-1 DAT) can be hooked through a parallel interface as well.


Direct competitors in 1987 were the Sony R-1 and Philips LHH1000 - Stereo Sound even made a "match" comparing the three combos in 1988 !
Of the three, only the Sony R-1 and P-1 / D-1 got a "Golden Sound Award".
Sales-wise, however, only the Sony combo ruled, worldwide, and still does so - souvenirs-wise.

Sound-wise, there is no match : the Sony and Philips still rule while few fight to get a P-1 or D-1...