Tape Trail

Reel to reel, cassette and other analogue tape formats.

Return to Tape Trail

Tandberg

76.73.232.216
Posted on October 4, 2009 at 14:31:56
dynacopas
Audiophile

Posts: 45
Location: Central AL
Joined: September 26, 2009
 I have to say that of all the reel to reel decks I have listened to the tandbergs are by far the best. I have a model 64,3300 and a 9100x. Has any one listened to the tandbergs? The 64 is loaded with 12ax7 telefunken tubes from the factory. For those that don't know if you have a model 3300 or any deck with the Cross field head. The recording will be 8db's to 10DB's hotter. Something to do with the magnetic field around the tape when being recorded I don't totally understand it. Now when you play it back on any deck you will add so much more dynamic range and the sound is incredible.
Allen 75's,Eico HF60's Dyanco PAS3x, Orcale Delphi Mark 2, RCA MI-9358A, MI-9257C
RE: Tandberg, posted on October 5, 2009 at 09:06:38
DaveInVA
Audiophile

Posts: 1464
Location: Danville VA
Joined: June 21, 2001
 I have owned many Tanbergs over the decades starting with a model 5. I still own a 6, 64, 64X and a 6000X. I love the sound of the tube models. Even the non crossfield head units like the 6 and 64 are fantastic playback machines. They have gentle mechanisms that are good with older brittle tapes. Just make sure they are serviced properly with new belts, cork brake/clutch pads etc. The Crossfield works by applying some of the record bias to the back of the tape. This is supposed to reduce distortion by not having the bias and audio signal mixed in the record head. It also in some cases gives improved recording response.

Dave

RE: Tandberg, posted on October 5, 2009 at 08:19:16
RedGrant
Audiophile

Posts: 31
Location: Nebraska
Joined: April 28, 2009
 Nice review. I've been looking for Tandberg, I already own a Tandberg cassette deck, and it is very impressive, especially considering its limited frequency range, it's an early model.

On your r2r deck, what source did you record from?

RE: Tandberg, posted on November 6, 2009 at 17:47:02
baguadao
Audiophile

Posts: 82
Location: singapore
Joined: December 13, 2007
Can you share with us which model of Tandberg you own that you find impressive.

Thanks.

RE: Tandberg, posted on November 7, 2009 at 07:11:40
RedGrant
Audiophile

Posts: 31
Location: Nebraska
Joined: April 28, 2009
 It's 310MKII model. You can find one functioning cheap on ebay everynow and then. Should pay no more than $30 to $50 at the max.

Its spec is pretty bad, but listening test is awesome, the best bang for the buck in cassette decks. Also rock solid mechanism, should go for a long time without having to fix it.

This is my go to deck when it comes to playing pre-recorded normal cassettes.

I also have Beocord 9000 and Eumig Fl-1000 decks waiting for repair.
RE: Tandberg, posted on October 5, 2009 at 10:17:13
dynacopas
Audiophile

Posts: 45
Location: Central AL
Joined: September 26, 2009
 The source was a Turntable of course but the turntable was an oracle Delphi Mark II. I have also recorded from a Thorens TD-160mkII. Those are prob my favrotie tables out of the numerous tables I have. The tandbergs are by far the best sounding reel to reel decks but the next in line would be the Sansui QD5500. Just my opinion.
Allen 75's,Eico HF60's Dyanco PAS3x, Orcale Delphi Mark 2, RCA MI-9358A, MI-9257C
Sansui QD-5500 opinion, posted on October 9, 2009 at 19:29:35
rtbarr
Audiophile

Posts: 463
Joined: July 15, 2001
 I read your post because there is a Tandberg 64 for sale locally. However I am interested in your opinion of the Sansui quad deck. I have one of these and like it a lot. I haven't been able to find out much about it.

I also have several Ampex tube decks (F4470, 1260) and a Technics 1520.

RT Barr

RE: Sansui QD-5500 opinion, posted on October 10, 2009 at 07:01:34
dynacopas
Audiophile

Posts: 45
Location: Central AL
Joined: September 26, 2009
 Hi you mentioned having a sansui. They are nice and the mids and highs are great but still some distance behind the tandbergs. The only thing to be done to the sansui is to keep it aligned. They tend to drift. Where is locally that there is a model 64? I would be very interested in it working or not. In case you don't know the Tandberg 64 is loaded with Telefunken 12ax7 tubes from the factory there is like 5 per side I think. They are built like a tank most will work and if not very simple to fix. If you aren't interested in the tandberg let me know as I would interested to contact the seller. Thanks
Allen 75's,Eico HF60's Dyanco PAS3x, Orcale Delphi Mark 2, RCA MI-9358A, MI-9257C
Sansui QD-5500 alignment?, posted on October 10, 2009 at 11:00:00
rtbarr
Audiophile

Posts: 463
Joined: July 15, 2001
 My Sansui seems to be a well preserved and minimally used deck I bought just over a year ago from a retired Air Force veteran who bought it new in the PX in Okinawa in about 1974. He actually bought two decks, the other one was the play only version of the QD-5500. He bought both so he could dub copies from the quad tapes he borrowed from the base library. He also included about 75 such reels he had copied, many are quadraphonic.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by keeping the deck aligned. Do the heads drift out of alignment?

I also have a Sansui AU-9500 amplifier and a Sansui Quad decoder/rear channel amplifier unit that I hope to eventually put together into a quad system. Maybe Pioneer HPM-100 front speakers and HPM-60 rears.

The Tandberg auction is linked below. I have no connection to the seller. I just have an eBay search for vintage audio stuff that I run periodically that alerts me to such auctions within 150 miles of my home in North Alabama.

RT Barr

RE: Sansui QD-5500 alignment?, posted on October 10, 2009 at 11:25:45
dynacopas
Audiophile

Posts: 45
Location: Central AL
Joined: September 26, 2009
 Yes the heads due drift out of alignment atleast mine does. It seems to drift out about once a year and I loose the high end. The AU9500 is very nice and has a tube like sound. If you want to get into quadraphonic the Sansui QS-1 is the way to go. It is a preamp only though. Also I don't know that you are interested in Big band music but to see the true potential of that reel to reel look for the Phase 4 Quadraphonic tapes by Ted Heath. They are the best. I have 2 or three of the Phase 4 quads they are rare but very nice. Sony makes the SQD2020 which is about the best SQ decoder and the Marantz CD-400B is the best CD-4 demodulator. You will need a CD4 compatible cartridge such as a Audio Technica AT-14,15, or 20 if you can find it or one of the grado's such as a green or red to decode the albums. Once you get the albums you want in quad the best thing you can do is record them to 4 channel reel to reel. THen you don't need all the decoders and no need to wear the albums out anymore. The CD-4 albums are only good for maybe 20 plays when new before you start getting noise in the rear channels. This was the prob with CD4 encoded albums. Hope this helps. But the sansui qd5500 is about the best sounding reel to reel next to the tandbergs. Nice deck and nice gear. Enjoy It!
Allen 75's,Eico HF60's Dyanco PAS3x, Orcale Delphi Mark 2, RCA MI-9358A, MI-9257C
RE: Tandberg, posted on October 5, 2009 at 01:53:34
niklasthedolphin
Audiophile

Posts: 203
Joined: April 1, 2007
 I very much like the way Tandberg TD 20A SE sounds.
Reason that they sound apart from other consumer decks is the use of in-house technologies that doesn't make the tapes unplayable on other decks (like Nakamichi cassette players); Dyneq and Actilinear.
before Actilinear they used (also in-house) X-field.
They were stubborn to solve sound quality issues.

"dolph"

RE: Tandberg, posted on October 25, 2009 at 10:47:57
rayr0683@comcast.net
Audiophile

Posts: 60
Location: South Jersey
Joined: January 19, 2008
 I agree with you Dolph. And I am a big fan of Tandberg, owning a TD20A, and also a TD20A-SE, both have been fully restored by a Tandberg Tech, including all NOS Tandberg Heads, and other necessary modifications, of weak links that were found over the years. I have them biased to todays newer tapes, like Quantegy 457, and better.

I have to tell you, they just had a big discussion on Naks.com a forum for all brainwashed Nakamichi owners. These are the Type that think Nakamichi is superior to everything else. But I was surprised that the top guy in there, who does most of their repair work, was giving high praise to the Tandberg 3014A Tape deck. He said that it recorded better than the Nak Dragon, but the Dragon played better than the Tandberg 3014A. He claimed that Tandberg stole designs from Nakamichi White Papers, on making the Capstans 2 different sizes, he said it was really a Nakamichi design, not Tandberg, he says Tandberg stole the design. He also said that due to the large Flywheels on the capstans, it causes the DC motors to wear out very quickly, and there is no replacement motors that will work properly as a replacement. I dont believe this, as I see the Tandberg 3014A, more as a Miniature sized Tandberg TD20A design, in a cassette deck model machine. Ray

RE: Tandberg, posted on October 28, 2009 at 20:11:40
kingseiko
Audiophile

Posts: 345
Location: South Texas
Joined: July 20, 2004
 I don't recall that gentleman has ever said that the Tandberg 3014A recorded better than the DRAGON in his comment on NakTalk though.

I am looking for those capstan motors for my 3014A as well. If you know where to get them I would really appreciate it. Thanks.


Mike

Page processed in 0.095 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2009, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ] [ Go Green ] [ Take5 ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]