Considering Reel-To-Reel

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Comments

  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,330
    I used to be pretty avid with cassette I always looked forward to graduating to R2R.

    So how would the Akai GX265D rank for SQ? Even at $50 I might not want to sink a lot of effort if it is too low end.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
  • miner
    miner Posts: 1,305
    I bought a rebuilt, vb37i7lkdrxb.jpg
    black Pioneer RT-707 from J-Corder 7 yrs ago and it records marvelously, and fits in my cabinet. New tapes are still available that are very good quality, albeit expensive (7" 1800' reel about $21). I have the 45rpm version of Texas Hurricane, the SRV box set of his studio albums. The quality of the recordings of these LPs on tape is undistiguishable from the LPs. Tape hiss? None even during the quiet passages.
    [
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited August 2019
    The RT-701/707 (and their big brothers, the RT-901/909) were, perhaps, the pinnacle of "home" reel to reel decks and were even fairly bulletproof, as such things go (although see my 909 comment earlier ;) ).

    As to that AKAI GX265D -- my guess is it would sound a notch better than the 'entry level' reel decks if in good working order. It was not a low end deck. It would be worth finding out what tape formulations AKAI calibrated 'em for. Actually, it would be even better to recalibrated it now to whatever tape you'd like to use with it (ahem UD-35-90, ahem...) -- but it's not critical -- unless you want it to be critical :)
  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,330
    Thanks again for the info.

    I had passed on a Pioneer RT707 at a thrift store a couple weeks ago. They wanted $399 as is, no way to really try it and no returns. It seemed like too much coin for the risk.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    skrol wrote: »
    Thanks again for the info.

    I had passed on a Pioneer RT707 at a thrift store a couple weeks ago. They wanted $399 as is, no way to really try it and no returns. It seemed like too much coin for the risk.

    I would concur; the fifty buck AKAI seems like a much better risk ;)
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Ken S.- send the man a PM, he's a pretty good authority on R2R.

    Personally, I love the sound of R2R, but like others have said it's labor intensive and a money pit to boot. Trying to do R2R on the cheap is going to net you poor results. Kinda like trying to do vinyl on the cheap, you just don't get the full value of those formats.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • Jed Leland
    Jed Leland Posts: 183
    Hello Skrol,
    The Akai looks like a pretty safe bet, maybe ask the guy who's selling it if you could bring a tape and a set of headphones to listen? The common complaint about Akai machines is the transistors that were used in the recording and playback circuits getting noisy and possibly needing replacing. There are easily available replacements available. Mechanically they are usually very dependable and can be fun to maintain and very satisfying to own. They were the maker of the Roberts tape recorders which are still sought after.
    You might also want to keep an eye out for one of the same era Sony decks?
  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,330
    What are some good sources for Akia R2R parts?
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,124
    RTR is can be awesome with good equipment and good recordings. @Wardsweb Luther, has a really good set up and premium 2nd and 3rd recording tapes. If I remember right from his generous explanation...every time you re-record a tape you lose quite a bit of the resolution and to sound degrades quickly.

    His setup is sublime IMHO.
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
  • Ebay for parts. You should check out Tapeheads.net for lots of info on RtR.
    SystemLuxman L-590AXII Integrated Amplifier|Sonus Faber Cremona Loudspeakers|PS Audio Directream Jr|Sansui TU-9900 Tuner|TEAC A-6100 RtR|Nakamichi RX-202 Cassette
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    Had a reel-to-reel, but they are a ‘reel’ PITA. Trying to find a song is a major pain. If you just want background music that you will not change then it can be useful. However, from a music enjoyment perspective a good digital system, like the Lumin X1, is much more flexible, and enjoyable.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,033
    R2R sounds great, but is a bigger money pit than even Vinyl...
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    txcoastal1 wrote: »
    RTR is can be awesome with good equipment and good recordings. @Wardsweb Luther, has a really good set up and premium 2nd and 3rd recording tapes. If I remember right from his generous explanation...every time you re-record a tape you lose quite a bit of the resolution and to sound degrades quickly.

    His setup is sublime IMHO.

    That's why, if one wants to invest in prerecorded tapes (music); one is well advised to focus on early generation copies of the master (e.g., safety copies). As mentioned earlier, they're out there -- but they ain't cheap.

    And, yeah, @Wardsweb is a good person to drag into this fray; forgot he was a tape guy :/
  • Yes, I have had many decks over the years. It is a niche area of audio that can provide studio quality playback, but it can get very expensive. Like many things in audio, there are levels of quality. Playing a tape is much like vinyl in that it is a ritual. You get vinyl analog goodness with CD quality black background (with good source material and a good playback 2 channel deck. I'm not saying 4 track and consumer pre recorded tapes are bad, just that they can be improved upon.

    Is there anyone you can visit to listen to tapes? Testing the waters is advised before investing money, time and effort.

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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    OR.....you can invest in a nice poor mans R2R.....a cassette deck. :)
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,330
    tonyb wrote: »
    OR.....you can invest in a nice poor mans R2R.....a cassette deck. :)

    Already have more of those than I should. I need to sell some stuff.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,330
    Denon DRM-800A (keeping), DRM-700A, DRR-780 (tray loader), DR-M30HX, Pioneer CT6R.
    I think that is it.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    skrol wrote: »
    Denon DRM-800A (keeping), DRM-700A, DRR-780 (tray loader), DR-M30HX, Pioneer CT6R.
    I think that is it.

    Sure it is! I love it when I rummage through the basement looking for something, find a box, "hmmm, what is it", oh yeah! When did I buy that? :) Great, now I have two! :)
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.