Stellavox Pro TD9 New Manufacture Tape Machine

[Ron Resnick]

Sepea Audio, a company in Serbia, is making and offering a newly manufactured Stellavox Pro TD9 reel-to-reel tape machine:





"Sepea Audio manufactures new Stellavox PRO State-of-the-art Professional Reel-To-Reel Tape Recorders.

We renovate, refurbish and repair vintage Stellavox recorders, offer Stellavox spare parts, audio upgrades and accessories.

SEPEA Audio launched the production of this tape recorder according to the original company documents, drawings and documentation. Some parts comes from the original Swiss Stellavox production, as we bought remaining stock. These are combined with new manufactured parts. We have managed to contact the original producers, who made to order particular parts for our needs. Where the former manufacturer no longer exists, parts are manufactured according to original drawings and material specification.

Range of accessories are also be available. For example, L-shaped wooden side panels, trolley stand, VU meter bridge, legs for horizontal operation of the device and also rack-mount. A number of different adapter types for audio or film tapes are available on stock.

As many years have passed since the end of the original production and technical progress has advanced, there is space for further upgrades and improvements of the original design. We will gradually introduce them into production. Of course, we will inform you about any changes on our website."









Has anyone heard or used this tape machine?

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

Sepea Audio, a company in Serbia, is making and offering a newly manufactured Stellavox Pro TD9 reel-to-reel tape machine:

View attachment 79716



"Sepea Audio manufactures new Stellavox PRO State-of-the-art Professional Reel-To-Reel Tape Recorders.

We renovate, refurbish and repair vintage Stellavox recorders, offer Stellavox spare parts, audio upgrades and accessories.

SEPEA Audio launched the production of this tape recorder according to the original company documents, drawings and documentation. Some parts comes from the original Swiss Stellavox production, as we bought remaining stock. These are combined with new manufactured parts. We have managed to contact the original producers, who made to order particular parts for our needs. Where the former manufacturer no longer exists, parts are manufactured according to original drawings and material specification.

Range of accessories are also be available. For example, L-shaped wooden side panels, trolley stand, VU meter bridge, legs for horizontal operation of the device and also rack-mount. A number of different adapter types for audio or film tapes are available on stock.

As many years have passed since the end of the original production and technical progress has advanced, there is space for further upgrades and improvements of the original design. We will gradually introduce them into production. Of course, we will inform you about any changes on our website."






View attachment 79717


Has anyone heard or used this tape machine?

This looks really amazing. I wonder if there are any quality differences between this version and "original"

 

[srs148]

This looks really amazing. I wonder if there are any quality differences between this version and "original"

They're building them exactly as they were originally designed and are considering enhancements to the platform as they progress through production. I will be getting one so will report back with my impressions when I do (hopefully by fall as it's a minimum 8-week lead time).

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

They're building them exactly as they were originally designed and are considering enhancements to the platform as they progress through production. I will be getting one so will report back with my impressions when I do (hopefully by fall as it's a minimum 8-week lead time).

That is really amazing news! I'm looking forward to read your review then

 

[Pacha]

I too am looking forward to your review of this newly available R2R.

 

[gds7368]

Any update on the how this sounds?
Does anyone out there have one?

 

[srs148]

Mine is nearly complete and is supposed to ship very soon. I'll provide an update once I receive it.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Congrats lovely machine , i love the stand

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Yes looks great! Keep us posted.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

Mine is nearly complete and is supposed to ship very soon. I'll provide an update once I receive it.

View attachment 94996
View attachment 94995View attachment 94994

Lovely piece of equipment! Got ETA on it? What's the first record you will play on it?

 

[srs148]

@andromedaaudio and @Audiophile Bill - thank you both. I'm excited to receive it. It might be the most expensive piece I own (though the Nagra T and A820s are rapidly catching up).

 

[srs148]

Lovely piece of equipment! Got ETA on it? What's the first record you will play on it?

Unfortunately, not as of yet. I resent my shipping information last week because Peter wanted to send it 'now,' but haven't received an update. It's time to check in . As for first title, I'm not sure yet. Whatever moves me on that particular day (which could still be weeks away)

 

[andromedaaudio]

@andromedaaudio and @Audiophile Bill - thank you both. I'm excited to receive it. It might be the most expensive piece I own (though the Nagra T and A820s are rapidly catching up).

Pics please

 

[adrianywu]

I would love to hear your feedback. The Stellavox is supposed to have minimalist repro electronics which sound great. I am using my own external tube tape head pre with my Nagra T. I don't like the sound of the native repro electronics, but the T records very well.

 

[srs148]

I would love to hear your feedback. The Stellavox is supposed to have minimalist repro electronics which sound great. I am using my own external tube tape head pre with my Nagra T. I don't like the sound of the native repro electronics, but the T records very well.

I'm looking forward to comparing it with my other machines including the ATR, A820, T Audio, and MTR15, among others. I have a different experience with my Nagra T than you. After being fully serviced and calibrated, I think it's an excellent sounding machine. I've heard it described as 'sterile' and 'cold', but I'd describe it as accurate. It doesn't color the sound. From what I understand, the Nagra T's are not straightforward to properly calibrate, so many are not properly setup. I know mine was not when I first got it.

 

[adrianywu]

I'm looking forward to comparing it with my other machines including the ATR, A820, T Audio, and MTR15, among others. I have a different experience with my Nagra T than you. After being fully serviced and calibrated, I think it's an excellent sounding machine. I've heard it described as 'sterile' and 'cold', but I'd describe it as accurate. It doesn't color the sound. From what I understand, the Nagra T's are not straightforward to properly calibrate, so many are not properly setup. I know mine was not when I first got it.

My TA was last serviced by Hubert Bartels at Nagra about 4 years ago, just before he fully retired. As a professional machine, the sound is, as you say, accurate. It has excellent frequency response flatness and extension, and wonderful dynamics. It sounds very impressive and the presentation is of large scale. In my experience, I prefer the sound of the stock A80 and C37, but I feel the Nagra sounds better than the Telefunken M20. My experience with the Ampex ATR102 is limited. When the playback head is directly connected to my tube preamp though, the sound is transformed. I did an AB comparison with a group of audiophiles, including members of my recording team, and everyone agreed the sound is much better through the head preamp. The biggest difference is the space or ambiance. With the native electronics, you hear the sound. With the tube pre, you hear the venue. It is a bit like the difference between early digital and analogue.

 

[MiroJ]

Sepea Audio, a company in Serbia, is making and offering a newly manufactured Stellavox Pro TD9 reel-to-reel tape machine:

View attachment 79716



"Sepea Audio manufactures new Stellavox PRO State-of-the-art Professional Reel-To-Reel Tape Recorders.

We renovate, refurbish and repair vintage Stellavox recorders, offer Stellavox spare parts, audio upgrades and accessories.

SEPEA Audio launched the production of this tape recorder according to the original company documents, drawings and documentation. Some parts comes from the original Swiss Stellavox production, as we bought remaining stock. These are combined with new manufactured parts. We have managed to contact the original producers, who made to order particular parts for our needs. Where the former manufacturer no longer exists, parts are manufactured according to original drawings and material specification.

Range of accessories are also be available. For example, L-shaped wooden side panels, trolley stand, VU meter bridge, legs for horizontal operation of the device and also rack-mount. A number of different adapter types for audio or film tapes are available on stock.

As many years have passed since the end of the original production and technical progress has advanced, there is space for further upgrades and improvements of the original design. We will gradually introduce them into production. Of course, we will inform you about any changes on our website."






View attachment 79717


Has anyone heard or used this tape machine?

Greetings to you all, I only registered to alert you to the wrong information at the very beginning. Sepea Audio is from Slovakia and not Serbia. I am also from Slovakia and I know the technician Peter from Sepea Audio personally. I think that Peter belongs to the absolute elite of experts in the field of servicing and adjusting HiFi equipment. I apologize if I made an inappropriate post.

 

[adrianywu]

Greetings to you all, I only registered to alert you to the wrong information at the very beginning. Sepea Audio is from Slovakia and not Serbia. I am also from Slovakia and I know the technician Peter from Sepea Audio personally. I think that Peter belongs to the absolute elite of experts in the field of servicing and adjusting HiFi equipment. I apologize if I made an inappropriate post.

Thanks for correcting the info. I don't see the TD9 mentioned on their web page anymore. Have they stopped building and selling this machine ?

 

[srs148]

Thanks for correcting the info. I don't see the TD9 mentioned on their web page anymore. Have they stopped building and selling this machine ?

Yes, for the time being they are not selling the units. Hoping to see production resume late summer. I have a TD9 in for repair and conversion from 16mm to 1/4”.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

My TA was last serviced by Hubert Bartels at Nagra about 4 years ago, just before he fully retired. As a professional machine, the sound is, as you say, accurate. It has excellent frequency response flatness and extension, and wonderful dynamics. It sounds very impressive and the presentation is of large scale. In my experience, I prefer the sound of the stock A80 and C37, but I feel the Nagra sounds better than the Telefunken M20. My experience with the Ampex ATR102 is limited. When the playback head is directly connected to my tube preamp though, the sound is transformed. I did an AB comparison with a group of audiophiles, including members of my recording team, and everyone agreed the sound is much better through the head preamp. The biggest difference is the space or ambiance. With the native electronics, you hear the sound. With the tube pre, you hear the venue. It is a bit like the difference between early digital and analogue.

6 months ago i acquired two hot rodded ATR-102's; one with stock output, one with tubed MR 70's. comparing the two for a few months, i found that the tubed MR 70 tape preamps took things to another level; not only more space, but lower noise and greater dynamics and bass too. these MR 70's are not stock. matching the MR 70's did involve special Flux Magnetic heads.

anyway i agree that a properly executed and integrated tubed output can take tape to another level.

i have also heard other tubed tape repro's that to my ears were not as musically satisfying as my solid state King Cello was on my Studer A-820's. so it's not that simple as just having tubes, but that maybe the ceiling is higher with tubes.