Revox PR99 MK1

[337alant]

Mint looking Revox PR99 Mk1 up for grabs not a bad price if it works ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REVOX-PR99-VINTAGE-REEL-TO-REEL-DECK-/112341607526?hash=item1a2814e466:g:V5wAAOSwal5YKfC h
Alan

[Barry]

Mint looking Revox PR99 Mk1 up for grabs not a bad price if it works ?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REVOX-PR99-VINTAGE-REEL-TO-REEL-DECK-/112341607526?hash=item1a2814e466:g:V5wAAOSwal5YKfC h
Alan

Looks lovely - but collection only from Hungary.

[Audio Al]

+1 :(

[337alant]

If you want good examples you have to make the effort ?:scratch:
I drove from Hartlepool to Brighton and back one day for one of these.
There are world wide couriers that can pick up stuff like this.

Alan

[Arkless Electronics]

They're good machines yes. I have a MkIII which I may use again someday.... The problem with R2R is that their only real use is making live recordings, which is why mine was last switched on about 6 years ago... and even longer for my other machines!:eek:

[Barry]

They're good machines yes. I have a MkIII which I may use again someday.... The problem with R2R is that their only real use is making live recordings, which is why mine was last switched on about 6 years ago... and even longer for my other machines!:eek:

I used to use mine for recording off the radio: plays and music programmes such as Radio 3's 'Late Junction'. Replaced the R2R with a cassette machine when I found I could make equally good recordings more conveniently. Still keep the Nagra to replay those early tapes.

[Arkless Electronics]

I used to use mine for recording off the radio: plays and music programmes such as Radio 3's 'Late Junction'. Replaced the R2R with a cassette machine when I found I could make equally good recordings more conveniently. Still keep the Nagra to replay those early tapes.

Ah yes that is another use... or was... most radio is available on digital catchup now! I don't agree with equally good results from cassette though. I've seen these kind of claims a few times over the past few years and I pooh pooh it entirely personally. Only one cassette deck has really come close to my ears and that is the Nakamichi CR7E. IME even an Akai 4000DS or Sony TC377 will piss on any cassette deck from a great height. I own some pretty up market cassette decks and consider them toys compared to even a half decent R2R. They just can't compete with the much greater track width and higher speed of the R2R.
The Nagra though is superb and I'm very jealous! I believe "Jazz at the pawnshop" was recorded on one of those portable Nagra's... 'nough said:)

[PaulStewart]

I offered my near mint, fully serviced PR99 mk 2 on this forum for less money, collect from London and got no takers. It is now in a good home in a recoding studio.

[Barry]

Ah yes that is another use... or was... most radio is available on digital catchup now! I don't agree with equally good results from cassette though. I've seen these kind of claims a few times over the past few years and I pooh pooh it entirely personally. Only one cassette deck has really come close to my ears and that is the Nakamichi CR7E. IME even an Akai 4000DS or Sony TC377 will piss on any cassette deck from a great height. I own some pretty up market cassette decks and consider them toys compared to even a half decent R2R. They just can't compete with the much greater track width and higher speed of the R2R.
The Nagra though is superb and I'm very jealous! I believe "Jazz at the pawnshop" was recorded on one of those portable Nagra's... 'nough said:)

My cassette machine is a Nakamichi; set up (calibrated) by B&W to use TDK MA tape.

Never thought much of the Akai 4000, much preferring the Tandberg series 6 machines. I know it used the old fashioned and unsophisticated 'gear shift' gate mechanism for play, wind and rewind, but it was superbly reliable.

It is a testament to the design of modern tape formulations that cassette tape tracks, half the width of that used on conventional R2Rs and running at one quarter of the speed, sound as good as they do.

[Arkless Electronics]

My cassette machine is a Nakamichi; set up (calibrated) by B&W to use TDK MA tape.

Never thought much of the Akai 4000, much preferring the Tandberg series 6 machines. I know it used the old fashioned and unsophisticated 'gear shift' gate mechanism for play, wind and rewind, but it was superbly reliable.

It is a testament to the design of modern tape formulations that cassette tape tracks, half the width of that used on conventional R2Rs and running at one quarter of the speed, sound as good as they do.

I thought the Akai sounded great... Tandbergs are much more expensive generally. I've got a Sony TC377 with a suspected duff reel motor as well, I put it to one side when the fault developed and haven't even looked at it for at least 20 years!

I often wondered just how good R2R could have been if equal effort had been put into it's further development as had been spent on cassette!?

[Avinunca1]

Can anyone comment on differences in SQ between the PR99 Mk1, 2, 3? I read somewhere the Mk1 has a more direct / simpler audio signal path.

[337alant]

I haven't done a comparison but would expect the differences to be subtle.
I have a A77, B77mk2, PR99 mk1 & PR99 mk2 but unfortunately I have only fully serviced and calibrated the B77, Im working on the PR 99 mk1 ATM

The B77 mk2 and the PR99 mk1 share a lot of the same circuit boards and circuit Diags, except that the PR99 has balanced in/out's, the balance transformers can be a disadvantage in a HIFI environment and an advantage in a pro studio environment. You can also calibrate the PR99 up to +6dB and it has Cal / UnCal buttons to Bye-pass the Volume pots which can also be an advantage as old pots can be noisy and non linear.
So its swings and roundabouts really ?
The MK2 has the digital counter/locator and some mods in the circuit boards
The Mk 3 has significant mods on the circuit boards and more use of Op Amps, digital counter / locator and looks the best IMO (wish I had one but alas)

For me the best sounding machine will be the one that has the least head wear, been fully serviced and calibrated for a specific tape type.

Alan