2. analog
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Anyone notice SVHS Audio best other Analog equipment including turntables, cassette decks.

I have a few JVC Super VHS decks manufactured from the late 1980’ to about 1994 in use around here. Using SVHS tapes only I fine that they produce better analog stereo sound than the best cassette and reel to reel decks I’ve experienced the past few decades. I feel that they are better (hi-fi/stereo) than high quality turntables too. There are many reasons besides the hi-fi analog stereo sound they produce. Because high end (SVHS tape, SVCR decks in particular) often last for decades without issues, no scratches, few if any dropouts, w/ rarely a need for any maintenance, for me, they make them the best analog choice. They produce a sound much better to my ear than our perfect performing Nakimichi ZX7 even when using the highest quality cassette tapes that we have had for decades. It remains in mint-operating condition. I use it to make & copy custom tapes for our car deck. S VHS is better equipment for hi-fi stereo, (a clean natural analog sound sounds best to the human ear). VHS VCRs are capable of producing an amazing 20-20,000 MHz w/ 0,005% wow and flutter w/few if any drop outs to have to listen to. Dead quiet is supreme. SVHS tapes are much better sounding than your basic VHS tape. I find that VHS tapes cost much less for a better-quitter tape compared to other analog technology. I tossed out all of my turntable equipment that we have had since the early 1970’s, out to the curb as it were, years ago due the SVHS technology best that technology w/much less expense and much less headaches to deal with too. Who knows what I am talking about. Does anyone else know where I am coming from? I must admit that my experiences come from the 1950’-1980 technology. (not having owed the most expense equipment of today), yet, having lived through the early 1950’s to date and into music since those early days of analog. That is my point here is does superior vintage (1980'90's) pure analog (super) SVHS have to continue to die quietly, a silent death?
archiecb
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,604 posts
 
I wore mine out recording radio broadcasts.  Streaming sounds better than wearing out spinning heads.
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chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Your source is digital, it will never be as good as analog if you record it on tape from digital source. If you want analog you need analog source, not digital. 
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
VHS machines were built to a price, like a cheap transistor radio. They will all crash in time then you will have all these tapes you can not play.
It is always better to stay with formats that are more durable. Because there are trillions of records out there turntables will be around for at least another two generations. Digital files will be useful probably forever.

@chakster, I love my turntable (that I have not gotten yet) and have thousands of records but the very best recordings I have are modern Hi Res Digital. My favorite records predate 1980 (all analog). Maybe this is just my psyche talking but it is the impression I get. Maybe it has to do with mastering. Certainly, it took a while for engineers to accommodate to digital  and it was not until about 1982 that decent CD players came along. The original units were very harsh which gave digital a bad start and a decades long hangover. But in the past decade or so some really incredible digital recordings have come along and engineers are getting much better at mastering older analog recordings for digital. 
This digital vs analog argument is very much like the Tubes vs SS and some other arguments.  It seems to be more emotional than factual. There is absolutely no argument about distortion and noise being much lower with straight digital recording and playback. I know this does not necessarily equate to better sound as there are numerous processes along the way for better or worse. Digital is not the demon it is made out to be by some. Like turntables, if you find your digital playback to be sub standard than you have work to do as there are digital playback systems that sound excellent. 
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