[trevorlane]

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The first thing I noticed was the weather station thing on the wall...

^_^

the first thing i noticed was the umass walls and furniture lol!

 

[jdandy]

dagothur.......Oh, OK.  You had me confused.  I have never heard a reel to reel tape recorder refered to as a contraption.  That made me chuckle a little.
 
The reel to reel on the left is a Revox B77 Mk2 that records and plays back using 1/2 track heads.  The reel to reel on the right is an Akai GX-636 that records and plays back using 1/4 track heads.

 

[Towert7]

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The first thing I noticed was the weather station thing on the wall...

^_^

the first thing i noticed was the umass walls and furniture lol!

Wow, good eyes!

 

[DjAmTraX]

I recommended a friend to get 5 JBL LSR6328P and a matching sub for his 5.1 system in his apartment.  He loves it, but his neighbors don't feel the same way.

 

[Skylab]

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dagothur.......Oh, OK.  You had me confused.  I have never heard a reel to reel tape recorder refered to as a contraption.  That made me chuckle a little.
 
The reel to reel on the left is a Revox B77 Mk2 that records and plays back using 1/2 track heads.  The reel to reel on the right is an Akai GX-636 that records and plays back using 1/4 track heads.

It's hard for me to imagine that people would not immediately recognize a reel-to-reel deck...but this is for sure a generational thing.  In some ways, the reel-to-reel has the potential to be the best source component there is, above all other analog and digital sources...except for the lack of things to play on it that one can get easily or cheaply.

 

[Danz03]

They maybe the best analogue source components ever, but seriously, I don't miss the daily tape heads alignment/cleaning/demagnetizing a single bit. 

 
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It's hard for me to imagine that people would not immediately recognize a reel-to-reel deck...but this is for sure a generational thing.  In some ways, the reel-to-reel has the potential to be the best source component there is, above all other analog and digital sources...except for the lack of things to play on it that one can get easily or cheaply.

 

[immtbiker]

Or the hiss.
Funny about the generational thing with the reel to reels (if that's what it is). In 1992, my daughter was so confused about what a record player did.

 

[jdandy]

Danz03.......I enjoy both reel to reel machines.  I have transfered many of my favorite vinyl records to tape with great success.  Head alignment is not a daily, weekly, or even annual issue providing the tape recorder heads were properly aligned using professional alignment tapes.  Tape head demagnetizing and head cleaning is a standard routine that I consider part of the enjoyment of the hobby, and do not look at it as a chore.  I clean and demag the heads before any serious recording.  I realize that reel to reel tape recorders are not for everyone, but for me they hold a certain charm that I enjoy.

 

[jdandy]

Skylab.......I can see where younger audio enthusiasts may not have ever been exposed to reel to reel tape recorders.  Reel to reel machines haven't been a vital part of home audio in some 30+ years.  I bought my very first reel to reel tape recorder in 1968.  With the advent of digital technology, and the more recent audio advances with digital downloading, laptops being used as music servers, MP3 players, iPods and more, it is easy to understand how a younger generation may look upon reel to reel tape recorders as complicated contraptions.  It is very similar to the comment by immtbiker that his daughter was confused about what a turntable did.

 

[Danz03]

Don't get me wrong, I loved tape machines, I loved the big VU meters, the metal reels and the smell of a new reel of tape. We had an Otari 24 track, a Revox A77 and a Studer A820 in the studio, and my first job as a tape op was to spend about an hour doing heads alignment/cleaning/demagnetizing first thing every morning, believe me, it does become tedious after a few months. 

In my opinion, you can get that nice analogue touch even if you transfer your CDs to half-track tapes, it's better than vinyls. 

 
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Danz03.......I enjoy both reel to reel machines.  I have transfered many of my favorite vinyl records to tape with great success.  Head alignment is not a daily, weekly, or even annual issue providing the tape recorder heads were properly aligned using professional alignment tapes.  Tape head demagnetizing and head cleaning is a standard routine that I consider part of the enjoyment of the hobby, and do not look at it as a chore.  I clean and demag the heads before any serious recording.  I realize that reel to reel tape recorders are not for everyone, but for me they hold a certain charm that I enjoy.

 

[Skylab]

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Or the hiss.
Funny about the generational thing with the reel to reels (if that's what it is). In 1992, my daughter was so confused about what a record player did.

Some of my kids' friends come over and see me playing records, and hear music flowing, and get a very quizzical look on their face, because they have never seen a turntable, and don't know what to make of it.  Sad.
 
But MY kids have grown up knowing what a TT is

 

[Ridleyguy]

jdandy,  I was curious why you would add the Gilmore Lite to the audio chain, as the McIntosh MCD500 has both multiple DACs and a headphones output stage?  A comparison would also be appreciated as I am considering the MCD500 for my system. Cheers.

 

[dagothur]

I know that it played reel-to-reel tapes, but I've never seen a tape player on such a macro scale.

 

[melomaniac]

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Skylab.......I can see where younger audio enthusiasts may not have ever been exposed to reel to reel tape recorders.  Reel to reel machines haven't been a vital part of home audio in some 30+ years.  I bought my very first reel to reel tape recorder in 1968.  With the advent of digital technology, and the more recent audio advances with digital downloading, laptops being used as music servers, MP3 players, iPods and more, it is easy to understand how a younger generation may look upon reel to reel tape recorders as complicated contraptions.  It is very similar to the comment by immtbiker that his daughter was confused about what a turntable did.

true, too true. my son, although he has seen me use turntables, and even my small victrola, is still unsure about how exactly that all differs from CDs, and generally assumes music comes from computers (which, probably, it does, more often than not)... and I have a colleague who has shelves of tapes, and invents new responses to the question almost everyone asks who comes to his house: what is that? he's pretended they're old computing tapes, old car parts, cinema mementos, whatever - he just does not feel like explaining reel to reel audio any longer...

 

[revolink24]

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Or the hiss.
Funny about the generational thing with the reel to reels (if that's what it is). In 1992, my daughter was so confused about what a record player did.

Some of my kids' friends come over and see me playing records, and hear music flowing, and get a very quizzical look on their face, because they have never seen a turntable, and don't know what to make of it.  Sad.
 
But MY kids have grown up knowing what a TT is

I'm 18 and I have a vinyl rig of my very own.