Is there an 'Audiophile' Reel-to-Reel Machine for Under $1,000?

I think, we made it sound very complicated to the OP. But, yes, he must decide if he needs two or four track deck and if he needs 15ips speed.  Master tape dubs can be less than $400 but still very expensive. For his old recorded tapes he may need 3.75ips speed, we don't know. For less expensive deck than Otari I would probably go after either Pioneer or Revox.

@vinylfun 

If your really want to spend $1000 on a R2R then that's what you should do to listen to your dad's tapes. I say great idea, worth a grand to me.

It is a completely different game if you're looking for a "satisfactory hi-end" machine.

Just the fact that you posted looking for a $1k machine...you answered your own question.

Many good advisory posts above if you decide to proceed.

Regards,

barts

Used to own an A77 back in the 80's....fun to play with, but when learned that Betamax could record audio at near CD quality, it got lost.....

Still annoyed VHS became the 'standard'......
Take a grip on the above....tape types, condition, tracks, et all.....
You're buying 'vintage', circuitry and mechanical....it may need surgery of sorts.
Cost will be a factor unless you feel lucky....

Good luck with the plunge.  Share what you find if it's really novel.

Always good to hear a 'happy ever after all THAT'... *L*

In the vintage audio world, there's a good portion of hobbyists who would consider ANY RtR machine "Audiophile Quality" and anyone who has one an audiophile...

I myself have a 2-track Akai GX-265d (with glass ferrite heads) and a Dokorder 1140 4 - track deck. IMO the issue isn't the decks - it's the tapes.

If you are a fan of any music from the 60s / 70s  that isn't Englebert Humperdink or Mitch Miller... you are going to pay through the nose for most commercial pre-recorded tapes. Hard (for me anyway) to justify $350 for a Led Zeppelin II reel that is in so-so shape, when I can pick up an original RL vinyl pressing in at least decent shape for around the same cost..?

For tape media, I have reel, cassette, and 8-track (audiophiles are now gasping at the mere mention of 8Tr). Of the 3, I have the least pre-recorded media for the RtR, just due to a combination of a lack of selection and cost.

metal type iv cassettes on nakamichi dragon/dr10 sound more “audiophile” to me than fe tapes even at higher speed on r2r