Tape Hiss = Listening Fatigue???

KennethSwauger wrote: »

I don't believe tape hiss can be the cause of listener fatigue, I believe it can be an indicator of something else amiss in a system. In effect it's a signpost of an uneven treble response; narrow range peaks in the frequency response that change the overtone structure of music instruments and quite literally "get on our nerves".

Of course I don't know what system components were used to record the tapes I'm listening to, so perhaps that system (and how set up), and/or the original album/recording used, are the underlying sources of the fatigue I'm experiencing, and not just the inherent tape hiss itself. I don't get fatigued at all when playing vinyl or streaming music from my own system.

Maybe I'll try making my own recordings of the same albums, and see how they compare.

@motorstereo To your point, it seems that 15 IPS is what's needed for (what most of us would consider) high-quality playback, which requires a more expensive tape deck, and using 10" reels. I think the higher speed would grant more dynamic range, and remove the compression a bit, but I don't have first-hand experience with that format.

@oldrocker I'm actually using modern gear, which is naturally more revealing of any inherent noise. Without going into too much detail, I was initially using a McCormack DNA-225 power amp, but then decided to try my PS Audio S300 to see how a Class D amp would sound with it.

The first two reels that gave me fatigue were REO Speedwagon's, You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish, and Boston's self-titled debut album. Both those albums have a lot of high-frequency energy, so perhaps the recordings themselves create an obstacle that is difficult to overcome. And like I said earlier, I don't know the cartridge, tt, or preamp that were used to record the tapes, so that might have made things worse.

I'll do more experimenting.

Thanks to everyone for their input. The open-reel tape format is certainly still new to me, so I remain firmly attached to the learning curve. I do, however, have some additional thoughts after more listening today.

First and foremost, I no longer think tape hiss caused listening fatigue for me. I am convinced that what I experienced a few nights ago was due to the particular recordings to which I was listening. The (excessive) treble energy in the REO Speedwagon and Boston tracks was too much of an onslaught for my tender eardrums and then it continued (i.e., was compounded) with further listening of other material. Having said that, I'd bet that some application of Dolby noise-reduction would have helped, but that is purely hypothetical.

After now listening to a few more of the random dubbed/home-made tapes in the box I found, I do think 7 1/2 IPS can yield good results...BUT the type/brand of tape used makes a difference! One subset of the tapes I found were all recorded on TDK tapes, and apparently by one particular gentleman from Atlanta who put his name and PO Box on each box, and these all sound quite good. However, there was a different subset, recorded on Ampex 'back-coated' tapes, and those have now found their way into the trash bin. I didn't listen to all of them, in order to save myself from repeated cleaning of heads, but needless to say, their reputation precedes them, and it is well-founded. There may be a (very) few exceptions, but my recommendation is to avoid any and all Ampex tapes, and any 'back-coated' tapes in general.

One of the advantages to living in Nashville is having access to 'support' vendors for the recording industry. Today, I noticed that a couple of the plastic take-up reels I had were warped, causing the ubiquitous rubbing/swooshing of the tape on the inside of the reel flanges...not good. But luckily, I was able to find a vendor located within just a few miles of my house (who operates from his own house) that sells various analog tape supplies. So, I was able to order and pickup two new 7" plastic pick-up reels in just a matter of hours I feel inclined to give him a shout-out here (no affiliation, blah, blah) https://nashvillerecordingsupply.com Adam is a cool guy, and he carries ATR Magnetics products, which appears to be a premier supplier of modern analog tape products. Of course, most of their products are meant for mastering, but hey, for the discerning 'archivist', is there such a thing as 'too good'? Risk $ on NOS tapes from eBay, or buy new modern equivalents?

Lastly, I'm proud to now say I have two operational R2R tape decks in-house - the aforementioned Akai GX-77, and also a Pioneer RT-707. I've put some serious sweat-equity into these, so I have to say it is quite satisfying to have them operational, AND with some quality recordings to play on them

Who's the very bad man now? I have plenty of R2R decks remaining from my dad's collection to keep me occupied - more Akai, Sony, Teac, and even a Rheem Roberts. I guess they made tape decks before air conditioners