Ron’s New System

[cjfrbw]

All the fuss and muss and tape storage and cooking tape etc. are a bit much for me, too much stress for too little variety and a crimp on listening time. Also, tapes are as unpredictable as any media in regard to mastering. Those Pink Floyd tapes guys were getting a few years ago were stellar, just no vinyl could aspire to holding a candle to them.

However, I think that my Riverside copy of 'Waltz for Debbie' sounds better on my home vinyl system than those highly touted tapes even when tapes played on Wilson Alexandrias. Also, there are high ips tape that generally can sound worse than high average vinyl.

That being said, of course, great tapes close to the masters played on machines similar to the master tape machines are simply unbeatable for sound quality. I do think they are in the 'demo' type category rather than routine listening, They show what the highest source potential can be.

If you have a lot of these high ips tapes, some will sound great, some probably average, and probably some not so great. I have heard some expensive not so great ones. I am not so sure, in spite of breakthrough superiority of tape in instances, that the running average of decent vinyl is that much poorer, and vinyl isn't 'easy' but is easier and more easily sourced and stored, played etc.

Nonetheless, kudos to those who valiantly preserve and enjoy this great tape medium.

 

[microstrip]

my term 'dark art' reflects the difficult and mysterious process of entering the reel to reel world. the machines are all vintage with very few exceptions, and finding someone who can work on them is mostly word of mouth. access to tapes is very fuzzy to the 'tape' outsider.

Ok for the process of entering. People should know what machine to get - your fantastic A820 is a modern nightmare, filled with sensors and microprocessors with elaborated code and functions. An A80 needs some mechanical understanding but only needs elementary knowledge of electronics and common spares. The service manuals are extremely complete and freely accessible online. But we have great forums filled with very helpful people.

A cheap Revox B77 is an excellent mechanical machine and a good entering point.

OTOH with vinyl it's relatively all there for anyone to find. sure there is a bit of set-up voodoo to learn, but compared to tape it's easy-peasy.

According to some of our members 95% of people did or had someone to carry a poor vinyl
set-up and listen to a non optimized sound. It takes long years, even decades to master such art.

 

[microstrip]

If I may pick a few nits. Ambiguity of copy is exactly the point. How many copie can we make before the difference is audible? That's the problem of vinyl- degradation due to duplication. The copy itself would be ambiguous It's a rhetorical question.

Well, some people solved this problem using DSD ... Surely tape is not a viable product in large quantities and his extremely expensive. BTW, I only have tape as an audiophile activity.

Sorry, I can't understand what you are exactly addressing by "the problem of vinyl- degradation due to duplication".

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Ok for the process of entering. People should know what machine to get - your fantastic A820 is a modern nightmare, filled with sensors and microprocessors with elaborated code and functions. An A80 needs some mechanical understanding but only needs elementary knowledge of electronics and common spares. The service manuals are extremely complete and freely accessible online. But we have great forums filled with very helpful people.

any engineer would agree.

A cheap Revox B77 is an excellent mechanical machine and a good entering point.

agree.

According to some of our members 95% of people did or had someone to carry a poor vinyl
set-up and listen to a non optimized sound. It takes long years, even decades to master such art.

there are hundreds of levels of vinyl optimization, most of which result in at least a fun level sound. society views vinyl as something real and normal. with the normal flow.

tape is out there somewhere relatively in obscurity. does not mean that it's so hard once you really look and get going with something sensible. but it's a 'dark' thing on the surface. and Amazon is not going to deliver it. you have to look 'under' a rock to find one.

 

[Ron Resnick]

UPDATE:

The first stage of the move – – moving the Pendragon crates from the garage down two flights of stairs to the living room – – is finished.

 

[Ron Resnick]

 

[Ron Resnick]

The taller, narrower crates weigh 630 pounds each. The shorter, wider crates weigh 450 pounds each.

This team, headed by Chad Ellingwood of Woodland Hills, CA (818-730-4698, yochad@gmail.com) did a great job! "No delicate glass railing was broken in the filming of this movie."

 

[Johan K]

Now we’re talking, Ron!!
That’s the way you do it?!!

It’s going to be so exiting to see the setup of these beauties. Go Ron Go !

All the best

/ Johan

 

[Lagonda]

View attachment 103855



View attachment 103856


View attachment 103857

Poor guys, i almost died setting up my Statements, and i had no stairs !

 

[Gregadd]

Well, some people solved this problem using DSD ... Surely tape is not a viable product in large quantities and his extremely expensive. BTW, I only have tape as an audiophile activity.

Sorry, I can't understand what you are exactly addressing by "the problem of vinyl- degradation due to duplication".

No doubt because I unartfully stated it. The "mother" stamper eventually wears out compromising quality as the run progresses.

 

[TooCool4]

Ron I see a reflection of you doing the heavy lifting work, (Camera)

 

[Johan K]

 

[Gregadd]

Excellent work my friend. Of course, if I lived in California, five of my former clients could have moved that and you would never have known they were there. However, you may have to change the code on your security system.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron I see a reflection of you doing the heavy lifting work, (Camera)

Somebody has to be the brains behind the operation (and the photographer)!

 

[R Johnson]

Nice work protecting the stair treads.
A very nice Dale Chihuly chandelier!

 

[dminches]

Congrats. No turning back now…

 

[Kingrex]

Do I see a Dale Chihuly?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Do I see a Dale Chihuly?

I can't see Ron's poochie anywhere.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I couldn't wait – – I opened one of the coffins . . .



Distressing that there is no foam or cushioning inside, no?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I couldn't wait – – I opened one of the coffins . . .

View attachment 103863

Distressing that there is no foam or cushioning inside, no?

the factory might have determined that more packing might be abrasive or could come loose. possibly loose stuff could damage the speaker membranes.

if the crate is holding the speaker structure firmly in place then it's all good. looks like it worked. with wood crates surrounding the speaker nothing is going to penetrate it without completely destroying the speaker.