A dream came true - R2R.

[Zeotrope]

How

for now between my A810 and the TP1000

how would you compare the sound between the machines?

And regarding going very far with vinyl: if you go really far, you’ll find that there is no equal in the tape head preamp world, for the world’s best phono stages. Perhaps that will change in the future.

 

[dminches]

How

how would you compare the sound between the machines?

And regarding going very far with vinyl: if you go really far, you’ll find that there is no equal in the tape head preamp world, for the world’s best phono stages. Perhaps that will change in the future.

Which ones have you listened to?

 

[Zeotrope]

It’s impossible to listen to a phono preamp on a tape machine.
Given that, you have to rely on the tech and circuit design. Look at the CH Precision P10 - it’s in a different league than anything available for tape decks.
The TT industry has had the benefit of a few decades of investment into R&D.

 

[dminches]

I wasn’t suggesting you listen to phono preamps with tape machines. I meant which tape preamps have you listened to.

I don’t think one should discount components if they haven’t heard them. And there are a lot of people who don’t like the sound of the CH Precision preamps despite their high price. It isn’t one size fits all, as I know you know.

There aren’t any $50k+ tape preamps on the market but that doesn’t mean that ones that are less expensive don’t sound great.

 

[Zeotrope]

Until the same preamp can be used with both sources, it’s impossible to know for sure. But it’s clear (to me at least) that the Merrill and Doshi are not in the same league as the P10/HD Phono. Just look at how much attention has been placed on input power, or the type of transformers used.

As far as I know, only Nagra is reportedly planning to offer a tape input on the HD Phono. When that happens, it will be possible to compare it against other tape head preamps.

 

[dminches]

There are 2 tape units that cost more than $50K;

Jonathan Knight's Hachidori Fukami (tape/phono) unit 75k
Soulution 757 Deemphasis Unit (tape/phono/DS Audio EQ), 85+k

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Given that, you have to rely on the tech and circuit design. Look at the CH Precision P10 - it’s in a different league than anything available for tape decks.

and you know that how?

honestly not trying to have an argument, but ultimate Tape preamp performance is quite remarkable. the best engineers at a number of formidable companies did much work to make that happen. and now current talent and tech tools has tweaked them and vintage master recorder transports to be better with better heads than existed before. tape has a higher performance ceiling than vinyl. i would agree that lots more media tips the balance to vinyl for value. which is different than top performance.

with all due respect to the CH Precision P10.