A cassette deck is a type of tape machine for playing and recording audio cassettes that does not have a built-in power amplifier or speakers, and serves primarily as a transport. It can be a part of an automotive entertainment system, a part of a portable mini system or a part of a home component system. In the latter case it is also called a component cassette deck or just a component deck.
A "tape recorder" is a more generic term to identify a device that usually has a self-contained power amplifier and either has a built-in speaker or comes packaged with one.
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