Is There Any Reason To Buy A Reel-To-Reel Machine Nowadays??

Ever notice at HiFi/AV shows today, most high end manufacturers use R2R tape to demonstrate their equipment. Wonder why? All I can say is I just got back into R2R and purchased a fully refurbished Revox B77 MK2, HS 2T machine. First tape (15ips, NAB) I purchased to go with it was Lyn Stanley London With A Twist, Live at Bernies ( https://lynstanley.com/product/reel-to-reel-london-with-a-twist-live-sampler/ ). As close to live music I have ever heard in my home, staggeringly realistic. Absurdly expensive, but, if you want the very best SQ format available, R2R is probably it. Of course, not all pre-recorded tapes are this good; some are OK, some are awful.

SQ aside, R2R running at 15ips on 10.5" NAB reels looks stunning to me, guaranteed to get visitors attentions. Not so streaming or CDs.

I love my R2R, an am surprised that audiophiles who spend a LOT of money for minor improvements don’t add R2R to their systems. It’s not easy that’s for sure, but very rewarding. I progressed bit by bit, settled on Teac’s last Prosumer x2000r and prior x1000r. If you get into it, go for 6 head auto reverse. These decks are built like tanks.

The content is limited, BUT, the R2R tapes are my BEST sounding source (even though S/N is the lowest ratio).

I did many listening shootouts here, same music CD/LP/R2R. Everyone chooses LP over CD; Everyone chooses R2R over LP. And Everyone chooses Tubes over SS.

Why? The S/N progressively worsens while appreciation increases, it ain’t a love of noise. I’m 73, after listening, reading ... I came to believe/sum it up: Analog ’gets’ the overtones ’right’.
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I play mostly 4 track stereo pre-recorded tapes, 7-1/2 ips. 50-60 years old, amazingly they still sound terrific. Actually my 2 Track Stereo Tapes from 1956 sound the absolute best, 65 years old. Wider tracks, like faster speed means more magnetic material for the content. 15 ips; pro 30 ips even better, but no pre-recorded content at those speeds.

I bought over 500 R2R years ago, let’s guess avg around $10. plus $3.50 shipping. Later, I sold about 150 of them. The 7-1/2 ips versions have gotten rarer, and the costs have gone way way up.
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You hear things you do not hear on LP or CD versions, i.e.

Moody Blues, original band, strong piano based blues, the intro to the 1st song is a mess on LP, it sounds great on the tape. Curiously, the CD also sounds a mess on the intro, it must have been made from an LP master, I guess the tapes were made from the tape masters at the time.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/113891127741?hash=item1a8470b1bd:g:5EEAAOSwFDddgZ-1

Iron Butterfly

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333887968944?hash=item4dbd4616b0:g:elgAAOSwDrdgJteW

this one is the less desirable slower 3-3/4 ips version. On my 7-1/2 ips you can hear him drunkenly say ’Garden of Eden’

Beatles

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184891757815?hash=item2b0c6854f7:g:OvgAAOSwpDRgvS6-

Sgt. Peppers (again, the less desirable 3-3/4 ips version). On my 7-1/2 ips version, you hear subtleties of their voices, you gain a lot of respect for Paul’s bass playing talents ... I played it for my nephew, a musician, I glanced sideways, tears were starting to flow.
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Jazz, Rock, Crooners, the era when the greats became great all exist on pre-recorded tape, then it stops. I don’t know when they stopped making them, but the content is limited by that cessation.

Technicians with knowledge about these things are getting more rare these days, unless someone gets really involved and devotes a good time on them. Generally spares can be found relatively easy depending on deck and blank tapes are not so expensive. But still it is the most expensive format to keep. Surely an eye catcher with great sonics. Currently own a Revox B77MKII 4 track, two speed 3 1/4 & 7 1/2, a box full of spares and a good number of tapes, mostly RMG SM911, SM468 and Maxell XLI. 

Home made tapes are darn good, but not as astounding as pre-recorded tapes made from 1" 30 ips masters.

We need to be realistic about the difference between pre-recorded from masters and home recorded (which has validity, but not the same SQ).

On 1/4" tape? Record What? Copy an already compromised version, i.e. LP, CD? What speed: 30 ips;15 ips; 7-1/2 ips; 3-/4 ips?

We used to record live radio broadcasts, otherwise unavailable; live musician friends; borrowed LP’s. Many people made long playing compilations on 10-1/2" reels, even using the slower 3-3/4 ips speed for a huge amount of music on 1 tape. Fun, party: press play, walk away.

I bought a collection of 17 tapes pre-recorded by a dude named ’Stoneman’. He hand painted the box edges with pastel paints, a great collection of 60’s rock. They are a treat, sound good, he knew what he was doing, but not the same SQ as studio produced.

Today, everything is accessible, and a 1/4" copy will not sound superior like a pre-recorded one will.

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check out these guys methods

https://tapeproject.com/why-tape/

I see audiophiles spending crazy money on equipment upgrades when the fact is the difference will not be as great as hearing a superior-sounding format in your system. Going from a 10K amp to a 20K amp will not make as big of an SQ improvement as hearing a different format altogether. Nothing sounds like TAPE! Put 2-3K on a reel to reel deck and spend the rest on tapes. I’ve posted on this topic last year.
Reel to reel is not meant to replace your existing formats, there’s not enough music available and most of us here already have a turntable we’re happy with. But reel to reel gives us an opportunity to start listening to master tape quality for 2-3K, a price some of us pay for a cable or a tweak.
Also, it’s good to have friends that are into tapes. Making copies of master tapes for one another really helps with the cost and a good way to build a collection. I’m all in for making new friends...even if you’re just starting out.

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/4524

Anthony