I want to invest (1. Time and last) into R2R Master copy tapes playing. Looking for the right machine to establish the best sound, repairable with master(s) in Europe, manageable form factor (small studio box at max, not a full fledged >50Kg thing). It will be paired to a new Amp (maybe BAT VK80i) and related old-school type Loudspeakers (Wide-Band dipole, Horns, as I don‘t like most multi-way even high-end boxes). I am dreaming of a Stellavox ND88/9 (ultra-expensive, I know, and hard to get by), thus being more reasonable I am thinking of these two presented (Crown, Tandberg and other alternatives ASC AS6002, Revox A77, maybe A700, not sure about B77). Of course 2-track, IEC, 15ips, … I think a lovely G36 is too old and primitive. I fear that the support, parts, will disappear quickly at some point in 5-10yrs, while looking for a 40plus years maintained system use. Clearly with expensive tapes, it is critical to have a reliable sensible handling of the tape by that target machine, anything raw can‘t be acceptable. But second it‘s about sound, I am happy to accept quirkinesses otherwise.
My strong recommendation here would be the B77. From the models you mentioned the G36 is yes, too old, so is the A77, and the A700 has generally bad reputation for reliability and the repairability. I am not familiar with the ASC models, there seem to be none or very few of them in the US. But the B77 is an easy choice. It is a reliable machine with the choice of formats and it has tremendous supply of parts at good prices, perhaps better, than any other mode. It is easy to find a technician familiar with it, it is modular to high degree and it is small and light enough to ship for service. Its tape mechanism is gentle... perhaps too gentle at times, but it is not known for tape damage. I have a couple of them, and they are easy to love. There are also numerous upgrades available for i.
@@meshplates On the motor side a new pulley would not be such a problem, I don't know if there is any issue with the transformer - they run harder at 50Hz, but some are designed for both frequencies. I am sure Chuck would know.
@Foxbat9000 Indeed, I have discussed this question with Chuck. There was never a Crown produced 50 Hz part (pulley) made to adapt the machine for 50hz operation. Chuck has the factory records, and they do not show any machines that were ever produced by the Crown factory in a 220v 50Hz variant. There was a 220v/50Hz option listed as available in an old Crown brochure for the CX800 machines. Was this just a different pulley or a different motor option? Nothing is known. It is a mystery. However Chuck does not at all recommend using the standard 117v/60Hz motor at 50hz (with a step-down transformer) and then self-producing a custom-made pulley (assuming I could even calculate the appropriate diameters myself). I power my own CX822, which resides in France, from an AC regenerator outputting 117v @ 60Hz . I have a friend who employs the same solution in the UK on his CX822 . What makes the AC regenerator option interesting is the AC frequency output from my regenerator may be varied very precisely, which in effect makes for a CX822 with a fine pitch control! This is a feature no other Crown has to my knowledge. A final point, I know that Jurg Schopper, who is a quite well known Swiss R2R collector, owns a Crown SX722 which works on 220v/50Hz. I don't know how this is achieved or whether this is a factory-made or a privately modified machine. I have also seen an advertisement from the 1960s by a UK importer of Crown machines: I have to assume these were machines that were able to function on local UK AC. Were they factory produced machines or adapted by the importer locally in the UK? Nothing more is known unfortunately. So there is a certain ambiguity about whether Crown made any machines at the factory specially for 220v/50Hz market. We know that some machines do exist or existed, yet Chuck has no record that such variants were ever actually produced by the factory itself.
@@meshplates thank you, yes, the crown a jewel in looks and sound, I figured already it would be mainly a single market machine - US, but wasn‘t sure. Thank you.
I am Tandberg owner. How can you say it has gentle tape handle, when main downside of Tandberg TD-20a is tape handle. How can you say that? Tandberg is everything at sound quality , but it is nothing about tape handle.
I am sure you have more experience with this model than I do, but I am not noticing any serious anomalies with the sample I have. One thing I notice is that when I press Play the tape starts to run faster, than its play speed, simply because the pinch roller takes a moment to engage, due to its motor drive configuration, but that does not seem to be an issue. I also see the optical end of tape sensor being fooled by some leader tapes - but that is fairly common, and the Crown has this too. Perhaps in the Part 2 I will record the machine's operation, but I am not noticing any jerks, strains, loops or similar maladies.
This is fun.
Another great video as usual! Thanks!
One information: Do you store your tapes “tails out”, or not?
Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much! Ans yes, all 15ips 2-track tapes are stored tails out, that is standard for that format.
@@Foxbat9000thank you very much for your attention. ❤
@@alvarocoutinho3103 You are welcome.
I want to invest (1. Time and last) into R2R Master copy tapes playing.
Looking for the right machine to establish the best sound, repairable with master(s) in Europe, manageable form factor (small studio box at max, not a full fledged >50Kg thing).
It will be paired to a new Amp (maybe BAT VK80i) and related old-school type Loudspeakers (Wide-Band dipole, Horns, as I don‘t like most multi-way even high-end boxes).
I am dreaming of a Stellavox ND88/9 (ultra-expensive, I know, and hard to get by), thus being more reasonable I am thinking of these two presented (Crown, Tandberg and other alternatives ASC AS6002, Revox A77, maybe A700, not sure about B77). Of course 2-track, IEC, 15ips, … I think a lovely G36 is too old and primitive.
I fear that the support, parts, will disappear quickly at some point in 5-10yrs, while looking for a 40plus years maintained system use.
Clearly with expensive tapes, it is critical to have a reliable sensible handling of the tape by that target machine, anything raw can‘t be acceptable. But second it‘s about sound, I am happy to accept quirkinesses otherwise.
@GiancarloBenzina The Crown requires an AC regenerator to function in Europe. It needa 117v @ 60Hz.
My strong recommendation here would be the B77. From the models you mentioned the G36 is yes, too old, so is the A77, and the A700 has generally bad reputation for reliability and the repairability. I am not familiar with the ASC models, there seem to be none or very few of them in the US.
But the B77 is an easy choice. It is a reliable machine with the choice of formats and it has tremendous supply of parts at good prices, perhaps better, than any other mode. It is easy to find a technician familiar with it, it is modular to high degree and it is small and light enough to ship for service. Its tape mechanism is gentle... perhaps too gentle at times, but it is not known for tape damage. I have a couple of them, and they are easy to love.
There are also numerous upgrades available for i.
@@meshplates On the motor side a new pulley would not be such a problem, I don't know if there is any issue with the transformer - they run harder at 50Hz, but some are designed for both frequencies. I am sure Chuck would know.
@Foxbat9000 Indeed, I have discussed this question with Chuck. There was never a Crown produced 50 Hz part (pulley) made to adapt the machine for 50hz operation. Chuck has the factory records, and they do not show any machines that were ever produced by the Crown factory in a 220v 50Hz variant. There was a 220v/50Hz option listed as available in an old Crown brochure for the CX800 machines. Was this just a different pulley or a different motor option? Nothing is known. It is a mystery. However Chuck does not at all recommend using the standard 117v/60Hz motor at 50hz (with a step-down transformer) and then self-producing a custom-made pulley (assuming I could even calculate the appropriate diameters myself). I power my own CX822, which resides in France, from an AC regenerator outputting 117v @ 60Hz . I have a friend who employs the same solution in the UK on his CX822 . What makes the AC regenerator option interesting is the AC frequency output from my regenerator may be varied very precisely, which in effect makes for a CX822 with a fine pitch control! This is a feature no other Crown has to my knowledge. A final point, I know that Jurg Schopper, who is a quite well known Swiss R2R collector, owns a Crown SX722 which works on 220v/50Hz. I don't know how this is achieved or whether this is a factory-made or a privately modified machine. I have also seen an advertisement from the 1960s by a UK importer of Crown machines: I have to assume these were machines that were able to function on local UK AC. Were they factory produced machines or adapted by the importer locally in the UK? Nothing more is known unfortunately. So there is a certain ambiguity about whether Crown made any machines at the factory specially for 220v/50Hz market. We know that some machines do exist or existed, yet Chuck has no record that such variants were ever actually produced by the factory itself.
@@meshplates thank you, yes, the crown a jewel in looks and sound, I figured already it would be mainly a single market machine - US, but wasn‘t sure. Thank you.
I am Tandberg owner. How can you say it has gentle tape handle, when main downside of Tandberg TD-20a is tape handle. How can you say that? Tandberg is everything at sound quality , but it is nothing about tape handle.
@@giir3211 He says it because that is his experience.
@@meshplates And who are you? his lawer? I am with tandbergs since 2018. He just bought it.
I am sure you have more experience with this model than I do, but I am not noticing any serious anomalies with the sample I have. One thing I notice is that when I press Play the tape starts to run faster, than its play speed, simply because the pinch roller takes a moment to engage, due to its motor drive configuration, but that does not seem to be an issue.
I also see the optical end of tape sensor being fooled by some leader tapes - but that is fairly common, and the Crown has this too.
Perhaps in the Part 2 I will record the machine's operation, but I am not noticing any jerks, strains, loops or similar maladies.
@@giir3211 calm down! No need for over-passionate debates. There‘s many truths in the world, as many as persons.