Desert island R2R 1/4" 2 track master player

[c1ferrari]

Great to hear , Leif.
It's good to have options

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

pity to say
but not many hrs on my vinyl rig or digital sources lately
they´re simply depressingly falling short of tape
it´s like a good wine.....there´s no way back
just now I´m listening to Burrell&Coltrane from Tape Project accompanied by a dark coffe and A Chateau Montifaud VSOP after a hard days work in the garden....
not bad at all
best
Leif

 

[c1ferrari]

Well, somebody's got to do it!
Happy you volunteered

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

yeah I´m not afraid of sticking my neck out
over here people are complaining about software prices, but are willingly paying 10K USD for a tonearm, which won´t bring them half of the tape experience!
now I´m spending big bucks on getting two A80s up to std and software, instead of piling up thousands of LPs I´ll never live to hear..
a real NO-BRAINER imo
best
Leif

 

[tony ky ma]

Lief
After listen to the best source then up grade the rest of the system like cables or amp or better tube for the amp, you will reach to another level too and never looking back again
tony ma

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

yes very true
I use 300B and have Takatsuki, 3 pairs of WE and Elrog, so I´m ok in that department
driver 6c45Pi interstaged...Hørning OPT
rectifiers are Mullard GZ37; EZ80 and 81
below 75Hz is Holton solid state driving hornloaded 21" Eighteensound
all crossovers analogue...NO DSP !
best
Leif

 

[earlinarizona]

I was curious what percentage of your listening of tapes is now compared to Vinyl and Digital not that your rig is up and running. What about the other people in the room?. Do you find that when the tape is so good you loose interest in digital? Do you also listen less to vinyl ?

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

I listen mostly to tape during weekends
If I have short evening sessions during week, I listen to digital pc audio with choke input psu powered NOS filterless DDDAC1794 or Studer A727 cd player
Vinyl is actually the big looser...impractical medium and inferior sound
today I would not even consider vinyl if I lacked analogue source. I would jump straight at tape..better user interface and more cost effective imo
visitors are impressed by system overall, very pleasing relaxing sound with extreme dynamics and stygian low end(92db@20Hz and 102db@30Hz) details and impact, but tape eliminates system in equation and transports the listener into the actual event
best
Leif

 

[earlinarizona]

I had something of the same experience at RMAF this year. Walking the show you get to listen to many systems and some were very good sounding but then I went to the Audionote room. After sitting down the sound was unlike any other room for being relaxed and just completely void of an electronic sound. He was playing Ella and Armstrong and it was there BUT BUT BUT then Charlie from King Cello walked in with his Stellavox. He hooked it up and you know no one was going to pry me from the seat. He started with Leonard Cohen in the studio singing a cut without the actual orchestra, just voice. I have to tell you after being an audiophile for 49 years the tape sound was just IT. Keep in mind when I was young I had a Crown, Revox B77 A77 and Tanberg in those days playing Barclay Crocker tapes. This was all playing throught my Levinson HQD system with the Hartley woofers and ML2. Those tapes never sounded like this master. Then Charlie put on a 3rd generation master of Dires Straits and after hearing this in CD, Hi Def and Vinyl from my earlier day I was convinced that I have never actually heard what the real thing sounded like. The tape along with Audionote equaled a clear and real sound that was out of this world. The big shock came when Charlie left and Randy put the vinyl back on. It was no so impressive compared to the tape now. The same happen but to a less extent in the other room that had the Techniques with the Cello unit. The guy with the long hair switched back to vinyl and to tape and there was no mistake of the better sound. After that most of the Digital stuff sounded flat to me at the show. Other Vinyl rigs sounded better but now on the level of the Stellavox.

 

[Edward Pong]

I think when we hear a copy of the original tape.... there has not been a change in format & consequently there is a lot less "loss" of information, so it has to be much better...IMHO
When you think what has to happen to the original tape recording to produce a record.... it's amazing it can actually be as good as it is...therefore even a simple tape machine can likely sound much better than a fancy LP or digital rig.... IMO

 

[tony ky ma]

yes very true
I use 300B and have Takatsuki, 3 pairs of WE and Elrog, so I´m ok in that department
driver 6c45Pi interstaged...Hørning OPT
rectifiers are Mullard GZ37; EZ80 and 81
below 75Hz is Holton solid state driving hornloaded 21" Eighteensound
all crossovers analogue...NO DSP !
best
Leif

Do try a higher output SE tube amp for your 75HZ instead of the solid state, this will be much better match for a whole tube system
tony ma

 

[astrotoy]

I think when we hear a copy of the original tape.... there has not been a change in format & consequently there is a lot less "loss" of information, so it has to be much better...IMHO
When you think what has to happen to the original tape recording to produce a record.... it's amazing it can actually be as good as it is...therefore even a simple tape machine can likely sound much better than a fancy LP or digital rig.... IMO

Certainly if you do it like Ed does! As I've said elsewhere, even if you don't fancy classical chamber music, at least try a couple of Ed's tapes - you'll be hooked on both.

I think the problem I have is that we don't have access to the master tapes (or top notch copies) of so many old great artists, including chamber, concerto, orchestra and opera recordings from the pre digital era. So vinyl is as close as we can get. One exception is Barclay-Crocker tapes. I bought many back in the early and mid 80's. At that time they sounded good, but not great, using a couple of different Teac dolby B units. However, it wasn't until I got one of Steve Koto's modified Dolby encoder/decoders for Dolby B (the originals which were used in making these tape), was the sound worth writing home about. There are about 400 generally excellent sounding tapes (counting the multiple album boxes) dubbed at reasonable duplication speed, which are better than my commercial 7.5in four track tapes. B-C cherry picked many of the great record catalogues, like Argo, Vanguard, Spectrum, Unicorn, and some of the best Philips and DG as well as many others. (N.B. I have read that some of the B-C tapes made in the late '70's - there is a code in the back of the tape indicating when they were produced - have suffered from the dreaded sticky shed)

Larry

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

Do try a higher output SE tube amp for your 75HZ instead of the solid state, this will be much better match for a whole tube system
tony ma

I know , but its imparactical and I m running out of space in my living room
that said the Holton amps do a fab job.....

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

I think when we hear a copy of the original tape.... there has not been a change in format & consequently there is a lot less "loss" of information, so it has to be much better...IMHO
When you think what has to happen to the original tape recording to produce a record.... it's amazing it can actually be as good as it is...therefore even a simple tape machine can likely sound much better than a fancy LP or digital rig.... IMO

I ve thought the same, and vinyl is a small technical miracle in that aspect....

 

[tony ky ma]

I know , but its imparactical and I m running out of space in my living room
that said the Holton amps do a fab job.....

Everyone has their own conditions for their system, can't help but in my experience sub (low frequency) is the most difficult and most importance in reproduction, and has most big % advantage than other frequency in up grade even it is in narrow range, in reproduction need them exist in the air even they can't be hear like below 20hz but it will support other frequency to form their own instrument's sound or think of this, violin sounds in higher frequency but strings swing from 0hz and stop to 0hz again, maybe it is really really short timing but you will feel that kind of repro sound like real than without it's exist
tony ma

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

I totally agree with this
the change to hornsub was the single biggest improvement in my custom horn system and all the pieces came together
also the high efficiency of my horn sub makes it breath low level resolution and it enhances the harmonic structure of the entire frequency range
it also creates a foundation one always feel present in live music, which most systems simply dont have at all
one can sense the capacity present which adds to the realism
best
Leif

 

[earlinarizona]

When it come to the woofers this product has always been an interest. No cone and it goes to 1hz-30hz Rotary Fan Woofer. This link is a review and VERY in depth, something Tony will understand. On the last few pages it talks about how this woofer and no others add to the entire sound of the system even though it go to 30hz. He gives the examples with Violin, Piano, Soundtracks. It is a very interesting piece to read but the best is at the end. IT give a very solid argument on woofers compared to the very fast Eminent Technology Woofer.
The Article in International Audio Review. http://www.iar-80.com/page142.html It is worth the entire read to understand every advantages over regular speakers.
Homepage for the Rotary Woofer. http://www.rotarywoofer.com/

 

[earlinarizona]

I found The Rotary Woofer thread with pictures and it looks like Steve heard it by looking at the posts. http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?2646-Rotary-Woofer-facts&highlight=rotary+woofer

 

[c1ferrari]

OT: New, unopened, 1/2" MRL Calibration Tape, 31L420, is available. Please PM, if interested.

http://home.comcast.net/~mrltapes/pub101.pdf

Thanks

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

A80 RC VU rewired

hello folks
finally after having rewired my friends A810, I decided to do one of my A80s as well......
the decision was pretty easy after his description of the difference in sound
this is the silver teflon wire I got from Todor for the rewiring
shield is made of a braid of tiny flat ribbons
handle with care not to tear it apart...used a small sewing needle...


first its smart to mark everything and make "backup" documentation with pics



rear of audio motherboard



xlr connector block with small pcbs with ferrit beads and ceramic caps for noise surpression(I guess)



overview of machine on its rear, guts exposed