The Resurgence of the Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorder

[Michael Leigh]

Reel-to-Reel tape recorders are complex, mechanical machines. Good working examples should be fully serviced by a technician and can easily cost over £1000/ $1,254/ € 1,172 for 10.5 inch tape recorder. I am not a connoisseur on reel-to-reel tape recorders but I am someone that takes listening to music extremely seriously and thus, have gone to great lengths in order to get my Hi-Fi to sound the best that it can. Please read my thread: Does Your Hi-Fi Sing?

I have only touched the surface of the reel-to-reel tape recorder. There is plenty information online and on YouTube, for those that want to delve into this fascinating subject deeper, I promise you that you won't be disappointed.

I wish you well,
Michael Leigh
__________________________________________

Music has always been a big part of my life. In 1976, I was 16 years of age and started work as an apprentice carpenter and joiner. One evening on the way home from work, I stopped at a newsagent and bought the first publication of a magazine called What Hi-Fi. I became thoroughly engrossed in reading about high quality audio equipment, but had no idea it would put on a path to always be striving to hear music at its best and ultimately, it helped me become the Audiophile that I am today.

With my newly acquired knowledge, I was soon able to put my first Hi-Fi system together. It comprised of a turntable, amplifier and speakers. Looking back, I remember the immense pleasure I got from listening to my vinyl records. Over time I built up a nice collection of music. The process of selecting an LP, placing it on the turntable and lowering the arm to enable the needle to track the record's grooves can be quite an experience but seldom does one like every track on a record. This led me to want to compile my music and listen to it in the order I liked, so it wasn't long before my interest turned to buying a cassette tape recorder.

Cassette tapes were all the rage back then. They were conveniently sized so could easily slip into into a pocket. They were available in various lengths, although C90 was considered by many to be the most popular, as this gave a recording time of 45 minutes per side compared to the average LP which lasted just 22 minutes per side. Over the years I had acquired a few cassette decks, but my goal was to eventually buy a reel-to-reel tape recorder, after reading about them in Hi-Fi magazines. At the time this wasn't meant to be because the price was never right.

Reel-to-Reel tape recorders were not only expensive, they were considerably larger and more imposing than the humble cassette deck. To some that were fortunate to own one of these mighty machines, it was a statement that signified they had truly arrived! Reel-to-Reel tape decks were exclusively used in professional recording studios and were often found in the homes of serious audiophiles that wanted superior sound quality and longer playing time over the cassette tape.

They used large diameter tape spools that were available in various sizes, 7 and 10.5 inch being the most common for home users, and were known as 4 track machines. They used ¼ inch (6mm) wide tape, this allowed the left and right channels to be recorded and played back in one direction from left to right known as side A, then lifting the spools off the reel tables flipping them over to record side B.

A 7 inch Reel-to-Teel tape recorder won't accept a 10.5 spool but a 10.5 tape recorder will accommodate 7 inch spools. The approximate record time at 7 ½ inches per second is 32 to 64 minutes for 7inch spool and 90 minutes for 10.5 spool. These times are only approximate because it depends on the thickness of tape, its length and the record speed one chooses. 7 ½ IPS is considered by many to give the best overall sound quality for domestic use.

Some Reel-to-Teel tape decks will record at 15 IPS like my Akai 650D, see picture. It can be used in a professional recording studio, as 15 IPS is the standard record speed in the studio environment. If one chooses to record at 15 IPS, the sound quality is improved but the tape runtime will be significantly reduced to approximately 48 minutes per side of a 10.5 spool.

A NAB adapter needs to be fitted when using 10.5 spools, as this fills in the large centre hole. NAB is the abbreviation for the National Association of Broadcasters. Most radio stations and professional recording studios use this configuration.

It should be noted that some Reel-to-Reel tape recorders are auto-reverse. This feature enables the tape recorder to automatically record or playback a tape, without having to remove the spools and flip them over to play the other side. One can have up to 3 hours of uninterrupted recording or playback time when using 10.5 spools, or up to 2 hours using 7-inch spools.

By the early 2000 cassette tapes were replaced by the compact disc. The advancement in Internet broadband speed, has meant many people prefer listening to music streamed from online music providers of which there are a plethora to choose from. Spotify is both free and subscription based storing over one million music tracks on its servers.

For the more discerning listener and Audiophile that demand the highest sound quality currently available, subscription sites like Tidal and Qobuz, stream music in high-resolution FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) at CD quality 16 bit /44.1 kHz and up to an impressive 24-bit /192 kHz.

The ease and convenience that modern technology provides enables a person to listen to digital audio across many devices - I too have succumbed to it by ripping some of my favourite CD tracks to computer to be replayed in any order of choice, instead of loading individual CD albums on my Marantz SA11S3 CD Player. The Marantz has an internal DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) which is connected to the computer via USB; the analogue output from the CD player is up-sampled to high-resolution 24-bit/192 Hz and connects to my 300b tube amplifier. The sound quality is so good it's virtually indistinguishable from CD. It is possible to have continuous music playing all day from the computer hard drive through my Hi-Fi system without interruption. Listening to digital audio files in this way is hard to resist but it does have some drawbacks which I will explain later.

I have around 800 vinyl records that I like listening to and wish I could access them in a similar way to my digital music, but have to accept this isn't easy to do with analogue recordings. I have experimented digitizing some of my records to computer which was a long laborious task and wasn't happy with the results. Recording them to a Sony MiniDisc player was easier but the sound quality was compromised. I am extremely pernickety when listening to music through my Hi-Fi system, as my ears tend pickup on the slightest imperfections and thus, I couldn't live with the way MiniDisc compresses the audio to fit on the disc and therefore, it wasn't good enough for serious listening. I acquired a cassette deck that had been fully serviced but the recordings sounded worse than MiniDisc.

By now I was feeling quite disillusioned, so decided to put the matter to rest but this didn't last long. I toyed with the idea of trying a Reel-to-Reel tape recorder. These machines are at least 40 years old, relics some would say from a bygone era, so again I pushed it to the back of my mind. However, it seems fate was guiding my path because I found myself researching Reel-to-Reel tape recorders online. Apparently they are making quite a comeback. Some musicians are not totally happy with the sound of studio digital recordings, because they tend to sound too clean and clinical compared to analogue which often sounds warmer, more engaging and has better dynamic range. On paper digital recordings should sound better but in real life listening tests many people prefer the sound of analogue. This is one of the reasons many Audiophiles prefer the sound of vinyl records compared to digital recordings.

I bought the Akai Reel-to-Reel tape recorder which has been fully serviced. I am completely blown away with the sound quality of Reel-to-Reel tape. In fact the recordings sound better than the vinyl records which shouldn't be the case! For comparison I recorded some compact discs using the Marantz SA11S3. This is a high quality CD player. Once again, I am in awe with the sound quality of my digital recordings which sound better on Reel-to-Reel tape.

I am not suggesting that one should buy a Reel-to-Reel tape recorder to simply record digital recordings, quite the contrary. However, anyone that has a vinyl record collection and wants to record some tracks to tape, to then sit back and listen to music, they should think seriously about buying a Reel-to-Reel tape recorder. Just make sure you buy a machine that has been fully serviced by a skilled technician.

Michael

 

[bobvann]

Waiting for 8 track

 

[Stuart-T]

Very interesting, @Michael Leigh.

My listening experience goes as follows: vinyl (70s to mid 80s), CD (late 80s), vinyl (90s), CD/online streaming 2002-2023, vinyl 2024. I listen to classical music mainly.

I got married in 2001 and divorced in 2021 - during those years, using my valve amps and LP player, etc, was just not practical in a domestic child-rearing environment. My old audio equipment is all gone except for a Cambridge audio amp, some bookshelf speakers, and a Sony CD player which I have been using. However, I picked up a Bush record player from a charity shop (bought a new stylus for it) and have seen a resurgence in my interest in listening to music. I manage to get LPs for £1 each from charity shops, and I choose very selectively. Yes, it is a primitive player, but I can already feel more engaged with the music from these records compared with CD/online streaming. I plan to get a better player shortly.

OK, so yes, Reel-to-Reel was regarded as, you say, elite equipment, and I am not surprised at all that you have had good results. It is not the same, but I recall using a Hi-Fi video recorder to make recordings from my LPs, and even in SP mode, I thought the results were excellent.

I did read about the technical pros and cons of vinyl and I understand the dynamic range of CD players is better. Analogue recordings destined for LP are also mastered down to enable the stylus to stay on track. This might account for the less harsh, warmer sound of vinyl - since the piercing treble and excessive bass are tempered. I don't know - just an idea.

How do you account for Reel-to-Reel transfer from vinyl sounding better than the vinyl and CDs? I did notice that LPs of digital recordings sound better than the CD equivalents when I tried A - B comparisons. This is probably due to error correction on the CD, plus my points about analogue mastering already made.

 

[Michael Leigh]

How do you account for Reel-to-Reel transfer from vinyl sounding better than the vinyl and CDs? I did notice that LPs of digital recordings sound better than the CD equivalents when I tried A - B comparisons. This is probably due to error correction on the CD, plus my points about analogue mastering already made.

Thank you for your kind comments @Stuart-T. Your post was also interesting to read. I also listen to classical music and opera too.

I don't exactly know the reasons why Reel-to-Reel transfer from vinyl and CD sounds better on tape, all I know is that I prefer it, which has come as a complete surprise because this shouldn't be the case. Since taking up an interest in Reel-to-Reel and corresponding with other Audiophiles, many share this opinion. The analogue sound is warm and engaging and very musical, something that digital will never match no matter how good the system is! This is another reason many Audiophiles prefer the sound of vinyl records being replayed through a valve/tube amplifier.

My Marantz SA11S3 CD player cost three times the price of my Clear Emotion turntable when it was new. The Marantz is a splendid high-end CD player but still, it cannot beat the warmth and musicality of the Emotion turntable, although it comes close.

It is good to hear you are listening to vinyl records and seeking to buy a better player. Please read my post: Does Your Hi-Fi Sing? I cannot express enough the importance of setting up a Hi-Fi system correctly in order to achieve good quality sound. If this isn't done right, no matter how much money one spends on a system, it will not sing.

Take care and wishing you all the best,
Michael

Does Your Hi-Fi System Sing? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

[Michael Leigh]

Unfortunately, my Akai reel-to-reel tape recorder recently developed a fault. I returned it to the company I bought it from, which had serviced it and issued me a six-month warranty. After three weeks of corresponding by telephone and email, I was eventually informed that nothing could be done to restore this vintage piece of audio equipment to its former glory.

Before purchasing a reel-to-reel tape recorder, I had done extensive research on the subject, so I had some idea of what to expect if things went wrong. Most of these analog tape recorders are over 40 years old and no longer manufactured, as the simplicity and ease of digital audio have completely taken over. As I mentioned in my opening post to this thread, I wanted to record some of my vinyl records to tape, as the sound quality when I digitized a few of my records to my computer was unsatisfactory.

Fortunately, the seller offered to replace it with a Sony TC-788-4, as pictured. I was emailed a short video showing it in full working order and supposedly serviced. I paid an additional amount for this striking 4-track 4-channel machine, which was state-of-the-art back in 1978 when it was made, and I was just 18 years old. It records in quadraphonic sound and allows multi-track and overdubbing recording for home or studio enthusiasts.

People in the music business will appreciate what this machine has to offer. While I don't need such sophistication, fortunately, the Sony can operate as a conventional 4-track 2-channel tape recorder, which suits all my needs. It was safely shipped to my home by a renowned courier from up north, 300 miles away. It was securely packed with thick polystyrene and bubble wrap. After removing this material, I managed to wrestle this heavy 26kg/58lbs machine out of its treble-walled cardboard box and carefully placed it in the room where my second audio system resides.

I was impressed with the sound quality of the Sony when replaying my reel-to-reel tapes recorded on the Akai, but doubts started to creep in after three days when I noticed speed variations in the sound. Then I began hearing an annoying whirring sound coming from the tape transport mechanism, which I recorded on my mobile phone. This wasn't good. The thought of having to go through the whole process again of repacking another tape recorder and paying over £70 with insurance to ship it back up north to be repaired didn't fill me with confidence.

I had read that if one chooses to buy a vintage reel-to-reel tape recorder, there is a risk of it becoming a money pit. They need to be serviced every two years by a competent technician because the internal electronic components can fail after 40 years, and they are also mechanical devices, which means they need to be oiled and greased. Most use internal rubber drive belts that can stretch, so they need to be readjusted or replaced so the tape runs smoothly across the record and playback heads at the correct speed. This was becoming increasingly stressful and frustrating.

I emailed the person I had been corresponding with and told him about the problems I encountered with the Sony. I expressed my disappointment at being treated this way after being so patient in waiting for a replacement and paying an additional amount for the Sony, which apparently was now not functioning correctly. Thoroughly disgruntled, I decided not to telephone. A week passed, and I hadn't received any correspondence by email, telephone, or letter in the post. I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I searched the internet and found a reel-to-reel service technician located in Bexhill-on-Sea, approximately 32 miles away from Brighton along the East Sussex coast.

I emailed the company and mentioned the faults with my Sony TC-788-4, attaching the audio recording of the whirring noise from the Sony transport mechanism. Within a few hours, I received a reply explaining what Gordon believed was wrong with the machine. He has been repairing reel-to-reel tape recorders for over 40 years and has worked on some of the most sought-after examples still used by tape recorder enthusiasts today. He was familiar with the transport mechanism on the Sony TC-788-4 and had repaired many similar models that used this transport in their TC series of tape recorders.

Apparently, the whirring noise indicated that the deck needed to be serviced, and the variations in speed suggested that the drive belts needed to be replaced. An appointment was made to visit his home in Bexhill the following week on Tuesday.

Gordon's home is situated deep in the English countryside. Getting there wasn't too difficult as I traveled mainly on the A27 and A259 roads, feeling quite comfortable following the instructions from my car's satnav. What I wasn't prepared for was being directed into a labyrinth of long narrow country roads that were barely 6.6 ft wide in places, meant for two-way traffic! There were signs to give way to horse riders along the route, and I met a few. A lady rider politely doffed her hat as I stopped my car while she strode past. I had no idea a horse up close could look so large and intimidating.

Within four days, I received an email explaining what needed to be done to repair the Sony. I was also sent a series of pictures showing the tape recorder dismantled.

Gordon stripped the entire tape path and dismounted the sub-chassis. He washed all the components of oil, lubricated them, and then correctly reassembled them. He washed the flywheels, fitted new capstan and counter belts, readjusted the braking system, made a nylon capstan motor end stop, serviced the electronics, recalibrated bias and equalization settings for tape, and checked all levels for correct performance. The tape recorder now has a six-month warranty for the work carried out.

I sent an email to the company I bought the tape recorder from and expressed my disappointment again at the way I had been treated. I attached the audio recording of Sony's noisy transport mechanism, pictures showing the tape recorder dismantled, and a copy of the bill for repairing the Sony, which was £410. The company reimbursed me for the full amount.

The Sony now records and plays beautifully. Besides recording my vinyl records, I will also be recording some of my favorite CDs to tape, as they sound so much better. Gordon informed me that when CDs are recorded to reel-to-reel tape, the digital hardness is stripped away. The analog sound of tape is warmer, more airy, and natural, which I have found to be true.

Not wanting to rely on just one reel-to-reel tape recorder, I have also bought a Teac X-20R, which has an auto-reverse facility. It has been properly serviced and sounds very good.

Michael

 

[Stuart-T]

Unfortunately, my Akai reel-to-reel tape recorder recently developed a fault. I returned it to the company I bought it from, which had serviced it and issued me a six-month warranty. After three weeks of corresponding by telephone and email, I was eventually informed that nothing could be done to restore this vintage piece of audio equipment to its former glory.

Before purchasing a reel-to-reel tape recorder, I had done extensive research on the subject, so I had some idea of what to expect if things went wrong. Most of these analog tape recorders are over 40 years old and no longer manufactured, as the simplicity and ease of digital audio have completely taken over. As I mentioned in my opening post to this thread, I wanted to record some of my vinyl records to tape, as the sound quality when I digitized a few of my records to my computer was unsatisfactory.

Fortunately, the seller offered to replace it with a Sony TC-788-4, as pictured. I was emailed a short video showing it in full working order and supposedly serviced. I paid an additional amount for this striking 4-track 4-channel machine, which was state-of-the-art back in 1978 when it was made, and I was just 18 years old. It records in quadraphonic sound and allows multi-track and overdubbing recording for home or studio enthusiasts.

People in the music business will appreciate what this machine has to offer. While I don't need such sophistication, fortunately, the Sony can operate as a conventional 4-track 2-channel tape recorder, which suits all my needs. It was safely shipped to my home by a renowned courier from up north, 300 miles away. It was securely packed with thick polystyrene and bubble wrap. After removing this material, I managed to wrestle this heavy 26kg/58lbs machine out of its treble-walled cardboard box and carefully placed it in the room where my second audio system resides.

I was impressed with the sound quality of the Sony when replaying my reel-to-reel tapes recorded on the Akai, but doubts started to creep in after three days when I noticed speed variations in the sound. Then I began hearing an annoying whirring sound coming from the tape transport mechanism, which I recorded on my mobile phone. This wasn't good. The thought of having to go through the whole process again of repacking another tape recorder and paying over £70 with insurance to ship it back up north to be repaired didn't fill me with confidence.

I had read that if one chooses to buy a vintage reel-to-reel tape recorder, there is a risk of it becoming a money pit. They need to be serviced every two years by a competent technician because the internal electronic components can fail after 40 years, and they are also mechanical devices, which means they need to be oiled and greased. Most use internal rubber drive belts that can stretch, so they need to be readjusted or replaced so the tape runs smoothly across the record and playback heads at the correct speed. This was becoming increasingly stressful and frustrating.

I emailed the person I had been corresponding with and told him about the problems I encountered with the Sony. I expressed my disappointment at being treated this way after being so patient in waiting for a replacement and paying an additional amount for the Sony, which apparently was now not functioning correctly. Thoroughly disgruntled, I decided not to telephone. A week passed, and I hadn't received any correspondence by email, telephone, or letter in the post. I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I searched the internet and found a reel-to-reel service technician located in Bexhill-on-Sea, approximately 32 miles away from Brighton along the East Sussex coast.

I emailed the company and mentioned the faults with my Sony TC-788-4, attaching the audio recording of the whirring noise from the Sony transport mechanism. Within a few hours, I received a reply explaining what Gordon believed was wrong with the machine. He has been repairing reel-to-reel tape recorders for over 40 years and has worked on some of the most sought-after examples still used by tape recorder enthusiasts today. He was familiar with the transport mechanism on the Sony TC-788-4 and had repaired many similar models that used this transport in their TC series of tape recorders.

Apparently, the whirring noise indicated that the deck needed to be serviced, and the variations in speed suggested that the drive belts needed to be replaced. An appointment was made to visit his home in Bexhill the following week on Tuesday.

Gordon's home is situated deep in the English countryside. Getting there wasn't too difficult as I traveled mainly on the A27 and A259 roads, feeling quite comfortable following the instructions from my car's satnav. What I wasn't prepared for was being directed into a labyrinth of long narrow country roads that were barely 6.6 ft wide in places, meant for two-way traffic! There were signs to give way to horse riders along the route, and I met a few. A lady rider politely doffed her hat as I stopped my car while she strode past. I had no idea a horse up close could look so large and intimidating.

Within four days, I received an email explaining what needed to be done to repair the Sony. I was also sent a series of pictures showing the tape recorder dismantled.

Gordon stripped the entire tape path and dismounted the sub-chassis. He washed all the components of oil, lubricated them, and then correctly reassembled them. He washed the flywheels, fitted new capstan and counter belts, readjusted the braking system, made a nylon capstan motor end stop, serviced the electronics, recalibrated bias and equalization settings for tape, and checked all levels for correct performance. The tape recorder now has a six-month warranty for the work carried out.

I sent an email to the company I bought the tape recorder from and expressed my disappointment again at the way I had been treated. I attached the audio recording of Sony's noisy transport mechanism, pictures showing the tape recorder dismantled, and a copy of the bill for repairing the Sony, which was £410. The company reimbursed me for the full amount.

The Sony now records and plays beautifully. Besides recording my vinyl records, I will also be recording some of my favorite CDs to tape, as they sound so much better. Gordon informed me that when CDs are recorded to reel-to-reel tape, the digital hardness is stripped away. The analog sound of tape is warmer, more airy, and natural, which I have found to be true.

Not wanting to rely on just one reel-to-reel tape recorder, I have also bought a Teac X-20R, which has an auto-reverse facility. It has been properly serviced and sounds very good.

View attachment 56963

View attachment 56964

Michael

I admire your determination. I'm glad you got the cost covered for the repair.

That is an interesting comment about the reel-to-reel stripping the hardness away from the CD.

I think this is probably true of digital LPs, which I find better-sounding than CDs with the same recording, though I do not know the exact explanation. I suppose the mastering process will attenuate the highs, which may be causing the hardness.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I admire your determination. I'm glad you got the cost covered for the repair.

Thank you. They say patience is a virtue, and I believe it to be true. I had not heard from the seller for over a week. Things might not have gone so well if I had handled the situation differently by getting upset. Instead, I applied diplomacy. In my email, I said I thought you were a gentleman, among other things, and got a response within three minutes.

That is an interesting comment about the reel-to-reel stripping the hardness away from the CD.

I believe Gordon has hit the nail on the head. My Marantz SA11S3 is a High-End CD player. I am using high-quality Chord Indigo plus Interconnect cables that cost over £1k to connect to the tape recorder for recording. However, the CD copy from the reel-to-reel tape sounds better, even though I am using Chord Cobra Interconnect cables, which cost considerably less to connect to the valve amplifier. It is hard to believe. The same applies when listening to my vinyl records. The copy from the tape sounds better than the turntable.

I think this is probably true of digital LPs, which I find better-sounding than CDs with the same recording, though I do not know the exact explanation. I suppose the mastering process will attenuate the highs, which may be causing the hardness.

Some of the Audiophiles I correspond with have said the same.

One of the pictures showing the inside of the Sony TC-788-4 while on the workbench.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I intended to buy a reel-to-reel tape recorder to record and listen to my vinyl records. Since I have around 800 LPs in my collection, I wanted to compile some of my favorite tracks to tape so that I could sit back and listen to music. As I previously explained, the ease and convenience of selecting digital audio files to listen to is hard to resist. The days of getting up and cueing a turntable's arm over a record track are long gone, at least for me and, hence, my interest in acquiring a reel-to-reel tape recorder.

What I didn't expect and had no previous knowledge of was that listening to audio on reel-to-reel tape could sound so good. Whether recording vinyl records, CDs, or streaming digital audio files from the Internet in the highest quality, they all sound better when recorded and played back on a good and properly restored reel-to-reel tape recorder. I still find this hard to believe, but it's true. The music sounds more natural and harmonious, especially with digital recordings, as the analog sound removes the digital harshness from recordings. I have recorded some of my favorite CDs to reel-to-reel tape as they sound so much better. It can become seriously addictive, so much so that my latest acquisition is a Sony TC-765 reel-to-reel tape recorder.

The model shown was manufactured in Japan from 1977-1982. A staunch audiophile and electronic engineer previously owned it. He has over ten reel-to-reel tape recorders in his collection and now wants to sell a few to make room for buying more. His hobby is fully servicing and restoring these mechanical machines to their proper working order. My example originally had teak color wooden side panels, but the engineer replaced them with heavy gauged machined metal to improve sound deadening and give better stability to the sound. I didn't take to the pink color at first, but it gradually grew on me, and now I quite like it. It is incredibly heavy at over 30kg. The internal electronics have been upgraded, and components have been greased and oiled where necessary. The record and playback heads show very little wear, which sounds absolutely superb.

He was kind enough to deliver it to my home so I could audition it in my Hi-Fi system before I decided to buy it.

Michael