Are Tandberg Decks Known To Be Unreliable?

[braxus]

After the long going saga with my 3014A deck, Im getting frustrated with it. The deck has been to the tech twice and may need yet another visit. And the deck was rebuilt to as much as it could be with what was available to the tech. My deck seems to be very finicky with the tapes it uses and likes to either crease tapes or just lose tension causing the sound to drop out. And the motors have been rebuilt. Plus the capstans and heads cleaned.

From what I've read over quite a few owners and techs who have worked on these decks, it seems the most common complaint is they are very unreliable. The only exception to this is Dolph who has gone on record saying he's never had a problem with his Tandberg. But the overall opinion seems to suggest otherwise. Im tempted to send the deck back to the tech and then sell it. But I know I'll never recoupe the money I've spent on the deck which kind of pisses me off. I've had this happen to me on an Aiwa deck before too. I lost $1300 when I sold that deck.

Sad thing is- is the 3014A deck is the best sounding deck I've ever heard, which doesn't make me want to get rid of it for something else. Its hard to replace what some people call the best consumer made deck in the world. So I'd like opinions on owners or techs who know these decks. What is your opinion on Tandbergs?

[DaveInVA]

I really loved the way mine sounded. I never had the money to get it rebuilt. It seemed to always develop problems if you let it sit without use for a month or 2 and then try and use it again there would be something wrong. I gave up and let it sit around a while hoping to scare up the money to get it rebuilt (though it was a low miles unit to begin with) and one day I said screw it and Fleabayed it.
The sad thing is I sold a mint ZX-7 that I bought new that had only 40 hours on it to buy the Tandberg. This was maybe 5 years ago.
I still have a Revox B215, B710, 2 Eumig 1000up and a Denon 790R left.

Dave

[braxus]

The Revox is looking mighty tempting at this point. No point in owning a deck you can't use all the time due to its finicky nature.

[stereorob]

ive never had a tandberg or revox deck that didnt talk sh*t. it really is a shame, cause like stated above, WHEN they are working, nothing beats them. -they are hands down the ritchest fullest sounding decks out there. but like german cars, they are terribly un-reliable and a expensive nightmare to work on. i have a a77 that likes to smoke form time to time, and change speeds irraticly, and a 60-x tube type tandberg, thats in mint shape ive never been able to even hear. *yousuck*

like very early transistor amps from the early to mid 1960s, they are very very fickle little machines. :(

[itzmike]

I have a 3014A with same problem. Tech said the heavy flywheel gets damaged from shipping. You should transport the deck yourself for repair. Or find a person going that way. Mines been out of service for a year because of a damaged flywheel. Cant get the parts. Thinking about getting a Nak but I think of all my meticulosly recorded 3014A tapes that will sound dull on a Nak. But the nak recorded tapes should sound good on my Sony D6C portable maybe with an added zip to the original recording. At least this is what found after hours of research on internet. The recordings from my 3014A never cease to amaze me on the Sony. A tonal purity. Mike

[braxus]

Mike- I would suspect if the flywheel was damaged- it wouldn't work at all. This problem is intermittent.

[draka1032]

I have had Tandberg decks for many years starting with a TCD-330, then a TCD-440, TCD-3014 and now a TCD-3014A. I have not really had any problems with mine over the years. The TCD-3014 does appear to have a problem with tape skewing in some cases. I had mine overhauled by The Soundsmith and have had no issues since. The Soundsmith is currently producing high quality belts, pinch rollers and other parts for Tandbergs.

[Patrik]

The Revox is looking mighty tempting at this point. No point in owning a deck you can't use all the time due to its finicky nature.

I had to do a fair bit of work on my Revox B215.
I suspect the main reason the Tandbergs have a bit of a reputation is the difficulty to get spare parts, and finding good techies who can work on them. There must be 20 Dragons to every 3014 sold.

[DaveInVA]

I was amazed that my Revox B215 powered up and actually worked after being stored for decades since I used it last. It does still have the same problem it had developed when it was 2-3 years old and that is missing segments on the LCD counter display after it warms up. Before I try and use it as a daily driver I know I need to go through it and replace the time bomb capacitors and give it a good cleaning etc.
Neither one of my Eumig 1000up machines worked after storage either though they worked fine before. They both developed the same problem. No play or FF but REW worked. A thorough clean and lube got them both going fine. They are very nice sounding decks also and have a similar build quality to the Revox's. Older technology though but still nice machines.

Dave

[braxus]

I don't know. I suspect I'll probably keep the deck unless it continues to refuse to work properly. I mean how hard is it for a deck just to play a tape? Anyway all I can do is keep an eye on the deck and see if it continues to have issues.

[Elite-ist]

It's very frustrating to know how well this deck can perform in regards to playback and recording quality, but the issues you are currently with your Tandberg 3014A aren't enough to overcome those benefits.

The tapes, which Scott had recorded for me, shortly after he recieved his deck back from extensive servicing are the best I've heard from some of the mix tapes I've received from TH members using Type II tape. Les' (LesX55) recording onto a Sony Metal XR with his Nakamich CR-7 sourced from his Sony CDP (SCD1, I believe) is right up there, too.

Scott, I hope you can get these issues resolved without having to ship the deck out of town, and with little expenditure. I say, keep it!


Nando.

[tapetech]

I vote don't keep it. Cut your losses now.

Yes, they are known to be unreliable (specifically the transports).

And, yes, they really are unreliable.

The reasons for unreliability are complex. Poor design, low quality replacement parts, no replacement parts (as in a technician has to "work around" a marginal part), and unqualified repair technicians are all factors.

I did repair work for a large Tandberg dealer chain in the DC area back when the 3014 was brand new. Some units, right out of the box, would eat tapes, so that points to poor design or poor build quality.

The audio electronics are excellent and really do sound better than most decks, so it's too bad the transport falls short.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. "Word" is that some 3014s out there work just fine. I'm just saying that the majority and possibly the vast majority do not.

Also, 3014s can be quite sub-par even if they don't eat tapes. They can still have too much skew without "eating" or creasing a tape. Excess skewing forces cause uneven tape pressure on the heads and guides. Over time, this causes uneven head and guide wear. That causes HF level fluctuations. The heads are now toast, way short of their normal life time. One test I do to check for excess skew is to spin the supply hub fast CCW with a pointed object while in play. This reduces back tension to zero. If the deck starts eating tape immediately, or if levels start to fluctuate immediately, then things are not right transport-wise.



-

[macster]

Thinking about getting a Nak but I think of all my meticulosly recorded 3014A tapes that will sound dull on a Nak.

They will not sound dull on a Dragon. At least mine don't.

M~

[macster]

Dave

Just so that you know, I have an Eumig 1000 that is awaiting it's turn for repair.

M~

[macster]

Man

I hate to agree with Tapetech, but it's hard to beat real life experience. I'm fortunate to have a person who can repair my deck, but... it will be very tempting when I get it back and fully functional, not to sell it. My reason is simply this, I don't get a lot of time to make tapes, and when I do, I darn sure don't want to have to deal with equipment problems during that time. For me, and I'm only speaking about me, if it's not reliable it goes, I don't really care how good it sounds.

M~

[DaveInVA]

Dave

Just so that you know, I have an Eumig 1000 that is awaiting it's turn for repair.

M~

I think you will be very happy with the way it works and sounds. Let me guess it tries to play and stops after a few seconds and some tape is wound out the cassette?

Dave

[mrfoxboy]

[...] I have a [ReVox] A77 that likes to smoke from time to time, and change speeds erratically[...]

Yii! Makes me nervous about my own A77! Though mine just had very dirty heads, a snapped counter belt, and a non-functional left VU meter. Other than that it plays like the day it was made. But you did mention earlier that yours might have been a Mark I I believe? Mine is a Mark IV. So we'll have to see how it pans out. In the meantime, when I am not using it, it (and the rest of my stereo) are disconnected from power.

[A.N.T.]

Thinking about getting a Nak but I think of all my meticulosly recorded 3014A tapes that will sound dull on a Nak.

It is exactly the opposite. A Nak will play your tapes a bit brighter (providing there is no azimuth mismatch).

Cheers

Alex

[macster]

I think you will be very happy with the way it works and sounds. Let me guess it tries to play and stops after a few seconds and some tape is wound out the cassette?

Dave

Yup! How did you know?

M~

[DaveInVA]

. i have a a77 that likes to smoke form time to time, (

Well it is old enough to smoke. Put up a no smoking sign behind it!

Dave

[DaveInVA]

Yup! How did you know?

M~

Thats what they all do when they sit a while. The take up motor is a tiny cylinder shape unit on a spring loaded swing arm with a roller on it. The hub it connects to develops a white powder on it as it ages and the rubber gets hard also. Usually a good cleaning will get it not to slip. Worst case it needs a new rubber tire (o ring). If you take the cover off you can see the motor and swing arm.

Dave

[Ultralyd]

I just recently purchased a Tandberg 910 in mint condition.

Up till that I had a Nakamichi Dragon and a Nakamichi CR7 running alongside a Tandberg 3014A.

I have had no problems with any of those decks.
I have now stored my Nakamichi decks in vaccuum plastic packing in my basement.
I just acknowledged the quality of the Tandberg decks was a bit higher.

I have different service technicians brought in for servicing each part of all the equipment I have put togeher.

Their payment fees are like other pro consultants in the modern market but I have just accepted this in general to run my hobby on the highest level.

I am sorry to hear about those malfunctioning decks out there.
Just send'em all to me if you're not content.
:)

No, truly, I hope you will be able to solve your issues with those decks. They do perform well.

[mrfoxboy]

Man

I hate to agree with Tapetech, but it's hard to beat real life experience. I'm fortunate to have a person who can repair my deck, but... it will be very tempting when I get it back and fully functional, not to sell it. My reason is simply this, I don't get a lot of time to make tapes, and when I do, I darn sure don't want to have to deal with equipment problems during that time. For me, and I'm only speaking about me, if it's not reliable it goes, I don't really care how good it sounds.

M~

I agree with macster. I also have very little time to have finicky equipment. I like my Kenwoods and my Marantz tapedecks. They don't seem to EVER go down. Same goes for my Pioneer RTR. The fact that it sounds good with pretty much any tape, is a definite bonus to having it. I prefer Direct-drive equipment as I don't have to worry about belts...

[braxus]

My problem is my tech is in another country thousands of miles away and it costs me over $100 to ship it each way everytime. Plus the damage it can get in transit. There is no one local who can work on these decks, so no matter what the deck has to be mailed somewhere to get fixed.

[Patrik]

I was into this for the ease of it, I wouldn't be into this.. ;-)

[stereorob]

Yii! Makes me nervous about my own A77! Though mine just had very dirty heads, a snapped counter belt, and a non-functional left VU meter. Other than that it plays like the day it was made. But you did mention earlier that yours might have been a Mark I I believe? Mine is a Mark IV. So we'll have to see how it pans out. In the meantime, when I am not using it, it (and the rest of my stereo) are disconnected from power.

yeah mine is the earliest version as far as i know. probubly by the time yours came along they had the bugs worked out of it. if its working, keep it that way. a working a77 is a wonderful thing, a broken one is a nightmare! so just use it sparingly. *bigthumbup*

[stereorob]

Well it is old enough to smoke. Put up a no smoking sign behind it!

Dave

*grin* this is true. lol, hell its old enough to not only smoke, but to be dying of lung cancer for some unfortunate souls..

[itzmike]

I dont need brighter either. I have the clarity. Anything more will be harsh on my Sony A.N.T. Braxus. My deck started having intermittent problems like slowly creasing tapes sound fades in and out now and then at first start up. To remedy I would put a cheap pre recorded cassette in for 15 secs. It played fine no drop outs or creases. I put my metal tape back in. Magic !!!! it would play rest of night. Slowly over time it got worse. Tech said he repared it and when it arrived it would chew up tapes worse. I sent it back and said flywheel was broke in shipping. Tech got $900 ins on it That was a year ago. Tech still has deck and has been trying to find parts. Im now asking him to send my deck back. At least I can maybe get it fixed one day. Been looking at a Nak CR-7a. I need something to record with. Mike

[braxus]

Ok. Who here can one recommend to repair these decks? Thing is if I sell the decks, I cannot get half the money for them in the condition they are in. At least repaired I would get more for them. So who can I send these 2 decks to? It seems my current tech has bowed out (I think he gave up on me) as he has not responded to my emails.

[Nakdoc]

I've only worked on the older TCD 310/330 decks, but I do have a lot of experience with tape skew issues. Rather than crease good tapes, make a cheap open cassette (much like a mirror cassette, in fact adding a mirror helps trouble shoot). Remove the tape door, top cover, and set the deck up with good light. Have a small pointer like a screwdriver and a Q tip handy.
First, play the open cassette. With no pressure pad, it ought to begin to skew pretty quickly. Note is the skew is in random directions, or always one direction. If the tape doesn't skew for 10 minutes or so, clean the capstan bearings. If it skews after 30 seconds, replace the capstan belt, especially if the tape loops away from the head but then pulls back into position.
If the tape skews up or down, fast wind the cassette to the end. If the skew problem is gone, check the take up torque. If it continues, a check of guide height, pinch roller condition and perpendicularity, holdback tension or some combination of all of these may lead to a solution.
If the deck is anything like the TCD330, pinch roller timing is very critical. The TU pinch roller must touch the tape before the SU roller.
Some other intersting tests may help. If the tape skews, touch the SU flywheel and SU tape reel with the Q tip and observe. Using the pointer, pull the SU side pinch roller slightly away from the capstan. If either of these tests eliminates the skewing, look at bearing friction and proper belts first.
The idea is that any dual capstan deck that perfectly plays a tape missing its pressure pad has got to be correctly aligned.

[tapetech]

Ok. Who here can one recommend to repair these decks? Thing is if I sell the decks, I cannot get half the money for them in the condition they are in. At least repaired I would get more for them. So who can I send these 2 decks to? It seems my current tech has bowed out (I think he gave up on me) as he has not responded to my emails.

Normally, I'd offer to repair your decks, but I'll have to pass on that. I would need easy access to new, original Tandberg parts like:
-pinch rollers
-all three heads
-capstan bearings
-capstan/flywheel ass'y (L&R)
-reel hub motors
-reel hub belts
-flywheel belts

Most of those parts (possibly all) are long gone, no longer available.

Actually, I probably could get the deck to a point where it no longer eats tapes without using any of those listed parts, but it would still be a half-assed repair. I don't do that kind of work.

-

[braxus]

Normally, I'd offer to repair your decks, but I'll have to pass on that. I would need easy access to new, original Tandberg parts like:
-pinch rollers
-all three heads
-capstan bearings
-capstan/flywheel ass'y (L&R)
-reel hub motors
-reel hub belts
-flywheel belts

Most of those parts (possibly all) are long gone, no longer available.

Actually, I probably could get the deck to a point where it no longer eats tapes without using any of those listed parts, but it would be a half-assed repair. I don't do that kind of work.

-

Considering all these parts were either replaced or rebuilt already, I don't think I'd want to pay for that all again. JB would you do it?

[tapetech]

Considering all these parts were either replaced or rebuilt already, I don't think I'd want to pay for that all again. JB would you do it?

I never said I would have to replace all of those parts I listed. Just that I would have to have those part available in case they were needed.

I highly doubt your tech replaced all or most of those parts listed. Even if he said he did. Most of them are no longer available. Also, "rebuilding parts" is your tech's code for "the part really needed to be replaced, but it's not available".

There's a reason why your deck was never correctly repaired and the above is part of the reason why.

-

[braxus]

My tech was the official Tandberg tech in the USA and he did have some real parts on hand like pinch rollers and belts. The heads were relapped & a new BX playback head, and the motors were torn apart to be rebuilt. Call it what you will, but he did what he could to recondition the deck.

[Skywavebe]

My problem is my tech is in another country thousands of miles away and it costs me over $100 to ship it each way everytime. Plus the damage it can get in transit. There is no one local who can work on these decks, so no matter what the deck has to be mailed somewhere to get fixed.

I don't know where you are sending this deck but have you consulted Leon Ament at Audiomayvin in your own country? Maybe it is just a parts thing.

[braxus]

I don't know where you are sending this deck.

I have tried emailing Perry on here to see if he can do the work, but I've had no responses from the emails yet.

[perry]

Sorry, guys, my real day job has been overwhelming since the start of the new year. I log in when I can. I, too, will have to pass at repairing your Tandbergs, Scott, or any one elses Tandbergs, sorry. I could not, in any good conscience, have my first Tandberg repair be someone elses. I worked on my own Naks, by literally dismantleing to separate parts and rebuilding them, with the help of the manuals, and bought the repquired gauges, etc to do it right, long before I touched anyone elses Naks. If that was you offering to trade (that email came back as "invalid", I don't know why), I answered that I'd have to know more about the 3014 before I considered it. Currently, I am looking to reduce inventory at my earliest convenience, due to my desire for further marital harmony.

[macster]

I never said I would have to replace all of those parts I listed. Just that I would have to have those part available in case they were needed.

I highly doubt your tech replaced all or most of those parts listed. Even if he said he did. Most of them are no longer available. Also, "rebuilding parts" is your tech's code for "the part really needed to be replaced, but it's not available".

There's a reason why your deck was never correctly repaired and the above is part of the reason why.

-

By reading between the lines, one can see that you've said a lot of good things. I wonder...nahhh, I bet you could if you wanted to though. But I understand.

M~

[braxus]

Yes it was me who offered to do the trade. Maybe I'll just buy it outright from you. My repair options are getting thin. Willy Hermann has declined as well due to how busy he is. Nakdoc- would you consider it? At least you have some knowldge of Tandbergs.

[Nakdoc]

I will consider anything. Would you try the open cassette thing and let me know what you see? My post was based on an experience I had years ago when I first joined NakTalk. Someone sent a deck and I put in a substitute belt, which created all sorts of skew and looping. I tried many of these techniques. I found that the bearing condition was 40% of my problem, but the belt itself was the other 60%. After a long search I found a belt that worked, but by then Fred at Marrs became committed to finding the perfect Nak belt, and I "consulted" in his pursuit of the best belt, with happy results.
The Q tip experiment is also a helpful diagnostic that will tell me something. I wish I knew more about these Tandberg decks. Like Perry, I am aware of my limitations!

[braxus]

I do have a service manual for this deck, so at least that can be looked at. I'll see what I can find out about the tape path. Im not so sure the transport is completely at fault on this issue, but won't know for sure.

[braxus]

Well I got a tip from a member on another forum. He suggested to check the balance control knob, as he had the exact same problem with his deck. So before a recording I turned the knob several times back and forth. Did a full side on a Maxell tape. No problems yet. I will record the second side later in the evening, so will see.

[Nakdoc]

Audio balance? Are you thinking the signal is dropping out electronically rather than through tape path issues?

[tapetech]

Audio balance? Are you thinking the signal is dropping out electronically rather than through tape path issues?

In post #1 he told us it was creasing tapes, so who knows.

"likes to either crease tapes or just lose tension causing the sound to drop out."

[braxus]

It did crease tapes earlier, but the last several times it did the problem the tape was fine. Yet the problem still happened. So I'm thinking it was electronic. Only way for me to know for sure is to wait till it happens again and check the knobs like the balance control.

[MAG Reel To Reel]

Hello

Don't give up, always think positive when you speak about Tandberg. The worse thing that are bad for Tandberg is to dont give him the room temperature. Reserve parts are still avaible. You just have to write what you exactly need to me. It's alot of parts you can still get as new but they are expensive. These models will be colection items as well.
My collection grew up slowly because i always buyed new things with known history where they are from and things like that.

Greetings everyone
Good luck

Mark

[tapetech]

Reserve parts are still available. You just have to write what you exactly need to me. It's a lot of parts you can still get as new but they are expensive

Do you have new capstan bearings (both left and right) for the model 3014? What would be the cost?

Part number is 371804, capstan bearing (lager)

-

[braxus]

Hello

Don't give up, always think positive when you speak about Tandberg. The worse thing that are bad for Tandberg is to dont give him the room temperature. Reserve parts are still avaible. You just have to write what you exactly need to me. It's alot of parts you can still get as new but they are expensive. These models will be colection items as well.
My collection grew up slowly because i always buyed new things with known history where they are from and things like that.

Greetings everyone
Good luck

Mark

PM sent. I may be interested in what you have.

[braxus]

Well did a second tape recording today. A full side B. No issues really. Tape sounds great. I hope using the deck more will work out the gremlins and maybe I won't need to get it serviced after all.

[braxus]

I recorded a full 90 minute tape today back to back both sides and no issues, other then the fact the MA-XG tape I was using had a lot of dropouts on side A and less of them on side B. Very uneven sounding tape. It was a tape I may of bought from a guy in Florida, so its possible the moisture down there got to the tape.

One thing that is still bugging me though is the deck is recording 3db hotter on metal tapes then source, and this is after calibration as well. This was supposed to be fixed last time and the tech said it was, yet Im still getting this issue. I guess I'll have to live with that.

[macster]

Are you looking at the bottom scale when you use metal tape? I know stupid me.

M~

[braxus]

Are you looking at the bottom scale when you use metal tape? I know stupid me.

M~

Yup bottom scale. The one specified for metal tapes. I calibrate it to 0db when the needle reads that (on the bottom scale), yet for some reason it records higher. Good thing I don't use Dolby anymore with metal tapes, or it might through the decoding out of whack.

I did yet another tape this afternoon and sure enough it started creasing the tape again. Sound would drop out and the only thing I could do is clean the tape path again. After it dried and a few failed attempts at recording, it finally stopped doing tape damage again and worked as it was supposed to. This deck is finicky to say the least. And its wrecking my good tapes too. I think what I may end up doing is getting a Dragon or B215 to do the playback of all my tapes and just use the Tandberg to record. I'll see if my second 3014 is as finicky as the first deck.

[macster]

. I think what I may end up doing is getting a Dragon or B215 to do the playback of all my tapes and just use the Tandberg to record. I'll see if my second 3014 is as finicky as the first deck.

The B215 won't play them back as well as the Dragon, however you can get close, 90% of the sound quality and sweetness of the Dragon by varying the interconnects. Also, the B215 is much easier to use to set your recordings, tape cal,etc than the Dragon. However once the Dragon is setup, it's the best, especially the; fade-out,fade-in functions and the sound quality. The B215 is easier to maintain (cleaning the tape path for example) and takes more abuse than the Dragon. Finally, the Dragon just looks cool doing nothing, the B215 yuck.

M~

[braxus]

Im still probably going to get a Dragon at some point. Not sure when. Maybe next year?

It looks like I can't get away from getting this deck serviced. Im going to wait a while before I do so though.

[braxus]

Others have been saying my pinch rollers look worn out. Could be the problem with the deck. I've been suggested to send them to Terry of Terry's Rubber Rollers to get them replaced.

[tandberg]

Others have been saying my pinch rollers look worn out. Could be the problem with the deck. I've been suggested to send them to Terry of Terry's Rubber Rollers to get them replaced.

Hi, restore the old ones ? What will it cost ? I see someone sell NOS on ebay, at least Germany.
I restore R2R pinchrollers, transferwheels and transferwheels for turntables, Jukeboxes and Echo-equipment.

I know quite few old Tandberg employees, one of them worked with heads and the 3004/3014 tapetransport. He said : We tossed lots of new pinchrollers since they had to be SO accurate.

I only collect Tandberg (I would consider...if someone toss a Nagra or Maihak...)

But I see many of you collect different brands, did NO ONE use pinchrollers that can be used in a Tandberg TCD ?

[braxus]

Hi, restore the old ones ?

Maybe restore isn't quite the right word. The rubber gets replaced with new rubber. Its $35 a roller for this.

[HitachiNut]

[QUOTE=macster;200084]They will not sound dull on a Dragon. At least mine don't.


Yes. Tapes recorded on other Decks should sound Fine on a DRAGON and any other Naks. The other way around is not true ( Tapes recorded on Naks will sound dull on non-Nak decks because of the old IEC standard that Naks use ).

[draka1032]

For new pinch rollers for Tandbergs check out Soundsmith.
http://www.sound-smith.com/tandparts.html

They installed a pair of the pinch rollers on my 3014A when they overhauled it.

[braxus]

For new pinch rollers for Tandbergs check out Soundsmith.
http://www.sound-smith.com/tandparts.html

They installed a pair of the pinch rollers on my 3014A when they overhauled it.

Ive heard Soundsmith uses plastic inserts instead of brass. Not exactly what I would call quality. They do advertise a 30-40 year material for the rubber, but I would wonder if that would cause problems or not with grip.

[tandberg]

Originally it's a sintered bronze bearing. Sintered means it's a porous compressed material, and it's vacuumimpregnated with oil.

Did NO else casettedeck manufacturer use pinchrollers with 2,5 mm bore ?

The large diametre measure 12,5 mm (Almost 1/2'') Bearing'height' 7,3 mm-rubber 6mm.

The small diametre measure 8,8mm Bearing'height' 7mm, rubber 6mm

They were purchased from Japan, but he did not remember the name of the supplier, and the supplier was not who actually made them.

[draka1032]

The inserts on mine are definitely brass.

[Tinman]

I was amazed that my Revox B215 powered up and actually worked after being stored for decades since I used it last. It does still have the same problem it had developed when it was 2-3 years old and that is missing segments on the LCD counter display after it warms up.
Dave

Slightly off topic, the LCD problem in the B215 or B285 is a dirty contact in the strip that the LCD panel actually plugs into. Fixed many, though it is a fragile thing to take apart, clean and press back together. Easy fix in principle, though.

Marc

[Patrik]

The B215 won't play them back as well as the Dragon, however you can get close, 90% of the sound quality and sweetness of the Dragon by varying the interconnects. Also, the B215 is much easier to use to set your recordings, tape cal,etc than the Dragon. However once the Dragon is setup, it's the best, especially the; fade-out,fade-in functions and the sound quality. The B215 is easier to maintain (cleaning the tape path for example) and takes more abuse than the Dragon. Finally, the Dragon just looks cool doing nothing, the B215 yuck.

M~

I prefer the B215 sound over my Dragon, assuming I adjust the azimuth of the B215 to the tape I'm playing back. I also prefer the looks and ergonomy of the B215 over the Dragon.

[DaveInVA]

I'll check that out when I have it open.
Thanks,
Dave


Slightly off topic, the LCD problem in the B215 or B285 is a dirty contact in the strip that the LCD panel actually plugs into. Fixed many, though it is a fragile thing to take apart, clean and press back together. Easy fix in principle, though.

Marc

[macster]

I prefer the B215 sound over my Dragon, assuming I adjust the azimuth of the B215 to the tape I'm playing back. I also prefer the looks and ergonomy of the B215 over the Dragon.

Are you serious?

M~

[Patrik]

Are you serious?

M~

Yes!
Why shouldn't I be?

[perry]

Please take this in the intended tone, not judgemental. There must be something wrong with your Dragon, then, or there is some specific sonic signature you must prefer. I prefer a lot of things on the B215 over the Dragon, (build, real time meter, open well, infrared remote, memory features, etc) but the sound is definitely not one of them. I love Revox gear, and I have done everything short of changing heads to a different type on the B215 to improve the sound and it's noise floor but in both an AB comparison and with test equipment the Dragon is clearly superior. I've restored 4 B215s & 2 B710s, and about a dozen Dragons, and except for 1 Dragon it was always the same. Please understand, the Revox is a great sounding deck, but it definity has a colored sound. Of course both decks have to be brought to the same level of restoration, and the Revox clearly holds on to its calibration/as left state better than probably any other deck made, period. So it would be easy to have a Revox in better calibration than a Dragon. But once set up correctly, it's accuracy is amazing. I really would like to know what it is you prefer sound wise, on the B215 over the Nak.

[Patrik]

Please take this in the intended tone, not judgemental. There must be something wrong with your Dragon, then, or there is some specific sonic signature you must prefer. I prefer a lot of things on the B215 over the Dragon, (build, real time meter, open well, infrared remote, memory features, etc) but the sound is definitely not one of them. I love Revox gear, and I have done everything short of changing heads to a different type on the B215 to improve the sound and it's noise floor but in both an AB comparison and with test equipment the Dragon is clearly superior. I've restored 4 B215s & 2 B710s, and about a dozen Dragons, and except for 1 Dragon it was always the same. Please understand, the Revox is a great sounding deck, but it definity has a colored sound. Of course both decks have to be brought to the same level of restoration, and the Revox clearly holds on to its calibration/as left state better than probably any other deck made, period. So it would be easy to have a Revox in better calibration than a Dragon. But once set up correctly, it's accuracy is amazing. I really would like to know what it is you prefer sound wise, on the B215 over the Nak.

I don't doubt that my Dragon is a bit non-optimal.
But I did some testing yesterday, and using a non-Dolby tape (to avoid any issues to Dolby levels) I compared the Dragon to the B215. The Dragon clearly had a more tilted up treble giving the impression of more detail. (This was just playing back a pre recorded non Nak-tape. With a Nak recorded tape I'm sure the tables would be turned.)
After adjusting treble from the Dragon to be very close to the Revox they sounded virtually identical. (Adjustment wasn't exact, but still close enough.)

This was using my AKG 701 with a Pioneer integrated amp as headphone amp (sounds great BTW).

The Revox had the added disadvantage of having been digitized using a very good sound card (so I actually listened to a recording of the Revox in 16/44), since I only used one prerecorded tape.

Not exactly scientific but still interesting.

So I guess my issue with the Dragon is probably just that I don't like the Nak EQ for playing back non-nak tapes. And it would get worse with Dolby encoded tapes and harder to correct.

[macster]

Yes!
Why shouldn't I be?

That is just an unusual position as far as these decks are concerned and it goes against the general consensus as far as the sonics of these decks are concerned, unless you just happen to prefer the sonic signature of the B-215, which is one of those to "each his own" things.

M~

[jazzgene]

Quite the saga to get one Tandberg to work correctly... I did hear a 3014 and to my ears, I couldn't hear how it was any better that a Dragon or even a CR7. It sounded like a regular deck to me. But I did not have the 3014 for extended period of time.

I can say my Naks that were restored by ESL has had zero issues. But that is probably more to do with ESL than the Nak. I have one Nak that another tech restored and is now showing issues... I will need to take care of it shortly.

[macster]

I'm going in a position to do a long term listening/useage with a 3014 that's in optimum condition. Based on early results the mids/highs were sweeter and more natural than my Dragon. It will be interesting to see what the long term listening/performance results are. But over here, the bottom line is no matter how good it sounds, its whether or not I can count on it to work when I need it.

M~

[jazzgene]

I'm going in a position to do a long term listening/useage with a 3014 that's in optimum condition. Based on early results the mids/highs were sweeter and more natural than my Dragon. It will be interesting to see what the long term listening/performance results are. But over here, the bottom line is no matter how good it sounds, its whether or not I can count on it to work when I need it.

M~

What are the rest of your setup to ascertain this difference? Did you A/B them in the same musical environment?

If a deck can't be trusted regarding performance, then it is not worth it in my opinion. I had a ZX-9 that had issues AFTER a well known tech overhauled it for me. That really sucked as it worked sometimes and then not other times.

[macster]

What are the rest of your setup to ascertain this difference? Did you A/B them in the same musical environment?

If a deck can't be trusted regarding performance, then it is not worth it in my opinion. I had a ZX-9 that had issues AFTER a well known tech overhauled it for me. That really sucked as it worked sometimes and then not other times.

My system as it is now, currently I have both the Revox and Nak hooked with the same input and output cables. Yes I did A/B them in the same environment, as I have a dedicated 2 channel only audio room. I not only will be testing the 3014, I will also checking out a 440A.

RE"If a deck can't be trusted regarding performance, then it is not worth it in my opinion." I wholeheartedly agree, hench the long term (hopefully) testing, before I make a decision to use them as my long term cassette recording solutions. I also have a line on a premo 3014A, but I'm in no rush to tie up the money until I can get a feel on these machines.

M~

[tandberg]

Back to Tandberg:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TANDBERG-CASSETTE-DECK-TDC-3004-OPERATING-MANUAL-1981-/130636626451?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e6a8cba13

Have anyone of you seen that 1981 Tape deck magazine print ??

[Robroy]

The Revox is looking mighty tempting at this point. No point in owning a deck you can't use all the time due to its finicky nature.
I had a friend a couple decades ago who had a Jaguar XJ-12 and a Volkswagen diesel Rabbit. He had the Rabbit because the Jaguar spent so much time in the shop. It was great while it was running, though... :)

[mang6669]

Back to Tandberg:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TANDBERG-CASSETTE-DECK-TDC-3004-OPERATING-MANUAL-1981-/130636626451?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e6a8cba13

Have anyone of you seen that 1981 Tape deck magazine print ??

Hi Tandberg,
I have that one.
I bought it from the same seller,it was the only 3004 manual that I could find.
It came with the review as well.
Chris

[tandberg]

Hmmmm....would you scan it ? I've got manual, but not that tape deck review.
I bet http://sportsbil.com/tandberg/ would like to post it as well.

[tandberg]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TANDBERG-CASSETTE-DECK-TDC-3004-OPERATING-MANUAL-1981-/130647278592?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3D UA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D130636626451%26ps%3D63%26clk id%3D6303247896559085041

How many pages is that tape magazine review ? Is it worth buying ?

A scan is still appreciated.

[mang6669]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TANDBERG-CASSETTE-DECK-TDC-3004-OPERATING-MANUAL-1981-/130647278592?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3D UA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D130636626451%26ps%3D63%26clk id%3D6303247896559085041

How many pages is that tape magazine review ? Is it worth buying ?

A scan is still appreciated.

I believe it was a two page article.
I will try to scan it this week.

Chris

[tandberg]

I would love to see it *bigthumbup*