Category: Opinions & musings

“Through the past, darkly”: Ken Kessler ponders the condition of pre-owned tapes and what it can tell us about their history

May 17, 2021

If you read Ken Kessler’s ‘Off the leash’ column in the May issue of Hi-Fi News, you’ll know that he recently added another 200 open-reel tapes to his collection, along with a dozen used LPs. Sorting through his haul to separate the gems from the dross, the near-pristine from the unplayable, he noticed something interesting … More “Through the past, darkly”: Ken Kessler ponders the condition of pre-owned tapes and what it can tell us about their history

Neville Roberts reviews RX Reels’ carbon fibre tape reels

April 30, 2021

When I was first asked to review a 10½ inch NAB spool that offered to combine high performance with good looks, I was a little sceptical.  Yes, I can imagine that a well-designed spool can improve the look of a tape deck, but I couldn’t see how it could improve performance.  However, I like to … More Neville Roberts reviews RX Reels’ carbon fibre tape reels

Scientists unwind the mysteries of ‘sticky shed syndrome’ and why baking damaged tapes renders them playable again

March 24, 2021

One of the most commonly reported effects of pandemic lockdown is a day-to-day struggle with maintaining focused attention. And so, when researching some piece of hi-fi news, I sometimes finding myself meandering around the internet hopping from one link to the next like Alice bouncing down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. Sometimes the net result … More Scientists unwind the mysteries of ‘sticky shed syndrome’ and why baking damaged tapes renders them playable again

Ken Kessler’s surprising support of cassettes (and no-one’s as surprised as Ken himself!)

December 27, 2020

Hoist on my own petard, I closed a previous column (back in the early days of COVID-19!) with the words, “Next Month: The Surprising Sounds of A Crap Format”. Well, COVID-19 and back problems delayed the column in question, but here’s the essence of it: my own, odd, support of cassettes. Let’s not mince words. … More Ken Kessler’s surprising support of cassettes (and no-one’s as surprised as Ken himself!)

In pursuit of sonic nirvana: the GIK Acoustics experiment continues – with much juggling of bass traps

September 16, 2020

Back in May I wrote a post about room acoustics. Long story short, the folks at GIK Acoustics had (some months prior) very kindly loaned me a bunch of acoustic panels to use in my Reel-to-Reel Rambler demo room at Hi-Fi Show Live. I was so impressed by them that, before returning them, I took … More In pursuit of sonic nirvana: the GIK Acoustics experiment continues – with much juggling of bass traps

The reel deals: Hi-Fi News features Ken Kessler’s definitive guide to buying tapes, new and secondhand

August 23, 2020

Tape lovers, grab your copy of the September issue of Hi-Fi News magazine. In it, self-confessed tape junkie and hi-fi journalist extraordinaire, Ken Kessler, shares his hard-won wisdom on how to get your hands on some seriously good sounds. “For any format, whether new or revived, it is the availability of pre-recorded music that determines … More The reel deals: Hi-Fi News features Ken Kessler’s definitive guide to buying tapes, new and secondhand

Ken Kessler: still keeping it reel – for one reason alone

April 27, 2020

“If, in 1999, you were told that vinyl would enjoy such a massive revival that in 2019 HMV would be opening a flagship store in Birmingham stocking 25,000 records, and that turntables and LPs would appear in mainstream TV ads for watches and life insurance, you’d have laughed in disbelief,” notes audio journalist and R2R … More Ken Kessler: still keeping it reel – for one reason alone

Interview: Greg Beron of ‘hybrid’ R2R deck maker United Home Audio

February 26, 2020

United Home Audio (UHA) is an American high-end audio retailer based in Northern Virginia near Washington, DC. The company, which is headed by Greg Beron, also has another interesting bow to its string: for the past twelve years UHA has been ‘re-manufacturing’ reel-to-reel tape decks. Greg takes vintage Tascam decks as his starting point and … More Interview: Greg Beron of ‘hybrid’ R2R deck maker United Home Audio