Lost count how may cassette deck's I have , Without moving I can see 7 :D
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Lost count how may cassette deck's I have , Without moving I can see 7 :D
Yeah, for sure. However, a big shock [read as pleasant surprise] for me was hearing what cassette decks can do, from truly top manufacturers (forget much of the mainstream Jap stuff, in that respect], and most importantly, set-up and calibrated by an expert.Quote:
Originally Posted by Filterlab
Since being 'serviced', in that way, and upgraded with the superior NOS heads of a more expensive model, the Tandberg is just simply stunning!!:eek::wow:
Previous to this, I'd never heard a cassette deck properly 'fettled' in that way, or internally biased to optimise specific tapes - and trust me the difference is veritably night & day. Therefore, if you've never experienced that before, then quite simply you've NEVER heard what the humble cassette tape is truly capable of...
I really didn't think that it would make such a difference, but I guess it's akin to buying a turntable and fitting an arm and cartridge simply so it 'works' in a basic mechanical sense, and produces some sort of sound, and doing the job right and meticulously OPTIMISING its performance:cool:
The Tandberg cost me £250, plus a further £160 on having it 'fettled', so for £410, quite honestly, I've got a music source now that doesn't disgrace itself in any way in comparison with either my CDP or T/T, which those here who've heard them will know how good they are, and which cost multiple thousands of pounds more!
Delighted? Aye, just a bit!!:D
This is the guy who did the work, and I can't recommend him highly enough: http://www.rdetandberg.co.uk/
Marco.
:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Audio Al
And I bought that from eBay to do the one job. My tapes went years back as a lot to a mate who couldn’t afford a CD player. :D
Cheers MartinQuote:
Originally Posted by Macca
Snap a pic, mate, and list them in make and model number - would be interesting to see:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Audio Al
If you don't have a Tandberg in your collection, then sell some of the 'duffers' and use the dosh to buy one - then get it professionally restored and calibrated. You won't regret it, trust me!
My recent experiences here in that respect have been a veritable eye-opener.
Marco.
Cant be assed with taking 7 photos , the list is
Pioneer CT540
Akai CSM01A
Marantz 5020
Braun C2
Aurex Toshiba PC X60AD
and the best one is a Teac Z5000 Master Cassette deck with wired remote ,
Some low end some high end
And you don't need to convince me how good tape setups can be , I know already :)
This is the deck mine is now using the heads from::scratch:
I have read this line several times and it makes no sence ????
What it your tape machine ? and what heads is it now fitted with , Also what tapes is it calibrated for :)
Lol - hush my mouth! I meant in terms of having machines professionally serviced/rebuilt and calibrated by a trained professional, then internally biased to sonically optimise specific tapes. Have you ever had that done to any of your machines?Quote:
Originally Posted by Audio Al
If not, then I stand by what I said!:ner:;)
Marco.
P.S Would be nice to see a pic of the Braun, if you have time:)
Lol - then you haven't read the thread properly or my signature, where the deck I use is listed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Audio Al
I have a Tandberg TCD-310, but the engineer who restored it to better than new condition (bearing in mind that it's 45 years old), and when replacing the existing worn heads, fitted those from a superior model (the TCD-420), which have a flatter and more extended frequency response - and the difference isn't subtle!:eek:
All clear now, daftee?
Marco.
The best Teac cassette deck IMO was the C1 professional machine, modified to have balanced outputs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Audio Al
https://images.reverb.com/image/uplo...zhfpwvbixl.jpg
I have a Nakamichi machine which has been calibrated by B&W to use TDK MA metal tape. Calibration for a particular tape makes a big difference, although I still wouldn't consider cassette as a prime source medium, compared with R2R, CD or vinyl. It is however a much cheaper option.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Yes Sir Marco :)
Shmashin!:D
Marco.
My little cassette deck.[emoji106][emoji106][emoji16][emoji16]
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1c8ef5515e.jpg
Sent from my 9001X using Tapatalk
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Adder
:stalks::stalks::stalks: Oooo I just got all wet :eek:
Told ya not to buy those adult nappies from Lidl:D
Marco.
When I need some I will try the ones you use " Tena for men " :santa:Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
How is it a much cheaper option? Are blank CDs more expensive? Or are the cassette decks cheaper than CD copying kit? Even the very best kit can only come close to the original. They do look cool though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
Still have a few tape decks, and DCC machines, and this thread has revived my interest in doing something with them perhaps over Christmas.
One of the best well built Decks i had was a Eumig FL1000 like the one in the pick, unbelievable build quality, and very good sound quality too.
I have a Revox B77 that i intend to use at some point too.
It was much cheaper than a top of the range Studer or Telefunken reel-to-reel machine; a top quality TT/arm/cartridge combination, or a top quality CD player. For the all of the latter you are talkin £(thousands), whereas even the best professional cassette decks cost £(hundreds).Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
I would imagine cassette decks (even second hand) are more expensive than CD burners. The only 'burning' I have done is via my computer, though I do have a Pioneer CD burner, used to burn CDs (for the car) from LPs, or (errm) cassettes.
https://theartofsound.net/forum/atta...1&d=1608834102
Yes, the Eumig was always a bit of a sleeper. I'm not surprised the build quality was high - one has only to consider their 8mm cine cameras. :)
I have some cassette decks too:)
https://i.imgur.com/3ZaejuWh.jpg
The Dragon is very :stalks::eyebrows::)
Haven't posted here for a while, so thought I'd just bump the thread by mentioning that I've managed to source a minty NOS pair of Tandberg mics, made in West Germany, possibly of Sennheiser origin, and designed for the deck (cheap as chips at a tenner each):
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/gsbw0m.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/8jvNgc.jpg
The light is very challenging in this room, so that's about the best I could achieve. No idea what I'm going to do with them, though!:D
However, they work extremely well (super-sensitive/accurate sounding), but maybe if I can get a couple of guys round with some instruments, acoustic guitars, or whatever, I could do a recording sesh.. They come with a shedload of cable - must be about 10m on each of them, so plenty of scope for optimising placement, etc.
Could be a giggle, as the Tandy makes truly impressive recordings!
Anyway, I also took the opportunity to snap a few pics of other stuff.. Vintage Sony DAC, Koss heaphones and the Croft:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/WNb8MD.jpg
And some Copper amp valve lurveliness:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/ADttcv.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/hbJyZa.jpg
New lamp - decided to go for the brushed steel version and pop it on the floor... Supposed to be a table lamp, but it's a big fucker:eyebrows:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/0wacm3.jpg
System's sounding superb... I should use it more, lol!
Marco.
Yeah, record a sesh mate [emoji23]
Aye, but what kind of 'sesh' are you talking about, ya perv?:D
Wonder if the cables would stretch down to Del's princess room, for her forthcoming (and due to Covid, hugely belated) sleepover party, where she'll be entertaining her (mostly) mid-20s girlfriends? I'm sure some 'interesting material' could be recorded, once the Prosecco's flowing:eek::eyebrows:
Marco.
no, no, no... well maybe...no! best not:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Marco
:lolsign:
Without pics, one's imagination would just run wild!!
Marco.
Like the lamp, you buy that new?
If you do a recording session let me know, I'll bring my Tascam over and we can compare digital to analogue :D
Yeah, that would be a giggle...
Lamp? Yup, see here: https://theartofsound.net/forum/show...-lamp-for-T-Ts
In the end I decided to go for a totally different finish and put it nowhere near the turntable!:D
Marco.
I missed that thread, not bad for £75 I thought it would be a couple of hundred. I got a broken Anglepoise somewhere that I bought intending to fix it - about 20 years ago or so now...Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
As ever... Looking and sounding mega, Marco...
Love the mics.
Sent from my 9001X using Tapatalk
Yeah, it's a belter, mate. You should feel the weight of the base alone! I only paid £60, as it was 20% off all first orders (for new customers):)
Gives a nice glow in the room (lights up what you need), but which isn't at all harsh on the eyes.
Marco.
Lol - cheers, Jo. Rather retro cool, ain't they?:DQuote:
Originally Posted by The Black Adder
Should be in a police interview-room set for Kojak!
Marco.
Who loves ya, baby...Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Sent from my 9001X using Tapatalk
Lol... Here's one of them - got the original box and everything: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tandberg-...p2047675.l2557
Marco.
You need longer speaker cables by the looks of it!
Lol - are you being sarcastic?
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/0wacm3.jpg
There's too much! That's the excess (on the floor) for the R/H side speaker, as the amp is only about 2m away.
As the L/H speaker is much further away, so requires more cable to reach the amp (which is about 6ft in the air on 16 levels of Mana), and I like even amounts of cable on each side, that's why there's so much excess on the R/H side. It's a 7m pair.
I could get away with using only 2.5m on the R/H side (to keep it neat and tidy), but I need about 4m on the L/H side, and the anal part of me wouldn't be happy with each channel having different lengths [even though I probably wouldn't hear any difference], so I went for a 7m pair, therefore resulting in excess cable on the R/H side.
Oh, and I prefer exposing the excess cable, than coiling it up out the way to hide it, and in the process have it touching the skirting boards, as it sounds better that way!:cool:
Marco.
No, I wasn't being sarcastic but it looked like the speaker lead wasn't long enough to be routed neatly round the edge of the room and so was taking a short cut across the middle. I didn't realise you were looping up the excess by dumping it in the middle of the room!
My CDO couldn't cope with that. It would completely ruin any listening enjoyment.
Lol - fair enough, but that's why I have a dedicated listening room for my main system, and it's not in the lounge: so it matters not a jot how things look, simply how they sound!:)
In comparison, in my experience, speaker cables arranged neatly around the edges of rooms, thus in the process touching walls, sounds cack (tends to exaggerate low-frequencies and cause boomy bass).
Paying due attention to good 'cable management', IME, is key to achieving the best sound from a system, so in that respect, ALL cables (signal and mains) should be kept both well apart from each other, and also any walls.
Marco.
P.S 'CDO', is that treatable on the NHS?;)
You can get audiophile skirting boards now you know. You're out of touch mate.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Yeah, are those the ones suspended on leaf springs? I'll upgrade as soon as I've fitted my non-ferrous carpet rods!:D
Marco.
My audio cables go under the floor, as I dislike the look of cables, mains or otherwise, snaking around the room. But if you have to 'tidy up' cables to loose their length, then they should not be coiled as you have noted, but arranged in a boustrophedon pattern.
Yup, on all counts. I'm not keen on the look of cables snaking along on the floor either (who would be?), but I am keen on achieving the best possible sound, so for me the compromise is worth it, especially in a room where looks are of next to no importance:)
Marco.
I have a dedicated listening room, too, but it’s still got to be tidy!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
As for the last paragraph above, I think your need of the NHS may be greater than mine... ;)
Ha - I fully agree about tidy, and the rest of the room is!:ner:
Gotta sound as good as possible first, though!;)
Marco.
Just a few pics I took today, after spending the last 2 weeks rearranging my dedicated hi-fi/music room a little, generally tidying up, and cataloguing (some) of my physical music collection in alphabetical order and genre.
However, first wot I park me arse on:D (for those interested in textiles, the throw is a handmade vintage Welsh blanket):
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/PyG4vh.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/tx5pqV.jpg
Love this clock, with a frame made from coloured pencils...:) Oh, and a rather rare Sex Pistols picture disc:
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/sIHQZ6.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/GpWHo0.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/VsMvbs.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/1CKVky.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...924/C4fvRj.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/4skd03.jpg
All good and ready for some visitors sometime!:cool:
Marco.
Lookin' good Chief. :thumbsup:
Cheers, Gaz. The room works well for our purposes (as Del and I often enjoy listening to some choons together), and for some of the troops when they come round... Hee-haw neighbours to worry about, so we can make as big a din as we like:lol:
Marco.
Looks superb and a great place to lose an hour or two. Or four…
Although those speaker cables still have my OCD meter bounding off it’s end stops! ;)
Lol - we've been there before, mate:eyebrows:
But yes, picture the scene...
Pre-dinner cocktails and canapés, made by Del, whilst relaxing in the lounge by the log fire, before retiring to the listening room, hearing your favourite music beautifully reproduced, before dinner is served (homemade ravioli with meat sauce, followed by Tournedos Rossini, then a classic chocolate mousse), all accompanied by the finest wines.
Then perhaps watching a good movie, played through the home-cinema system, before enjoying some more choons upstairs with a few espressos and Remy Martins:)
Howzzat sound, or make your own food and drink requests accordingly!:D
Marco.