8-Tracks and Open-Reels: Who’s Got ‘Em and Whatcha Got?

I usually try to avoid absolutes but I think the 8-track may be hands-down the worst consumer audio format ever - perhaps even worse than 78 rpm shellacs. I never messed with it. A properly made cassette could walk all over any 8-track.

And yet, the 8-track has a relatively high fidelity cousin in the NAB tape cart, which looked very similar. Broadcast carts ran at 7.5 ips and the rubber roller wasn’t in the tape shell but in the tape deck itself. While there were plenty of bad sounding carts and decks, the best of them were very good, such as those from BE and ITC.

I have to say, my refurbished Pioneer H-R99 sounds pretty damn good to my ears if playing new tapes or older tapes in good condition. I was surprised. I know that the format is inherently limited (or shite), so I definitely don't listen to 8-track for the sound quality alone (or at all). I just enjoy traveling back in time. (My Pioneer CTF1250 is vastly superior in sound quality to my 8-track.)

I do like that I can play my vaporwave tapes on a continuous loop when I have people over. No fussing with changing cassette sides or flipping a record. 

I also just enjoy the tinkering involved with 8-tracks. I've replaced the foil strips and pressure pads in all my 8-track cartridges. It gives me something tangible to work with and occupies my mind and passes time. 

If you recorded your own cassettes then yes, better than 8 track--but IMO prerecorded 8T better than most prerecorded cassettes mainly b/c of tape speed.  I have cassettes recorded on Nak cr-4A which is still in my system but the tapes haven't really held up over the past 40 years--my RtoR tapes have held up well and i still enjoy putting on a loop occasionally and re-living the old party days--if i recorded at 3 3/4 i could fit up to 6 albums on a reversible tape--but that's not something you sit and listen -- just crank while you putter around -- serious listening always takes me back to the vinyl version from which i made the tape

@undefined:  Who is the "independent record label that releases only on open reel tape" ?

@wyoboy:

The label is called Orbita. They’re based in Ulyanovsk, Russia and release mostly post-punk, new wave, and cold wave bands (which is a lot of what I listen to these days). That scene seems to be alive and well there. I have a few of their releases and every one of them is great (both the sound quality and the music).