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« on: March 24, 2008, 07:27:03 AM »
Mike,
If I had unlimited where-with-all I would probably buy the ML. I dreamed about it. But I would still want/lust for an A820! Fred himself states on the Studerlist that the A820 has no peer in getting the tape moving past the heads in proper "time base" relationship. Either machine, the ML-5 or the A820, after coming from Fred, is going to be easy for an audiophile to live with for a very long time.
So one important consideration for you to answer is "Will I be making recordings?" By which I mean of live musicians, (as transferring CD's and LP's etc. is really not a meaningful use of such a machine IMHO). If you answer yes, you will soon be seeking at least two good microphones and Mic preamps or even a mixer at minimum.
If your interest lies elsewhere, say for playback of prerecorded tapes such as the Tape Project, you might stick with the A820 as your transport for now and enjoy quite acceptable sound and then get upgraded outboard playback electronics from Doc (or from Tim) as funds allow and thereby achieve the pinnacle (my opinion) in playback in the here and now.
While I have not heard them, I would expect the ML electronics to sound better "right-out-of-the-box" than the stock 820. But please remember the audio arts have advanced considerably since Levinson did the ML-5 and while I have not heard any of them, I honestly would expect Doc or Tim's current designs to ultimately trounce the ML. Tim's TdP stuff will also record of course, but I assume will set you back even more money (though no doubt worth it).
So the questions to wrestle with are:
a.) Will I be recording?
b.) Can I wait to achieve the best, and have the time, desire, and energy to pursue that, or do I want, really, really great right away, so I can just get down to listening to some really great music playback?
c.) and as always, what funds do I have to apply?
So-> I want it great right away -> ML-5
So-> I want to start great recording right away -> ML-5
So-> I want to achieve the very best playback -> A820 & start talking to Doc right away
So-> I want to eventually achieve the best record & playback -> A820 & TdP
At this level there are no wrong answers. Just personal decisions.
Yours Truly in Studer Lust,
Chris Wait
P.S. The above are my personal thoughts, please feel VERY free to ignore them, indeed I hope you will, lest I further conflict you.