WHat did Audiophiles hear during Tape deck era?

Whoa! Opinions are all over the map. 😳

Reel-to-reel tapes really took hold in audiophile-land in the mid-late '50's, when stereo was introduced and it took an R2R recorder to buy and play stereo.  R2R decks stayed in many audiophile decks right up into the mid-to-late '70's, when stereo cassette decks started to become good enough (with new tape formulations and eq's) to be "acceptable" on a high-fi rig.  At all times during these eras there were both "audiophile quality" pre-recorded tapes sold and a lot of convenience copies of discs.
Take it from one who was an audiophile through it all.

harrylavo,

"R2R decks stayed in many audiophile decks right up into the mid-to-late '70's, when stereo cassette decks started to become good enough (with new tape formulations and eq's) to be "acceptable" on a high-fi rig."


Yes, and I can't shake the feeling that with them also went the chance of attaining Master Tape sound quality at home.

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/copies-beatles-master-tapes-played-ces-and-rmaf-2013

A NAK  cassette deck ,all there decks were great.Hardon Karman made good ones to.Come on you guys ,they were good.I still have alot of cassettes  I play.Prerecorded or one i made from albums.Cheap tapes played on a cheap cassettes  deck sound like crap. True just like a cheap turntable ,and cheap speakers  sound like crap.i recorded back when i was a teenager  ,but the funny think was i always read Stereo Review  and kept up grading my equipment. I have done alot of side by side comparisons. My first really good turntable was a Technics SL 1350 with a Shure 100 cart I was 22 it cost me $379.i never had the money to buy state of art stuff.Raising a family and never made lots of money to burn.Im 68 now my system costs like $10,000 ,some closeout stuff ,but to me its Great.

Got any interest finding those cassettes a new home? 😬