United Home Audio Tascam decks

[rockitman]

Anyone have experience on how good they sound ? Is the top modded repro amp version the best sounding RTR playback available, including those with wired out heads to bottlehead or king/cello pre's ? They are expensive, but if all the internals are re-worked/replaced and it is SOTA playback performance maybe they are worth the money ?

 

[Joe Galbraith]

Anyone have experience on how good they sound ? Is the top modded repro amp version the best sounding RTR playback available, including those with wired out heads to bottlehead or king/cello pre's ? They are expensive, but if all the internals are re-worked/replaced and it is SOTA playback performance maybe they are worth the money ?

While I myself have a Technics 1500 rebuilt by Jeff Jacobs at J-Corder and modified by Doc B at Bottlehead into the King/Cello pre-amp, I have heard Greg's UHA decks a number of times a number of times, and they are stupid good. Absolutely beautiful playback. Are they the "best"?
I can't say they are and I can't say they are not. With the huge uptick in Reel to Reel in the high-end community there are some mighty fine machines to be had, including the afore mentioned UHA, the Studer family, and for the gonzo among us, a tricked out ATR 102.

That said, my modest 1500/King Cello setup gives my Walker TT a run for it's money in analog reproduction.

The UHA decks are real eye candy to see as well. They are completely reworked and my 2 cents worth says they sound great and are worth the money. YMMV...

 

[rockitman]

While I myself have a Technics 1500 rebuilt by Jeff Jacobs at J-Corder and modified by Doc B at Bottlehead into the King/Cello pre-amp, I have heard Greg's UHA decks a number of times a number of times, and they are stupid good. Absolutely beautiful playback. Are they the "best"?
I can't say they are and I can't say they are not. With the huge uptick in Reel to Reel in the high-end community there are some mighty fine machines to be had, including the afore mentioned UHA, the Studer family, and for the gonzo among us, a tricked out ATR 102.

That said, my modest 1500/King Cello setup gives my Walker TT a run for it's money in analog reproduction.

The UHA decks are real eye candy to see as well. They are completely reworked and my 2 cents worth says they sound great and are worth the money. YMMV...

Thanks for sharing your opinion. I think I may go the way of an ATR-102 with the Aria repro electronics. ATR services is 6 hour drive for me.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Nice one if you do , look forward seeing the pics then.
To be honest from a technical standpoint i like the precision motorworks / ATR services backed ampexes more than UHA , although the sound could be better i dont know, i personally think the magnetic tape playback/record technology is where most of the gain is , but the player must be of a certain standard off course

By the way myles could chip in on the sound....where is myles ??

 

[Bruce B]

ATR-102 with ARIA...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks for sharing your opinion. I think I may go the way of an ATR-102 with the Aria repro electronics. ATR services is 6 hour drive for me.

i've heard the ATR-102 with Aria, and it's very good.

even though i've not actually heard my ATR-102 with the King-Cello, i suspect that i would prefer that to the Aria....as i know how my Studers sound with it and do prefer that performance to my recollection of the Aria. and i do think a stock ATR-102 betters slightly a stock Studer A-820.

OTOH with the Aria you do have the option of also using the Aria as an input circuit and the one box aspect has it's advantages.

FYI; as much as i can tell from my listening to the UHA Tascams at shows, i don't see them in A820/ATR-102/King Cello territory. this viewpoint is highly provisional so don't put too much weight with it as i've never directly compared those products. but you are asking.....so.....

 

[rockitman]

Thanks Mike...A80RC or ATR-102. It is hard to decide. If I go ATR, perhaps I will go with it w/o the ARIA.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks Mike...A80RC or ATR-102. It is hard to decide. If I go ATR, perhaps I will go with it w/o the ARIA.

you cannot go wrong with either of those choices. good plan.

 

[rbbert]

Didn't Bruce just post that he didn't like the ATR/Aria?

 

[andromedaaudio]

That is a nice machine .
It has a low maintenance /high tech look which i like.
Buying an old studer will leave you with old unserviced motors /old bearings and what not . bearings can be changed of course but i get the impression these ampex machines are built from the ground up .
This is a different level of machine revision it lookslike
Bruce used it for recording /playback i would use it mostly for playback

ATR-102 with ARIA...


View attachment 8496

 

[andromedaaudio]

There seem to be differing opions about ATR stock amps versus Aria.

http://prorecordingworkshop.lefora.com/2011/07/31/aria-tape-electronics-opinions-2/

 

[rockitman]

Te seem to be differing opions about ATR stock amps versus Aria.

http://prorecordingworkshop.lefora.com/2011/07/31/aria-tape-electronics-opinions-2/

Thanks for that...kind of mirrors Bruce B's rec, that the ATR may be more fun to listen too stock without the Aria. Anyone know what the Aria (repro only) costs ?

Apparently the aria has a extremely flat response...maybe that is why there may be more punch in the bass and extension in the midrange (not as flat) with the stock ATR ?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks for that...kind of mirrors Bruce B's rec, that the ATR may be more fun to listen too stock without the Aria. Anyone know what the Aria (repro only) costs ?

from memory;

the Aria for repro only is around $4k plus shipping of your deck to and from ATR. it's $6k for both input and output circuits. that was from 6 years ago when i got my ATR-102 from Precision Motor Works. i went back and forth at the time and decided in the end to go stock.

i would guess the price is likely more now.

 

[andromedaaudio]

And the price for a ampex ATR deck either from ATR or Precision motorworks ??
i read it was around 11/12 K $$ which would be excl VAT i suppose

 

[Bruce B]

And the price for a ampex ATR deck either from ATR or Precision motorworks ??
i read it was around 11/12 K $$ which would be excl VAT i suppose

I think it's around $14k... about $20k with Aria....

 

[rockitman]

from memory;

the Aria for repro only is around $4k plus shipping of your deck to and from ATR. it's $6k for both input and output circuits. that was from 6 years ago when i got my ATR-102 from Precision Motor Works. i went back and forth at the time and decided in the end to go stock.

i would guess the price is likely more now.

Thanks Mike. If I go this route (I will go stock sans Aria) I can drive to get my unit (5.5 hrs) and time it to attend a calibration seminar. (ATR Services). Looks like they can upgrade internal components for the stock unit, including wiring, caps, IEC connector for using high grade power cables ect.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Thanks bruce, In addition to the comments in the link and others , things are always system dependant , to someone with a speaker with a basshump , the aria may sound the best versus the not flat stock ATR and vice versa, i would also like to see the FR of the speaker used for the comparison

 

[Joe Galbraith]

ATR Services is a really cool place to visit. A number of years ago, I was visiting a friend who had a business a few doors down in the same office park (the late Red Trumpet Records). He took me over to ATR. When I was there, they had the original 2 inch multi track machines from Abbey Road Studios in for work. These were the very machines the Beatles used for some of their stuff. It was like a convention for Ampex transports and electronics!