inputs.text: worked great - reading comments deck cause eating tapes based experience research device using 4 years concluded basically false deck not blame1 eating tapesmuffled sound many factors influence overall quality digital copy original analog tape including 1 condition original tape based inherent external degradation factors 2 original quality state maintenance original tape recorder 3 quality digitization overall transfer quality product factors tape degradation primary factor tapes getting caught player sometimes foam felt pad tape coming playback time tapes get \\eaten\\ also well played tapes likely also cause tapes \\eaten\\ sounding \\muffled\\ least thats ones lost farok know think cassette remained unopened 20 years could no degradation well wrong chemicals plastic also play part degradation excellent article [ ] discusses tape degradation great detail