Aiwa XK-S9000 vs Tandberg 3014

[braxus]

Well Im starting a bit of a teaser here. I wanted to post a pic of these two decks together (as they will sit together in my new rack coming next week), so I got out the digicam and took some shots. I'll show 1 here.

Anyway come Monday I'll try to post a comparison of the sound between these two decks. I'll use a trusty tape made on one of the decks. Of course this will only be a ballpark listen since I cannot record on the Tandberg yet. And the Aiwa is still technically out of spec for calibrating, so I'll do what I can to even the score out. Im just looking for anything that stands out between the two, especially in terms of how 3D like the sound can be.

Tape used will be a Sony Metal Master 90. Dolby C.

[Scorpion8]

Ooooooo, look forward to that!

[gamve]

Ooooooo, look forward to that!

I look foward to this 2

[niklasthedolphin]

Well Im starting a bit of a teaser here. I wanted to post a pic of these two decks together (as they will sit together in my new rack coming next week), so I got out the digicam and took some shots. I'll show 1 here.

Anyway come Monday I'll try to post a comparison of the sound between these two decks. I'll use a trusty tape made on one of the decks. Of course this will only be a ballpark listen since I cannot record on the Tandberg yet. And the Aiwa is still technically out of spec for calibrating, so I'll do what I can to even the score out. Im just looking for anything that stands out between the two, especially in terms of how 3D like the sound can be.

Tape used will be a Sony Metal Master 90. Dolby C.

The missing recording option on the TCD will make the comparison very unuseful but what the f...
It's fun anyway.

Are you having a missing third 7-segment in the counter of the TCD or is the light of the photo making it seem like that?

"dolph"

[TheReeler]

One simple question. How about the meters?. I don't know in those, but in domestic reel to reel machines, a +0 dB reading in an analog Vumeter isn't a +0 dB reading in a digital meter.

If I compare the reading of the Pioneer RT-707 meters vs the reading of the RT-909 meters, +0 dB = +5 dB, more or less.

I've done the same tests with other decks, like Pioneer RT-1020 vs Akai GX-77 (analog meter vs digital meter).

The correct procedure could be to use other meters, like the ones that are built-in some mixers, so that you can connect both tape decks to it and calibrate the levels.

[niklasthedolphin]

One simple question. How about the meters?. I don't know in those, but in domestic reel to reel machines, a +0 dB reading in an analog Vumeter isn't a +0 dB reading in a digital meter.

If I compare the reading of the Pioneer RT-707 meters vs the reading of the RT-909 meters, +0 dB = +5 dB, more or less.

I've done the same tests with other decks, like Pioneer RT-1020 vs Akai GX-77 (analog meter vs digital meter).

The correct procedure could be to use other meters, like the ones that are built-in some mixers, so that you can connect both tape decks to it and calibrate the levels.

TCD 3014 meters are not VU meters.
It's peak.

The difference of meters in different player usualy comes difference between VU and peak and to the lack of I/O calibration on most decks.
0 dB should be 0 dB and not + 5 dB.

I find the TCD meters much more useful than most.

"dolph"

[TheReeler]

I know what you want to say, but the display meters say "dB"... however, the maker says in the usr manual that you have to try to get readings between +3 and +5 dB in the meter scale, but the same maker, in manuals with analog meters, say "under 0, but close to it".

About VU meters, VU stands for "Volume Units". All meters read "volume". In the case of the Pioneer RT-909, the meter has two measure methods, peaks or average.

If I could choose one type, I'd select analog meters with peak leds, as the ones used by Revox B77 and PR99, or C270, where are three leds for 0, +3 and +6 peaks.

[niklasthedolphin]

If a meter does not say Peak it will read average out.

I want peak.
And I want analog.
That's what TCD 3014 provides.

"dolph"

[braxus]

The missing recording option on the TCD will make the comparison very unuseful but what the f...
It's fun anyway.

Are you having a missing third 7-segment in the counter of the TCD or is the light of the photo making it seem like that?

"dolph"


No all 4 segments are there. I could see watching my digital camera screen the numbers flashing like what a tv does with a still camera. All 4 numbers do show. Not a defect.

Yes Im aware this comparison won't be definative in any way, but it should give me an idea of what each deck can do. I'll later redo this test when I get both decks serviced. I realigned the heads on the Aiwa 9000 deck to match tapes made on my Sony, so its not in true alignment. Because of this I'll have to make another tape on my other Aiwa deck and play it in the Tandberg. The Tandberg seems to like the tapes I make on the Aiwa XK-009 deck which has had its heads aligned to proper spec. Funny thing is all those years ago I got my Sony deck checked out not long after I got it and they never noticed the heads were not in alignment. So some 200+ tapes later I have made on that deck, I'll have to live with some of them being off. My Aiwa 9000 is taking over duty from the Sony, so this is why I had the heads readjusted to the Sony decks alignment.