That tape deck looks like an RS-1506 (according to the tag in the bottom right). That tape deck is suitable for playing back NAB-equalized recordings. However, most modern pre-recorded tapes are recorded with IEC equalization (I bet including your Yello tape). Specs for the 1506 can be seen here: Technics RS-1506 Tape Recorder | Reel to Reel (reel-reel.com). While it is capable of 2 track playback (what your yellow tape is, and four-track playback (where you can flip the tape over at the end and play āside Bā of the tape), it is only capable of recording 4 track, which provides lower fidelity than a two-track recorder.
I donāt want to see you make the mistake of getting the wrong tape deck again to play back that Yello tape you purchased and possibly many more. With that said, If you like the Technics brand machines (I love how they look, and they are mostly considered prosumer decks), and you also want to record in the highest fidelity possible on the deck, then you should be looking for an RS-1520. Like the one linked below.
If you zoom into the picture of the tape deck linked below, you will see a switch labeled PB EQ with selections for NAB and IEC. That deck would be the one that you should get.
Congratulations on the Gen2 4x4 UPOCC XLR. These are excellent cable for the price, really.
Iāll suggest you put the Gen.2 between DAC and pre first. In my system the IC seems to be more revealing here than from pre to amp. But you should try both and let us know.
I would like to hear a comparison of Gen1 vs Gen2. Probably there somewhere on the Iconoclast thread but that thing is so long that itās almost impossible to find answers to specific questions like that.
@straightwire you made me suspicious about my own feelingsā¦ and I immensely thank you for that! I forced my lazy nature today.
Having read your question about tunable collars, and my answer, I investigated more carefully.
What the hell, moving the ring on the opposite end of the power cords, something magical happened! At the moment just the USB cable (one ring per side), the Dream 2020 feeding the amp and the Cloude Grande feeding the DAC.
It means that the collar went close to the end of the path, before the IEC inlet not the opposite.
I strongly encourage the STEALTH band to spend a few minutes experimenting with these fine tuning collars. An even more focused image and a sweet silky smooth voice emerging from a blacker profound depth. What a pleasure!
Need to try the other power cords and Ethernet cable too, stay tuned.
I believe that the iconoclast website addresses the limitations of the Gen 2 XLR i.e. to be only used in analog applications.
āAfter some experimentation, it was found to be doable, and the result is the āGeneration 2ā Iconoclast XLR cable, the 4x4. The outer star quad of the 4x4 cable provides superb common mode noise rejection without the high capacitance usually associated with star quad cables, while the inner, tiny star quads reduce inductance (with a modest increase in capacitance). This change to inductance and capacitance takes the cable outside the impedance spec for AES/EBU, however, so it should be used in analog applications only.ā
Luca, thanks for the research. You would think that the last thing in the signal chain to require tuning would be the cables themselves. Unlike guys like Vmax, I am more of a set-and-forget guy and assume the manufacturer has done the work to optimize their product.
Since cables are also RF antennas, I guess the rings augment the cable to shield against noise, and that could vary room to room.
Did you enlist someone to move the collars as you listened? Or was it a relatively easy and obvious?
Thanks again for the work. Figured that if you want to get what you want you better put a ring on it .
Just to revive my glorious vinyl habitsā¦ stand up and sit down to listen to, stand up and sit down again. Nobody helped me in this fine tuning process, at the end of the day in that way you arenāt under pressure evaluating how the sound can change by moving the ring step by step on the cable. To be honest, once I found the sweet spot on the first cable, i simply duplicated the same position on the others. It works, easy peazy!
Now also the Ethernet cable and the remaining power cords are all set with the collar at the end of the path, before the input port of the switch or the IEC inlet of the various chassis. Around 3-4 inches from the plug.
This brought another touch of beauty, naturalness and clarity in the sound, like a clear sky after the clouds have cleared, but with the sweetness of the light at dusk. I would say that the effect is even picturesque! Ahā¦ you know, Iām Italian!
Your space is coming along nicely. Seems to be a rather large project in lowering the floor, and then there is relocating and repositioning everything. A bold move indeed!
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