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.
This is where I purchased my fully rebuilt and upgraded Revox PR99 Mk11 deck: Shipping cost from Switzerland to the USA was reasonable and they do a great job packaging to avoid damage in transportation. The last time I went to AXPONA, Krell were demonstrating using R2R and the sound was best in show IMHO, using a +50 year old Dean Martin tape! |
Using a reel to reel deck to preserve rare vinyl on tape is certainly a reasonable use of the technology, especially when one wishes to avoid the AD conversion inherent to ripping. Asking a question of whether / how dubbing vinyl to tape might affect SQ also seemed reasonable. @dishman442 it's okay to be upset, but indicating why and at whom always helps everyone understand where you're coming from. |
A few years back l bought an Akai GX-220D three motor, 4 track three head auto-reverse on impulse from eBay £79 Recapped and with no additional maintenance needed it is now in good shape. Bought 12 new and some used Agfa 7” tapes from one guy for £30 + P&P again from eBay. Soon up and running for £200 all in. I was so impressed (only had a Grundig mono R to R in my teens) I spent a little more on about 10 pre-recorded 3 3/4 and 7 1/2 ips tapes for good measure. l can’t put my finger on it but 7 1/2 ips (no Dolby) there’s just something about that sound. Yes it’s of novelty value, l do not play around with it often, but it adds some razzamataz to the music. |
For sure; reel to reel is something us baby boomers sort of got sucked into; high end on tape formats that were better than 8 track or cassette. So as a young 20 something i bought a Pioneer RT909; it was cool; ok; and groovy....got rid of it to someone who liked it more than me..Bought a nice Teac deck; model excapes me but i just spent a grand on it to recondition it...got it back, plugged it in; and it's sat right there on the audio stand for nine months now...i love having this audio antique there; along with my Marantz 5420 cassette deck....but really, not motivated to record yet....but wow, those two units look cool sitting there; albeit they are both over 40 years old....but, maybe it gets to be fun on rainy days once i retire....who knows.. |
I have an Otari 5050 mkll for about 40 years now. Before that I had the Pioneer top model in the 70s. Last year I picked up a Pioneer 707 to backup the original 7.5 reels that I have purchased. I have 4 TT, 2 in my main system. A Technics GAE with an Ortho Cadenza Black, & a EMT 948 with the TD-MRB cart on that. Both tables pull all the music out from the groves that have been recorded on them. Now the original recording from the 60s & 70s on the Reels, sound much better then the original pressing of Lps that I have. One would have to be cautious when buying original tapes because of how they were stored & of the person selling, stating they have no way of testing the tape before hand. e.g. (splices & blank spots) |
