Upcoming Technics SP-10R (100th Anniversary Model)

Inna, Yes, I grossly UNDERestimated the total cost for 100 really good tapes.  Likewise, you horribly OVERestimated the cost for a like number of select LPs.  I never ever pay more than $25 per, and by far most of my LP purchases are less than $10-$12 each.  However, if you think you can be happy listening to the same few tapes over and over again, that's up to you.  I could not be happy with such a limited repertoire.  Each of us has his own predilections, but I don't see how you can rationalize R2R over vinyl on the basis of lower cost.  I see R2R as a boutique endeavor.

Unless I and others grossly misunderstood the grandiose introduction of the 10R by Technics, there is no way it will retail for less than $15K.  There is no need for them to place the price any lower than that, because they will sell all they can make, if it is as good as it looks.  But the proof of the pudding is in the pricing, ultimately, and none of us really know for sure. 

@inna i got reel to reel recorder from my gradfather, i’d love to stick to the R2R tapes, but it’s impossible to find the recordings of my favorite bands, i can’t even imagine how i can find any tapes if it’s not mainstream bands and even vinyl is rare? Only if i could drive with reel to reel recorder to fellow collectors to copy their rare vinyl to my blank tapes, lol.

@lewm the shipping alone cost $22-25 for an LP from USA to Europe, everything was cheaper 10-15 years ago. I wish i could buy all my favorite 60s/70s Jazz, Funk, Soul, Latin LPs and 45s in the late 90s when it was $1-15 in set sales dealers faxed to their customers (but i was too young and in the wrong place), nowadays some rare records i’ve bought 5-7 years ago for $50 cost $500, time to sell some. But still plenty of very good records (original pressings) available for $5, but not in the local stores, so i have to add shipping cost. I know many record collectors worldwide, people with the rarest records never pay attention to equipmet at all, they can play $1000 record on worn needle (the cheapest) forever. Those rare vinyl can be VG condition, nobody cares. At the same time the musical "taste" of many audiophiles does not impress me at all.

Yeah, well, ideally you need a few sources - R2R, turntable and digital, and that's exactly what I am after, only for now it is Nakamichi 682ZX cassette deck for compilations and background music instead of Studer. Taping from friends' vinyl is a great idea.
LP shipping from Germany to the US is usually the least expensive, it is $15-$20 registered from Japan. I think, the average cost of my LPs is about $30. But if I wanted some original US or Japanese pro pressings in M- condition or some original UK, this would be over $100 on average. Still less than good master tape dubs.

Those mentioned record collectors are criminals by audiophile standards.

However, I fully understand the interest in this Technics. Unfortunately, only few of us will be able to get it. Any audiophile can afford decent open reel deck. The more people are interested in it the more master tape dubs we will see, perhaps even those recordings that were never released on vinyl. And if the average price of good music on tape goes below $100, this will be within the reach for many. Most people who are not in retirement do not have much time for critical listening and they have to be selective. To have 5000 records and listen to only 500 is not something that I would do.