CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

What about the TEAC's, like the A-4300 , any good?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject:

My favorites are Akais, they are awesome units. Direct drive, glass heads, yum!

Teacs use a drive belt for the capstan that always needs replacing, heads wear quickly, so while the 4300 is a tank, expect to spend a few $$ on refurbing. Get closeup pix of the heads before buying if you can't inspect personally.

Sonys tend to have mechanism problems, their lubrication on bearings and pivot points tends to seize, which can be a bitch to unseize.

An as is machine is usually worth $100-200, from a tech, 2-3X that. Very similar to CRT value.. Smile

That link above to the Seattle site is insanely priced for the rookie, but they really seem to know what they are doing.

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

I dont listen to enough music to justify a straight 2 channel setup. But if i did, you can do a super setup for about what most guys have in a theater setup... or less.

My bud Barry (the original Mr. 2 Channel) has a super setup that consists of.

Rega p5 turntable http://www.rega.co.uk/index2.htm

Conrad Johnson PV15 http://www.conradjohnson.com/It_just_sounds_right/current-products.html

Cj MV60 Tube Amp

Diapason adamantes Speakers http://www.diapason-italia.com/eng/homepage.htm

Midlevel Kimber Speaker cables http://www.kimber.com/Products/LoudSpeakerCables/8VS/8VS.aspx

Could easily be done for under 4k. I have NO doubt that this setup is superior to a comparably priced cd setup.

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

My question about R to R is...where do you get the media???

They havent produced new stuff in years. So even if you buy used, what condition is it in..what can you get???

StylinLP · Joined: 20 Apr 2007 Posts: 41

Here is a link to an Akia on Epay thats reasonable.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AKAI-GX-620-620-Open-REEL-TO-REEL-Tape-Recorder_W0QQitemZ280274118738QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item280274118738&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Here is a Reel to Reel album on Epay

This one is reason enough to have a Reel to Reel player! Sweeeeet - Dave Brubeck Time Out
http://cgi.ebay.com/Reel-to-Reel-Tape-Dave-Brubeck-Time-Out-Take-Five-7_W0QQitemZ230298125139QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230298125139&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Roy Orbison
http://cgi.ebay.com/ROY-ORBISON-ALL-TIME-GREATEST-HITS-REEL-TO-REEL-TAPE_W0QQitemZ230297973465QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230297973465&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK
http://cgi.ebay.com/ENGELBERT-HUMPERDINCK-Reel-to-Reel-tape-W-VINTAGE-Box_W0QQitemZ350105580980QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item350105580980&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Huge Lot - The Beatles, Tower of Power, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Charlies Daniels, Manhattan Transfer, Hawaiian Music, Paul Whitman, Guy Lombardo, various big bands.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HUGE-LOT-of-66-Vintage-7-Reel-to-Reel-Tapes_W0QQitemZ150301602719QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item150301602719&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

The Brubeck interests me... but @ 51.00..... not so much

But then theres ENGELBERT!!!!!

I'm in! Thumbs Up

StylinLP · Joined: 20 Apr 2007 Posts: 41

Heh, ENGELBERT flat out Rules and you know it lol.

But hey, I don't know if you know much about collecting rare oldies on vinyl, but an original Time Out by Brubeck on Vinyl sells for hundreds of dollars. This is a VERY cost effect alternative at much higher sound quality. Of course, Classic records did release a re-issue on 200gram vinyl for $80 or so...
all the record labels are playing the re-issue game on vinyl right now. Heck, you can buy new vinyl at Walmart now. heh

CRT_Ben · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1684 Location: Northern Virginia

StylinLP,

Why do you always take such a "high-road", "all-or-nothing" tone? I don't know about you but everyone in this world has limited time, and most people have limited money, to distribute among their hobbies. Most people try to allocate that time and money in such a way that they believe will bring them the most enjoyment (ecrabb's example). And enjoyment is exactly what we're talking about here - hobbies are pretty worthless if you get no enjoyment out of them. It seems like you have a problem with people enjoying music in any setting that doesn't involve stationary listening and a 5-10k 2 channel setup. Maybe I could see you busting the balls of somebody bragging about their $$$$ CD source setup, but it seems to go deeper than that. Did you ever stop to think that there would only be a handful of artists producing music if the only people that bought the albums had 5-10k vinyl setups? Because according to you, that's the only way to listen if you "care about music".

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

StylinLP · Joined: 20 Apr 2007 Posts: 41

sings "It's a long and lonely road.." True, I'm an elitist snob when it comes to audio and proud of it! Woot.

Seriously, I do respond like a jerk extremist to posts that are filled with ignorant comments on audio gear. The way I look at it is if someone unreasonably states off-base opinions on cables, power, turntables, stands, etc...Then I have full right to set them straight. Bring them to realistic views on audio. I'm aware that some specific gear do deserve the negative opinion but not blanket statements of all brands involved. Or the theory behind some things.

Dragan is a perfect example of pessimistic views on equipment. I have to bring the gear over his place and slap him over the head with it so he hears it for himself before he concedes his negative opinion. Ask him about the time I brought over some Nordost Blue Heaven interconnects. Or the time we moved his speakers around the room then tilted them backwards. Or the time we moved his turntable from the stand to a wall shelf. Or when he got away from his crappy Denon receiver and tried a few real phono preamps! He settled on a Bellari tube preamp for $200.

emdawgz1 !!! How much you want for all that? *grin*

Zebu Fellenz · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 2567

CRT_Ben · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1684 Location: Northern Virginia

Well personally I would pick a better example than the cable on the left Wink

Perhaps a Bluejeans interconnect: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/audio/index.htm

I just don't buy that boutique power cables and interconnects make a difference over *properly sized and terminated* cables (this means quality cable held to tight tolerance, and quality connectors - like BJC's).

CRT_Ben · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1684 Location: Northern Virginia

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

1. Theres only 1 way to get those records....

From my cold dead hands!!!!!

Wink

2. I have done blind tests of cables and i like nordost...A Lot!!!

If you think its all snake oil... power to ya. Audio is very subjective. What matters is what sounds good to you.

CRT_Ben · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1684 Location: Northern Virginia

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

perisoft · Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 2920 Location: Ithaca, NY

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:27 am Post subject:

I've done a.b.c comparisons and not all cables are equal. I've heard some $1200 6ft RCA cables vs some $60 RCA cables and the $60 cables won. What I use to do when I needed a cable for something is goto the local boutique audio store, leave a deposit and take 3 or 4 set's home for the weekend. Then I'd make my choice and return the others.

SO can any of you guys "see" a difference between the cables on the left and the cables on the right?

VideoGrabber · Joined: 09 Apr 2006 Posts: 933 Location: Michigan

Zebu inquired:
> What makes the cable on the right sound better? <

perisoft beat me to it, but it's the arrows, of course. That way, the electrons don't get confused and go in the wrong direction. WARNING: You do have to be careful though, not to plug them in backwards. That would be devastating. The electrons probably wouldn't flow at all.

The other obvious reason is that they cost more, which always makes things sound better.

Besides, don't you value flat frequency response in your audio system? What better to deliver it than flat cables? Plus, there's plenty of air around those conductors... they don't have a nasty ground shield bottling them in. That contributes to greater "air" in their musical reproduction. Yeah, that's the ticket!

I rest my case. Wink

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:35 am Post subject: