Sony Tapecorder 101 Review (Vintage Reel to Reel)

[GWolfman]

$99,50

more historic ads

"... has a frequency range of 50-12,000 cps ..."

CPS?
(After a Google search I presume...)
CPS = Cycles Per Second = Hertz

 

[Spocko]

Clearly, DACs and Spatial Audio have been exposed now that 1950's era technology has been uncovered - indeed a global conspiracy to keep us lemmings buying new things when in fact nothing's improved.

 

[SimpleTheater]

To imagine that in 1959 you could get this level of performance (including a microphone & speaker for playback) for $99 (about $1,000 today). I can't even get SPEAKER cables for that little, let alone an entire hi-fi system.

 

[hoverdonkey]

That's a good one ;-)
I read 528Hz though

Whoops. Gives away how long I spent Googling for that cheap shot...

 

[AudioSceptic]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Sony Tapecorder Model 101 vintage Reel to Reel tape recorder. My brother found it for me at a Goodwill store. The 101 was released in 1959 and retailed for 29,800 Japanese Yen (today's conversion and adjusted for inflation: $2,377).
View attachment 196894

I must stay it looks absolutely cute! It has a lid that covers it all. With it on, it would fit right in inside any fashion store. You can get a sense of that with a side shot:
View attachment 196895

The thing weighs a ton by the way for its size. There is a fan on the back and cute little door which exposes the AC cord connection inside it.

I have been anxious to measure it but took me a long time to find a test tape. Eventually I found one that has an odd tone of 315 Hz.

Sony Tapecorder Model 101 Measurements
I must say, I was not prepared for this level of performance out of this slow running, ancient deck:

View attachment 196896

OK, it is not a CD but compare it to my modern Otari Reel to Reel:

SINAD is just 4 dB lower! If I am not mistake, distortion is actually lower on the Sony than the Otari. I am just stunned by this. Were these vintage decks all this good???

Alas, I have no other test tones to show you more measurements. I will see if I can record some and post them later.

Conclusions
I don't usually get excited with testing vintage stuff as with some exceptions, performance is not there. And most look and smell old. Not here. The Sony 101 looks practically new and performs almost at the same level of a modern Reel to Reel deck. I see one advertised on ebay in worse shape for $70. If it works, it would be worth every dollar based on this testing.

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As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

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I'd love to see a Walkman Pro cassette deck tested, as used by countless bootleggers (and Andy Kershaw in his early "kitchen" recordings, some of which you can hear at <https://andykershaw.co.uk/category/podcast/>).

And, of course the obvious ReVox and TEAC top-end stuff.

 

[MCH]

I'd love to see a Walkman Pro cassette deck tested, as used by countless bootleggers (and Andy Kershaw in his early "kitchen" recordings, some of which you can hear at <https://andykershaw.co.uk/category/podcast/>.

And, of course the obvious ReVox and TEAC top-end stuff.

Tapers! Curiously they aren't mentioned here often. I am also curious to see what sort of fidelity they would be capable to achieve with their crazy setups. But Amir never tests microphones, does he?

 

[AudioSceptic]

Tapers! Curiously they aren't mentioned here often. I am also curious to see what sort of fidelity they would be capable to achieve with their crazy setups. But Amir never tests microphones, does he?

The most recorded band must've been The Dead. There's lots of free stuff at archive.org <https://archive.org/details/etree>

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

PS: My 777* approves



______________
* kindly passed along to me by one of the regional gurus.

I always wanted one of those machines. I have a TC-660 which is the same vintage. It still works.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

It looks like this review was of playback only. If that is the case, the measurements will be heavily dependent upon the machine which originally recorded the tape. I'd like to see a complete record/playback measurement on this Sony. I don't imagine it would be too impressive, even for that vintage.

 

[Labjr]

I'd be interested to know if relatively inexpensive modifications could make significant measurable improvements now that we have the benefit of modern measurement/test equipment. Though, I would think it's difficult to evaluate tape machines since there are different variables such as tape types that are no longer manufactured etc.

I remember Tom Scholz of the band Boston, made extensive mods to the record/playback electronics of the tape machines he used.

 

[zepplock]

And measures better than PSAudio gear

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Be really interesting to see how much better a Revox A700 would be.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I'd be interested to know if relatively inexpensive modifications could make significant measurable improvements now that we have the benefit of modern measurement/test equipment. Though, I would think it's difficult to evaluate tape machines since there are different variables such as tape types that are no longer manufactured etc.

I remember Tom Scholz of the band Boston, made extensive mods to the record/playback electronics of the tape machines he used.

Magnetic recording is mostly limited by the tape, not the machine. Actually recording tapes are still being made and are at least at the quality level or higher than they were in their heyday. I doubt this machine or any reel to reel machine could be modified to give significantly better overall performance because ultimately performance is limited by the tape not the machine.

 

[Jimster480]

pretty cool, it would definitely fit into a fashion store or make a great piece in an audio wall in your home

 

[SmackDaddies]

How is the performance of this compared to a CD player? Seems to me reel to reel is the equivalent of a tube amplifier compared to Aiyima A07

 

[Labjr]

Magnetic recording is mostly limited by the tape, not the machine. Actually recording tapes are still being made and are at least at the quality level or higher than they were in their heyday. I doubt this machine or any reel to reel machine could be modified to give significantly better overall performance because ultimately performance is limited by the tape not the machine.

Dolby noise reduction was a big improvement.

 

[amirm]

How is the performance of this compared to a CD player? Seems to me reel to reel is the equivalent of a tube amplifier compared to Aiyima A07

I did an AB test and it was very hard to tell the difference with a CD, sans a bit of tape noise.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Dolby noise reduction was a big improvement.

In hiss reduction, yes, but it wasn't a free ride as other parameters suffered, although with professional 4 band systems (type A) the tradeoffs were relatively minor. Dolby B for consumer use was OK for cassette but not really worth the tradeoffs with reel to reel. Commercial pre-recorded tapes were hissy because they were mass duplicated, usually at 60ips. Dolby B was applied for awhile to these reel to reel tapes, but never caught on significantly.

Dolby has completely fallen out of favor with today's higher quality tape duplication which is usually duplicated in real time. 15ips recording today on good mastering tape is very quiet, though of course not as quiet as digital.

 

[mhardy6647]

I always wanted one of those machines. I have a TC-660 which is the same vintage. It still works.

The 777 family were pretty cool -- and ahead of their time, I suppose. Sony made them for quite a few years.

I did an AB test and it was very hard to tell the difference with a CD, sans a bit of tape noise.

umm, there is that mono/stereo thing, too...

Speaking of mono...
Jeepers, maybe I should send you my Tandberg 92 to test, @amirm

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

The 777 family were pretty cool -- and ahead of their time, I suppose. Sony made them for quite a few years.

The 777 strikes me styling wise as the zillionth squeezing of the Ampex 600 series grapes. Many (most?) consumer machines back in the day tried to look either like the Ampex 600 (Roberts) or the Ampex 350 (Teac, Concertone etc etc).