Yes because they are Big and Sexy!! You can see the music being "made" as the reels go round and the meters dance! A digital streamer won't get you laid.
Is There Any Reason To Buy A Reel-To-Reel Machine Nowadays??
I bought my first reel-to-reel machine in 1977 as a convenience in order to record and play back multiple albums in high fidelity.without having to fool around with my manual turntable. I was surprised to find out that I preferred the sound of the reel to the turntable. Along came cd and I could play both sides of an album with the fuss of having to flip it over every 15 minutes. Now with high a high quality DAC and a computer, you can have uninterrupted high fidelity music for days on end.
No one is making new recordings on reel-to-reel. The cost of blank tape is exorbitant. The cost of a good open-reel deck is stratospheric. So pretty much you're left with recording an LP or a cd to your reel for playback.....what's that??
Please chime in for reasons to buy an open-reel deck today.
No one is making new recordings on reel-to-reel. The cost of blank tape is exorbitant. The cost of a good open-reel deck is stratospheric. So pretty much you're left with recording an LP or a cd to your reel for playback.....what's that??
Please chime in for reasons to buy an open-reel deck today.
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Don't let any of the "digital" folk take you off what you are hearing. Digital was originally designed for cost optimization, not high fidelity. That is what Sony and Philips were looking for when they invented the CD player. .MP3's are just the next step to lower cost. Digital has improved markedly over the decades, with the highest quality digital sounding pleasant, though not up to a good reel to reel setup or turntable. It is interesting: the biggest digital success story in the last 20 years, perhaps ever, was Steve Jobs. But when he went home, this is what he listened to https://www.speakerscornerrecords.com/news/details/18/steve-jobs-and-vinyl Digital could probably be fixed (as mentioned in the article), but then it will be less cheap and convenient. The big secret with reel to reel is the idler arm drive used in system. There are other reasons, but the idler arm drive is probably the most important piece. The problem is getting tapes and keeping reel to reels running. Though you do now have an option that gets you 98% of the way there w/o the cost, inconvenience of tapes, and problems with getting the decks serviced. Here, take a look at this: http://www.idler-wheel-drive.com/science-art/drive-system/ I have one of these, and all the claims made are true. My table is the best sounding source I've ever heard except for older pro Ampex reel to reels. It even sounds better than the Tandberg I used to record live concerts in school. Nantais does a very good job of explaining the advantages of idler arm technology. It is definitely easier to deal with records over reel to reels, and recordings are generally cheaper on vinyl. |
Just finished reading your review of the review of the Naim Solstice. Been out of vinyl 26 years, but it holds a place close in my heart. When I started listening critically to music I had a 4 track hard wired in one of my Hippiemobiles. I'm sure some of you in bigger citys had this, but I was living in KC, MO and they would simulcast concerts via FM from Arrowhead Stadium. The first was Peter Frampton. Oh, I put my R2R on 15ips and made a really good recording. I'm surprised you members are even surprised that Decaware suggest this set up will blow away ANY analog source by far. https://www.decware.com/newsite/UATAPE.html |
I have absolutely no need - not even .1%, for a reel to reel. But I remember back in the 70’s when I was starting my audio journey, no serious audio guy was without a reel to reel. It’s damned cool, albeit useless. A relative has a 50 plus yr old Tandberg socked away in his basement, unused for years and he’s the original owner. I’d love to have that sitting on a shelf in my place! |
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