To Dragoon or not to Dragoon

[Danathepill]

So Danathepill,
What is the out come on this? Have you overcome the desire?

2 sold really quickly. Not sure the other one is even real or maybe the guy died. I tried to message him and never heard back. So the problem took care of itself.

 

[RunOutGroove]

I would be thinking about just how much I would have coveted one of those things back in the day. Balanced with that, would be the thought of just how useless that would be for me right now. Once cassettes started disappearing from cars (my current car with it's CD player is very old tech by now!), they seemed rather useless to me, along with all of the arguments about the fidelity, cost of the tapes and then one that I always think about - that they're a PIA to cue up a song. As cool as those machines are and as much as I my former self would have loved to own one, I feel like the fact that it would surely go unused at this point, would be the thing that wins out.

I'd have a lot more gear of all sorts if simply picked up what looked cool and that I could get a good deal on, rather than thinking only of the stuff that I'd actually be likely to hook up and get some use out of...

 

[Bushikan]

I would be thinking about just how much I would have coveted one of those things back in the day. Balanced with that, would be the thought of just how useless that would be for me right now. Once cassettes started disappearing from cars (my current car with it's CD player is very old tech by now!), they seemed rather useless to me, with all of the arguments about the fidelity, cost of the tapes and then one that I always think about - that they're a PIA to cue up a song. As cool as those machines are and as much as I my former self would have loved to own one, I feel like the fact that it would surely go unused at this point, would be the thing that wins out.

I'd have a lot more gear of all sorts if simply picked up what looked cool and that I could get a good deal on, rather than thinking only of the stuff that I'd actually be likely to hook up and get some use out of...

I completely concur—for the most part. I used to lust after the Dragon, among other things. Never got one, or a R2R. But I eventually purchased many pieces I wanted—only to lust after other / newer / more “advanced” kit.

I continue to wrestle with these issues regarding different formats and where I should invest my money. (Currently, I listen only to CD, vinyl, and tuner.) And I thought I was completely over and done with tape. Maybe I am.

But at recent audio shows, six-figure R2R systems were neck-and-neck with if not much better than the best six-figure vinyl and ladder tube DAC / streaming systems.

So, I have to shrug my shoulders and start lusting all over again. Two steps forward; one step back.

 

[RunOutGroove]

I completely concur—for the most part. I used to lust after the Dragon, among other things. Never got one, or a R2R. But I eventually purchased many pieces I wanted—only to lust after other / newer / more “advanced” kit.

I continue to wrestle with these issues regarding different formats and where I should invest my money. (Currently, I listen only to CD, vinyl, and tuner.) And I thought I was completely over and done with tape. Maybe I am.

But at recent audio shows, six-figure R2R systems were neck-and-neck with if not much better than the best six-figure vinyl and ladder tube DAC / streaming systems.

So, I have to shrug my shoulders and start lusting all over again. Two steps forward; one step back.

I don't doubt that R2R can sound fantastic, but even if I had the kind of disposable income to own a great deck and lots of tapes to play on it, I don't think that I'd be bothering with such a thing. Too much inconvenience and another format to collect would put me off. My LPs and in particularly my CDs, now that I have a new DAC (a Chord Qutest) already sound good enough on my relatively modest system that I'm not looking to find some other format that might be a bit better. Then again, my game isn't really going for the "ultimate sound" so much as having a great collection of music and system that may not be close to perfection, but is good enough to keep me engrossed in what I listen to.

Like you, I listen to "CD, vinyl and tuner" and even with the tuner, which isn't nearly at the sound quality of the other two, it's good enough to satisfy...

 

[IXLR8]

Often I wondered why folks that collect vintage stereo do not add a cassette or RTR to it. I enjoy a garage system with a cassette, because it.s a quick flip the cassette hit play and I'm back at chosen chore at hand. I like CD's for the same reason. But the different machines add a level of fun, flexibility and interest.