I've been looking at those Tape Project subscriptions as well, but $300 an album scares me. Plus my 707 doesn't do 15 ips so I'd have to go buy another R2R deck. Getting a technics RS-1500 would be sweet though...

Also- the Tape Project only does 15" tapes, right?  Anyhoo, thinking about the prices on those Tape Project tapes and your Coltrane avatar made me think of The Analog Room.  Crazy spot for turntables and vinyl.  Owner has a special relationship with Blue Note and GREAT selection of 45 RPM vinyl.  Listening rooms means he will also audit many for you.  (Secret back room with more if he likes you, I've heard.)  Your vinyl was always pristine at the meets- figure you would dig this spot.  And talking to the owner Brian, he's a character.  I'm bringing a cigar to smoke with him the next time I go there...


I'll be asking for some tape recommendations in a bit.  Still enjoying/getting to know the new toys! 

Also- the Tape Project only does 15" tapes, right?  Anyhoo, thinking about the prices on those Tape Project tapes and your Coltrane avatar made me think of The Analog Room.  Crazy spot for turntables and vinyl.  Owner has a special relationship with Blue Note and GREAT selection of 45 RPM vinyl.  Listening rooms means he will also audit many for you.  (Secret back room with more if he likes you, I've heard.)  Your vinyl was always pristine at the meets- figure you would dig this spot.  And talking to the owner Brian, he's a character.  I'm bringing a cigar to smoke with him the next time I go there...


I'll be asking for some tape recommendations in a bit.  Still enjoying/getting to know the new toys!

I'm definitely going to have to get down to this place!  Shouldn't be too hard as I'm going to be working in Santa Clara starting in July.  If this place is half as cool as you just made it sound, I'm really worried about the damage that may be done to my pocketbook.

I'm a big fan of the golden era. great post. I've tried a bunch of stuff over the years, kenwood, harmon K, sansuii, marantz come to mind, and each has a sound. Alot of them seem to have decent headphone outs. But my favorite by far is the old solid state mcintosh stuff. And while i haven't checked recently, they are not as pricey as you may think. The tube stuff is though. In particular, what I can atttest to is the mc2100 power amp and it's little 50w brother (about $500 on ebay). They both sound near identical (although the 50 is best with efficient speakers) to my pops old kt88 tube equivalent. Mac's goal with the early SS stuff was to replicate their tube amps. So the SS amp's use autoformers (output transformers) as the last link before the signal hits your speakers and it's a big part of the tube sound. They were/are hand wound and built in rochester NY and are massive. Will last forever. Plus almost every part inside the chassis can be found at radio shack save a few output transistors which can be tricky to find but still not difficult. The key is to have the amp recapped or do it yourself and the amp will last you a lifetime. I recapped both mine myself for $50. CAp failure is really the only reason these amps ever fail, since when a cap goes, it can take the outputs with it. But the sound is wonderful. Full rich, natural, not too tight, not too loose. And they can drive anything including magnapans !

http://www.audioclassics.com/detail.php3?detail=MC2100&nav=cat

The 70's integrated mac's also have similar sounds and some use the same autoformers I believe, but are more complicated builds and so are prone to more issues/service needs.

I do love those classic Mac tube amps.  I've longed for a MC275 for a while now, and would love to have it in my collection.  Why are the MC2100's so much cheaper than the MC275?  I know they started making the MC275 again but it seems like the older units still don't come very cheap.