Reel News

Anyone can go to one of the numerous used record stores and grab some great discs, however, it is not the same quality of sound as with reel-to-reel tapes that audiophiles crave.

Here is a look at both reel-to-reel audio tape recording decks and the tape reels themselves.

The reel-to-reel tape format is the leading choice for a return among readers of Hi-Fi Choice magazine according to recent research.

The true reason tape survived wasn’t because analog-obsessed audiophiles, held onto a bittersweet longing for something of the past, but because the fact remained that tape is an incredibly dense archival medium that has never been improved upon. 

In 2013, The Absolute Sound shocked readers by proclaiming that a new 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.

Although vinyl and turntable sales are currently shooting through the roof, analog-loving audiophiles know that reel-to-reel has inherent advantages over the once-again-hot vinyl record, because quite simply the sound quality is as good as it gets. 

There are a lot of people who are buying reel to reel players for the first time and many of them are new to using an open reel deck. A question that comes up a lot is, “how can I use my streaming service with a reel to reel?”