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Open Reel Curious

I am relatively new to audiophile level listening, with a respectable SS system, streaming mainly, with some discs and vinyl in the mix as well.  But I am intrigued with open reel. Yet I am also a bit intimidated. There is clearly a learning curve regarding equipment, calibration, tape types, etc, not to mention a pretty major expense. 
 

It seems like there are only a very few places to listen and learn - Brooklyn, LA, Vancouver, BC…? Anyone know of places in Chicago or Detroit where one can go to hear high-end open reel demos and talk to knowledgeable people in person? Anyone have any advice, like “Run! Run far away!” lol. 

mattsca
bob540
429 posts
 

I was buying some records from a couple that asked if I would be interested in their TEAC reel-to-reel deck from the 1970’s. I heard it play and the price wasn’t bad.  I had been into reel-to-reel music during the 70’s, using a Sony deck.  I might have bought their deck, but in researching prices of tapes, the cost astounded me.  Open reel blank tapes that I used to buy for less than $10 are now about $50, and pre-recorded tapes were going for $150!  I just could not justify spending that kind of money when I can buy record albums and CD’s, or stream music, for a fraction of that.  I think R-to-R is a very niche market now.  

fatdaddy2
459 posts
 

Flee while you can! Run far, far away!

larryincmh
84 posts
 

I have a lot of fun with my open reel Teac.  I bought the deck refurbished for $400 and it has worked error free for years. I scour local auction sites and ebay for factory pre-recorded tapes (mainly 60’s and 70’s rock) and have ended up with a few dozen to play. I do zero home recording. Yes, it is interactive in that you need to keep the tape heads clean, and the rollers clean, but otherwise it is no harder than putting on an LP.  
 

Occasionally there is some splicing involved but I’ve been fortunate in that most of the tapes I’ve bought haven’t really needed the musical sections spliced in any way but I have spliced leader onto the beginning of the tape.

jperry
2,485 posts
 

The Good:

The sound is close to unbeatable with the right machine and tape

A good tape deck isn't really expensive

The Bad:

After hearing it returning to a lesser medium is difficult

A great tape deck is expensive

Great prerecorded tapes are expensive ($300 ++)

I decided to not have a tape deck because of the expense of the software.

mahler123
3,648 posts
 

Curious about where you live.  I am from Detroit originally and live in Chicago.

  In Bucktown there was a shop that had a R2R prominently displayed about a year go.  Ann Arbor had a very HE store that might be worth checking.  At the moment I can’t recall the name of either place, I’ll have to dig a bit

 

https://muse.audio A2

 

deciBEL in Chicago 

 

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