Agree, agree, agree. Most of those so called honest reviewers hype the crap out of almost everything that comes through their door. All for a little cash in advertisement or affiliated links. Just look at their thumbnails. It’s ridiculous. Shocked face expression with a question, “Is this the best ….. ?” Trash. As to digital well, it changes every six months or so. Investing in so called the best of today makes no sense as it will be obsolete in a year or less. 👍🏻
Biggest mistake I ever made was dumping my analogue (1970 era) gear in the 90’s to chase some digital. Pushed me out of the hobby for the past 25 years. All sound is analogue! Digital is just trying to claim they can improve it by going analogue to digital back to analogue and it somehow sounds better. You nailed the analysis, it’s nothing but another hype to get people to spend money. I’m returning to the hobby, but will stick with an analogue signal path as much as possible. Thanks for the video, wish I had your channel 25 years ago and lived as close as I do now.
It's really a real reel-to-reel! (a nod to Techmoan) Buying stereo gear every half a year? Meh. I'm more in the "buy a good piece of kit and keep it for decades" camp. You're right on the money with the whole hype thing. Sadly, it speaks volume on modern people's attention spans - not retaining knowledge, not remembering same thing was said three years ago about a piece that got old after two years and ended up at attics and basements, e-waste recyclers or landfills (in the worst case). I love finding cheap or downright free gear, but don't shame anyone for buying it for good cash... You're totally right about service expenses. Getting deals has an inherent risk, only a part of us have the skills, gear, materials, time and patience to go through the restoration process. Just because something is good for me, it doesn't mean it should be the case for someone else - and I respect that. Also, markets are different. There are places where some particular vintage gear is abundant, like Tektronix scopes in the US - and there are places where it's just not around for various reasons, including geopolitics a few decades ago, like here in Poland, where these scopes are simply not around, they're a rarity on secondhand markets and fetch hefty sums, way above what you'd have to pay in the States, adjusted for exchange rates and buying power parity.
I can only suggest getting connected with a "proper" recording studio, and see how often they upgrade their equipment, to get an idea what is real, and what is BS.
Hey Stephe, definitely agree with you on the hype train we see on some of those channels-I've been suckered in a few times. Speaking of hype vs. reality, what are your impressions of the Quad S2s you unboxed a few weeks ago? I'm hoping you are still up to doing a listening impression! I don't have a horse in the race, I'm just a satisfied owner of a pair, myself.
I am retired also. Spending extra money to save yourself time fixing and cleaning is a good thing at this stage of my life. Younger people don't understand that.
Another great Monday Monologue, thanks Stephe. And, thanks also for the intro to Eva Cassidy and a few weeks back to the Boz Scaggs, Dig album which I picked up and have really enjoyed.
This is perfect & I am happy you are doing this! I have been looking into buying a reel to reel done a lot of research & looking but haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. I have been looking for a 10" reel size & higher speed 15.5" per second. Another great video.
15 ips is standard. What machine runs at 15.5 ips? Not doubting, some machines do have variable speed, really expensive and sophisticated machines, so I'm just curious.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics OK, I was thinking maybe the poster might have a modified Studer A80, Stellavox TD 9, or Nagra T. Its not out of the realm of possibility of your viewers. Esoteric european machines that I could definitely see where the record/playback electronics would yield a superior performance than what I employ currently.
Not only sounds better but Feels Better!! I love my Teac X-1000R, Revox A77 & PR99. Getting well recorded material, full bandwidth past 20Khz is my ambition, costly but worth the effort ;) Full respect on your new purchase :D
How weird. I have a Digitech RP250 from at least a decade ago that just keeps .... working? I want something better but ~ nothing is/does/works better. It's all bullshit. WRITE MUSIC? Worked fer Beethoven; and Chuck Berry; n' Garcia n'..................
Fantastic Monday monologue skunkie, everything you said I could hear myself saying ! Yep there's some bloody irritating humans on this planet 🙄 I made comment about R2R on your Facebook video, I actually would say my Tascam R2R is favoured over my TT, I love the sound of tape , so I wonder if you get drawn to cassette tape now ??? I love that too , I have a nakamichi cr7e and with good brands of tape it surpasses cd's , oh and thanks for the like on my blueglow kt88 pic I finally managed to show you 😊
Aside from amplification, I am not seeing new technology in digital just a lot of new models I find the new digital amplifiers from Technics and Marantz to very interesting as they inherently convert D to A and don’t need a DAC and that may be old technology just new to me I also find GaN class D to be interesting which also may be old but new to me and it is class D which is old But really there is no new digital technology as a general matter Reel to Reel is making a comeback, especially with people who like vinyl, but how far will it go, we shall see as right now there is one consumer level manufacturer left as far as I know I did not “get” consumer reel to reel back in the 60s/70s but I 100% support people doing what they want Cassettes are coming back but not for me New models yes but not new technology, no as a general matter, in either analog or digital I don’t get caring about how other people spend their time and treasure Everyone should listen to what they want on what they want Over 50 years ago I had a dark-room, bought my 35mm fill in bulk, had a manual SLR and never thought film could ever be overtaken by digital cameras Physical media may become hyper-niche and go the way of film I have seen a lot of change in my life I will just enjoy what time I have left doing what I want and not concerning myself with what others are doing but I do miss film …it may even be making a comeback for all I know but I have long quit using film and have moved on
A great video, and I agree with everything. For me I find the whole DAC fad to be as useless and boring as expensive power cables. The DACs in my SACD player and streamers do the job and that's all I need. Your analogy to digital photography is spot on, and I have a five megapixel pocket camera that I've used for snapshots for almost twenty years, but I do have newer DSLRs too. For the most part I'm not interested in the little inexpensive Chinese components but others are so I can accept that. Just last week on another channel I commented that a hifi piece was a steal and one of those negative knuckleheads was giving me crap and saying they could put together a system for $70. Being frugal is one thing but I'm not impressed by garbage pickers. I would love to have a reel to reel but I just don't have the room for one. If that's all you paid for that puppy I think you made out great. I bought a mint condition 3-head cassette deck from Japan that cost me $700 and I was pleased with that. Being able to get vintage equipment in like new condition is a thrill. Have a great week.
Whilst I don’t agree entirely I feel your pain. Think perhaps slightly different … sometimes it’s not so much about better but easier. As to what others think about ones purchases … who cares. Nice vlog. Thank you.
I had a Logitech squeezebox streamer that worked really well for years then it just stopped and I have no idea how to fix it. Analog gear I can mostly (& I’m talking to you here cassette deck) fix myself.
Beware the Hype-o-sphere! Unfortunately most marketing is propaganda and can't be accepted at face value. You have to sift through a lot of crap to find meaningful information. The focus is on making folks think that what they have now obsolete. BTW, I've heard that Ritchie Blackmore frequently used Akai tape decks as guitar preamps to get his sound.
Good points,ASR provide great measurements but theres seems to be a peak SINAD circa 123db etc so any improvements in terms of measurements there might be and extra .1db etc so its hardly noticeable, although I believe 115db sinad is considered transparent. I suppose the way forward is getting top measurements at a cheaper price and or added features etc.I think we have reached a peak measurable performance for quite a while now.,in terms of digital gear. No suprise that people explore other avenues like vinyl/tape and of course the glorious tubes.....which dont measure the best but humans appreciate more.Just how much further can we go one may ask??
.Well...another great commentary! The quest for analog sound goes on, and on, and on. Why not simply stick with an analog source? good recommendation w Nighbird!!
Yep, als an Eva Cassidy fan. My recommendation of the week would be Clairo's album "Sling". Singer/Songwriter stuff. Mostly natural instruments, subdued voice mostly in the background. Easy to listen to. Sonically interesting in my view. Good recording quality, lots to discover for audiophiles.
I think that it is always how the world operating, the pyramid model, there are always some products only for "high end", some for common folk, some for digital, etc. That's all, also I think for the reason there's no easy way we can go back watching those big heavy big box TV instead of watching your RU-vid content via phone for example, it is the same human behaviour business over and over again, always. In short, nobody has to obssessed over anything, but they do, it become a game of different cause and effect, and no right and wrong actually.
Really looking forward to hearing more about that reel to reel. On the digital side of things, it seems like the audible quality peaked a while back & now it's all down to devices that perform better in measurements outside of the audible spectrum. Audiophiles looking to get the best digital experience possible don't need to invest that much money. It's an amazing time to be into hifi...there are so many good options & formats to play with.
I agree with you overall but want to make a few points about 'advancing tech'. First in the streaming world we have entered an era where software updates are available to many products that make them better mostly for free. My NAD streamer has been updated lots & lots of times even though it was the first version, not the latest. Even my phono preamp has had online updates. Also many solid state products are making it so you can update the OP amps, which was never true like it has always been with tubes. There are even a few companies who allow you to upgrade/replace caps in their units very easily. Then there are examples of upgraded power supplies both internal & external to improve the unit. Yes, new products still come out like crazy with higher prices, excluding the new WIM but, many do offer improvement without buying more new, I think this trend will increase. I remember the whole digital camera issue, the early ones were crap, my Brother was a photojournalist & he kept his lenses of course but, had to keep buying new Nikon bodies for their new sensors. One improvement was that going digital meant there were no costs anymore around film, processing etc. but, just like LPs film is making a comback. I was at the Sundance Film Festival in January & there were many people 30 years old give or take who had vintage 35mm cameras.
It’s chasing things you can’t hear at this point for these solid state amps. They end up super clean, and just boring. Why I LOVE vintage Hi-fi, and tubes. We got there back then, and when I say ‘there’ I mean an awesome sound with noise levels we can’t hear at normal listening levels. Just keep on doing what you enjoy with the videos. We are here for your experience, knowledge and opinions.
I can completely back up your claim that there is a world of difference between a serviced GX400 with all good parts and fully working and one that appears to be good. I have worked on half a dozen of those and they often have small but non-trivial issues that need to be fixed and you need to take it apart to really do that. If I didn’t have all the tools I have I would be paying top dollar for a serviced one as well.
Great video! I don't trust reviewers that say that their new amp/speakers/DAC are their end game products only to put out another video a few weeks later and the product isn't even mentioned anymore. Keep up the good work and definitely mix it up more. :)
back in 1965 hong kong I bought an akai reel to reel just like the one you have. got the optional big speakers. ran it hundreds of hours as on our ship off vietnam we had no other entertainment. in Kowloon (across from hong kong) I bought tapes from a pirate maker. I have been a sound studio engineer back when we used tape. yes, digital sounds better. time marches on.
Hi Stephe, for today's comment I will keep it short and sweet. You hit the ball out of the park with the entire rant, and got me smiling along the way. PS, great reel to reel, they sound amazing and the Akai ones have got the looks to go with it, with the turn leavers.
I have that same akai deck it’s great and super reliable and very easy way to get into reel to reel. There is a bit of a learning curve but there are parts you can get and it’s a lot of fun!
Right? I paid $1000 for a lightly used pair, in the OE boxes from a dealing with a free return policy, and someone chastised me for overpaying, saying "They are on audio mart used from some rando person for $700."...
Owned the Teac 2300SD and Revox B 77, for archiving LP's. Both machines biased for Ampex Grandmaster 456, that initially had to drive to Fred Locke Studio, 35 miles each way, to buy 1.5 mil, 1200 ft on 7 inch reels, and add the leader tape. Then 1.0 mil 1800 ft from Tape World, via the mail. When the tape self destructed, I rid myself of the 2 R/R's. My Tascam CD recorder with playback through an Audio Note Kit DAC, superior to the analog tape.
I have the ability to burn CDs + have a really nice CD deck. Do you really think that if I heard that CD sounded better, I would have bothered setting up a turntable and a reel to reel deck? Yes it's more convenient so is streaming and I think people just want to believe digital sounds better because it's more convenient and they just don't want to deal with analog.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics I employ a Philips Magnavox CDB 650 digital out to the Tascam CD RW 700 CD recorder, digital in, so bit transfer in real time. But its the playback through the Audio Note kit DAC where reconstruction of the waveform, via different techniques employed in the Industry today, that makes the sound, superior to my B 77 playback electronics. I listen through a 300B, OTL pre, and an EL-509 SET OTL amp, driving my Stax SRD/MK III earspeakers, now vs my loudspeakers. Apartment dwelling has its issues. With albums I record via my B 790. So its not really convenience I'm after, but sound quality. I keep the room quiet,when recording LP's, so reduced microphonics, and I don't stream. Just my, very subjective, observations, noting the gear I've used.
Good luck finding modern music on tape. And good luck with those tape jams. But yes, companies are all about money and milking the consuming cows. But I still think well-recorded CDs are the pinnacle of sound. 24-bit, 96 kHz files are marginally better, but that’s it. But analog recordings were made to preserve the dynamic range of the music. And you are right about the peddlers on YT.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics Thanks, this is for his home system, never had it connected to the system. I did plug it on and was amazed at the way it looked, all wooden front was clear with what seemed like a black light or purple light inside.
Nothing can touch good vinyl playback...a great Tape deck is good...IMO digital sound peaked with the JVC K2 system for digitally mastering 30ips tape in 20bit....find some of those special jazz cd's. And remasters.
😂😂😂 I am old enough to have gone through the many sonic stages, wonders and rollercoasters of hifi change ... from vinyl, reel to reel, cassette tapes, videotape, 8 track, then digital CDs, lazer discs, ripping digital files, downloading and streaming music file etc. and strangely I can be honest and say no matter what format ...there has always some great sounding gear, and so so and complete rubbish kit! As it is the nature of all thing we humans create design promote and peddle! But personally I stayed with vinyl for a long time - loving the sound quality when good,... but equally hating all the faff, ceremony and restrictions of vinyl playback, filling up whole walls with a mix of good, bad and bloody awful recordings! Which some remained hidden, lost or avoided for decades 😂! As I was always irritated by having to listen to whole sides of albums, just to hear the few good or semi decent tracks that I actually liked! And then all frustrations of different mixes, pressing and labels and bloody awful recordings etc etc So eventually sold it all to friends...travelled and changed over to digit file and streaming and absolutely love it! As it sounds nearly as good as my old vinyl system....but I can find and play just the music, tracks or playlists I want to hear - all from my choir! and also have 24/7 access to the biggest music store of wonders ....filled with amazing global artists and music that I would never of known or found! But appreciate it's all highly personal and subjective! Plus ..humans have to make a living so will innovate, create and reinvent the wheel again and again ...which guaranteeing there will always be good, bad, old and new options and choices to explore, choose, smile or frustrate ourselves with! ❤
yeah,aint that the truth, @@SkunkieDesignsElectronics! theres a thing that happens online--an internet cult for every BS artist out there. i think more speaks to internet addicts acting out than real life audiophiles.
