telefunken studio decks compared to studer decks

Audiocrack

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I did combine M15a as transport and Studer A80's repro amp to get a better result and posted which you can read from this forum
tony ma

Thanks Tony. Are you using an AEG m15A tape deck? I was wondering if there are any quality differences between the later made AEG and the older Telefunken (only) versions of this m15a model.
 

microstrip

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I am a greenhorn with respect to high quality tape deck playing. However, I found an AEG (Telefunken made) Magnetophon 15 A tape deck in splendid condition. Does any of the 'tape experts' know if this AEG/Telefunken machine can compete with the top Studer tape decks and whether it is worth acquiring?

Both are great machines - a local audiophile has both the 15A and the A820. One as a Doshi preamplifier, the other a King Cello, but it is not easy to compare the effect of the decks as the preamplifiers can not be exchanged.
 

andromedaaudio

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M 15 A is a more reliable ( what they say ) machine /cheaper to run , i ve got both Studer A 80 and the telefunken , the studer is a more complex machine
I would definetively buy the telefunken , easy to use sounds great and not that expensive , the studer " might" sound slightly better not sure , ma ybe i ll go compare again this weekend
Both have the tape sound , the best tapes i have at home were /are mastertapes done buy the studer B 62 and with the M 15 A .
Basf and agfa gevaert and old broadcast tapes.
Studer B 62 sounds the best i think , a bit more snappy , could be the construction .
A recording engineer told me he preferred the telefunken as a workhorse due to reliability issues with the studer , the telefunken has also " glass" heads which dont wear , supposedly sound worse then the studer heads , not sure about that .
At least in my system.

Ps May be my system aint transparent enough . or i m deaf ;)
 
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Audiocrack

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Both are great machines - a local audiophile has both the 15A and the A820. One as a Doshi preamplifier, the other a King Cello, but it is not easy to compare the effect of the decks as the preamplifiers can not be exchanged.

Thanks Micro.
 

Audiocrack

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Aug 10, 2012
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M 15 A is a more reliable ( what they say ) machine /cheaper to run , i ve got both Studer A 80 and the telefunken , the studer is a more complex machine
I would definetively buy the telefunken , easy to use sounds great and not that expensive , the studer " might" sound slightly better not sure , ma ybe i ll go compare again this weekend
Both have the tape sound , the best tapes i have at home were /are mastertapes done buy the studer B 62 and with the M 15 A .
Basf and agfa gevaert and old broadcast tapes.
Studer B 62 sounds the best i think , a bit more snappy , could be the construction .
A recording engineer told me he preferred the telefunken as a workhorse due to reliability issues with the studer , the telefunken has also " glass" heads which dont wear , supposely sound worse the studer heads , not sure about that .
At least in my system.

Ps May be my system aint transparent enough . or i m deaf ;)

Much appreciated Andromedaaudio. Hopefully I will be able to pick up this machine up in Germany on short notice. Curious to find out if such a tape deck sounds (clearly) better than digital and vinyl as many experienced audiophiles claim.
 

andromedaaudio

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Where do you buy it from , just curious , hilpert (fully refurbished ??)
It sounds different , makes you understand recording/playback hasnt progressed much in 50 years besides convenience ;)
 
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Audiocrack

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Where do you buy it from , just curious , hilpert (fully refurbished ??)
It sounds different , makes you understand recording/playback hasnt progressed much in 50 years besides convenience ;)

Will try to give you a call on short notice. Than we can speak in Dutch about the quality of the Telefunken and Studer tape decks as well as some reliable sources for high quality tapes. Can you give me your phone number through pm?
 

andromedaaudio

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I can / will but I'm no expert , if you wanna know more you better call stb studios he is a former recording eng, and worked with a lot of machines.

http://www.stbstudio.nl/

Thats where I bought mine from he also sells tape , not all but quite a few are good. at 7,5 inch per sec he might also sell 15 inch per sec.
The rest i got from some basement of the NOB (broadcast station),and the B 62 mastertapes
And i also have quite a few ultra analogue tapes , which also differ in quality
 
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