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Author Topic: Tape Playback Head Cables  (Read 7625 times)

Offline rbwtapeinterlink-Bob

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Tape Playback Head Cables
« on: August 07, 2012, 10:44:32 PM »
Hello all,

I recall reading posts from Ironbut and Paul awhile back regarding their use of silver phono cable with appropriate shielding. It's amazing I am having a difficult finding silver cable under$300 dollars. I thought I could purchase two 24inch cables for less than that. And of course the Van den huls are way out of my money range. Does anyone have suggestions or guidance. It would seem that even used silver phono cables are expensive.

I am preparing to have my Tascam 42B re-wired for IEC playback as well as having the tech bypass the internal electronics and run cables directly from my playback heads. I also thought I read on a post sometime ago that one of our own actually had his tech wire his deck with a switch so that he could use the internal electronics and run cables from the tape heads to an external pre amp.  Thanks for all input.

bob
« Last Edit: August 07, 2012, 10:53:29 PM by rbwtapeinterlink »
Bob W. (African American) VPI, Ref Standard Grado, Denon 103r, Threshold, DecWare tube pre and Classe pre amp, Jolida tube phono pre amp, (Peter Gunn) modified Magnapan 1.6, Tascam 32-2B & 42B tape decks, Parasound belt drive CD transport, Pacific Valve tube DAC, VPI  TT, various upscale cables.

Offline Ki Choi

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Re: Tape Playback Head Cables
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2012, 11:28:40 PM »
Hi Bob:

Please send me an email.

Ki
Ki Choi

Offline High and Outside

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Re: Tape Playback Head Cables
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2012, 11:37:29 PM »
For the record, I never recommended silver head cables. If you like 'em, you like 'em. Fine with me.

I recommended low capacitance cables with good shielding. One with both a foil shield and a high-coverage braid shield would be best.
Paul Stubblebine
Managing Director, The TapeProject

Offline rbwtapeinterlink-Bob

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Re: Tape Playback Head Cables
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2012, 11:43:03 PM »
Paul, sorry about that. I remember reading a while back a post by someone and thought it was you. I am just trying to get some info since I have very minimum knowledge about this area. Please forgive me for the error.

bob williams
Bob W. (African American) VPI, Ref Standard Grado, Denon 103r, Threshold, DecWare tube pre and Classe pre amp, Jolida tube phono pre amp, (Peter Gunn) modified Magnapan 1.6, Tascam 32-2B & 42B tape decks, Parasound belt drive CD transport, Pacific Valve tube DAC, VPI  TT, various upscale cables.

Offline Listens2tubes

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Re: Tape Playback Head Cables
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2012, 05:29:07 PM »
I am partial to Cardas tonearm cable. From Cardas site: "Four 33 awg. conductors, braided shield, flexible rubber jacket." Unless a tape head is so different from a phono cartridge that this is a bad idea.
Neal - Ampex Fineline F-44, 3 - Otari MX5050BII-2, Revox A77 Mk II , Teac A 4010s, 4070, Sony TC102A, Magnecord 1020, Systemdek IIX/Dynavector Karat 17D2MKII, CEC CD3300 CDP, K Works NanoMax DAC, Van Alsine Transcendence Eight+ tube preamp, Dynaco MkIV amp pair, Paradigm Reference Studio 100 v1

Offline rbwtapeinterlink-Bob

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Re: Tape Playback Head Cables
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2012, 08:01:41 PM »
Good evening Listen2Tubes,

This title says a lot regarding your tastes and that's good. I have never owned Cardas cables so can't comment. However, I am waiting for a friend to send me a set of cables he says will be ideal for my purpose. And yes, I would think that the signal from a tape playback head is not that much different from the signal from a moving coil cartridge. That's just my thinking sir. At any rate, when I finally get my Tascam set up I will certainly get back in touch here with the results. Thanks for your always generous feedback.

bob williams
Bob W. (African American) VPI, Ref Standard Grado, Denon 103r, Threshold, DecWare tube pre and Classe pre amp, Jolida tube phono pre amp, (Peter Gunn) modified Magnapan 1.6, Tascam 32-2B & 42B tape decks, Parasound belt drive CD transport, Pacific Valve tube DAC, VPI  TT, various upscale cables.

Offline c1ferrari

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Re: Tape Playback Head Cables
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2012, 09:12:25 PM »
I recommended low capacitance cables with good shielding. One with both a foil shield and a high-coverage braid shield would be best.
Paul,

Would you offer a recommendation of an available cable, either pro or audiophile?
Hehe..."For the record..." that was amusing ;-)
Sam Lucero
SPQCV
:-)

Offline rbwtapeinterlink-Bob

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Re: Tape Playback Head Cables
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2012, 05:15:48 PM »
Hi Bob:

Please send me an email.

Ki

Hello Ki,

Did you get the emails I sent to you earlier today?

bob williams
Bob W. (African American) VPI, Ref Standard Grado, Denon 103r, Threshold, DecWare tube pre and Classe pre amp, Jolida tube phono pre amp, (Peter Gunn) modified Magnapan 1.6, Tascam 32-2B & 42B tape decks, Parasound belt drive CD transport, Pacific Valve tube DAC, VPI  TT, various upscale cables.

Offline Ki Choi

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Re: Tape Playback Head Cables
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2012, 03:12:41 PM »
Bob:

Hope your project will work out well.  Keep us posted with your progress.

I have helped a friend to add a set of RCA female connectors in the back of a Studer A810 to be connected via a set of interconnect cables to his out board tape head preamp, but he experienced some hum.  So we by passed the RCA connectors and went directly from a head wire switch to a set of male RCA connectors using the same cables to the outboard preamp.  No hums.

Good luck.

Ki
Ki Choi

Offline rbwtapeinterlink-Bob

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Re: Tape Playback Head Cables
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2012, 04:45:40 AM »
Hello again Ki,

This is great to know. Actually as has been noted earlier, the signal coming from the tape head is so tiny one has to be very careful. I am waiting for my tech to get un-busy with several projects he is now working on so that he can start on my deck. I will certainly be back here to let all know how it went. Thanks so much sir.

bob williams
Bob W. (African American) VPI, Ref Standard Grado, Denon 103r, Threshold, DecWare tube pre and Classe pre amp, Jolida tube phono pre amp, (Peter Gunn) modified Magnapan 1.6, Tascam 32-2B & 42B tape decks, Parasound belt drive CD transport, Pacific Valve tube DAC, VPI  TT, various upscale cables.