The best classic reel to reel tape recorders

Decades ago, I briefly owned an Ampex tube unit-- one of those "portable" 40 lb reel machines with a carry handle. Before the belts liqified, I used it for a while. Never quite heard anything in reels that sounded better.

I still own and use a Technics 1500 and an Otari MX 5050. When I bought the decks I also bought new rubber rollers, that's very important. If you can't buy the rubber don't buy the deck. The Technics is 2 track and the playback always sounds better than the original recording, but that's at the expense of tape. The Otari sounds as good as the CD used to make the recording and it uses less tape. I like both of them.

The best reel to reel's back in the late 60's and 70's were
deck's from Roberts, Akai, Sony and TEAC. These four were considered the very best from that time period.