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Author Topic: New Deck or Upgrade  (Read 41645 times)

Offline jcmusic

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New Deck or Upgrade
« on: September 30, 2009, 02:49:30 AM »
I have a Otari MX5050 BII that is modded to use the Bottlehead Seduction with relaped heads, I am considering getting a Studer A810. Would I be better off with the 810 or maybe upgradeing the Otari heads? Or something else, opinions please.

Jay
Redpoint Model D TT/Soundsmith Sotto Voce Cartridge Otari MX 5050 BII/BH Tube Repro deHavilland Model 222
 Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000, Rogue Magnum 99, Korneff 45 SET Amp, Klipsch K-Horns Bass Bins/2" Tractrix Horns 2" BMS Drivers, Vintage Tubes.

Offline jcmusic

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2009, 09:31:56 PM »
You mean to tell me that no one here has an opinion, or something to say on this!!! Unbelieveable!!!

Jay
Redpoint Model D TT/Soundsmith Sotto Voce Cartridge Otari MX 5050 BII/BH Tube Repro deHavilland Model 222
 Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000, Rogue Magnum 99, Korneff 45 SET Amp, Klipsch K-Horns Bass Bins/2" Tractrix Horns 2" BMS Drivers, Vintage Tubes.

Offline steveidosound

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2009, 11:59:22 PM »
You mean to tell me that no one here has an opinion, or something to say on this!!! Unbelieveable!!!

Jay

I could give you an opinion but I don't play in those leagues.
The Studer folks will say to do that. Tape Project folks are modding Otaris. They would say that their electronics would be better than the stock Studer ones, but probably more so with the tube repro than the seduction. They might also say the better heads would be better than the stock Studer ones. As to the modded transport, it might be better than the stock Studer in sound quality but the Studer would beat the stock Otari. All of this is from others opinions I have gathered on this forum. Perhaps, since you have the Otari already you would get more bang for the buck with upgrades to it.
Steve Williams

you don't want to know what equipment I listen to...

Offline jcmusic

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2009, 08:25:33 AM »
Hey Steve,
Thanks so much for your opinion, seems like you are the only person here that is alive or feels like helping another out!!! Thanks again.

Jay
« Last Edit: October 02, 2009, 03:05:44 PM by jcmusic »
Redpoint Model D TT/Soundsmith Sotto Voce Cartridge Otari MX 5050 BII/BH Tube Repro deHavilland Model 222
 Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000, Rogue Magnum 99, Korneff 45 SET Amp, Klipsch K-Horns Bass Bins/2" Tractrix Horns 2" BMS Drivers, Vintage Tubes.

mep

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2009, 09:35:37 AM »
Jay my brother-Sorry I didn't see your post sooner or I would have posted my thoughts.  In my opinion, I would rather have a Studer A810 than an Otari MX5050.  I think the tape path is much better than the Otari MX5050.   I think the Studer is just more of a professional deck than the Otari MX5050.  Just my $.02 worth.

Mark

Offline xcortes

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2009, 09:52:01 AM »
I am by no means an expert in the subject but I can tell you that since I decided that I'll go with tape all the way I ordered an ATR machine from Mike Spitz and a Tube repro from BH upgrading from a hot rodded Technics with a Seduction. I have a system with very decent resolution and I'm really expecting this to be a major sonic upgrade. Time will tell.
Xavier Cortes

mep

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2009, 10:35:23 AM »
Well, now you are talking about a $10K machine vice a $3K machine.

Offline astrotoy

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #7 on: October 02, 2009, 11:37:00 AM »
Jay, my take on the mechanics is that the Studer in good shape is a fantastic machine. I have only worked with one B2, and that was significantly inferior to my B3 mechanically. I really didn't like the way one puts on the reels. Now this may have been specific to that machine.  What I don't know is the electronics issue, whether the seduction is superior or inferior to the stock Studer. If you can bypass the Studer electronics for the BH Repro, that should be a clear winner. But that would also be true electronically with upgrading from the Seduction to the Repro.  Ki is the 810 expert. I think he has more of them than all of the rest of us put together.   Larry
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Offline jcmusic

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2009, 03:13:01 PM »
This is to all who replyed in this thread thank you very much for your opinions and advice, I really do appreciate your time. I think most of us all are in agreement that the Studer is a better trasnsport, and for the electronics bypassing them would be the path for me; but a repro amp would be 10x what I have in the Seduction. I don't think I am going to hear an improvment of 10x better sound!!! So it would have to be the Seduction or Eros!!! Another thought would be to upgrade the Otari's heads to the Flux Magnetic's, that would be about half the cost of the Studer with the BH electronics. Need more info???

Jay
Redpoint Model D TT/Soundsmith Sotto Voce Cartridge Otari MX 5050 BII/BH Tube Repro deHavilland Model 222
 Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000, Rogue Magnum 99, Korneff 45 SET Amp, Klipsch K-Horns Bass Bins/2" Tractrix Horns 2" BMS Drivers, Vintage Tubes.

mep

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2009, 09:19:28 AM »
Jay-if money is the prime concern, you already have your answer.  However, new heads won't make the Otari a Studer beater. 

Mark

Offline jcmusic

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2009, 12:56:22 PM »
Jay-if money is the prime concern, you already have your answer.  However, new heads won't make the Otari a Studer beater. 

Mark
Hi Mark,
Not just new heads, but the ones the The TP is using for their mods on the RS1500's and the MX5050!!! They are suppose to be much better than the stock heads!!! It is not all about the money!!! It is the best sound that I am trying to find!!!


Jay
Redpoint Model D TT/Soundsmith Sotto Voce Cartridge Otari MX 5050 BII/BH Tube Repro deHavilland Model 222
 Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000, Rogue Magnum 99, Korneff 45 SET Amp, Klipsch K-Horns Bass Bins/2" Tractrix Horns 2" BMS Drivers, Vintage Tubes.

Offline Ben

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2009, 02:52:23 PM »
Best sound ... um that would be live. :-)
The only disadvantage I can see is damage to a deck
with freight carriers if you send out to be updated.
For me now - the best sound is upgrading my primary amp.
Since I use valve audio, I like to keep the older amp around
as a spare.
Set 45,Open baffle speakers,Otari 5050,,Pioneer DV-79AVi DVD/CD/SCAD player

Offline ironbut

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #12 on: October 03, 2009, 02:56:38 PM »
Hey Jay,

I've kinda stayed out of this since I believe you know my feelings regarding this (I think your money would be better spent upgrading).
I recently upgraded to the Flux Magnetics 1/2 track head so here are my impressions.

At 15 ips (which these heads are designed for) the bass is more textured and defined. The midrange is more detailed sounding from what I attribute to the lack of overhang by the bass. I find the differences to be most obvious with music with lots of bass content.
The high frequencies are very close to what I heard with the stock Technics head but I considered them to be just about unbeatable when properly adjusted. They may be a tad more open but I can't really say for sure.
Overall, I'm really pleased with the new head. If you're getting your tape path modified, I think at the price of adding the head, it's a no brainer. Maybe if it was $2k (like most mid rated phono cartridges) it would be something you'd need to consider carefully.

Bear in mind that these impressions are also the result of weeks of tweaking everything (tensions, pinch rollers, head adjustments, guide adjustments etc.). But, I am the poster boy for endless tweaking and I realize that this sort of activity is not  realistic for most folks. But, that's one of the great benefits to having Doc work on your machine. The tweaking comes with the mods.
steve koto
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Offline jcmusic

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #13 on: October 03, 2009, 05:45:30 PM »
Well Steve I am kinda glad you decided to get into this one and give me your impressions of the Flux head, BTW did you only get the replay head? Also you are talking about your RS1500 right? I am talking about the MX5050!!! My point is this, do I get the Studer and mod with external electronis? Or do I get the Flux heads for my Otari? If upgrading the heads will give me the same sound that I would get from the Studer, than that would be the way to go!!! Now if the Studer with mods is going to sound alot better than the Otari with Flux heads than that is the way for me to go!!!

jay
Redpoint Model D TT/Soundsmith Sotto Voce Cartridge Otari MX 5050 BII/BH Tube Repro deHavilland Model 222
 Ah Njoe Tjoeb 4000, Rogue Magnum 99, Korneff 45 SET Amp, Klipsch K-Horns Bass Bins/2" Tractrix Horns 2" BMS Drivers, Vintage Tubes.

Offline stellavox

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Re: New Deck or Upgrade
« Reply #14 on: October 26, 2009, 05:01:03 PM »
If you can afford it, I'd opine that the Studer is the way to go - based on conversations with friends and the fact that I have one right now to play with.  The Studer heads beat the Otari hands down and from reports, I believe they beat the Flux Magnetics also, so you'll save money by not having to change heads.  Will see how they stack up against the Nortronics.

Charles