Analog Audio & Reel to Reel

The 2010’s have been a decade of analog audio revival. Following in footsteps of the Vinyl revolution that has presses putting out millions of new records a year, Reel to Reel machines have seen a wicked resurgence among audiphiles, hipsters, & boomers alike. As the Factory Service group for TEAC & TASCAM, we have been absolutely shocked by the volume of units coming to us for repair. Models like the X1000 and 38 are among the many coming to us from the corners of the US including New York, Los Angeles, & even Alaska. These units require precision calibration& biasing, but when correctly calibrated, some say the warm analog sound is unparalleled by digital and other analogue mediums.

New Reel to Reel Machines

At this time, there are no new manufacturers of reel to reel machines, but a group from the UK hopes to change that. Horch House, a last man standing in the analog space, hopes to change that with the introduction of Project R2R. Horch House intends to manufacture new Reel to Reel machines, and we salute them for their dedication to an almost lost form of media.

A Favorite Among Audiophiles

For those surprised by the resurgence of Analog, look no further than an old reel to reel. As the publication The Absolute Sound reported:

In 2013, The Absolute Sound shocked readers by concluding that a reel-to-reel deck absolutely crushed the highest-rated turntable-based system ever reviewed by the magazine. “I have never heard rock and roll reproduced more powerfully and realistically in my home or at a show in my entire life,” concluded reviewer Jonathan Valin. The deck in question was billed as ‘new’, but was in fact a highly modified TASCAM Pro deck.

Try it for yourself some time.