open reel is a great sounding format. better than most LPs and better than CD. Unfortunately you cannot get that better sound simply by buying a reel to reel deck from the 70s or early 80s connecting it to your system and pressing play.
doing this with open reel tape and expecting spectacular sound is akin to trading in your out board phono stage and reverting back to the phono preamp stage in your 1970s Marantz, Pioneer, Yamaha receiver from that era. Just is not going to happen.
First you need to get the deck serviced, and recapped. then you need to start looking for outboard tape head pre-amplifier, either tube or solid state.
and if you really want to go to next step, a set of hgh performance heads from JRF.
once you have done all that, then even the 7 1/2 ips quarter track tapes can sound amazingly good.
and when you play the 15 ips tapes, they become mind blowing
doing this with open reel tape and expecting spectacular sound is akin to trading in your out board phono stage and reverting back to the phono preamp stage in your 1970s Marantz, Pioneer, Yamaha receiver from that era. Just is not going to happen.
First you need to get the deck serviced, and recapped. then you need to start looking for outboard tape head pre-amplifier, either tube or solid state.
and if you really want to go to next step, a set of hgh performance heads from JRF.
once you have done all that, then even the 7 1/2 ips quarter track tapes can sound amazingly good.
and when you play the 15 ips tapes, they become mind blowing