Otari MX-5050 Review (Reel to Reel Tape Deck)

[rdenney]

Above 20kHz there are harmonics of audible signals. Also if you learned advanced calculus, you know that there is a dependency between signal raise time and frequency range. Sharp transient cannot be reconstructed if frequency range is limited. The same limit is the source of pre- and post-ringing of filters. I do not know how brain processes audio, but if you are trained, you can hear distortion sourced from brick wall filter. Some music content makes it easier, other harder. But it is always there. 20kHz limit may be good enough if analog source is limited to 10kHz or less above noise level, but if source has content up to 20kHz before brick wall in ADC, you will hear the difference. Ideally to avoid issues with filtering sampling rate should be more than 5 times higher than source content above noise level. In that case physical limitations of filtering will have very little impact on ADC (or digital downsampling) process. But this is NOT a topic of this thread. Let's go back to R2R tape vs. vinyl.

The converse is also true: If a sharp transient is steep enough to require a frequency capability higher than 20KHz, then so is the device that creates that transient, the device that records it, and the medium that distributes it, the system that plays it back, the speakers, and the ears of the listener. It's those ears where it all comes home to roost, even if we solve the problem at every other link in the chain.

I've looked at a lot of waveforms of recorded music, including music that I've recorded. I've never seen a transient in a recorded signal that was anywhere near as steep as, say, a record pop from a scratch on the vinyl. And yet my system, even when constrained to 20 KHz, is fully capable of making that distinction.

But your statement that one will hearing the ringing of a steep filter set to 22 KHz (and let's put it where it happens) just because the musical content exceeds 10 KHz is unevidenced, unless you engage unrealistic and specialized listening techniques.

Rick "whose TEAC A4300 runs out of steam at about 22 KHz" Denney

 

[anmpr1]

1) If you hear hiss it's far more likely the result of your amplification chain than a Redbook digital source. You mentioned your interest in tape playing between 20kHz and 30kHz. 2) Are you telling us there is musical content there from any source - at all - and that you can hear it?

1) Hiss? Not my amplifier and not on my loudspeakers--Benchmark with La Scala, the latter being prone to audible amplifier hiss due to it's 101dB/watt/meter sensitivity. But if hiss is part of the recording, it's heard.

2) To your second question, I'm reminded of an old Stereo Review take-down of the Pioneer CT-F 9191, a mid priced cassette deck from the '70s. Hirsch found it to be good value, measuring flat to about 12KHz (probably at -20dB VU, but maybe it was 0dB, I don't recall). He wrote (paraphrasing) that that might not sound like it was very good, but there isn't much HF material anyway once you get past about 15, and in any case most people's hearing doesn't go that high. It was Julian's way of saying that the Pioneer was probably OK for most people, but if those x-tra hertz are important, then you're just going to have to open your pocketbook a little wider and spring for the Nakamichi.

For me? I could never hear that twenty kilohertz stuff. I'm not the Batman.

 

[AdrianusG]

Like fine wine!

Cassetes (Compact) go from 35 Euro's (EACH!) for (Type2 Chromium 90 minutes) all the way up to 160 Euro's for (Type 4 Metal) from TDK and Maxell and some other brands, but for that price they are NOS and thus sealed.
Absolutely nuts.

 

[anmpr1]

Cassetes (Compact) go from 35 Euro's (EACH!) for (Type2 Chromium 90 minutes) all the way up to 160 Euro's for (Type 4 Metal) from TDK and Maxell and some other brands, but for that price they are NOS and thus sealed.
Absolutely nuts.

An outfit in the US manufactures I and II tapes. I don't think anyone makes IV anymore. From my 1980s memory IV were generally the best quality.

C799 Studio Master 60 Minute Type II Cobalt Packaged Cassettes - National Audio Company

799 Studio Master 60 minute tapes, imprinted and packaged in boxes of 10. • NAC’s highest quality mastering cassette • Smooth-running cassette housing • Imprinted tape and traditional J-card • Clear Norelco-style box • Individually cello-wrapped with tear strip • Packed in protective 10-pack...

www.nationalaudiocompany.com

 

[anmpr1]

Speaking of tapes (might have been mentioned before), in the late '70s I guess it was, Maxell and a few others sold Type II higher bias open reel tape. I used an Akai GX-646 for a while and it featured a switch for 'EE' tapes, but I never bought one so I have no idea about them from experience.

Generally for home use, 7ips with Maxell UD35 XLI was sufficient for my purposes. I routinely bought Maxell at my local guitar store. Once Maxell quit, I could find Quantegy (Ampex) through the mail, but eventually they went out of business. By then I was out of the game.

 

[LTig]

Cassetes (Compact) go from 35 Euro's (EACH!) for (Type2 Chromium 90 minutes) all the way up to 160 Euro's for (Type 4 Metal) from TDK and Maxell and some other brands, but for that price they are NOS and thus sealed.
Absolutely nuts.

Wow. Seems I'm sitting on a gold mine with 3 TDK MA 60 and 5 Maxell XL II 100 ...

 

[musicforcities]

Went to new a local pizza place with two teac reel to reel decks as music sources placed right at the front. They were in mint visual condition. Very sexy.

Also a bit silly, since the music was a mix and recent. I guess they recoded a Spotify playlist…lol.

But darn, I sort of want one now as decoration.

 

[AdrianusG]

Went to new a local pizza place with two teac reel to reel decks as music sources placed right at the front. They were in mint visual condition. Very sexy.

Also a bit silly, since the music was a mix and recent. I guess they recoded a Spotify playlist…lol.

But darn, I sort of want one now as decoration.

Yep, same feeling here, these things are/were Beautiful.