added a 3rd Studer A-820 Mk2 with both 1/4" and 1/2" heads, guides and hubs
- Thread starter Mike Lavigne
- Start date
1 out of 3.....the 820 is only interesting for its drive/transport, not the audio cards, which are at best mediocre
i did own a nice reconditioned ATR-102 1/4" deck before i got my first A-820. owned it from 2007 to 2014. if i would not have got the A-820, i would have certainly owned an A80. to my thinking; the holy trinity of tape decks is the A-820, A80, and ATR-102. and likely the most logical one to own and the one that can be kept the most optimal is the ATR-102. but the sexiest is the A-820. the best sounding naturally is the A80. but with the tranformerless output cards (my three all have these cards) i like the A-820 best.
with custom output circuits i think all three are great, but i prefer the A-820 myself, the other two are in the same league.
the best sounding RTR i have heard is my friend Andrew's ATR-102 with very tweaked MR70 output electronics. a close second is another ATR-102 of Andrews with tweaked (ATR Services) Aria output electronics. Andrew is now doing his own calibration tapes that are superior to the MRL tapes.
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I agree with the sexiest
then don´t forget the Telefunken M15, not A, which is T´s approach on the A80 ......very sexy brute force 300B sound
then don´t forget the Telefunken M15, not A, which is T´s approach on the A80 ......very sexy brute force 300B sound
yes; when we go down that road, 'also', some older Studer's and Ampex units with tubed outputs are all 'interesting'. but they need some updating and tweaking to compete with more modern decks in performance. so become 'one-offs'.
Like my tape expert Dr burkhardt schwabe says
" They all dont sound that much different " and he has had / worked on just about any R2R in existence .
Nothing wrong with stockcards , still beats digital hands down .
My last show visit when i heard the full taiko set up made it very clear .
Its not even a comparison with good tapes
" They all dont sound that much different " and he has had / worked on just about any R2R in existence .
Nothing wrong with stockcards , still beats digital hands down .
My last show visit when i heard the full taiko set up made it very clear .
Its not even a comparison with good tapes
again agree
have a Telefunken M15 here that sounds very rich and charming as opposed to my MTSL modded A80RCs that are more "correct" and to the truth.....
also have an A810 MTSL modded with the LME49720 Opamp upgrade which is a huge improvement...just shipped shipped a set to Audiophile Bill for the A812 he bought from me and MTSL upgraded.....A820 can be upgraded in same manner....
have a Telefunken M15 here that sounds very rich and charming as opposed to my MTSL modded A80RCs that are more "correct" and to the truth.....
also have an A810 MTSL modded with the LME49720 Opamp upgrade which is a huge improvement...just shipped shipped a set to Audiophile Bill for the A812 he bought from me and MTSL upgraded.....A820 can be upgraded in same manner....
I´m after best possible sound, not a walk down memory lane
different approach.....AMEN
different approach.....AMEN
nothing wrong with Dutch confidence...we´ll see in ETF 2022....the Inquisition will visit you....
Sure no problem , i have some church choir on tape as wellthe Inquisition will visit you....
I l be honest with you , i could potentially slightly improve in the treble and mids ( next design ) and off course system size bigger speakers bigger room more $$$.I´m after best possible sound, not a walk down memory lane
different approach.....AMEN
X over circuit wise this 4 way system has some clear advantages i cant improve upon , i cant make things simpler
But over the last 5 years i was never tempted to switch anything of my system over anything else i have heard , i m officially retired
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Audiophile are a unique lot. But I have not run into many that are difficult. Most I find open to what I present. I actually butt heads with the electricians more. There is another guy who does what I do. He told me he mostly does studios now and avoids audiophile.
Plus audio is not a race with a "finish line " .nothing wrong with Dutch confidence...we´ll see in ETF 2022....the Inquisition will visit you....
I design what i like , i dont design what somebody else likes .
If i liked horns or electrostats i would try to design such
Since this is a hobby, it has many faces. There is nothing wrong with admiring the beauty of a particular machine... although to me that would not be the A820 - I myself prefer the Ampex 350. As already stated here, the sound of the A820 leaves plenty to be desired, and most importantly, those fundamental problems can't be fixed by simply replacing a few parts... and you would have to start with its tape heads. One has to pay dearly for all those features. So in that regard a well oiled 350, connected to a good tape preamp will beat it any day.
Among the more modern machines in stock form the ATR-102 will beat the rest both in sound and its raw sex appeal, I think. The Studer is very smooth in its operation, so indeed, it makes a nice transport - with a different head, as mentioned above.
Among the more modern machines in stock form the ATR-102 will beat the rest both in sound and its raw sex appeal, I think. The Studer is very smooth in its operation, so indeed, it makes a nice transport - with a different head, as mentioned above.
Wow, never heard the last comment before! I've had my two ATR-102's for five years (both bought at separate times in 2016). Never thought they had raw sex appeal. I'll have to look at them in a different light (or with a different light - maybe uv or infrared?) Can't disagree with the sonic qualities, particularly their recording abilities. I use an external tape preamp for playback (Merrill Trident). The Studers are my idea of eye candy however.
Larry
I dunno... to me their wooden cases are like a hearty fart in the middle of a Brahms violin concerto.
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