Revox B215 Cassette Deck Review

The same emphasis on massively solid construction, meticulous engineering, and fine craftsmanship that has made Studer the pre-eminent manufacturer of professional tape decks is evident in the company’s. Revox B215 consumer cassette deck. A three-head, four-motor deck with Dolby B and Dolby C noise reduction, Dolby HX Pro headroom extension, and microprocessor-con-trolled tape transport and electronics, the B215 is designed to meet the most critical audiophile’s sonic demands. At the same time, the deck does not require the user to be a technophile in order to realize its audio potential.

The tape transport of the B215 is built on a heavy, die-cast aluminum chassis. To minimize wow-and-flutter, two quartz-crystal-controlled, direct-drive Hall-effect d.c. motors are used for the closed-loop, dualcapstan drive. A second pair of direct-drive motors is used for reel spooling. After the user presses a button to select the tape length, a microprocessor coupled to an optical tachometer measures the relative rate of rotation of the reel motors and calculates the elapsed time on a side, which is continuously updated on a four-digit, liquid-crystal display. During winding, an optical sensor is used to detect the difference between the tape and the translucent leader at its ends, and electrical rather than mechanical braking stops rotation so that the tape is never yanked at the hub connection when the end of the side is reached.

The record and playback heads are separate units joined in a common casing, which allows immediate comparisons between the source and the recording. The three-head design also enabled Revox to optimize the respective head gaps, using a narrow-gap head for playback (ensuring against high-frequency losses) and a wide-gap head for recording (maximizing signal-to-noise ratio).

The B215 does not have a conventional tape-head well and door.

Instead, cassettes are pressed into place against a slightly recessed plate on the deck’s front. This allows full visibility for the label and tape pack as well as easy access to the heads and capstan rollers for routine cleaning. A detachable dust cover is provided for periods when the deck will not be in use.

While the deck automatically switches its bias and equalization settings to match the tape type (ferric, CrO2, metal), the user can manually override the settings. In addition to providing selectable Dolby B or Dolby C noise reduction, the Revox B215 employs the Dolby HX Pro headroom-extension system whenever the deck is in the recording mode.

Since different brands (or even batches within a brand) of the same tape type vary slightly in their characteristics, the Revox B215 also incorporates a sophisticated, micro-processor-controlled alignment procedure. The user presses a button to begin the procedure, which takes about 20 seconds. The deck records and analyzes a brief series of inaudible tones, using the results to optimize recording bias, playback equalization, and sensitivity for the selected tape. Following these internal adjustments, the tape is rewound to the beginning. The B215 provides nonvolatile storage of the optimized settings for two brands of ferric, three of CrO2-type, and one of metal tape, so the procedure need not be repeated unless you change to a new brand.

Levels are indicated on a pair of twenty-four-segment-per-channel, peak-reading liquid-crystal displays, calibrated from —30 to +8 dB. The calibrations in the —6- to + 8-dB range were in increments of 1 dB, facilitating very accurate level setting. When Type I or Type II tape is being used, the indicators are frequency-equalized to help avoid treble saturation.

Record levels can be set manually with a pair of up/down pushbuttons or automatically by pressing a SET LEVEL button during the loudest portions of the program source. Headphone playback volume can be adjusted (independently of the line output level) with a similar pair of up/down pushbuttons. A fade-IN/OUT pushbutton is provided to create smooth musical entries and exits. Two points on the tape can be selected for programming applications such as repeat play of a specific selection.

No internal provision is made for microphone recording. A defeatable FM stereo multiplex filter is provided, as are connections for remote control by a computer (using its serial port) or an optional wireless remote control that interfaces with other Revox components. For timer-controlled operation a save status button stores parameters such as record level, Dolby system, tape type, and mode.

The Revox B215 measures 17-3/4 inches wide, 13 inches deep, and 6 inches high, and it weighs a little over 20 pounds. Price: $1,400.

Lab Tests

The playback frequency response of the Revox B215 with both ferric and chrome-type IEC-standard calibrated BASF alignment tapes measured within +1.5, —0.5 dB all the way from 31.5 to 18,000 Hz. The very slight rise at the extreme treble end shown in the graph on page 42 is characteristic of the IEC tapes, but it is normally visible only with decks that fully and properly compensate for head-gap effects.

Overall record-playback frequency response—measured with our calibrated center-line samples of TDK AD (ferric), SA (CrO2-equivalent), and MA (metal)—was equally impressive. At the bass end there was (as specified) a 3-dB rolloff at 30 Hz. At the normal — 20-dB level, high-frequency response from all three tapes was within +1.5, —1.0 dB all the way to our 20,000-Hz measurement limit. Even more impressive was the response at the 0-dB level (which corresponded exactly to the IEC standard of 250 nWb/m). The Dolby HX Pro system maintained a treble response about 6 dB better than is obtainable from fixed-bias recording. Thanks to the automatic optimizing system, frequency response using the Revox-recommended BASF CR-M II tape was identical to that of TDK SA.

Our signal-to-noise-ratio measurements were among the best we have made. We found that BASF CR-M II gave approximately a 2-dB improvement in S/N, but we have also shown the TDK SA numbers to maintain comparability with our other recent test reports.

The wow-and-flutter measurements were also among the best we have made—so close to the limits of our instrumentation that any slight differences between the Revox B215 and the one or two other decks that have measured this low are probably insignificant. Dolby-system tracking errors were absolutely minimal, absolute tape-speed error was slight, and input/output levels were entirely normal. The fast-wind speeds were the fastest we can recall measuring. Our one minor complaint is that the input-overload capacity of the B215, 2.85 volts, is lower than that of most other high-quality decks. But unless a CD player with an unusually high output is used as a source, this limitation should have no practical effect on recordings.

Comments

Our measurements certainly place the Revox B215 among the two or three cassette decks that could with good reason be called the finest in the world. Our listening tests did nothing to contradict such an assessment. Its clarity, full frequency response, and effortlessly clean recording and reproduction make it a legitimate rival with our reference deck. In instantaneous comparisons we could spot very, very slight differences. The Revox seemed to have, if anything, a slight advantage in high-level treble response. Our reference deck had, if anything, a slight advantage in hiss level and modulation noise.

The differences were so subtle, however, that we certainly could not always hear them, and on that basis we have to conclude that we would be more than happy with either deck. When you’re this close to perfection in audio reproduction, you don’t have to pick the winner to be a winner.

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