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The "wide and fat" sound of reel 2 reel & FM radio

I had played a jazz cd earlier in the evening....later the same song came on my FM radio station...the FM broadcast sounded "wider and fatter"...I know that is not the proper term in audiophile vernacular, but it's my best description. When I owned a reel to reel 20 years ago, a recording made from vinyl to reel to reel sounded wider and fatter than the vinyl source. Mind you, I bought myself a serious tuner this year...Sansui TU-X1. What is it in reel to reel and an excellent tuner that makes this possible? I'm thinking of buying another reel to reel and make myself some recordings of some of my favorite vinyl.

Preamp..............Audio Research LS-10 solid state (no phono input)
Preamp..............Carver C-19 Tube (I have it connected to the AR LS-10 and use it for a phono preamp)
Speakers............Infinity Kappa 9 (bi-amped)
Amp.................Carver Silver 9-t monoblocks (low pass)
Amp.................Sunfire Signature (high pass)
Phonograph..........Oracle Delphi Mk-I
Cartridge...........Grado Reference Platinum
CD Player...........Carver SDA/360 5 disc changer
Tuner...............Sansui TU-X1
128x128mitch4t

Showing 1 response by deanster

deanster
9 posts
 
Perhaps the dynamic range is being compressed when you record to tape? This would make the softer sounds more audible, and if those previously softer sounds are more channel specific, you could experience a greater stereo ("wider"?) effect. And perhaps "fatter" comes from any equalization the signal goes through in the tape deck.

If it turns out to be the compression that you like, you might try one of the little dbx compressor/expander boxes to modify the dynamic range when playing vinyl. And as long as I'm disregarding signal quality, perhaps an equalizer could mimic the signal change of the tape deck?
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