The final pictures of my commercial tape collection are a series of tapes from different sources. In most cases, I only have a small number of tapes from any particular source and I am making a short commentary about each source, going from left to right for the two rows of tapes, after starting with the first picture.
Audio Nautes is an Italian company founded in 2010. They currently have 7 titles on tape, mostly well known audiophile recordings. I have three of them including Jazz at the Pawnshop which takes 4 tapes and is packaged in two large deluxe boxes. Prices are very high, but the recordings are excellent.
Quinton is an Austrian company. - I bought this tape "Blue Moments" by singer Sabina Hank after hearing it from Philip Handlon 15 years ago. I bought it as a special order from Europe. However, I don't see it on the internet as a tape (it is as a CD on Amazon.)
Hemiolia is an Italian Company which started in 2013. I bought their Pavarotti in Concert tapes which were mastered from his private recordings made during his concerts. Although Pavarotti was a Decca artist for his entire career, his concerts were not recorded for commercial release. His estate licensed Hemiolia to edit and release this tape, which has very fine sound. Price is close to 800 Euros for the two reel set. They also have many other tapes, including a large number of famous titles, mostly jazz, including Coltrane, Davis, Bruback, Mingus, Evans, etc. Price is the same as the Pavarotti tapes. Please note these albums are not available for sale in the US. They do have lesser well known tapes for lower prices that are available in the US.
Reel to Reel Tapes Russia. I have their Leonid Kogan Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto tape (2 reels) that come in a deluxe wooden box. The price on their website is 36,000 rubles or around US$444. The website also shows that the tapes are available in cheaper tape formats, including 7.5ips 4 track stereo and cassette for much lower prices. I have never seen tapes available in all of these formats. The Kogan Tchaikovsky is one of the most valuable records in the original EMI Columbia version, going for a few thousand dollars in near mint condition. I did have an issue with the first tapes that I received and they sent me a replacement copy with no problems. I bought the tape in 2020, before the start of the Ukraine war (Kogan was actually Ukrainian). Not sure about dealing with Russian companies these days.
Open Reel Records in Italy. I have seven of their tape albums. They sell classical tapes that they mostly record themselves, but also have older recordings back to the 1960's. Excellent sound and quality performances. They also have a few jazz titles. Prices are currently 480 Euros for a one reel tape, 580 Euros for two reel tape albums. The tapes come in a deluxe all plastic album cover.
ABC Int'l is located in China. I have three of their tapes, one popular - a compilation of songs from well known singers, and two classical. Quality is quite fine. However, I am not sure that I should recommend them, since the evidence I see is that they do not have the license to duplicate the classical tapes that they have for sale. Tape Project founder Dan Schmalle said they have plagiarized some of the written material on the Tape Project website. I cannot currently locate their website on the internet.
FONE Recordings Italy. I have one album, the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Salvatore Accardo. FONE does their own recordings, many featuring Accardo, a very famed violinist who is now in his mid '80's. I don't see their current prices on their website.
Base2 is a British company that records mostly organ music, and currently has three tape albums available including the Franck Organ Music album by Jean-Paul Imbert and one tape with Korean music and one with Bach Cello sonatas. I found the tape to have excellent sonics. The price of the organ 2 reel album is 350 GBP (US$463) with the other single reel albums at 160 and 180 GBP. They have a total of six releases.
Zavalinka is a Russian Company that has released about 50 albums on tape. Most are classical and jazz, with a fair number of them historical recordings, mostly famous classical performers and one Frank Sinatra album. I only have four of their more recent classical recordings that I have found to have excellent sound and performances. I have not purchased any of their tapes since the Ukraine war began. They don't have a website, but have listings on zavalinkarecords.blogspot.com. I don't see any prices there.
Rhino Tapes. Rhino is a division of Warner Bros and they have started to release tapes from their extensive catalogue. I have the first two tapes, "The Yes Album" and "Electric Warrior
by T.Rex. This is a very promising development in commercial tapes. Rhino has access to a very large number of top rock and pop releases. The packaging, graphics and inserts on their first two releases are superb, probably the best of any commercial tape releases. They have also chosen to release the albums on LPR90 tape, which means the albums can fit on one reel and they are charging $299 (less if the two albums are bought together) per album, cheaper than just about any other commercial tapes except IPI. An interview with the lead people at Rhino indicates they intend to release a couple of tapes every six months, with a hint that the first Black Sabbath album may be next to be released. I was very impressed by the sound quality of the two albums, particularly "The Yes Album." They are limiting the tape releases to 500 copies. Tape manufacturer RTM has been contracted to do the tape duplication.
The first three and last three albums on the second row of Misc Tapes are no longer available. The first two were produced by Gary Koh, president of Genesis Speakers. One is a Chinese recording dedicated to Taiwan singer Teresa Teng, sung by Chen Jia. The second is a tape dub of the superb Bach Goldberg Variations on MA Recordings performed by Eto Ima who tragically died shortly after the recording done 30 years ago by Todd Garfinkel. The third was made by Bruce Brown of Puget Sound Studios. It is a tape dub from the master of an album by Gay Owens which was first issued by Wilson Audio. The last three titles were produced by Audiofile Sound in Italy. All are famed classical recordings licensed from EMI. Unfortunately, the founder Pierre Bolduc died in 2022 and the company no longer exists. In between from left to right are:
Acony Records, the home of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. They have one tape released, their album "The Harrow and the Harvest." Price is $699 for a 2 reel album. Website says they are currently sold out.
Analog Tone Factory was created by French jazz saxophone player Jerome Sabbagh. They release his albums, including tape versions, of which I have three of their five releases. Price is $575 for each 2 reel album. Excellent sound.
2xHD is a Canadian company that releases tapes, vinyl and digital albums. The Salt City Six album I have is a long time resident on the Absolute Sound Super disc list and was made from the tape master. I don't see it on their catalogue currently, but it is available on Acoustic Sounds for $500.
That's all folks!!
Larry
30 November 2025
.
Audio Nautes is an Italian company founded in 2010. They currently have 7 titles on tape, mostly well known audiophile recordings. I have three of them including Jazz at the Pawnshop which takes 4 tapes and is packaged in two large deluxe boxes. Prices are very high, but the recordings are excellent.
Quinton is an Austrian company. - I bought this tape "Blue Moments" by singer Sabina Hank after hearing it from Philip Handlon 15 years ago. I bought it as a special order from Europe. However, I don't see it on the internet as a tape (it is as a CD on Amazon.)
Hemiolia is an Italian Company which started in 2013. I bought their Pavarotti in Concert tapes which were mastered from his private recordings made during his concerts. Although Pavarotti was a Decca artist for his entire career, his concerts were not recorded for commercial release. His estate licensed Hemiolia to edit and release this tape, which has very fine sound. Price is close to 800 Euros for the two reel set. They also have many other tapes, including a large number of famous titles, mostly jazz, including Coltrane, Davis, Bruback, Mingus, Evans, etc. Price is the same as the Pavarotti tapes. Please note these albums are not available for sale in the US. They do have lesser well known tapes for lower prices that are available in the US.
Reel to Reel Tapes Russia. I have their Leonid Kogan Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto tape (2 reels) that come in a deluxe wooden box. The price on their website is 36,000 rubles or around US$444. The website also shows that the tapes are available in cheaper tape formats, including 7.5ips 4 track stereo and cassette for much lower prices. I have never seen tapes available in all of these formats. The Kogan Tchaikovsky is one of the most valuable records in the original EMI Columbia version, going for a few thousand dollars in near mint condition. I did have an issue with the first tapes that I received and they sent me a replacement copy with no problems. I bought the tape in 2020, before the start of the Ukraine war (Kogan was actually Ukrainian). Not sure about dealing with Russian companies these days.
Open Reel Records in Italy. I have seven of their tape albums. They sell classical tapes that they mostly record themselves, but also have older recordings back to the 1960's. Excellent sound and quality performances. They also have a few jazz titles. Prices are currently 480 Euros for a one reel tape, 580 Euros for two reel tape albums. The tapes come in a deluxe all plastic album cover.
ABC Int'l is located in China. I have three of their tapes, one popular - a compilation of songs from well known singers, and two classical. Quality is quite fine. However, I am not sure that I should recommend them, since the evidence I see is that they do not have the license to duplicate the classical tapes that they have for sale. Tape Project founder Dan Schmalle said they have plagiarized some of the written material on the Tape Project website. I cannot currently locate their website on the internet.
FONE Recordings Italy. I have one album, the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Salvatore Accardo. FONE does their own recordings, many featuring Accardo, a very famed violinist who is now in his mid '80's. I don't see their current prices on their website.
Base2 is a British company that records mostly organ music, and currently has three tape albums available including the Franck Organ Music album by Jean-Paul Imbert and one tape with Korean music and one with Bach Cello sonatas. I found the tape to have excellent sonics. The price of the organ 2 reel album is 350 GBP (US$463) with the other single reel albums at 160 and 180 GBP. They have a total of six releases.
Zavalinka is a Russian Company that has released about 50 albums on tape. Most are classical and jazz, with a fair number of them historical recordings, mostly famous classical performers and one Frank Sinatra album. I only have four of their more recent classical recordings that I have found to have excellent sound and performances. I have not purchased any of their tapes since the Ukraine war began. They don't have a website, but have listings on zavalinkarecords.blogspot.com. I don't see any prices there.
Rhino Tapes. Rhino is a division of Warner Bros and they have started to release tapes from their extensive catalogue. I have the first two tapes, "The Yes Album" and "Electric Warrior
by T.Rex. This is a very promising development in commercial tapes. Rhino has access to a very large number of top rock and pop releases. The packaging, graphics and inserts on their first two releases are superb, probably the best of any commercial tape releases. They have also chosen to release the albums on LPR90 tape, which means the albums can fit on one reel and they are charging $299 (less if the two albums are bought together) per album, cheaper than just about any other commercial tapes except IPI. An interview with the lead people at Rhino indicates they intend to release a couple of tapes every six months, with a hint that the first Black Sabbath album may be next to be released. I was very impressed by the sound quality of the two albums, particularly "The Yes Album." They are limiting the tape releases to 500 copies. Tape manufacturer RTM has been contracted to do the tape duplication.
The first three and last three albums on the second row of Misc Tapes are no longer available. The first two were produced by Gary Koh, president of Genesis Speakers. One is a Chinese recording dedicated to Taiwan singer Teresa Teng, sung by Chen Jia. The second is a tape dub of the superb Bach Goldberg Variations on MA Recordings performed by Eto Ima who tragically died shortly after the recording done 30 years ago by Todd Garfinkel. The third was made by Bruce Brown of Puget Sound Studios. It is a tape dub from the master of an album by Gay Owens which was first issued by Wilson Audio. The last three titles were produced by Audiofile Sound in Italy. All are famed classical recordings licensed from EMI. Unfortunately, the founder Pierre Bolduc died in 2022 and the company no longer exists. In between from left to right are:
Acony Records, the home of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. They have one tape released, their album "The Harrow and the Harvest." Price is $699 for a 2 reel album. Website says they are currently sold out.
Analog Tone Factory was created by French jazz saxophone player Jerome Sabbagh. They release his albums, including tape versions, of which I have three of their five releases. Price is $575 for each 2 reel album. Excellent sound.
2xHD is a Canadian company that releases tapes, vinyl and digital albums. The Salt City Six album I have is a long time resident on the Absolute Sound Super disc list and was made from the tape master. I don't see it on their catalogue currently, but it is available on Acoustic Sounds for $500.
That's all folks!!
Larry
30 November 2025
.
