This appears to be an audiophile tape machine designed  for listening to 
newly manufactured tape dubs of commercial releases.  A US company called 
The Tape Project has been offering such tapes for some years. Revox offered 
a probably comparable playback only machine in 2017 and I think was 
planning to make pre recorded tapes to go with them.  I've occasionally been 
asked to repair open reel tape machines for the purpose of listening to 
these very expensive pre recorded tapes. A tape I listened to seemed to have 
been competently dubbed. It would need to be for the price.

The Thorens TM 1600 belt driven capstan motor suggests a design compromise. 
Good direct drive capstan motor machines (electronically controlled) have 
been around since the late 1950's when Nagra, then Studer and Revox, 
Teac/Tascam, Sony, Akai etc put out their own direct drive capstan models. 
Direct drive motors and their electronic controls were very expensive to 
make back then but these days are so much cheaper to manufacture. I notice 
one audiophile review of ther Thorens (StereoNET UK) curiously omitted the 
reference to the belt drive.

Tim Gillett

Perth,
Western Australia.





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Aaron Coe" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2019 1:29 AM
Subject: [ARSCLIST] Thorens TM 1600 ¼" Tape Machine Announced


Available Summer 2020 for the low, low price of $13.5k.

https://www.thorens.com/en/thorens-news-m/231-high-end-2019-thorens-tm-1600-–-high-end-tape-machine.html

-Aaron
_____________________
https://cuttingcorporation.com 


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